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Tuning issue


Beno
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Hi folks.

I've recently noticed the pitch on my bass is rising slightly over a relatively short space of time (24-36 hrs or so)

Not a huge increase but enough to bug me. So I tune to 440 and next day meter reads 442/3

Its all strings so I figure its a neck problem. Would I be right thinking its a 'pissing rain for 3 months' issue, with high humidity causing it ?

Bass is always kept in case and there's always a big bag of that silica gel stuff in the case.

Anyone else experiencing this ???

Cheers, B

EDIT- Maybe I should have put this in tech issues. Ooops

Edited by Beno
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Sorry if this is obvious to you. But is the bass in a different position the two times you check its tuning? It only takes a small pressure on the neck, say from it leaning against something while you tune it, to change by a few hertz.

Edited by Kesh
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Could certainly be humidity.
The wood absorbs the water and 'swells', pulling the strings tighter and therefore raising the pitch.

I'm not sure that the silica gel sachets are generally large enough to 'pull' much atmospheric moisture, but even if they were, they only last for a period of time before they lose their ability to draw moisture.
I've never tried it but I would guess that heating the sachet(s) up in an oven for 5 minutes might 'reactivate' the crystals because you're drying them out.

Funniest one's I've ever seen was silica gel crystals in transparent plastic sachets - presumably to keep them dry... :lol:

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If you mean hard case then chances are the neck is resting against a support/internal divider in the case, and that's enough to do this. Even standing in a rack with the neck cradled is enough to do this. Probably why, first thing I do when I pick up a guitar/bass is check the tuning.

Edited by noelk27
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Thing is, I treat this bass like a a new born baby. I'll play as hard as I need to but when I take it off, its kid gloves time.

Yes, it is hard case but if its put down on the neck support would that not put a small bit of pressure the other way, meaning the strings (if there was any movement) would have less tension and lower pitch.

I'm still leaning towards the weather thing. Its only this year I've noticed it. Feckin jet stream !

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Well, when resting, the string is taken slightly out of tension, and when picked up put back under full tension, and that change is enough to cause what you're observing. Humidity/moisture could certainly be an issue, but for it to be happening every day, assuming that the environment is otherwise staying stable, I'd say that would be unusual.

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Are you playing it after the initial tuning, I don't think its unusual for the strings tuning to change a little through atmospheric conditions or by being played for a bit and the difference between 440 and 442/443 hz would not be problematic in a band situation, I don't think anyone would notice (maybe the odd blind piano tuner). I don't think its much of a problem really.

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It is very humid at present, so think this could be a factor. Try leaving the bass out on a stand for, say an hour before playing, tuning it immediately before starting to play, and then see if the same thing still happens. If not, looks like the humidity is factor.

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Accurately tuned at 10am. Left it standing vertically till 4pm. Still bang on.
Played for about an hour and put in case. Tuning very slightly high. Dry enough day here until about 5 and lashing rain again.

Weather is set to dry out fri/sat/sun so I'll do another check then.

Thanks for all the comments lads. Much appreciated

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