Loosen string tension instrument not played?

[Henning]

Hello, the question is about when to reduce the string tension. It's been said that if you dont intend to play your guitar for two weeks, it is advisable to loosen the string tension. But for how long would you please say that time is for the ukulele?
Or the mandolin?

[Wade Hampton]

Loosening the strings just because an instrument isn’t going to be played for a couple of weeks is unnecessary. Guitars, mandolins, ukes and other stringed instruments are designed to withstand string tension - leaving them up to pitch for a few weeks while unattended won’t hurt anything.

If you’re deploying overseas with the military for months or years, sure, loosen the strings. But not if you’re only going to be absent for a few weeks.

Hope this helps.


Wade Hampton Miller

[macuaig]

I always wondered why not playing a strung guitar for months was any worse than playing it for months, and so why not leave it tensioned? You’re putting even less stress on it by not playing it.

There’s a consideration in pianos I’ve heard that frequently tuning a new piano keeps the wood in a better configuration, and in later life will need to be tuned less frequently. The wood doesn’t get used to sagging into a warped state.

So why not the same for guitars? Loosening the strings for months would allow the neck to settle into an unknown state, requiring more stress to hold a tune later.

Then again, if you’re loosening the strings because you’re not sure if the humidity will change and break the neck…then forget everything I said!

[Dave Richard]

If an acoustic guitar will not be played for months, or longer, I strongly suggest taking the tension off the strings. I have repaired several instruments that incurred severe damage, from string tension causing distortion, warping, and cracking as glue joints slowly let go over time: seams separating or lifting bridges.

[macuaig]

But wouldn’t these problems happen if the guitar were played regularly? Or maybe it’s the variation in tension by playing that exercises the wood, rather than eventually being held at the same untuned force for months. Or we’re just back to the humidity changes being too risky.

I’m happy with this as a theoretical topic, though the simple answer to the OP seems to be to release the tension whenever the idea occurs to you.

[rllink]

Originally Posted by macuaig

I always wondered why not playing a strung guitar for months was any worse than playing it for months, and so why not leave it tensioned? You’re putting even less stress on it by not playing it.

This is my logic too. I have a guitar that I haven't played since Christmas. Another I play most every day. What's the difference? How does not playing it make something bad happen and playing it make something bad not happen? Anyway, it comes up all the time and the experts jump in on both sides. Pick the one you like.

[rmp]

I'd leave it be.

They are made to handle this.

[macuaig]

I do understand the worry that a radical change in humidity/temps for long enough time may tighten the neck enough to cause damage. It seems like that’s about seasonal changes, so yeah if you’re gone for a couple of years it sounds prudent to ramp down everything you leave behind, like loosening strings, removing batteries, emptying the fridge, and finding someone to feed the cat, hah.

[Dave Richard]

The reason that severe damage can occur, when a guitar is left up to tension, in the case, unplayed for many months or years, is(IMO) simply that no one notices when something begins to let go: when the bridge begins to lift, or the back/side seam begins to separate at the tailblock(and it simply worsens over the months and years). When a guitar is played frequently or regularly, then the player is likely to notice a problem before it becomes severe.

Of course, sometimes an owner has not noticed Problem B, when they bring me their guitar because of Problem A, but that's a different situation.

[Jamolay]

I have no data, but I think a lot has to do with how and where you store a guitar.

If you live in the Denver area like I do, and you put a guitar in it’s case and put it in your attic or garage for years, it goes through pretty harsh hot to cold and dry to modestly humid cycles. Generally bad for anything, especially a finely crafted wooden instrument.

I imagine leaving steel strings up to tension is not going to help by adding a consistent mechanical stress to the already bad situation.