guitar that never stays in tune

hey all

was wondering if some one could help me with this....

I have a guitar that was my great aunts I inherited and am gonna try and learn to play asap. The problem is, it never stays in tune. Is that a fixable problem or just that its an old uncared for guitar?

Ive only played horns so I know little about this whole guitar thing...

Any help would be awesome.

Thanks.
Sasha

 

I think most of the time it depends on the make of instrument, some stay in tune really well; like my 12-string and my mandolin hardly ever go out, but some instruments go out of tune all of the time.

Really important question though: what type of guitar is it? Because a common problem with guitars that go out of tune a lot is that they've had the wrong kind of strings put on them.

If it's a classical guitar that would ordinarily be nylon strung, and you put steel strings on it it's likely that it will go out of tune a lot because stell strings put more strain on the bridge and the machine heads. A classical guitar basically isn't designed to have steel strings put on it.

I mite be completely off the mark, but it's just a thought.

 

If its an electric you might just need a new bridge. If acoustic theres not much you can do. Change the strings and stretch them. If the guitar was in a moist/warm place for a long period of time, its probably warped beyond repair

 

The two most common of problems are that you're not stringing it properly, or that your intonation is off-set. It could also be a much more serious problem, I.E. the nut wasn't set properly, or the frets weren't set properly. To fix the tuning problem in terms of stringing I'll say what I said in the "guitarists?" thread. You need to learn the wrap, curl and kink method. That is, you need to buy new strings and wrap them 3 or 4 times the curl the string under it's self and kink it under the 4th loop. This is hard to explain, so I'd hope that you have a friend to show you this. If it's intonation what you want to do is buy new strings, string the guitar up, pluck the 12th harmonic on each string and then play the 12th fret. If the notes are different you need to adjust the saddles either forward, or backward until the 12th harmonic and the 12th fret sync up. This is only advice in terms of an electric guitar.

 

MusicMan19 offers good advice.

The one other possible thing to consider is that sometimes the machine heads (things you turn to tune) are worn or have too much play in them and just refurse to hold the string fast in place. If so the tension of the string "creeps" them slightly out of tune constantly. There isn't an easy fix for this other than to replace them. But that's just to explain all possible causes as I'm guessing it's probably the intonation exactly as MM19 said. Intonation is best determined with an electronic tuner... seek a friend who has one or heck go to a music store and ask to "demo" one for the purpose.

Intonation is not adjustable on an acoustic of course so if you discover the intonation is significantly off on an acoustic you will need to change the gauge of the strings (light, medium, heavy) to match how the intonation is pre-set by the mfg. (which is a little bit hit and miss.)

If the neck of the guitar is really malajusted, this too can cause tuning problems but it has to be pretty whacked out! You'd probably notice this first in playing ability or certain frets buzzing before the tuning. If all else fails and you can't determine which exactly it is... a guitar store will usually have someone on hand who can set your guitar up for pretty cheap (because even brand new guitars often need a little tweaking). Hope this helps. ~7

 

First thing is first is it an electric or an acoustic, what brand is it, what brand of tuners does it have (if they are stamped)...

Of course I can't say as I have no clue (yet), but if I were you I would take it to my nearest guitar shop and ask for a reputable guitar luthier or tech.

If it was an electric it depends on what type of bridge it has... tremolo, fixed, trapeze, stopbar tailpiece with ABR-1 or Nashville Bridge... etc...

But I won't be able to say until I get a Brand and what kind of guitar it is... if you don't know what brand of tuners you have I can still narrow it down if I know the make and model.

I think you would most likely need to take it to a luthier or a tech to check the action and give it a set-up... you may also need a truss rod adjustment if it has an adjustable. Martin didn't start using one till 1984... so if you have a warped neck you'll probably pay $300-$400 for a heat press and a reset if the truss rod isn't adjustable or you don't have one.... if it's a classical it's impossible to reset...

I just need to know if it's an electric/acoustic/or classical styled acoustic....make, model (if you know it), year (if you can estimate). I'd also like to know it you have slothead tuners or solid six post tuners.

 

Nicely done Music Man...

 

i would suggest taking it to your local music store...most of the will do a basic set up...neck adjustment, intonation, set the action... for about $30. If there is a problem with the frets or something else, they'll find it and let you know.