New Guitars To Going Out Of Tune: Is It Normal? 5 Prevention

Is It Normal for a New Guitar to Go Out of Tune?

It is indeed normal for a new guitar to go out of tune – this happens because new guitar strings are not broken in ye. When regularly pulled, stretched, strummed, and picked, they will often need to be retuned to ensure they are staying on the intended note. 

Although no guitar string stays perfectly in tune all the time, strings will stay in tune more often once they are conditioned to do so. Once the guitar strings are stretched out and played regularly, they will become properly conditioned and stay in tune more frequently. 

New guitars come with strings that have not been played or tuned regularly. Since the new guitar has most likely not been routinely played (until you purchased it), the strings have not had a chance to be regularly conditioned (or tuned and played).  

Additionally, depending on how long the new guitar has been on display at the store where you purchased it or sitting in a warehouse before it has been shipped, it may need to have new strings anyway. This could also be a reason why it is not staying in tune.  

As someone who has played guitars and basses for over five years, I can confirm that your new guitar strings going out of tune is a natural occurrence.

However, it is not something to be concerned about. Tuning your guitar is an excellent advantage in that you will develop your ear to better measure pitch more accurately. 

In this article, we will go over how long it takes for your guitar to stay in tune and ways to stop it from going out of tune.

We will also address frequently asked questions such as if new guitars come tuned or not, how often they go out of tune, if it is customary to tune the guitar every day, and why cheap guitars do not stay in tune as well.  

Also Read: Will Capo Damage Guitar & Mess Up Tuning? (Veteran Answers)

How Long Does It Take for New Guitar Strings to Stay in Tune?

It will take approximately one to two hours of continuous play for new guitar strings to stay in tune regularly. This is because guitar strings need to be conditioned to stay tuned to the note they should be in. 

For example, imagine an old or stale rubber band. If you stretch it out as far as it can go right away, it will more likely snap or break.

However, if you regularly stretch it out lightly, it will be able to be stretched to the desired length more quickly since it has been conditioned to be stretched that way.  

Think of the guitar string as you would consider a rubber band or even your hamstrings. If you do not stretch your hamstrings regularly, you will most likely experience significant discomfort the first time you do so.

This is because you are stretching your hamstrings beyond the regular amount of tension they are typically under or where they are conditioned to be. 

However, with a little bit of time and regular stretching, your hamstrings will become used to the new position you are stretching out to. You will be able to stretch your legs to the new position and will have an easier time keeping your legs in that position the more often you do so.

If a guitar string is not well conditioned to its natural state (the note the string is supposed to be in), it will not stay in tune. The strings on a new guitar are very similar in this way.

The strings on the new guitar have not been stretched out or conditioned to stay in their intended note, so they will have to be conditioned more often (conditioned in this context means tuning them by stretching them to the correct amount of tension regularly until they can more easily stay in tune).

5 Ways To Stop Guitar From Going Out of Tune

1. Keep guitar in its case when not played

Humidity, heat, cold, temperature swings etc., can influence how your guitar strings sound. Strings tend to get more rigid the colder the temperature and more elastic the warmer the temperature. 

I know keeping the guitar out of its case is tempting because it is more convenient just to pick it up and start playing.

However, keeping your guitar in its case when you are not playing it can help to protect the strings from exposure to humidity and fluctuations of heat and cold in the guitar’s environment. It is also a good idea to store the guitar at room temperature to prevent this from happening.

2. Lubricate the parts of the guitar that make contact with strings

Don’t worry; this isn’t going to get your guitar wet or greasy. When you strum or pluck your guitar strings, they move and vibrate against all of your guitar parts that the strings are threaded through. 

One way to limit how the guitar strings move and flex against the guitar part is to take a leaded number 2 pencil and lightly color in the grooves in the nut that the strings go through before they make their way up to the tuning pegs.

Please refer to the graphic below. The bottom arrow points to the nut on this guitar, where the strings are threaded through before going to the tuning pegs.

The arrow on top points to one of the six tuning pegs. With the graphite from the pencil, the strings will flow a bit more naturally and be less rigid.

3. Avoid tuning from sharp to flat (you should tune up) 

If you tune the string to a sharp tone (a higher pitch than the intended note the string is meant to ring at), then the string has been slightly conditioned to ring at a note above and below the intentional note.

The more the string is conditioned to ring at a note that is both flat and sharp, the more likely the string will not stay in tune.

When you tune the guitar strings from being flat (at a lower tone than the note the string is supposed to ring at) to increasing the tension on the strings until they are at the note, then the string has only been stretched out one way. 

