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Tuning...


Venkat

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Hi folks,

 

I just got a new Oscar Schmidt OG2 (full dread

by Washburn) acoustic yesterday. I tuned all

strings using a new Korg CA30 chromatic tuner

last night. Sounds great for a mere $100...

I'm just a newbie, you see :) . Got the same 3/4th

size OG1 for me kiddo... Both are learning

together.

 

I practiced just for ~1/2hr strumming a few

chords basically, nothing fancy...

 

The question is, within just ~8hrs, all strings

lost tuning Is this expected in new guitars or

is it that the tuning machines are bad. I had to

tighten them all, anywhere form 1/2 circle to

over 1 circle of tuning machine rotation. They

are chrome die cast tuners.

 

TIA

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Hey Venkat great to hear about you and your kid learning together.

 

Most guitars when store bought come with pretty crappy factory strings. These strings go out of tune very fast. To fix your problem go to your local guitar store and buy some new strings. I would suggest Elixirs or Martin for acoustic but that's my personal bias. If your just going to be playing chords and want to be in tune more try thicker strings as well. However, if you are planning on some lead guitar playing on your acoustic I would try Lights. If you don't know how to re-string a guitar I am sure the people at your neighborhood guitar shop would be more than happy to show you. Also as other people have now stated stings need to be worked in for a while until they are stretched properly.

 

Also keep in mind all guitars go out of tune eventually and price is usually a good indicator for how long they will stay in tune.

 

-Hope this helps

-Jim Matteucci

 

Yea I'm 16 and I have a lot to learn

 

http://thefuryband.tripod.com/

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Welcome to the club.

You can get by with those stockers for awhile though you will need to change before too long. Until the strings are properly stretched they will go out of tune often but they should settle in within a couple of days. Also, the tuning will change as humidity and air pressure changes so be prepared to tweak a bit each time you play.

 

In about a month or so, depending on how much you practice you can start trying other strings. Each person and guitar will be different as to what sounds and plays well so take some recommendations to start with, try them and find the one that works. Then stay with it.

 

I personally use DR Strings on EVERY acoustic instrument I have, four six string, one 12 string, one resonator, one mandolin and a banjo. All have DR Strings on them. For me, they sound better than any other string on the instrument and an added plus is the life is longer than any other string and very nearly as long as a coated string. I also now have a Les Paul copy and I'll be running DRs on it too.

 

For a coated string d'Addario and Black Diamond play well and generally sound good. I personally don't like the Elixir strngs on my guitars and none of the Martin strings last any time at all though they sound pretty decent.

You may find that GHS, Dean Markley or some other string works the best for you.

 

Our Joint

 

"When you come slam bang up against trouble, it never looks half as bad if you face up to it." The Duke...

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Thanks guys, for the info.

 

The strings are brand new D'Addario strings.

Temperature may be it too :-) It dropped

quite heavily 10'+ in just a day here in the

Bay Area...

 

Also, it may be the way the strings are

wound. Looks like they are not looped around

going under and then and over the string as

they just come out thru the peghead. It may

causing the slippage...

 

The healthy competition (and fragile ego - mine)

between me/kid is helping a lot... Thanks for

encouragement, guys :-)

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Originally posted by Venkat:

The healthy competition (and fragile ego - mine) between me/kid is helping a lot... Thanks for encouragement, guys :-)

No problem, that's what these forums are for. And I agree, learning with your kid is a great way to keep each other moving.

 

A way I use to combat some of that new string stretching is by stretching them manually a litte once they're on the instrument. Put a finger underneath a string at the 12th fret and pull up and away from the fretboard. Repeat at fret 5 and somewhere past the highest fret, to cover the whole string. Do this GENTLY. If there's notable resistance, you've gone far enough. You'll have to stop at under an inch, probably, depending on string gauge; the 12th fret will have the most slack. Err on the side of caution; worst case scenario, it's not enough to make much difference and you let them stretch on their own a few days, like they said.

 

Good luck!

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Thanks for the info guys... It helped

 

New strings + the sudden drop in temp here in the

Bay Area seems to have caused it... Its all set

now and plays like a charm keeping the tuning for

over a day. Not bad.

 

In any case, by Oscar Schmidt / Washburn offering

Limited Lifetime Warranty, I was hoping it was not

just for some esoteric aspect of an axe :)

 

After all, keeping the tuning for at least a while

could fairly be expected, even on low-end models.

Otherwise why offer waranties, all else being

normal.

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Yeah, if there's sloppy winding on the tuner-post, the strings can slip out of tune very easily. A few neat winds around the tuner post will do ya, spiraling downward so that there's a healthy angle over the nut.

 

As has been said, a little string-stretching will help "break in" a new set of strings. And, always tune "up"- if you are higher than the pitch you atre tuning to, tune down below the desired pitch, give the string a gentle tug to pull out any slack, and then tune up to the desired pitch.

 

This keeps any differences in tension between the length of string behind the nut and the length that you play on to a minimum, and leaves less chances of this "stored slack" from slipping back-and-forth in a sort of tug-of-war that will detune the string.

 

Get a good book on care and set-up of guitars; many have lots of pictures and diagrams showing what I am describing here, and it will be much clearer. Plus info on proper stringing, adjusting the neck's truss-rod, and the like. Do a search on this forum- go to the top of the page, and select "search"- for "book" and "books". There's likely some good 'sites out there as well, mayhap someone will come along and post a link to one for ya...

 

Oh, and I'll definitely second Daklander ("a-Wishin' it was still Halloween") on those DR strings. I love them! And I won't put anything else on my electrics, except for maybe some of the fine offerings from Tomastik-Infeld in Vienna.

 

Best of luck to the both of you, I think that's so great that you and your kid are learning together!

Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do?

 

~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~

_ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _

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I have that very same guitar. I don't have any tuning problems.

 

I got it used for $100 CAD ($75 USD) in mint condition about a year ago. It's been a great guitar for me. Sounds great and stays in tune really well. Great budget guitar.

 

I use a variety of string brands, but always a brand name. 11's seem to work well for me on that guitar.

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