Quote:
Originally Posted by zmf
A tangential question.
I've heard it often opined that one way to tell if your strings need replacement is that the guitar becomes harder to tune. The above would suggest that this is not the case.
|
That's true, but not really for the reason you are suggesting.
As strings get "old", they play "un-true". That is, the intonation of them - their ability to play in tune - isn't consistent. That can be due to two primary things. One is if the string stretches and doesn't change cross section uniformly - it has a different diameter at different places in the string. I'm not sure how much that happens, but is possible.
The other, that is common, is that the strings become "damaged", particularly where they contact the frets. Repeated fretting of as string against a string can locally flatten the string, changing its cross section. That can influence how well - and consistently - it plays in tune. Corrosion, sweat and dirt can have a similar influence for similar reasons.
As we have all experienced, strings change their sound as they age. Some of that has to do with the above and some of that due to the strings becoming work hardened from extended stretching.