Official Luthiers Forum!

Saw this question elsewhere and I wanted to get as many opinions/experiences/evidence as possible.

When a guitar is going to sit for a long period, is there a benefit to detuning or reducing the string tension? For the record, I have several instruments, some more than 50 years old, and have never detuned.

Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

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"Building guitars looks hard, but it's actually much harder than it looks." Tom Buck

35 years of concert pitch tension on a Martin D-35 and it plays and sounds like a...35 year old Martin. After 30 years, it received a neck re-set and resumed its stellar performance...under tension.

All other guitars in the house are always tensioned...I haven't seen any reason not to continue to do so but I'll be interested in other opinions.

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

Never! Relieving tension could put a backbow in the neck caused from truss rod tension that is conteracting the proper string tension.

People like to invent their own laws of physics (see above post).

I was changing the strings on an Ibanez acoustic and the owner nearly flipped out because I didn't change them 3 at a time. "Those necks are pre-tensioned and will back-bow if you take all of the strings off". I laughed it off, but he was really serious about it. To his surprise, it was still worked when I got all of the strings back on--well, as good as an Ibanez can work.

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Don't confront me with my failures--I have not forgotten them.

Nope - got a Martin 0-16NY that's been under tension for 40 yrs. Needs new frets but neck is fine. I never take the tension off of any of my guitars. I don't worry about pulling all the strings off either, if needed.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

The only time I reduce the tension is if the guitar is going to see extreme hot or cold.

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I didn't mean to say it, but I meant what I said.
http://www.brackettinstruments.com/

I think Sakurai (Kohno) recommends relaxing the strings whenever not playing (classical).

For me it's more an issue of the strings themselves. I like to reduce the string tension if they are new when not playing because I like that freshly strung-string sound. This seems to extend the crisp tone of the strings. But that's likely my own quirky theory.
Although, I have had a few new guitars move (higher action) when I left them up to tension through seasonal humidity changes. I suppose if I had left them in a hard-shell case, in a closet, it may not have needed a neck re-set so soon.
It seemed like a good experimental practice at the time to try to get the guitar to do all it's bending and stretching before sending it off to a customer.
I think a new guitar is likely to move some, but when it's settled into the tension, it is likely finished moving and when they are a few years old, they should stay put. As long as they are well taken care of, that is.

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Wade
Nashua, NH
http://www.wadefx.com

Only when I'm shipping or traveling by air.

If I were storing a guitar for a long time, I would remove the strings and relieve any tension on the truss rod (or set the truss rod so that the neck is straight). The possibility of the truss rod inducing a backbow over time is the only reason I can see not to slacken or remove the strings, so, with that danger removed, all is well.

If the guitar isn't going to be played for a long time, why would you want string tension doing its slow, destructive work of distorting the shape of the guitar (not to mention, in some cases, peeling the bridge off, and other forms of havoc) for all that time? Why not give the guitar a break from string tension and prolong its lifetime, or at least postpone the need for a neck reset and possibly other repairs as well? If we're concerned about the possible distorting effect of the truss rod on the neck over time, why not be concerned about the much more destructive and certain distorting effect of the string tension on the entire guitar? String tension is a necessary evil; it is not something guitars enjoy.

And, of course, like everybody else who builds and repairs guitars, I don't hesitate to remove all the strings from a guitar whenever restringing or any other time it's convenient. It's an odd notion that that's a bad idea. The guitar world is full of odd notions.

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Todd Rose
Ithaca, NY

https://www.dreamingrosesecobnb.com/todds-art-music

https://www.facebook.com/ToddRoseGuitars/

I believe the idea of a "Bad Idea" when pulling strings off comes from Other string instruments.. most of which have movable bridges... If you pull of all the strings at once.. you get the joy of picking your bridge back up off the floor and trying to get your intonation set correctly again....

So... if they are used to this practice on all other instruments they own... it becomes "Standard Practice" on their Guitar with a glued bridge too...

I think my level of care depends on the instrument...
Retop Esteban... nope.. but then it doesn't even go in a case when traveling... I just pitch it in the trunk.

If I owned one of John Hall's BRW Wonder Guitars with inlay everywhere including on the side braces.. I would treat it quite a bit more carefully!

Thanks

John

No in my opinion. I believe reducing tension can cause more neck problems if stored that way for a long time.