Out of tune

Leslie Ehrlich · Post by **Leslie Ehrlich** » 6 Feb 2003 3:10 pm

My steel goes out of tune after it's been hauled around in its case, and even if I leave it set up and it's been sitting unplayed for a few days it still goes out of tune. I'm just assuming it does that because it's an older guitar. Is there anyone with a newer steel that has similar problems?

Gene H. Brown · Post by **Gene H. Brown** » 6 Feb 2003 4:29 pm

You know that's odd, cause when I bought my steel a couple of years ago, it was in tune, but seems like I've had to tune it at least every month or so since then.

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If You Keep Pickin That Thing, It'll Never Heal!

Billy Easton · Post by **Billy Easton** » 6 Feb 2003 5:44 pm

Leslie;
Could it be temperature changes? Such as, you tune the guitar on the job, put it in your car/truck, drive home, put it in the house, set it up, etc. The temperature changes cause the metal parts including the strings to expand and contract. This may be your explanation. How old is your guitar?

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Billy Easton
Casa Grande, AZ
Southwestern Steel Guitar Association

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 6 Feb 2003 6:45 pm

Well, after all, it does get awfully cold up there, doesn't it? Yeah, I guess <u>everything</u> up there in Saskatoon kinda shrinks as soon as you take your hands off of it!

Ray Montee · Post by **Ray Montee** » 6 Feb 2003 7:32 pm

George "Keoki" Lake explained it was from both the extreme cold temperatures but also as a result of the banging around it gets on the dog sled.

George Rout · Post by **George Rout** » 6 Feb 2003 7:50 pm

Hey you southerners....where I live in Canada is equal to Northern California!!!!

This is peach pickin' country, and the name of the band I play Dobro with is The Peach Pickers!!!

Geo

John Steele · Post by **John Steele** » 6 Feb 2003 10:49 pm

Greetings from tne coldest capital city on earth, Ottawa.
I also play a bolt-on, which in combination with the geographic thing entitles me to play out of tune all the time!
-John

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 7 Feb 2003 7:37 am

I always play for several minutes before I tune my steel. Just to warm up the strings. I read a story one time that Buddy Emmons used to carry a hair dryer with him and warmed up the undercarriage and etc. before he started playing.
Uff-Da!

Emmett Roch · Post by **Emmett Roch** » 7 Feb 2003 8:34 am

The hairdryer works---I always take one on the road during cold weather. Anyone who has seen me without my hat knows that's ALL I need it for...

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GFI S-12 extended E9

Gene Jones · Post by **Gene Jones** » 7 Feb 2003 8:55 am

In all of my 50 years of playing, I have never hauled a steel guitar anywhere, or left it languishing in my music room for any length of time, that it DIDN'T need to be tuned before I started playing it! www.genejones.com

Jim Smith · Post by **Jim Smith** » 7 Feb 2003 9:08 am

If your steel doesn't fit snugly in its case and especially if the tuning keys rest on the bottom, it will go out of tune very easily.

My 30+ year old Dekley's case has end blocks that keep the whole guiar suspended above the bottom. I very rarely have to touch up any strings before playing. I check that it's in tune with itself before the gig starts, and then touch it up with the tuner after the first set. It very rarely needs any adjustment then either.

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Jim Smith jimsmith94@attbi.com
-=Dekley D-12 10&12=-
-=Fessenden D-12 (coming soon)=-
Stereo Steel rig w/Boss GX-700
IVL SteelRider w/JV-880

Ray Montee · Post by **Ray Montee** » 8 Feb 2003 10:37 am

Hey there George Rout..........it's been rumored that your band wears little outfits with red blazers, blue trousers with a gold stripe down each leg, topped off by a flat brimmed "Smokey Bear Hat". Any truth to that? Look out for the rays while outside basking in that California like sunshine.

Jerry Roller · Post by **Jerry Roller** » 8 Feb 2003 10:59 am

When you first set your guitar up, check your tuner then rub the heel of your hand sorta briskly up and down the strings one end to the other about three times then recheck. You can do this a lot of times when you first set up and be very close to pitch til the guitar gets to normal room temp. This might allow you to only tune once instead of two or three times.
Jerry

Kenny Dail · Post by **Kenny Dail** » 8 Feb 2003 9:19 pm

I would also recommend that you "dance" on all the floor pedals and kneew levers to stretch them to a "playing" condition before tuning.

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kd...and the beat goes on...

Bob Hayes · Post by **Bob Hayes** » 8 Feb 2003 11:25 pm

I used to carry a "Heating Pad" with me to warm it up when I was playing in "Cold Country" and that's not a band!!!! That's geographic. A hair dryer works....