Why does my guitar keep going out of tune?It's usually fixable — most often it's the nut, stringing method or old strings, not the tuners. Tune UP to pitch PeteM, our Golden Ear, says tuning down to a note is the biggest culprit: it leaves slack behind the nut that later goes out of tune 1. If a string goes sharp, drop it flat and bring it back up. Make it a habit 1. Lubricate and check the nut Bob Dubery, our Resident Finger Picker, uses graphite dust (a locksmith can supply it) or a soft pencil in the nut slots — the "nut sauce" idea works too 1. If you changed to heavier strings, the nut slots may now be too tight and pinch the string — that causes exactly this problem 1. A tech can file them. Strings and winding Alan Ratcliffe ranks fresh strings first: old strings go dull and need retuning daily. Change them anywhere from every few days to every three months 2. Use as few winds on the tuner post as possible — less string to stretch and slip 2. Keep the winds neat, not climbing over each other 5. Stretch and settle New strings need time to stretch in — give them a few days of playing and re-tune 5. Check intonation too If it holds tune open but sounds off up the neck, that's intonation — tune open, then compare the fretted 12th fret note; if it doesn't match, the saddle needs adjusting 4. If it still won't hold after all this, ask the community with your guitar model and string gauge — someone's likely had the same issue. From these forum threadsGuitar not staying in tune (2010): PeteM and Bob on nut lube, graphite and tuning-up tricksElectric Guitar that won't stay in tune for long (2009): Alan Ratcliffe's ordered checklist for Strat-type tuning problemsGuitar tuning and intonation (2010): Quick open-string vs 12th-fret intonation test explaineduber tuning stability/zero deviation w/ a double locking system? (2012): Arjun's Floyd Rose stability checklist and string settle times
