Every single person who has ever asked for a go on my guitar has tried to tune it. Every time, I warn them that it has locking strings. Every time, they ignore me. More often than not, they end up breaking one of the strings.

It was tuned perfectly before you started messing with it, and now I have to screw around with it the next time I want to play it, unlock the damn thing, and replace the string your dumb-ass broke.

What is wrong with people, what is it about guitars that make people want to mess with things they don't own. I wouldn't be watching somebodies TV and suddenly decided I'm going to switch all the channels around because I like it better that way.

I know nothing of guitars, but I used to have a favorite pen that I never lent out. If anybody asked for a loaner, I would say, "Sorry, this is my favorite pen. I'm the only one who gets to use it."

Have you tried that approach? You can be straightforward, firm, and polite. Or have you tried telling people that they may play with the guitar a little as long as they don't try to tune it?

Yes, they are being presumptuous. But in the end, it is your guitar and you have to set the ground rules.

P.S. Then there's the sexual-innuendo reply: "Sorry, she doesn't like to be stroked by anyone but me..."

The sad thing is, I use that approach 99% of the time, but when it's somebody I know can actually play I'm a little more lenient with it because I figure they won't abuse the thing I don't know why I never learn, this has happened like 6 times with people who are supposed to know what they're doing. They just don't seem to understand the principle of locking strings.

If even the supposedly experienced people cause this much trouble, then it sounds like there's no hope. Maybe you have to assume that EVERYone's an idiot, and take the hands-off approach 100% of the time.

Oh god, this same guy just broke a string on my room mates guitar too *facepalm*

He is replacing them though, so it's not too bad, I suppose xD

He sounds like a supremely talented individual.

I play south paw, so most folks don't want to mess with it  Plus I tend to use alt. tunings 

I usually tune using the harmonics on adjacent strings to see if the frequencies align (guitarists will know what I mean) because you can hear the modulation of out-of-sync frequencies.

The big problem with this method is that it relies on the guitar being really set up properly because if it isn't, the tuning can subtly change at different points on the neck so that what sounds in tune at the 3rd or 5th sounds off with open strings (or visa versa).

As for the "tuning reflex" that people seem to get, I do know what you mean Jeatyn!  It's like those auto-condimentarians who just have to sprinkle salt and/or pepper on every meal before they've even tasted it.

This guitar sounds funny. It's out tuned to C. Ok I don't know what that means but I'll fix it for you.

No you will not. It's my guitar, thanks.

Easy

Cindy

I play lap steel and slide, all tuned to open D or sometimes open G.  Unless others are  steel/slde players they won't even try.   How do the locking strings actually work? I have not seen a good description of them. 

Quote from: justmeinoz on November 29, 2009, 01:55:57 AM
I play lap steel and slide, all tuned to open D or sometimes open G.  Unless others are  steel/slde players they won't even try.   How do the locking strings actually work? I have not seen a good description of them.

What's the difference between lap steel and slide? Sorry I'm just old and ignorant. I love the sound of slide but with my miniscule ability no way could I even attempt to play. I'd be better off buying a cat and twisting its tail . Now, how do you tune a cat?

Cindy

I know how to tune a normal guitar but if you said locking mechanism I would get scared because I don't even know what one is  I TOTALLY hate it when someone wants to pick one of mine up though, it's a respect thing that most other players know and will ask, but someone who doesn't play or isn't serious doesn't get it.

With the locking strings, the guitar rarely goes out of tune because the strings are literally locked in place. There's little fine tuners at the bottom if it gets knocked a little, that can go from say a sharp to a flat within the same note but not out of the note range. The proper tuners at the top can't really do anything - hence the string snappage. You couldn't go from regular tuning to drop D or something without getting an allen key and taking the lock off. It's a pain in the ass if you need alternate tunings but generally it's great to have a guitar that won't go out of tune (you know, unless people insist on messing with it)

I've only had one guitar with a locking nut. It just about drove me nuts 

When I got into alt. tunings it became a pain to keep tuning the same guitar.
So I bought another guitar...and then a third guitar and....

I haven't gigged for awhile so I sold some of my guitars off  Now I'm down to just five. Three acoustics and two electrics

I'm thinking to get a new acoustic though because mine need repair 

Ohhhhhhhh, music is a terrible illness 

Rest assured I'd never come to your house and pick up the guitar and tune it.  Not unless you opened your wallet first.  I get paid for that.

But it has always amazed me that some people can pick up those things, pluck a string and just based on the sustain tune it to the perfect pitch.  They have a gift called perfect pitch (which I've been assured by many people who have it is also a curse).  It's a gift because most people don't have that ability.  So, unless you do, don't do it.

Having the strings frequencies align doesn't mean crap if the first note your using as a reference is not correct. You are only making the entire instrument out of pitch.

