Is it bad to constantly retune a guitar to different tunings

[Markleford]

Aha!

So Hink's definition of "stretch" is beyond the plastic limit, and my definition is applicable within the elastic range.

Thanks, GW: now we can hopefully get on with our lives!

- m

[mothman]

I've been playing for about 18 years and am classically trained, like blues and old surf punk is how I made some money. I've also built a few guitars yet I will not give a tarted amount of info to walk through. Most good strings on most good guitars will be very kind to alternate tunings. This is my experience with all the guitars and abuses I've put them through. Best advice, let your guitar come to room temp then make your adjustments where you'll be playing. If you require a lot of adjustment use better equipment or you just might need some help learning how to tune properly. This all asumes the guitar has been set-up properly and your style taken into thought. It really doesn't need to be more complex than that, unless you want to write a song about some technical romance.

[Frippertronix]

Hink:

"Retune between each and every single adjustment. By moving the saddle you change the pitch and tension of the entire string - and this will affect the intonation readings.

If you change gauge of strings, or change to an altered tuning, your intonation will probably need adjustment."

From:

http://www.ratcliffe.co.za/articles/intonate.shtml

Again, refer to my earlier post about the pitch and tension rules.

You've given me a link to a company that is trying to sell something that retunes guitars without moving the saddles. For business reasons he is obviosuly going to be inclined to deny that his retrofitted guitars will ever play out of tune.

Do you have any links from conventional luthiers or can you cite any physics papers or texts that support your statement about tension in a string having nothing to do with intonation and that only length affects it? The link I posted earlier about the pitch rule was from a classical guitar luthier, and Earvana makes the same statements:

http://www.langcaster.com/Earvana-Guitar-Nut_2.html


Again, the problem may be very slight, but it is not nonexistent.

My joke about blowing on the guitar was an exaggeration referring to how easily neck shape and top swell/shrink (on acoustic guitars) changes with the environment. Small changes in these things don't matter that much, but they can have a slight effect on intonation (say, if the bridge on an acoustic moved slightly relative to the neck based on changes in the top shape).

In my first post I admit I should have made it clearer that small changes in the guitar won't audibly affect intonation.

[Hink]

read my posts, it's not within the range of human hearing...no guitar is perfect, perfect itonation is impossible...as to answer the original question, changing tunings does not have a negative effect...sorry you can't see that...but I know how many tunings I have used, I have pretty good ears (not perfect pitch) and I know that you're talking unrealistic changes....save for the problems caused by some open tunings on acoustics with slides because the tuning exploits the bad intonation that exists on all acoustic (and some nationals were notably bad)...but then all acoustics lose their intonation quick and you can't adjust it, one argument for open an alternate tunings...you can fret the chord where it sounds best.

So we agree to meet halfway, I agree that naturally everything has some effect, and honestly in a perfect world you would do the intonation with every string change. (though with a rose, forget it)...but as the question is...no it does not "hurt" the guitar or sound to use many tunings...

However it is important to note that gauge does have a noticable effect and should be addressed.

btw transperformance doesn't need to trick you, his guitar is awesome...and there is quite a waiting list...I will tell you, if you email him with the question he will give you an answer, and you might find him to be far more knowledgable if you spoke to him then you realise.

[Muzik 4 Machines]

http://www.novaxguitars.com/
this_is_the_only_perfect_intonation_guitar

[Hink]

http://www.novaxguitars.com/
this_is_the_only_perfect_intonation_guitar

I rather learn the stick then adapt to that at this stage in life....seen it before, cool concept...

[Muzik 4 Machines]

no_adaptation_really_it's_just_so_natural(like_my_old_rickenbacker)
it_follows_the_hand_position
and_they_do_retrofit_necx(nex_they_call_them)_to_put_on_a_regular_strat_or_telei_will_probably_order_one_soon)

[Hink]

so what tuning is it optimized for?