Q. How can I get my guitar to hold its tuning for longer?
A. We've come in up with 5 helpful solutions...
1) Always stretch you guitar's strings!
Yes, we know we always go on about this, but it really works. It doesn't matter what kind of guitar you play - electric, acoustic or nylon-strung classical - stretching your new strings will keep your guitar in tune for longer.
2) Replace dull or rusty strings!
Face it, when your guitar sounds like it's fitted with six rubber bands then your strings are dead. Let them rust in peace! It's what they would have wanted...
3) Use the heaviest gauge strings you can handle!
.008 gauge strings may be kind to your fingers, but your guitar's tuning and tone will be lacking cojones, in our opinion. Besides, anything less than a .009 guage set is just plain weedy!
4) Let your guitar acclimatise!
If you're playing live, leave your guitar onstage (on a stand!) for at least 30 minutes before you play it... Just make sure it's in tune before you play your first number!
5) Use your pencil!
If you play a guitar with a non-locking vibrato, run a pencil through the slots in the top nut. The graphite in the pencil will make your slots more slippery, which means your strings won't drag, affecting your tuning stability.
