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Topic: Poll/Survey: Do you stretch your strings? |
ajm
From:
Los Angeles
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Posted 22 Mar 2017 5:47 am |
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Do you stretch your strings when you put them on?
Or do you put them on, tune them up, and play them, letting them stretch out on their own? |
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Gary Watkins
From:
Bristol, VA
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Posted 22 Mar 2017 6:13 am Re: Poll/Survey: Do you stretch your strings?
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| ajm wrote: |
Do you stretch your strings when you put them on?
Or do you put them on, tune them up, and play them, letting them stretch out on their own? |
Where is the polling log? But yes, I stretch them.
_________________
If you succeed in cheating someone, don't think that the person is a fool. It's just that the person trusted you far more than you deserved. |
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Jack Hanson
From:
San Luis Valley, USA
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Posted 22 Mar 2017 6:57 am Re: Poll/Survey: Do you stretch your strings?
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| Gary Watkins wrote: |
| ...yes, I stretch them. |
Me too. |
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Dale Rottacker
From:
Walla Walla Washington, USA
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Henry Matthews
From:
Texarkana, Ark USA
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Posted 22 Mar 2017 7:47 am
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No, it takes about 3 times with keys to bring up to pitch where they stay. Why would I want to ruin a new string, lol
_________________
Henry Matthews
D-10 Magnum, 8 &5, dark rose color
D-10 1974 Emmons cut tail, fat back,rosewood, 8&5
Nashville 112 amp, Fishman Loudbox Performer amp, Hilton pedal, Goodrich pedal,BJS bar, Kyser picks, Live steel Strings. No effects, doodads or stomp boxes. |
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Charlie Hansen
From:
Halifax, NS Canada and Various Southern Towns.
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Posted 22 Mar 2017 8:35 am
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| I do. |
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Herb Steiner
From:
Spicewood TX 78669
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Posted 22 Mar 2017 8:39 am
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Buddy felt that stretching wound strings definitely shortened their life, and told me so.
My reply was "Oh, really? So now you're a metallurgist, huh?"
But no, I don't stretch my strings. I let the process occur organically.
_________________
My rig: Infinity and Telonics.
Son, we live in a world with walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with steel guitars. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Lt. Weinberg? |
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Jerry Overstreet
From:
Louisville Ky
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Posted 22 Mar 2017 9:09 am
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No, not really. Kind of what Herb and Henry say.
Exception might be the E9th 3rd. It's the last to be tuned up when changing sets...Either way, if just replacing it, I tend to tune it up unison with string 1 F#, just so I can hear the pitch, then to G and finally to G# with some pedaling between notes.
If the string is any good, it will go to required pitch with no problem. No amount of coddling will make a difference with breakage.
If one breaks while playing a gig, I just crank it up there and tweak it while it stretches during playing.
Only stretching I do for all strings is what comes from actuating the pedals and levers letting them settle in.
I tried the suggestion of pulling up on the string to stretch it years ago, but abandoned that rather quickly. |
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Charlie McDonald
From:
out of the blue
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Posted 22 Mar 2017 9:43 am
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| Henry Matthews wrote: |
| No, it takes about 3 times with keys to bring up to pitch where they stay. Why would I want to ruin a new string, lol |
I think I feel the same way. |
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Steve Knight
From:
NC
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Posted 22 Mar 2017 9:43 am
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| I stretch the strings when changing them on all my stringed instruments. I think it helps them settle on the tuners so they'll stay in tune. |
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Tucker Jackson
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA
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Posted 22 Mar 2017 10:02 am
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| No stretching. No problems... |
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Jack Stoner
From:
Kansas City, MO
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Posted 22 Mar 2017 10:06 am
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Yes.
Buddy did stretch strings. I was at a Seminar in (I think) Iola Kansas in late 70's that Scotty put on and he had Buddy with him. I watched Buddy tune up and one thing he did was stretch the wound strings on his C6th neck during tuning.
Last edited by Jack Stoner on 22 Mar 2017 10:15 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Richard Sinkler
From:
aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana
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Posted 22 Mar 2017 10:07 am
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If I'm on a gig, I do. Can,t afford to have it going out of tune until it naturally settles in from pedal use. If I am changing a set of strings, I try to change them no later than the day before I need to gig. And the third string, I only tune to F# at first, tug on it once or twice, let it set, bring it up to G, tug a couple times, let it set over night, then take it up to G#. I had a really bad episode when I was changing a third string, it breaking and hitting me in the face. So, I'm a little gun shy. That happened probably 30 years, or more ago.
