When you play a lick or a solo with bendings do the strings go out of tune?

After playing some blues licks or solos that requires a lot of bending my strings go out of tune, sometimes it may be just a little bit flat and some other times it can go really flat.

Is it normal the strings to go a little flat after a lot of bendings?
How blues guitarists can do all these bendings and not to go out of tune? BB King is bending all the time and you will never hear him out of tune, how does he do it?

Originally posted by BluesShredder
After playing some blues licks or solos that requires a lot of bending my strings go out of tune, sometimes it may be just a little bit flat and some other times it can go really flat.

Is it normal the strings to go a little flat after a lot of bendings?
How blues guitarists can do all these bendings and not to go out of tune? BB King is bending all the time and you will never hear him out of tune, how does he do it?

BluesShredder
Yes they can go out of tune after alot of heavy bending.
I have a few questions?
What string gauges are you useing?
If your useing 8s or 9s which i call rubber-bands,
they will go out a tune alot more after heavy bending.
New strings will go out of tune alot untill thier,
bent alot or you can use your index finger and thumb,
to pull-up on the strings a few times untill they ,
settle in-tune.
When i put new strings on i tune them up a whole step,
above 440 standard tuning then let the guitars set an hour,
or so.
The hot lights from the stage can make them go out of,
tune.Thats why i use an in-line Tuner.
More questions have you tried other brands of strings that do,the same thing?
Also how long do you leave your strings on before,
putting new ones on?
Alot of blues players like to leave thier strings on 6,
months before changeing them some think they play,
alot better after a few months plus get better with age.
The last time i changed my strings was in may of this year.
Mark

[Edited by skee1 on 08-25-2001 at 11:32 AM]

If there is a screw holding the 'handle' onto the end of each tuner shaft, try tightening them just enough to make the tuner feel solid again. Make it 'snug' [u]not[/u] really tight!

Something else you should try:

Pluck one of the strings that goes out of tune, and then press on the string at the headstock, between the tuner and the nut. The note should rise, and then settle back to proper pitch. If it stays high, the string is being pinched in the slot in the nut.

You can solve this by changing to a lighter gauge string set, or you can get a guitar tech to adjust the slots for you.

If your strings go out of tune a lot, it generally means that they get caught somewhere (on the nut, bridge, or head) and then slip.

You can fix most of the problem when you string the guitar. Make sure that there is no looseness behind the ball of the string or in the windings on the tuning head. If your wrappings aren't tight, or the string ball slips, your guitar will go out of tune. Test this by pulling each string up about 2 inches off the fretboard. If you hear the string slip, there was looseness.

Also, put a small drop of lubricant (my tech gave me a bottle of teflon lubricant) on the nut under each string. Sometimes a rough part on the nut will catch the string. Once you bend, the catch is gone and the string moves, out of tune.

Hope this helps.


Jon

If the strings are pulled 2 inches off the fretboard at full tension, he'll be hearing snapping sounds as either the strings, or his fingers let go!! :eek:

2 inches, huh? More like breaking sounds . . .

Hey guys i think some good points have been brought up,
here.
One thing i think we all missed on his question is that,
how do we know,when he puts his strings on that hes,
useing the correct wrap on the tuneing keys.
The Gibson co. in kalamazoo mich. <-were they were made
first.
used to have one of the best ways to wrap the the strings,
around the tuning keys.I think you can find how to do,
thier wrap on the web,i'm sure i seen it up here!
I aso think 1 inch would be quite enough to pull the string,
up when checking the nut problem.
But don't let it pop back against the fret-board.
Another thing about (useing a Lubricant in the slots,
of the nut you can use Vaseline Petroleum jelly in the slots.
This is recemended by alot Guitar shops in nashville tenn,
that i;ve been too thro the years.
Its very inexpensive and easy to obtain.
Another thing its used on almost all guitars that use a,
b-bender setup because the string can saw into the nut,
plus make some sawing type sounds if not used.


Mark
P:S if you do apply the vaseline make sure you use,
a very very small amount like on the tip of a pen.
Another thing if the correct wrap is not used on,
the tuneing keys the strings will go out of tune alot.

[Edited by skee1 on 08-30-2001 at 08:50 AM]

"One thing i think we all missed on his question is that,
how do we know,when he puts his strings on that hes,
useing the correct wrap on the tuneing keys."

Hey Mark you are right, its likely that the problem is the wrap on the tuning keys

"The GIPSON CO in kalamzoo mich <-sorry about the spelling)
used to have one of the best ways to wrap the the strings,
around the tuning keys.I think you can find how to do,
thier wrap on the web,i'm sure i seen it up here!"

what are Gipson Co and kalamzoo?
what site is that?

Jaysus, Mary'n Josef, B'y! I t'ink he means the Gibson Guitar Company, of Kalamazoo, Michigan!

http://www.gibson.com/

Sorry about the mispelling of gibson ,plus i was thinking,
of my old 335 which was made in kalamazoo mich.
Nashville tenn is the new home base.
also if yours said made in kalamazoo mich like mine it,
would be worth over 2 grand plus some$$$$$.
I Retired my gibson and have been playing a tele,
and a strat for years.The Fender guitar is very simple,
to put strings on....

Mark
I checked the nashville site and found nothing on the,
correct way to string a guitar by gibson.
I know when you wrap your strings you need to go under,
the string at the post and make a lock so the strings,
don't slip.I did see somewhere on the web were they,
showed pictures step1 ect on doing the gibson wrap.

If anyone can find this "Gibson wrap technique", I'd be happy to see it.

I've never paid any attention to how I've wrapped the strings before, so it would be nice to see some sort of "official" technique.

Check this site i think thats where i saw how to lock,
your strings for sliping.

http://www.fretnotguitarrepair.com/Repairs.htm

Get this thier showing a Les Paul being strung.
You can't beat that with a stick.
Looks like a good site for careing for your guitar.
You can even enlarge the pictures on the post windings.
It also has alot of trouble shooting text for guitar.

Mark

I also have an old guitar mag that explains the gibson wrap,
if i can find it.I think the page above is useing the old,
gibson wrap.I can use the wrap but its hard to explain,
without seeing it done.


[Edited by skee1 on 08-29-2001 at 04:07 AM]

I've been using that wrap for a long time, but I don't think I could have explained in any useful way.

Here's another site with the Gibson stringing technique (it shows acoustic guitar but can be applied to electric at the tuning pegs).

http://www.frets.com/FRETSPages/Musician/Guitar/Setup/SteelStrings/Stringing/ststringing1.html

Thanks Lordathestrings for catching that mis-spelling,
of gibson plus kalamazoo.
You guys might want to check my spellings once in a while.
The mind goes every once in a while .(grin)
Mark
John O'carroll that site looks like a good site too .

[Edited by skee1 on 08-30-2001 at 09:10 AM]