With the locking strings, the guitar rarely goes out of tune
I call B.S. which is why I don't know a single professional player who plays such an instrument - which if it worked would save them the $300 a night (plus per diem, plus, plus..) they have to pay someone to stand there and do it for them.  The more you play it - and the harder you play it (and the harder you play it, the better it sounds) the more you're changing the tuning.  Weather - both temperature and humidity - has an enormous impact on the tunings. It keeps the pegs from slipping and detuning that way, but if you have a really good guitar (Martin, Taylor, Gibson) it has pegs that are machined not to slip, so its only a problem on the less expensive models.

(And I'm not dissin the less expensive guitars, I got one myself, because hell, I don't play good enough to justify a really good one.  But I have been able to play some awesome instruments and yeah, oddly enough - and I'm sure it will amaze anyone - that a $3,000 instrument is a lot different from a $100 instrument.  In that, guitars are a lot like hookers.)

So, if your hanging out strumming Michael Row the Boat Ashore, or finger picking Wish You Were Here, a good guitar can stay in tune, and the tune-lock works because, like I said, its the pegs slipping not the playing that make cheep guitars go out of tune so easy.

But, if someone like Jerry Garcia shows up, it ain't going to work.  Old Jerry used a 2mm Graphite pick, which is like playing with a quarter.  Most plays like the 'medium' which tend to be .70-1mm thick, and even those will mess with tuning if you play hard (and remember, hard sounds better).  But if you have some big biscut like Jerry playing that with a 2mm, your going to (or Jerry will, he did have near perfect pitch) retune it every song or two.

And of course you ASK first, you just don't pick it up.  Really.  You don't do that with anyone's personal property.  I can pretty much guess that anyone who would just pick it up without asking is a dolt, not a player.  Any player want's to be asked about his/her guitar, and returns the favor.

Hi Cindy. 
The difference between slide and lap steel is basically the position of the guitar and the way the steel is held. Both are experiencing a resurgence of interest at the moment, with Ben Harper and John Butler creating a new interest.
Lap Steel sits flat across your lap and you hold the tone bar with the thumb and fingers.  The  4th and 5th fingers lay on the string to stop rattles and can also be used to dampen the stings to play staccato. Also the action is raised up so that the strings won't touch the fret board.
Slide guitar is played in a normal position and the steel is hollow and slips over the 4th or 5th finger.  The strings are damped with the other fingers. A lot of players use a slide made of glass, hence the original name of "bottleneck", from the glass bottle neck used by the early blues players. 
Lap steel is a bit more versatile in that you can angle the steel and get a wider range of intervals than slide, due it being a bit easier on the wrist and fingers.

Both can use a variety of tunings, depending on the style of music being played, as well as changing to give easier fingering for different songs.

I'll just say that not every guitar has perfect intonation.
I have an inexpensive Epiphone and I always have to touch up the tuning depending on what I'm playing, especially when taking on/off a capo.
It becomes reflex after a while.
Trying guitars out at a guitar store I always have to tune them, even if they are 12 strings.
They don't pay me for it but I get to play the guitar for a 1/2 hour or so.

Usually anybody who would hand me their guitar is a newbie anyway, has a cheap guitar and is grateful for some tuning.

I play medium strings (0.013 to 0.056) so I'm used to how much of a crank raises the pitch how much.
When I tune other people's lights I undershoot because they are stretchier.
It ruins my calibration for later!

I use 1.2 mm (extra heavy) Jim Dunlop gel picks.
I wouldn't mind trying out the 2 mm picks that Tekla mentioned.

The ones Jerry dug on were Adamas graphite 2mm.

and I swear by the Elixir Strings POLYWEB coating for my cheep guitar, the last forever and I hate changing stings. Not what with the way I play it is going to make much difference one way or the other.

Quote from: Jeatyn on November 27, 2009, 02:11:29 PM
Every single person who has ever asked for a go on my guitar has tried to tune it. Every time, I warn them that it has locking strings. Every time, they ignore me. More often than not, they end up breaking one of the strings.

It was tuned perfectly before you started messing with it, and now I have to screw around with it the next time I want to play it, unlock the damn thing, and replace the string your dumb-ass broke.

What is wrong with people, what is it about guitars that make people want to mess with things they don't own. I wouldn't be watching somebodies TV and suddenly decided I'm going to switch all the channels around because I like it better that way.

Hahaha. Or they tune it to D and leave it that way. Jerks...


I know the sounds... If its slightly off, I really dont CARE. If I'm gonna be totally anal I'll use a tuner. My apathy for it being PERFECT to convention is a part of my style. I just do what "Resonates" with me. And if a few of the notes are a little flat or sharp, then whatever.


I put my ear to the body. The top where you hook up the strap. And I listen from there. No need for amp.


I have some kind of Ibanez. I love him. I think its a he... Can't tell. Sometimes I call it Red, others Atomsk.

I like the Elixir 80/20 phosphor bronze Nanowebs (in medium, .013-.056, as mentioned).
I always keep tuned in standard pitch due to playing along with YouTube and recordings.
Recordings that are off by half a semitone are annoying.
I don't have an electronic tuner, I just tune to a recording that's hopefully in tune.