groovin Posted September 14, 2010 Share Posted September 14, 2010 For all of you who own a plethora of gits I was wondering if you are in the habit of oosening of the strings before putting baby to bed. I know I just have enough hands and arms to play all mine at once so I do this with mine. Not only does it stop any neck bow but the strings sound fresher longer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kuz Posted September 14, 2010 Share Posted September 14, 2010 Nope, all mine are strung to tune and ready to come out swinging!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tulk1 Posted September 14, 2010 Share Posted September 14, 2010 Are you talking about everytime you're done playing or practicing? Would seem counter productive to me. Everytime you loosen and then retighten the strings you stress it's tensile strength and ability to hold a tuning. If you were shipping or putting it into long term storage, well maybe then. But not as an everyday practice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pcovers Posted September 14, 2010 Share Posted September 14, 2010 40 years of playing and never thought of loosening strings after playing. I think the constant tension and release, over and over, would have a greater deleterious effect on the integrity of the strings and guitar than leaving it at normal tension. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thundersteel Posted September 14, 2010 Share Posted September 14, 2010 How can loosening the strings stop neck bow? The truss rod and strings equalize each other, so I think loosening the strings would increase the chances of back bow, not decrease it! I always keep all my axes in tune. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barrymclark Posted September 14, 2010 Share Posted September 14, 2010 How can loosening the strings stop neck bow? The truss rod and strings equalize each other, so I think loosening the strings would increase the chances of back bow, not decrease it! I always keep all my axes in tune. Agreed. Never experienced an issue leaving a guitar in tune. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FredZepp Posted September 14, 2010 Share Posted September 14, 2010 How can loosening the strings stop neck bow? The truss rod and strings equalize each other, so I think loosening the strings would increase the chances of back bow, not decrease it! I always keep all my axes in tune. 40 years of playing and never thought of loosening strings after playing. I think the constant tension and release, over and over, would have a greater deleterious effect on the integrity of the strings and guitar than leaving it at normal tension. Are you talking about everytime you're done playing or practicing? Would seem counter productive to me. Everytime you loosen and then retighten the strings you stress it's tensile strength and ability to hold a tuning. If you were shipping or putting it into long term storage, well maybe then. But not as an everyday practice. Nope, all mine are strung to tune and ready to come out swinging!!! +1 to all.. The truss rod tension is a balancing act, to make it constantly variable seems counter productive. The guitar would constantly be adjusting to a new tension. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chico Posted September 14, 2010 Share Posted September 14, 2010 shipping would be the only time I would loosen strings Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GuitArtMan Posted September 14, 2010 Share Posted September 14, 2010 I would never think top loosen the strings except maybe for shipping or long term storage. +100 to what everyone else has said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cod65 Posted September 14, 2010 Share Posted September 14, 2010 +1000 shipping only Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug Posted September 14, 2010 Share Posted September 14, 2010 I wouldn't know I never put mine down Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eljay Posted September 14, 2010 Share Posted September 14, 2010 I wouldn't know I never put mine down yowza! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick Posted September 14, 2010 Share Posted September 14, 2010 40 years of playing and never thought of loosening strings after playing. I think the constant tension and release, over and over, would have a greater deleterious effect on the integrity of the strings and guitar than leaving it at normal tension. deleterious??? Now, there's a Bill O'Reilly word for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronalr Posted September 14, 2010 Share Posted September 14, 2010 For all of you who own a plethora of gits I was wondering if you are in the habit of oosening of the strings before putting baby to bed. I know I just have enough hands and arms to play all mine at once so I do this with mine. Not only does it stop any neck bow but the strings sound fresher longer. I am no expert but I have heard just the opposite ..that leaving it in tune keeps the neck from bowing....I had a 1964 SG...that I kept in it's case without loosening the strings from 1991 (when I stopped playing professionally) .... till 2003 ..... ( I did not pick up a guitar at all during those years) ...and it was still somewhat in tune and in perfect condition......I had that guitar since 1968 and toured with it extensively....ended up selling in 06 to help pay for my daughters wedding....... now I play everyday....appearing nightly live in my basement Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mgoetting Posted September 14, 2010 Share Posted September 14, 2010 I don't know if it does more or less harm to detune and retune, but it does suck up your time. No, I won't be detuning. If you are worrying about it, then detune and retune. I personally don't "fret" about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smurph1 Posted September 14, 2010 Share Posted September 14, 2010 deleterious??? Now, there's a Bill O'Reilly word for sure. Who's Bill O'Reilly? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mgoetting Posted September 14, 2010 Share Posted September 14, 2010 Who's Bill O'Reilly? That's for a different forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
groovin Posted September 15, 2010 Author Share Posted September 15, 2010 Thanks for all the comments folks. Seems to be general agreement that slackening is not a good thing. I can see your point about maintaining a balanced tension between the strings and the truss rod. I have a 40yr old Martin that does not have an adjustable truss rod (it has a a fixed ebony stabilising rod instead) that has had more than one neck reset because of neck bend over time. This seems to benefit from detuning when it is in storage, the next relaxes back to its original shape. This is what gave me the idea to do this with the 575 as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kuz Posted September 15, 2010 Share Posted September 15, 2010 Thanks for all the comments folks. Seems to be general agreement that slackening is not a good thing. I can see your point about maintaining a balanced tension between the strings and the truss rod. I have a 40yr old Martin that does not have an adjustable truss rod (it has a a fixed ebony stabilising rod instead) that has had more than one neck reset because of neck bend over time. This seems to benefit from detuning when it is in storage, the next relaxes back to its original shape. This is what gave me the idea to do this with the 575 as well. From what I understand about Neck resets and Acoustics is that this is do to the movement of the spruce top (the "hump or bump" at the bridge) not that the neck is bowing or moving. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark555 Posted September 15, 2010 Share Posted September 15, 2010 Of the four guitars I own (alas only one heritage), all of them are kept in tune in their cases, never any problem. I would always loosen the strings if I was shopping a guitar elsewhere. By the way, nice to have you here, we all look forward to your posts. Have you posted the obligatory picture of your Heritage yet? It's a right of passage here, almost obligatory, just so we can all say nice things about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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