Installing the strings properly in the first place will help to ensure you can tune the strings up and not down (or tune from being flat up to the right note as opposed to tuning from being sharp down to the right note).

To install the strings correctly, use the minimum number of turns possible around the tuning post. Please ensure the strings are seated securely on the guitar’s ball end. 

4. Stretch the strings out (gently)

The strings should NOT be stretched to the point where they create a sharper tone (or higher) than their intended note.

Please refer to the previous heading, ‘Tune from being last to the right note as opposed to tuning from sharp to flat (tuning up and not down) for more details.  

When applying the strings to the guitar, take your left hand (assuming you make chords with your left hand and strum the strings with your right hand) and place your left hand on approximately the third or fifth fret. 

Make sure that when you install the strings, there is only a moderate amount of tension on the strings at this point (the strings should not be wound so tightly that they’re close to snapping).

Take your right hand and gently pull the string approximately one inch away from the pickups (or sound hole for an acoustic guitar). 

Doing this a few times will make the strings more flexible. The more flexible the strings are, the more easily they will be conditioned to stay in tune regularly. 

5. Be careful to not hit the strings too hard

At a certain point, your strings will wear down from continuous playing. While it can be tempting to strum with a lot of force depending on the style of music you are playing, I would recommend using only the amount of force required to create the tone you are going for.

This will ensure your strings will stay in tune more frequently. You will also need to replace your strings less frequently by doing so. 

Also Read: Loose Guitar Strings: Reasons & Best Tightening Methods

FAQs

Q: Do New Guitars Come Tuned?

No, New guitars usually do not come tuned. Even if the store or manufacturer that you are purchasing the new guitar from tunes the guitar before you purchase it, it can very likely not be in tune when you start playing it. 

There are many different reasons why it may not be in tune when you take possession of the guitar and start to play it.

A few of these reasons could be how new the strings are, how long it was since it was tuned before you started playing, or even if there is a change in temperature from where the guitar was stored before you bought it vs. where you are storing it now that you own it. 

Q: How Often Do Guitars Go Out of Tune?

Guitars (or the guitar strings, to be exact) go out of tune almost daily. You are stretching, bending, and plucking strings regularly when you play the guitar.

Therefore, they will not stay in the position they need to be to stay in tune very often as they are continually bent and moved. 

However, the more amount of time that passes between your playing and or practice sessions that passes, the more out of tune your guitar will become.

It is a good idea to tune the guitar before you start playing and to regularly check it every so often as you take a break to ensure it stays in tune. 

Q: Is It Normal to Tune Guitar Every Day?

Yes. It is normal to tune the guitar every day. However, the more you play the guitar, the less you will have to adjust the tension on the strings to ensure that it stays in tune regularly.

When turning the guitar, you are conditioning the strings to stay in their proper note. The more amount of time that passes between each time you play, the more out of tune your guitar will be. In other words, the less out of tune your guitar will be, the more often you are playing it. 

As a general rule of thumb, it is a good idea to tune the guitar each time you play it. This will condition your strings to stay in tune more often. 

Q: Why Do Cheap Guitars Not Stay in Tune?

A cheap guitar will not usually stay in tune very well because cheap guitars are generally not assembled to the same standards more expensive guitars are assembled.

Additionally, cheaper guitars are typically made with cheaper parts such as the bridge, neck, tuning pegs, etc. A cheaper guitar is usually not assembled as solidly as a higher quality, more expensive guitar.

The lack of integrity in how the guitar is constructed will result in more flexibility of the overall instrument, thus making the guitar strings more likely to stay out of tune. 

Additionally, cheaper parts on a guitar, like the pegs, for instance, will not hold their position as well as higher quality tuning pegs. The less likely the tuning pegs are set up to maintain their position, the more often the guitar will come out of tune.  

One option may be to consider taking the guitar to your local music store with a guitar technician on-site to inquire about replacing the lower-quality tuning pegs and/or the guitar’s bridge with tuning pegs and a bridge of a higher quality.  

Conclusion

I went over why new guitars often go out of tune. We also reviewed approximately how long it takes for new guitar strings to stay in tune more regularly. We also went over five ways to help your guitar stay in tune on a more regular basis.

We also covered some frequently asked questions, like do new guitars come tuned, how often guitars go out of tune, is it normal to tune your guitar every day, and why cheap guitars do not stay in tune as well as guitars of a higher quality.

Anytime you play your guitar, you will need to tune it regularly since you are strumming and bending your strings.

Try not to look at this as an inconvenience or a problem but as an opportunity to practice your ability to determine the perfect pitch.

Determining the perfect pitch is a great skill to have as a musician, regardless of any musical endeavour you may want to pursue.