42
votes
Guitar strings feel electrified
STOP PLAYING
You should not feel any electricity when playing guitar. There could be many reasons, including electrical equipment malfunction or incorrect electric installation in your room. There ...
- 17k
35
votes
Is it better to choose 440 Hz or 432 Hz to tune an acoustic piano?
It might extend string life, and it might make the piano sound rather dull since the strings may be designed for the tension at which A is 440 Hz or even higher. Whether it's better is a matter of ...
- 23.6k
29
votes
Accepted
Should I loosen the tension on the bow for a break?
As a bowmaker, I would like to temper these answers a bit. Yes, if you leave a bow under tension too long, it will lose its camber (bend) faster. So that's true: one should get in the habit of ...
- 6,522
21
votes
Accepted
Why do guitarists re-fret their guitars?
Why do guitarists re-fret their guitars?
We re-fret guitars because you can get fret wear from playing. The most common type is when the upper frets of the guitar, usually around 17-20, will wear ...
- 1,974
21
votes
Should I loosen the tension on the bow for a break?
I'd add to Dr. Mayhem's list:
You never know when something will interrupt your plans. You might be 20 mins into a planned 1-hour break, and then the doorbell rings, you welcome a friend, ... next ...
- 15k
18
votes
Accepted
Why do people in tutorials destroy/cut their old strings when restringing?
The reason people in tutorials often cut the guitar strings is because they are often professionals whose goal is to change a set of strings as fast as possible. They aren't concerned with re-using ...
- 6,506
17
votes
What's the best way to fly commercially with a guitar?
There is no protection on earth that will protect 100% against a baggage handler having a bad day :)
Some things to look at;
Buy the guitar a seat. If my guitar was incredibly valuable, this would ...
- 1,920
17
votes
Guitar strings feel electrified
This could be a lethal problem. It's just not safe to continue.
Firstly, check the socket you usually use. Socket testers are very cheap, and worth having. When I was gigging several times a week, the ...
- 195k
16
votes
Is it better to choose 440 Hz or 432 Hz to tune an acoustic piano?
When playing period music, on period instruments, they are tuned to the standard of that time, if at all possible. Partly to be authentic, mostly to be kind to the instruments. Understandably.
Given ...
- 195k
15
votes
Accepted
Does every piano need tuning every year?
If the piano's passed an inspection that meticulous, then it doesn't need a tuning.
"Once a year" is general advice to correct for seasonal variations of humidity.
In climates with a significant ...
- 5,870
14
votes
Should I loosen the tension on the bow for a break?
I would always loosen it off for that one hour break, for two reasons:
Over time, tension will eventually damage the bow. Keeping tension on when you don't need to will just shorten the lifespan of ...
- 36.9k
13
votes
Why do guitarists re-fret their guitars?
If you play a steel string guitar enough, the steel strings eventually wear down the frets to a point where the intonation is out of balance because the frets lose their crown (which provides a ...
- 27.3k
13
votes
Accepted
Is olive oil good for oiling a guitar fretboard?
Short answer: no. As a non-drying vegetable oil, it will eventually become rancid and not be fun. Same as safflower, peanut, sunflower, coconut, palm, etc.
A better choice is a "drying oil" such as ...
- 1,878
13
votes
Accepted
Do pegs for stringed instruments require holes?
Yes, holes need to be added for the strings. Pegs for violin family instruments are usually sold as "blanks" that are ready for shaping and setting.
Because of the wear and use of the pegs, the peg ...
- 7,479
12
votes
Accepted
How do you effectively clean rust from guitar pick-ups?
I'm assuming you mean the individual pole pieces have rust on the top of them, as Stratocasters don't tend to have pickup covers (which can be easier to clean and polish)
First off, remember that ...
- 36.9k
12
votes
How do I fix a broken bridge pin without going to the guitar shop?
Do not try to force the peg out using the string, the ball presses against the peg to lock it in place and you can damage your peg slot by forcing it.
Here's how we do it at the shop:
Loosen all the ...
- 7,479
11
votes
Accepted
Playing the saxophone in the rain
I've run into this situation before. Long story, but I was playing in a marching band, in the middle of Shanghai, in the rain, with my tenor, for about four hours.
I think the reed is the least of ...
- 9,679
11
votes
Order of valves in a trumpet
Take all the valves out. Then place one of the valves in the third valve casing. Turn it until the valve guide "clicks" then blow (gently!) into the horn. If air goes through, then depress ...
- 91.2k
10
votes
Accepted
Should I let my violin bridge tilt forwards?
The bridge has feet which need to be properly in contact with the violin body. If it tilts, then chances are that it's not completely so. It can be moved, slowly ('untilting') so that it's ...
- 195k
10
votes
Why do people in tutorials destroy/cut their old strings when restringing?
"A lot of tutorials even cut and therefore destroy the strings after tuning down in order to remove them. "
Because cutting a string which is up to tension isn't gentle on the guitar.
Also, if you ...
- 1,920
10
votes
Guitar strings feel electrified
Do not touch a microphone/stand or any grounded equipment or go anywhere wet - you may die.
Incidentally I had a similar sensation with my last mobile phone (a Huwawei). When it was plugged into the ...
- 3,952
10
votes
Violin fingerboard issue
It's hard to tell from the photographs* whether the entire neck has 'simply' sheared off, or whether there's some body collapse to go with it.
Either way, it needs a professional. Price up the cost of ...
- 27.9k
10
votes
How to clean the bathtub after cleaning brass instruments
You don't specify whether you have an enamel or plastic bath tub, so an abrasive cleaner that would work well on enamel would damage plastic.
When I've borrowed really dirty cornets I've washed them ...
- 11.7k
9
votes
Accepted
Cork in the base of a violin's chin rest
Pre-cut 'violin chin rest cork' is offered from several suppliers. Yes, you just loosen, insert new cork, tighten. Glue is optional. Or you can buy sheet cork from a craft store and cut it yourself. ...
- 94.3k
9
votes
Accepted
Is Violin Outfit safe in a Airplane Cargo
It's always going to be a gamble.
I've had a case marked fragile arrive squashed, with obvious tractor tyre marks over it. For many years after that all my cases were marked
"Fragile - please throw ...
- 27.9k
8
votes
How does one change bow hair?
First off, I would seriously consider having it done by a professional. Violin bow rehairing can cost about $50 with cello and bass bows costing a bit more. Given that it is quite a skilfull operation,...
- 556
8
votes
Piano: Will my piano strings break if my cat walks on them?
The hammers hitting the strings, particularly on sfortzando playing, will stress the strings far more than a cat gently pussyfooting around on the strings.
A bigger problem will occur when he finds ...
- 195k
8
votes
Accepted
What's the use case for a thickness measurement tool in a guitar toolkit?
Those are called “feeler gauges” and can measure all kinds of things. Distance between strings and the fingerboard or the frets is one common use for them. I just used my set yesterday to measure ...
- 57.3k
8
votes
Using brushes as low-volume drumsticks
Rutes. OK, I learned a word today! Hardly a bank-breaking investment.
Or you could just play quieter. For several years I had the privilege of playing with Bobby Cook, a highly experienced ...
- 94.3k
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