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I have become aware that I have a bit of a phobia about changing the strings tuning on my guitar
My guitar is an Encore roundbacked semi-accoustic
So what is the fear?
Well, I am not confident changing strings per se, so if a string snapped, I dont like that.
But the tuning part of it is fear it may weaken the strings by tightening and stretching them?
Is it all me being silly or is there some truth in it?
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12-21-2014 08:09 AM
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I don't like changing strings either. One of the advantages of flatwounds is that one need not change them often.
I snapped a string once, when I was a kid. (When changing strings, I mean.) That was over 40 years ago. If you attach a tuner to your guitar while changing strings, you'll know when you reach the proper pitch. (You would only break it by going way past that.) Also, many music shops sell single strings, especially the high E and B strings. Pick up a few extra and that might set your mind at ease.
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oh, never heard of Flatwounds strings. Must check em out. Thanks
Just so I am clear what I meant though. I have no problem retuning strings to standard tuning. NOR playing guitar if they have deviated from standard tuning of themselves lolBut
say I wanted to do a Delta Blues and it calls for the strings tunings to be changed. well I am put off because of worrying about changing them back and forwards weakening the strings etc
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Set up helps a lot. Get a tech to make sure the tuner holes are smooth etc. and tell him your concerns. It's usually a sharp place as opposed to the strings. Hypothetically, they're supposed to be able to handle it. I wouldn't do it with otherwise old strings though. Whole different conversation re. weak spots.
Originally Posted by elixzer
A lot of people use multiple guitars, but some guys do it on the fly. Helps if you know some jokes for the restring. :-)Last edited by matt.guitarteacher; 12-21-2014 at 11:34 AM.
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Also, subscribe to the quarterly 3-pak strings on Amazon (cheap/basic if you need to for practice), replace them religiously (pretty frequently), and practice the retuning thing daily at home. If you do it often enough you'll know what's reasonable. Changing from open E to open G may be too much. You won't know until you experiment with the way you'll actually do it. Lack of confidence comes from not doing it often enough. Expensive coated or flat strings which last longer don't give you the reps. :-)
If you have strings breaking off at the tuner, you've got a sharp place on the tuning peg, or you're crossing your wound strings across themselves. Cross unwound strings over themselves and don't cross unwound. Do some research and make sure you're stringing the thing like the pros do.
I've broken enough strings to be comfortable with whatever I guess. Just my 2c.Last edited by matt.guitarteacher; 12-21-2014 at 12:00 PM.
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You're being real silly, haven't you played Blues or Rock, breaking strings is just part playing. I've even broke bass strings and seen piano break string. Depending on the guitar the worse that usually happens depending on the guitar is you might go out of tune a bit. So time to get over it. Originally Posted by elixzer
I was a roadie in my early days so I can't even begin to guess the number of strings I've changed planned and unplanned during a show. Also in my playing days I was changing strings daily. Bottom line the more you change string the more comfortable you become and the better you get at doing it.
Unless your planning on cleaning the body of the guitar just change strings one at a time, that is easier on the guitar and if you have a floating bridge everything stays in place. I could talk more about the process, but at this point you just need to deal with you fear and get used to changing strings.
Think of changing strings as keeping good guitar hygiene, like you do for your body.Last edited by docbop; 12-21-2014 at 01:49 PM.
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It's true that at pitch, the strings will be vulnerable to breakage. The closer they are to breaking point, the better they sound; that's the truth. Tuning and re-tuning the guitar fatigues it most at the point of greatest angle, the tuning machine shaft (not a bridge pin angle on an Ovation though). Originally Posted by elixzer
So you're right. As far as what you can do about it, I'd recommend:
1.) Buy a new guitar. Then you can keep both in different tunings.
