Author Topic: Sharp Phenomenon? (Read 643 times)

bigredbass · « **on:** October 20, 2004, 10:06:16 PM »

I'm baffled.

Would SOMEBODY tell me WHY my basses go out of tune SHARP instead of flat when I leave them alone for a couple of days?

Whether I put them in their cases or leave them on their stands here in my home, they always creep sharp, typically about 20 to 30 cents. My mind keeps telling me they should droop and go slightly flat, but no . . .

Those of you know what a setUp nut I am should know I run my keys snug, maintain my truss rods religiously, and usually always tune when I begin to practice or play. They are NEVER detuned. My tuner (a BOSS TU-100) has always matched the band on every gig I've ever played, so I know it's kosher. The SPOILER is a '91, the BB5000A is a '90, so I'd think that the wood 'knows it's not a tree anymore'. They are NEVER left in a hot/cold car, etc.

Can anybody explain this to me, I'm totally baffled. IS it black helicopters or what?

J o e y

poor_nigel · « **Reply #1 on:** October 20, 2004, 10:21:12 PM »

Hey Joey, that's a stumper. The only thing I can think of that kind of may fit, but still does not really seem probable, would be that warm things expand, and cold things contract. I cannot really put those variables into a consistent scenario that would come close to explaining what you are experiencing, though. You can bet I will be watching this post to find out if someone comes up with an answer.

palembic · « **Reply #2 on:** October 20, 2004, 11:04:30 PM »

The season of the year???

No ....no joke ...I strongly believe that.
Bonnie suffers from the same thing. Although in fall she is detuning flat, in summer she stays tuned, in fall she detunes sharp in winter she stays stable.

Again ....NO joke!!
I wouldn't dare!

Paul the bad one

adriaan · « **Reply #3 on:** October 21, 2004, 04:13:24 AM »

In fall the air humidity rises. If the wood absorbs extra humidity, it will expand and then obviously the string gets stretched as well.

Good strings on an instrument with stable tuners do not go flat in the short run.

poor_nigel · « **Reply #4 on:** October 21, 2004, 05:05:26 AM »

Joey - how long has this been going on? I ignored humidity, as I thought you were talking year round, and always detuning sharp. In which case underware knomes are probably the cause, sneaking in late at night to do their mischief and drive you nutz. Did you upset them lately? If this is something that has just gone on for the last four to six months, humidity would probably be the culpret. If you are talking all-year-round, then I am still stumped.

David Houck · « **Reply #5 on:** October 21, 2004, 07:24:19 AM »

Humidity would be my first thought as well.

But then there is also the electronics that homeland security installed in your walls when you weren't home. Have you noticed a clicking noise when talking on the telephone?

bsee · « **Reply #6 on:** October 21, 2004, 07:33:54 AM »

Do you play in the same room you store your bass? For me, if the bass has settled to be 5-10 degrees cooler than the playing area, it will be sharp and slowly drop into tune as it warms. Or, if I tune it right up front, it will go flat and be brought back up as it warms.

When you play, try to keep track of every time you adjust tuning. You may remember tuning down as you pick the bass up, but are you also bringing it back up during your playing session?

-Bob

811952 · « **Reply #7 on:** October 21, 2004, 08:16:55 AM »

Joey,
What Bob described is also my experience...
Ever do any work with J.T. Corenflos or Richie Owens?
John

bigredbass · « **Reply #8 on:** October 21, 2004, 09:42:46 PM »

John, I've never done any work with the two cats you mentioned.

My routine is to tune them as I start to play, and I never touch them again during the session.

While the humidity naturally varies over the year, they are ALWAYS in a central air environment. They are rarely in the car, and when they are they're in the passenger seat, NEVER the trunk. And these are both painted/clearcoat instruments, not as easily breathing as an oil-finish.

My basses have ALWAYS done this for years. Again, we're generally talking about half of a half-step, but I just can't figure this out.

Maybe it's HAARP . . . .

Keep digging, boys!!

J o e y

811952 · « **Reply #9 on:** October 21, 2004, 09:56:40 PM »

I think it may also have something to do with your hands heating the strings, which will become longer as they warm up and tighten as they cool. I don't have any better ideas at the moment...
I used to play a LOT with both of them, but haven't talked to J.T. for about a year or Richie for probably 10 or so. I figured there was about a 99 percent chance that you guys crossed paths sometime/somewhere because Nashville is like that (or at least used to be). J.T. works quite a bit with Hungate and Sklar, and Richie was producing Dolly the last I heard (I played in a punk band with him)... Both are great to work with if you get the opportunity..
John

bsee · « **Reply #10 on:** October 21, 2004, 10:27:13 PM »

What you describe borders on impossible, Joey. You are saying that you have a bass that is in tune and then put it away. You come back some time later and have to loosen the strings to get it in tune. You never tighten anything back up, and the cycle repeats. It just isn't physically possible that this continues for an extended period. There must be something inaccurate about your perception of events.

bigredbass · « **Reply #11 on:** October 22, 2004, 12:17:32 AM »

bsee

Well, I'm sure this won't be the LAST time I have an inaccurate perception of events ! !

I tune, play for a while, put it up. Tomorrow it will be 20-25 cents sharp (it doesn't keep going up over time, it stops at around that half of a half step). I'll detune below pitch, tune up to 440, and play. (I ONLY tune up).

Well???

J o e y

bigredbass · « **Reply #12 on:** October 22, 2004, 12:21:26 AM »

811

No, these friends of yours are in too high cotton for me to have met them out here in the weeds ! !

J o e y

bob · « **Reply #13 on:** October 22, 2004, 01:15:52 AM »

How smoothly do the strings slide through the nut when you tune?

How hard do you pull the strings when you play?

What strings are you using?

adriaan · « **Reply #14 on:** October 22, 2004, 01:25:20 AM »

If you put the instrument in a case, lying flat, gravity will cause a minimal amount of bow over the entire length. If your truss rods are faily loose (like when you use 30-90 sets) the effect would be more noticeable. The effect may be less if the instrument remains rested in line with the pull of gravity.

(Message edited by adriaan on October 22, 2004)