Thick strings go out of tune

[iHate]

Every single time that I've ever tried thick strings on any of my guitars, the low E just sounds like complete shit. Anything over a .54 sounds like garbage in drop C. The low C falls off in pitch after about .5 of a second, so the guitar never sounds like it's in tune. It happens in other tunings also like drop B, A#, etc.

I've read of some bands that use .58, .60, and even .64 in drop C. I've tried some .60's before and still, only the low C decays like crazy. How do they do it? Is there a trick to using thick ass strings?

Ive tried all sorts of brands, ernie ball, blue steels (the worst at this!!), d'addario, DR, etc. It happens on all of my guitars including hardtails, locking blocked tremolo, acoustic. All set up. Am I missing something?

 

[guitarguru777]

Yup yup same here... Take me about 30 to 45 minutes to get a new set to stay in tune

Stretch > Tune> Play> Stretch > Tune> Play> Stretch > Tune> Play> Stretch > Tune> Play>

For 30 to 45 min then you should be good

 

[John_C]

Either i'm being very stupid or neither of those 2 responses addressed the OP

Personally I find that the thicker the string, the less sharp the attack is. Sharp as in #, not as in pointy.

 

[Ermz]

Agreed with skeksis. Thicker strings usually hold pitch more solidly over time in my experience.

 

[AudioPhile777]

Agreed with skeksis. Thicker strings usually hold pitch more solidly over time in my experience.

Agreed.

Sounds like OP is doing is wrong...

 

[Torniojaws]

You should check your guitar bridge and nut. If they are poor quality or have damage/roughness in them, it can affect the tuning quite a bit, especially when you strum hard.

 

[Trevoire520]

Might be that you're picking a bit too hard? Causing the string to be overly sharp as you pick it and then as it sustains the pitch goes down?

 

[nwright]

Thicker strings tuned low with less tension will always go sharp when struck hard and then go down into tune as the note sustains and decays. When you tune the string, don't tune it with the note sustaining for too long as you will more than likely tune the strings sustain and not the attack (which IMO is where you should be tuning). I usually will strike the string about once every second while tuning so it approaches a real world playing situation. Also, I tune the low C (I play in dropped C) a few cents flat anyway, as I know when I strike the string with any sort of force, it will go sharp. This also allows me a pretty easy way to bring the note back to perfect pitch if I have to - just keep your hand holding the neck on an open C chord and pull the neck back ever so slightly to keep sustained notes in pitch. I rarely have to do this, though since tuning a few cents flat keeps the string in tune for most of a long sustained chord if I hit it with enough initial force. I'm a heavy handed player anyway.

 

[drew_drummer]

Sounds like a playing technique issue to me.

 

[jval]

Heavy strings are good... so it's either your guitar setup or you. Could be picking technique.

 

[iHate]

Thicker strings tuned low with less tension will always go sharp when struck hard and then go down into tune as the note sustains and decays. When you tune the string, don't tune it with the note sustaining for too long as you will more than likely tune the strings sustain and not the attack (which IMO is where you should be tuning). I usually will strike the string about once every second while tuning so it approaches a real world playing situation.

This would work for riffing and quick strumming, but I do a lot of stuff that requires the low C to ring out.

I agree, big strings are good. But I can't get the low C to fuckin tune correctly like the rest of the strings. The tension is never high enough. I guess I need a damn baritone.

I suppose physics would say that whats happening to me is just physics, a bigger string, picked as hard as a smaller string, will take longer to come to a stable pitch because of the increase in mass. Maybe I just don't notice it as easily with the small strings, or maybe since all of the small strings are under-tensioned, they all go out of tune together. No?

I do pick fairly hard, with Jazz III's. Think of LOG guitar players, that's kind of how I pick.

 

[MarcusGHedwig]

I suppose physics would say that whats happening to me is just physics, a bigger string, picked as hard as a smaller string, will take longer to come to a stable pitch because of the increase in mass.

Nope, because the issue isn't mass, but tension

 

[John_C]

Nope, because the issue isn't mass, but tension

I wrote a big physics lecture then deleted it because really..........no one cares

basically, it's both. The maths of what's actually going on would be too hideous to even think about.........everything except mass would be a function of everything else and just euurrghhhh

 

[findingthesound]

Just to know, what are your guitars? Brand?

 

[Full_Tilt]

Are you stretching the low e a lot? I probably spend up to 20 mins stretching when I'm at drop b. I'll string it up, stretch til it doesn't drift, play for a few mins, stretch again, play some more, stretch again. On and on it goes. When I'm at E standard I can stretch a new set once and forget it but at the lower tunings regardless of string gauge, it's a battle until they're properly settled in.

The only problem I find with stretching the fuck out of strings is that you can end up stretching all the life out of them. You shouldnt need to stretch them that much.
Still its better to string them up the day before than on the day as they will have had 24 hours to drift slowly and still sound sparkly the next day.

 

[Full_Tilt]

Also the break points need to be pushed into the frets , at the nut and at the bridge saddles as you play this can alter the pitch (less stretching is required) .

 

[Scott C.]

You should check your guitar bridge and nut. If they are poor quality or have damage/roughness in them, it can affect the tuning quite a bit, especially when you strum hard.

+1 on checking the nut. if the string is to big it can kinda stick when you are tuning then when you start playing it comes loose and will drop out of tune. I see it all the time. once it's setup properly and the nut is filed the thicker strings should stay in tune alot better than thinner ones for lower tunings.

 

[plague_rider]

I'm not sure if i'm on the point or not...

but how are you stringing your guitar?? when strung, does the tuning peg have a few wraps of string (shown below)

if so, try and string in the way shown below, it reduces the chance of the strings going out of tune on their own because theres less slack

 

[MarcusGHedwig]

Yup - here's the tutorial those pics are from, and here's another example

A thing of beauty if I do say so myself Note how the string is wrapped underneath the first winding so there's proper downward pressure on the nut, which is key (and I cut the ball end off because it's a .56, and the windings at the ball end wouldn't fit through the peg - and the locking nuts are off cuz I still haven't gotten around to intonating it )

 

[plague_rider]

Yup - here's the tutorial those pics are from, and here's another example

A thing of beauty if I do say so myself Note how the string is wrapped underneath the first winding so there's proper downward pressure on the nut, which is key (and I cut the ball end off because it's a .56, and the windings at the ball end wouldn't fit through the peg - and the locking nuts are off cuz I still haven't gotten around to intonating it )

I do the same thing for my basses and I barely ever have to retune them (i always check though cause i'm not a 'tard)