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My new guitar strings sound nice, but they get out of tune after 1 minute !! Specifically, the 1st and 2nd (thinnest) strings get out of tune more than the other strings.

And there was no problem of tuning with the old strings . i'm really mad of this situation -_-
Please Help !

guitar : Yamaha F310 (made in indonesia) String gauge : Extra Light (made in Korea)

Level River St
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Someone
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  • Guitar strings are numbered from the thinnest to the thickest. I normally have more tuning issues with the thinnest strings (1st and 2nd.) Are you sure you are using the right terminology? – Level River St Apr 22 '16 at 22:51
  • In this answer you will find a step by step detailed guide for replacing and tuning a set of strings so you end up with a tuning job that is as stable as possible. (http://music.stackexchange.com/a/41073/16897) – Rockin Cowboy Apr 25 '16 at 03:34

1 Answers1

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All new strings need a good stretch to allow them to bed in. The metal itself has to stretch a little, the windings round the post have to settle and the neck has to re-adjust to the tension change. Along each string, pull and push, but not like you'd pull a bow (and arrow). Lift up and push down a couple of inches away from each other - it's not easy to describe - and re-tune.Repeat several times. This will be the equivalent of a few days of leaving it.It's part of the whole game of being a guitarist!

EDIT: when changing the whole set, do them one at a time. That way, the neck will only have a small change in tension. Taking them all off and then replacing is not the better way.

Tim
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  • Do you mean that because the strings are new and need time ? – Someone Apr 22 '16 at 19:35
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    Exactly! Happens every time! – Tim Apr 22 '16 at 19:38
  • If this is the first time the OP hasn't changed any strings, make sure you keep the string stretched tight while you are wrapping it round the tuning post. Otherwise it will keep slipping until the tension is equalised along the whole length of the string. It may also help to tune the string a semitone sharp and then lower the pitch to the correct value, instead of just raising the pitch as it goes flat. –  Apr 22 '16 at 22:21
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    alephzero: It is generally considered better to come up to your tuning from a lower pitch instead of going down from a higher pitch. Examples from this site include http://music.stackexchange.com/q/16587/28118 and http://music.stackexchange.com/q/23501/28118 – rooby Apr 22 '16 at 23:13
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    Metal strings are easy - classical/spanish guitars with nylon or gut strings are a nightmare. When they're new you're tuning them a few times in a practice session for at least a few days. Performing, with changing temperature or heat from stage light, they also soften and stretch, always needing to be adjusted. Steel and nickel settle in pretty quick by comparison and are much more stable. – J... Apr 23 '16 at 00:56
  • @rooby Definitely agreed. I've always tuned by going sharp at least a full tone, then flat maybe a half and slowly back up to tune. It helps seat the strings going sharp but almost all strings will slip-stick tuning down so it's definitely better to let them slack just a bit and bring the tension up to proper tune. – J... Apr 23 '16 at 01:01
  • Another tip for tuning is tension up to tune, then play a few full-tone (or heavier) bends on the string around the 12th fret. New strings will almost always go flat after doing this the first time, even if tensioned in properly. Tune back up and repeat a few times until the string holds tune after a bend. This really helps bed the string into the nut and bridge and gets any slack out of the winds on the tuning peg. – J... Apr 28 '16 at 16:38