Official Luthiers Forum!

A friend of mine got a 75 Gibson acoustic from his dad. He's under the assumption that he needs to store it with the strings loosened when not playing it. I don't agree and I hope I didn't open the proverbial can of worms.

What say you?

Many thanks!

If you're not going to play it at all for several years, you might as well loosen the strings. Should delay the need for a neck reset. But if you're going to play it regularly, then loosening and tightening all the time might actually stress it more than having constant tension like it's designed for. Plus you'll break a lot of strings.

Another thing is that exposing the guitar to major changes in humidity will accelerate the need for a neck reset. Wood moving while under tension will take some amount of permanent deformation in the direction of the tension... kind of like how we bend sides So if you're going to keep it out on a stand, then you might loosen the strings during the fall humidity drop and spring humidity rise. But of course it's better to keep it in constant humidity year round.

The modern truss rod tends to work in harmony with the string tension --- if you change one seems you need to change the other to prevent adverse affects of an imbalance.

_________________
Ken Cierp

http://www.kennethmichaelguitars.com/

Thanks. I knew there was more too it than a simple yes or no answer.

I think it's okay to keep it under tension. If you're going to ship it loosen them up.

Sent from my HTC Desire 626s using Tapatalk

_________________
Another day, another dollar.

I've got a Martin size 0 that I know personally has been under tension since it was purchased new in 1968. Just now getting a neck reset - after 48 years. Just my opinion but I wouldn't worry about it.

_________________
Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

You should loosen the strings or else the strings will go bad and you will have to replace them

---

Ask yourself this, what is the reason why a guitar eventually needs a neck reset?

Once you answer that question imho the answer should be obvious.

Interestingly though, this question often comes up on guitar related player forums and does indeed open a huge can of worms but at the same time luthiers can't agree on whats the right answer either.

I have about 6 guitars in my office ranging in age from '84 to '15, all at tension. It never occurred to me to loosen the strings. It would discourage me from just picking them up and playing.
So far they are all fine. Could just be a testament to the skills of the builder[FACE WITH STUCK-OUT TONGUE AND WINKING EYE]!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I think a constantly strung guitar is better for tone. Untensioned wood forgets how to sing.

I'm going to guess that a 75 Gibbie needs a neck reset and possibly some other work unless it has been stored for the last 40 years with no tension. However, if I was going to play it now I would tune it to pitch and leave it that way. If was going to "store" it for longer than a few months I would slacken the strings

I keep a 74 and 80 Martin tuned down a couple of steps because I rarely play them - once every few months or less. FWIW they have both had resets. Everything else I keep tuned to whatever pitch they like to be in because I never know which one I want to pick up and play.

Assuming it's in working order (doesnt have any open seams, the necks not falling off, etc) and gets played at least occasionally, keep it up to pitch. If its gonna sit for years because youre traveling, (or something along those lines) might as well detune it. In my opinion.