Just a little bit high

Rllink

Rllink

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 14, 2014
Messages
4,566
Reaction score
293
Location
Ames, Iowa
More days than not, when I get ready to play my uke, and I tune her up, the C string is just a tidbit high. What is going on there? The rest are generally right on the money.
 
I would guess a bad C string...are they Aquillas'
 
First guess, the string is sticking in the nut. I'd slacken it right off and check if it's free. If not, rectify the problem (or get someone to do it for you). If the string appears to fit the slot in the nut loosely all the way to the bottom, it doesn't have to slop around from side to side, just not bind at all, then try a spot of dry lubricant in the slot. Pencil lead is first choice, from a soft pencil if possible, but anything's better than nothing, else a tiny dusting of talc (french chalk) can help.

Hope this helps, 'cos at the moment I don't have a second guess ;)
 
This thread confuses me. I routinely have to tweak a string or two each day. I always have. I never thought a thing about it. I thought that was just a characteristic of stringed instruments. Am I wrong about that?
 
VegasGeorge said:
This thread confuses me. I routinely have to tweak a string or two each day. I always have. I never thought a thing about it. I thought that was just a characteristic of stringed instruments. Am I wrong about that?
Click to expand...
I have played guitar, mandolin and uke for years. If we are at a gig, I tune the instruments serveral times each during the evening. Going sharp is something that seems Sometimes the strings go sharp, sometimes flat. I can't explain why strings go sharp. There is a lot of magic and voodoo involved in it all. Practicing at home I tune my uke several times in an hour.
 
VegasGeorge said:
This thread confuses me. I routinely have to tweak a string or two each day. I always have. I never thought a thing about it. I thought that was just a characteristic of stringed instruments. Am I wrong about that?
Click to expand...
I have to tune them up once in a while while when I pick it up. But I don't have to tune them up every day. They stay in tune for a long time. In this case though, I wonder why that one string goes sharp? How does that one string get tighter, and whatever is causing it, why doesn't the other strings get tighter? Does that clear up the confusion a little?

Also, it isn't an OMG thread, it is just something that I thought would be interesting to talk about
 
Last edited:
I don't know why it happens.

Here is a link to a steel string forum where they talk about the same thing.
http://steelguitarforum.com/Forum5/HTML/013230.html

Here is one guy's theory from that forum
It has very little to do with the composition of the guitar. Strings stretched across a 2x4 will do the same thing.
The strings warm up when you play them. They EXPAND (get longer -- less tension) as they warm up. ALL STRINGS GO SLIGHTLY FLAT.

THEN YOU TUNE THEM. They are warm from being played. You keep playing and tuning and playing and tuning.

NOW YOU LEAVE YOUR GUITAR THAT YOU TUNED TO ACCOMMODATE THE WARM STRINGS.

WHAT HAPPENS? The strings COOL DOWN (get shorter -- increase tension). As the tension increases the strings GO SHARP.

Wanna test it?

Tune your largest unwound E9 string to straight up on the tuner. Rub the string between your thumb and forefinger the length of the string back and forth 3 or 4 times. Check the tuner. YOU'LL BE SHOCKED
Click to expand...
 
Doug W wrote :
Here is one guy's theory from that forum ... Tune your largest unwound E9 string to straight up on the tuner. Rub the string between your thumb and forefinger the length of the string back and forth 3 or 4 times. Check the tuner. YOU'LL BE SHOCKED
Click to expand...
Fascinating ... easily replicable and totally true for long steel strings. I'm not getting such a dramatic variation from short nylon strings, though it certainly possibly helps explain some anomlies I've always experienced with my travel guitar ... low mass, warms up quickly when held close, needs retuning almost constantly for the first few minutes, then it's fine 'till I put it down. An hour later do it all over again :mad:

Maybe the OP's problem is down to the thickness of his C string ... just starting to wonder if this is a soprano we're talking about here or something a little longer?

All interesting stuff :)
 
"Just a little bit high"..........I thought this was another one of your threads about rum and cokes while playing ukulele.
 
Last edited:
kypfer said:
Doug W wrote : Fascinating ... easily replicable and totally true for long steel strings. I'm not getting such a dramatic variation from short nylon strings, though it certainly possibly helps explain some anomlies I've always experienced with my travel guitar ... low mass, warms up quickly when held close, needs retuning almost constantly for the first few minutes, then it's fine 'till I put it down. An hour later do it all over again :mad:

Maybe the OP's problem is down to the thickness of his C string ... just starting to wonder if this is a soprano we're talking about here or something a little longer?

All interesting stuff :)
Click to expand...
Concert uke, Aquila strings.
 
Rllink said:
More days than not, when I get ready to play my uke, and I tune her up, the C string is just a tidbit high. What is going on there? The rest are generally right on the money.
Click to expand...

When I've had this issue, especially on a single string, it's always been because the nut slot is too tight and the string can't slide through it easily.

You can lubricate it with graphite (pencil FTW) to help keep the string sliding. If that doesn't work, you can very gently and carefully widen the nut slot.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Matt Clara
Little bit of tearout in back--repair with purfling, or cut a matched piece?
Replies
15
Views
877
Matt Clara
Matt Clara
U
Song Help Request Need Tabs for "Give a Little Bit" by Supertramp
Replies
2
Views
1K
keenonuke
K
B
A little bit of CAD and CNC
Replies
2
Views
466
jcalkin
J
Zoë Bestel
Little bit of James Taylor
Replies
11
Views
1K
TobyDog
TobyDog
D
Song Help Request Come a Little Bit Closer intro by Jay & The Americans
Replies
2
Views
2K
davemchine
D
Top Bottom