Slackening off Strings.

Bung Hand · #1 11-19-2017, 08:00 PM

G'day Friends,
Just wondering what your thoughts are on the above topic.
Say,if I wasn't going to play a particular Guitar for a few months,is it a good idea to slacken off the Strings ?, or leave the Guitar tuned to pitch ? .
Regards from OZ ... Charlie .

RustyAxe · #2 11-19-2017, 08:05 PM

The guitar doesn't know whether it's in your hands or in the case. It was designed to live with strings in standard tuning. Leave it tuned to pitch.

ljguitar · #3 11-19-2017, 08:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bung Hand

G'day Friends,
Just wondering what your thoughts are on the above topic.
Say,if I wasn't going to play a particular Guitar for a few months,is it a good idea to slacken off the Strings ?, or leave the Guitar tuned to pitch ? .
Regards from OZ ... Charlie .

Hi BH (Charlie)…

My guitars stay under tension tuned to whatever the last tuning I used them in was. Been doing that for over 50 years. My main guitar is nearly 25 years old, and it's certainly not suffered from leaving strings at tension.

I DO have one guitar which is rarely under tension. It's my travel guitar - a Voyage-Air VAOM-06 which I leave folded up and in the backpack unless I pull it out to play (which normally only happens about once a month for an hour or two).

ManyMartinMan · #4 11-19-2017, 08:42 PM

G'Day. I would give you sage advice but your question has been answered.

Bung Hand · #5 11-19-2017, 09:06 PM

Thanks Friends ,
Yes, it seems as though Strings should be left under tension ( glad I'm not a string,I'd hate to be left like that ;-) ) .
I appreciate your help and input ..

rogthefrog · #6 11-19-2017, 09:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bung Hand

G'day Friends,
Just wondering what your thoughts are on the above topic.
Say,if I wasn't going to play a particular Guitar for a few months,is it a good idea to slacken off the Strings ?, or leave the Guitar tuned to pitch ? .
Regards from OZ ... Charlie .

Leave it as-is.

guitar george · #7 11-19-2017, 09:16 PM

Would it make any difference if you slackened off the strings?

Wade Hampton · #8 11-19-2017, 09:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by guitar george

Would it make any difference if you slackened off the strings?

The main effect will be to kill the strings earlier than they would otherwise die on their own. Loosening and retightening strings accelerates the metal fatigue that strings undergo.

In terms of protecting the neck or the guitar itself, the only time I ever loosen the strings is when I have no intention of using the instrument for quite some time. I'm not talking weeks or months of inactivity, but YEARS.

I've got a couple of mandolins I'm not currently using. Those are pretty high strung and under a lot of tension, so since I'm basically just hanging onto them as investments more than anything else, it makes sense to me to take the tension off.

But if it's an instrument that still gets used, however infrequently, I leave it tuned to pitch.

Hope that makes sense.

Wade Hampton Miller

wade63 · #9 11-19-2017, 09:51 PM

I've been out voted ( and out ranked

) but in my mind I still think it could make a difference , could being the operative word. Strings generate approximately 160# pressure on the bridge and neck. I know, they are designed for that but all guitars will eventually succumb to this force. Not all guitars and woods being equal some will slightly collapse into itself sooner than others. I have a lot of guitars wich will be part of my retirement sideline and are forsale now but may sit or hang for months or years. Call me crazy but less pressure seems better for my guitars so I tune some of em down a step. This topic's been here before and I'm in the minority but...still think it can help

Bung Hand · #10 11-19-2017, 10:22 PM

I should have maybe specified a time frame ..
My Acoustics seem to exist on a rotation of sorts and get a play monthly .. the main Guitars, a Levin Archtop and a Selmer Petite Bouche replica , get played daily.
I have a couple of Electric Guitars that I almost never play... they might indeed sit in their cases for years..Might be better to tune them down a step ?

The Bard Rocks · #11 11-19-2017, 11:07 PM

I'd drop them a full pitch or so. I don't believe it is particularly good for a guitar to have little or no tension. But it doesn't do it good to have full tension either and if you are not going to be playing for a while.....

Mr Fingers · #12 11-20-2017, 01:00 AM

Removing all string tension and then stringing back up is not a happy experience for a guitar top, bridge, or saddle. Unless I need to clean my fretboard, I don't remove/change all strings simultaneously.

AndrewG · #13 11-20-2017, 04:58 AM

Like someone said, a guitar doesn't know if it's being played or not. Leave it at full tension; it won't implode.

SalFromChatham · #14 11-20-2017, 05:07 AM

I’d tune down a full step for prolonged case visits.

A hundred guys, a hundred opinions.

By the way, would switching from mediums to lights, less tension, prolong the need for a neck reset? I think so too.

RodB · #15 11-20-2017, 06:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bung Hand

I should have maybe specified a time frame ..
My Acoustics seem to exist on a rotation of sorts and get a play monthly .. the main Guitars, a Levin Archtop and a Selmer Petite Bouche replica , get played daily.
I have a couple of Electric Guitars that I almost never play... they might indeed sit in their cases for years..Might be better to tune them down a step ?

Personally, I would not be too concerned unless I was not going to play the guitar for several months at least, and then only in the case of acoustics.

If I was going to store a guitar for any period of time I would reduce tension a bit - costs nothing - doesn't harm the guitar (quite the opposite!) - takes no time at all to re-tune.

You might find this thread interesting:
http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/f...d.php?t=239489