Welcome to one of the most active flamenco sites on the Internet. Guests can read most posts but if you want to participate click here to register.
This site is dedicated to the memory of Paco de Lucía, Ron Mitchell, Guy Williams, Linda Elvira, Philip John Lee, Craig Eros, Ben Woods, David Serva and Tom Blackshear who went ahead of us.
We receive 12,200 visitors a month from 200 countries and 1.7 million page impressions a year. To advertise on this site please contact us.
I have a 41 year old flamenco guitar that has been under full string tension most of its life. It's very light weight. The top is WRC. No cracks or warping. The top had some doming but I had that repaired a few years ago. I rarely play this guitar now. My question is would taking the tension off after all these years do more harm than good, or should I just leave well enough alone?
RE: question about guitar under cons... (in reply to eg.czerny)
quote:
ORIGINAL: eg.czerny
I have a 41 year old flamenco guitar that has been under full string tension most of its life. It's very light weight. The top is WRC. No cracks or warping. The top had some doming but I had that repaired a few years ago. I rarely play this guitar now. My question is would taking the tension off after all these years do more harm than good, or should I just leave well enough alone?
If you're not going to play it take the strings off. It will be in stasis until a player gets hold of it and brings it back to life.
RE: question about guitar under cons... (in reply to eg.czerny)
quote:
If you're not going to play it take the strings off. It will be in stasis until a player gets hold of it and brings it back to life.
Or at least slacken them. This way you wont loose the bones.
Nylon strings dont have the same problem a steel strings but its better to play safe . Steel strings actually hardens when they vibrate and then their tension gets higher. I´ve seen quite a few old mandolins and specially acoustic steel strings which were more or less left to die hanging on a wall with the strings slowly warping the soundboard and evt. pulling of the bridge.
Posts: 401
Joined: Mar. 5 2010
From: Caves Beach Australia
RE: question about guitar under cons... (in reply to eg.czerny)
Sorry but no it is not, Steel may work harden,but that does not cause a stretched steel string to gain tension. I have plenty of steel string guitars which have been under tension for many years untouched. They do not increase in pitch unless it is from temperature drop or from humidity variations affecting the timber
Posts: 597
Joined: Jan. 14 2007
From: York, England
RE: question about guitar under cons... (in reply to Anders Eliasson)
quote:
simple
No not simple at all. There may be 'work hardening' and there may be 'creep' and there may well be other physical changes under tension, especially over long time periods, but I'm not convinced this would cause an increase in tension.
What we need here is a materials scientist to give a definitive answer.
Posts: 401
Joined: Mar. 5 2010
From: Caves Beach Australia
RE: question about guitar under cons... (in reply to eg.czerny)
Among other things I used to run a Materials testing lab and do structural design in steel, timber and concrete, will that do. 45 years of owning Steel string guitars, I have never observed them to gain tension during storage and there is no metalurgical reason for them to do so
Posts: 401
Joined: Mar. 5 2010
From: Caves Beach Australia
RE: question about guitar under cons... (in reply to eg.czerny)
quote:
I was taught that a steel string would harden when vibrating. Was it wrong?
Yes 'fraid so
Music wire is already hard both from composition and the process of forming it into wire. Work hardening increases the yield strength but only takes place when you go past the point of permanant deformation or elastic limit (on Steel) Vibration involves deformation of the string within it's elastic limit and does not create work hardening, Where you see work hardening and it's companion, fatigue is in the places where the string is forced to change direction sharply, the saddle, nut and tuning post.
But none of these increase the tension of the string
Printable Version
New Messages
No New Messages
Hot Topic w/ New Messages
Hot Topic w/o New Messages
Locked w/ New Messages
Locked w/o New Messages
Post New Thread