_________________
Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, Recording King Professional Dobro, NV400, NV112,Ibanez Gio guitar, Epiphone SG Special (open D slide guitar) . Playing for 54 years and still counting. |
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Herb Steiner
From:
Spicewood TX 78669
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Posted 22 Mar 2017 11:06 am
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| Jack Stoner wrote: |
Yes.
Buddy did stretch strings. I was at a Seminar in (I think) Iola Kansas in late 70's that Scotty put on and he had Buddy with him. I watched Buddy tune up and one thing he did was stretch the wound strings on his C6th neck during tuning. |
I didn't say he never stretched the strings, I just said he told me that he felt it shortened their life.  If I'm changing my strings just before a show, I stretch them out of necessity myself.
_________________
My rig: Infinity and Telonics.
Son, we live in a world with walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with steel guitars. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Lt. Weinberg? |
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Gianni Gori
From:
Livorno, Italy
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Posted 22 Mar 2017 11:13 am
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I use to stretch them...
_________________
Gianni
Zum D-10 9x8, MSA S-10 4x5, Quilter Steelaire combo, Peavey Nashville 112 (w/Ken Fox mod & Jensen Neo), Hilton volume pedals, Sarno Tonic Preamp, Lexicon MPX-1 |
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John Billings
From:
Ohio, USA
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Posted 22 Mar 2017 12:52 pm
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I always use an old Fender string stretcher. I've had it for 40 years. Does a great job of gently stretching the strings as you slide it up and down the string. I NEVER grab a string in the middle and pull on it! That creates a weak spot in the string.
_________________
Dr. Z Surgical Steel amp, amazing!
"74 Bud S-10 3&6
'73 Bud S-10 3&5(under construction)
'63 Fingertip S-10, at James awaiting 6 knees
'57 Strat, LP Blue
'91 Tele with 60's Maple neck
Dozen more guitars!
Dozens of amps, but SF Quad reverb, Rick Johnson cabs. JBL 15, '64 Vibroverb for at home.
'52 and '56 Pro Amps |
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Kevin Fix
From:
Michigan, USA
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Posted 22 Mar 2017 4:40 pm Stretch Um
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| I give them all a good tug at least 3 times while I bring them into tune. Took a while to get them to stay in tune if I did not stretch them. |
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Jerry Overstreet
From:
Louisville Ky
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Jack Stoner
From:
Kansas City, MO
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Posted 23 Mar 2017 2:13 am
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| Herb, Buddy was stretching existing strings, not new ones. He loosened them, stretched them (at least what I thought he was doing) and then tuned up. Just wanted to comment about seeing Buddy do it. |
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Bob Hoffnar
From:
Austin, Tx
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Posted 23 Mar 2017 4:34 am
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I push on the pedals and levers a few times after I put strings on. There is so much tension on the strings already I haven't found that yanking on them by hand helps anything.
I wonder if pulling on the strings by hand might put an uneven stress on them and mess them up a little ?
_________________
Bob |
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MIchael Bean
From:
North Of Boston
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Posted 23 Mar 2017 6:14 am
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| I stretch them, starting with the 4th string. The first 3 scare me, because I've been cut by one whipping back at my hand. For these I just use the pedal or lever a couple of times because they're already pretty tight. |
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Jim Smith
From:
Midlothian, TX, USA
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Posted 23 Mar 2017 7:37 am
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| Jack Stoner wrote: |
| Herb, Buddy was stretching existing strings, not new ones. He loosened them, stretched them (at least what I thought he was doing) and then tuned up. Just wanted to comment about seeing Buddy do it. |
Before a show, I saw Buddy loosen, stretch, and pop his low wound strings like a bow. He said it was to get rid of the crud between the windings and liven them up. |
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Tom Quinn
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Posted 23 Mar 2017 8:15 am
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Stretching" strings is a very dumb thing to do. What you are doing is pulling the windings apart the reason strings sound dead and won't stay in tune. Strings are fragile items even though they are made of steel. Buddy was certainly correct...
_________________
I need an Emmons! |
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Georg Sørtun
From:
Mandal, Agder, Norway
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Posted 23 Mar 2017 10:50 am
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I have done that on low (especially the extended low) strings for decades, as it really works to make them settle quickly. High strings settle well without any stretching, although I do have a habit of tuning most high strings about a quarter note too high at first while working the pedals/levers, and then back them down to correct pitch. |
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Mike Archer
From:
church hill tn
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Posted 23 Mar 2017 11:56 am strings
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I change them out
pedal all the changes and knee levers
a few times then I let the guitar sit overnight
next day I pitch um up pedal um and tune um
mike 
_________________
Mullen sd10
Nashville 400 amp
Tele/ fender deluxe |
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