2.) Wear plastic goggles to protect your eyes. Earplugs to lessen the aural registering of the string snap. Construction or gardening gloves to protect your hands if the string should snap back. Long sleeves or a leather jacket will protect any exposed arm. It occurs to me that a motorcyclist's protective outfit would suffice quite effectively and the helmet would preclude the use of separate earplugs and goggles. Problem solved!
You could always get someone else to retune your guitar. Roadie!
Hope this helps.
David
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You know I play also baroque lute... so don't tell about problems of changing strings on guitar
http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~lsa/abo...roqueLute2.jpg
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Originally Posted by TruthHertz
2.) Wear plastic goggles to protect your eyes. [/QUOTE]
O M G you've really done it now. That is one of my worst fears, a string whipping my eyeballs... lol
I had actually, asking this question, been hoping people woulda said eg 'ohhhh don't be silly, you can change the tuning all the time, it's cool'
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Well pilgrim, I recall restringing my Martin back in the fall of '22...without a warning my 3D vision days were over....
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actually any kind of balls are subject to it... so jockstrap is mandatory.That is one of my worst fears, a string whipping my eyeballs.
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Originally Posted by elixzer
'Ohhhh don't be silly, you can change the tuning all the time, it's cool'
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If you're afraid to change tunings, then don't. Originally Posted by elixzer
If you're willing to to risk it, risk it.
There's nothing else to say about this.
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I highly reccomend a string change. You'll be surprised how much better things will sound/feel.*
*after a few hours of playing--new strings might sound strange at first, particularly if you are playing on a set that is years old.
As for the tuning/retuning thing, i'm not into alternate tunings. No need to make notes move around i spent a long time remembering where they were in the first place.Last edited by mr. beaumont; 12-22-2014 at 12:42 PM.
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I MUST make the effort and get them changed then!! It is a very cool place
I find what you say here VERY intriguing and funny
I know what you mean lol: Please can you go more into this? So you are saying that I can still get that sound--from the Delta Blues video I shared--- from NOT changing the tuning...??As for the tuning/retuning thing, i'm not into alternate tunings. No need to make notes move around i spent a long time remembering where they were in the first place.
How sir??
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No, not really. The opsn tunings are part of that sound...i can fake it, to a certain extent...
I just chalk it up to committments...i can't have too many of em, if i really want to pay attention to the things that matter.
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Originally Posted by mr. beaumont
Drop D tuning? I haven't really encountered it in jazz either, but then a few guys go with a 7 string guitar.
Drop D comes up in finger-style solo guitar music, and even classical guitar music. And I grew up thinking it was just an old folkie thing.
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Mundell Lowe did drop D, right?
That's about all i can think of.
I'm cool with dropping a bass string...its when everything gets all jumbled that i tune out.
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Tuning down will not ever be an issue... You are reducing the tension. The only issues that arise are more string wear in that when you depress the string, the fret meets a different point on the string than in standard.
Tuning up is not good. Neither the strings nor the guitar are made for this. Not only will it not sound it's best, but the additional tension can cause damage to the string or the instrument
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im with you Originally Posted by stringsalive
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Johnny Smith was a big proponent of it. Originally Posted by mr. beaumont
Danny W.
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Yes. As a matter of history Gibson used to make a Johnny Smith string set that had a flatwound low E string mixed with the other monel nickle strings. Originally Posted by Danny W.
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I believe the term is Planned Obsolescence the auto industry mastered it decades ago. I remember reading... if Ford ever built another Model T they'd go broke the things lasted so long. I remember there was time back in 70's I think and Slinky strings had become dirty cheap, but problem is they weren't breaking the winding's on the plain strings would come loose. So we used to put a couple drops of super glue on the winding before changing strings. Originally Posted by wolflen
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I listened to it, and have played this style of delta blues successfully in standard tuning. Bottlenecking, of course. Tricky, though. Try alternating between e/b string pair (for the 1 to 5 or 1 to 4 intervals) and b/g string pair for major 3rd, and e/b/g for any minor voicing. This piece CAN be done this way.
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