Issues with new guitars

[electiclassical]

Hello everyone,

My name is Bryan and I just picked up my first classical guitar (Yamaha C40), Planet Waves Chromatic Headstock Tuner, and a Guitar for Dummies book.

I find that the guitar goes out-of-tune very quickly and tuning is like a daily routine. Is this normal? The other problem is that when I strum, I get a buzzing sound. How does this happen?

I read online that we should send new guitars for professional setup. Is this also true for relatively inexpensive guitars like the C40?

I'm sorry if you get a lot of such questions... and thanks for any help here..

 

[loldude333]

Just about any guitar would require a setup, unless you're comfortable with the factory setup. In fact, inexpensive guitars would probably not have been setup properly when made, so its good to get them setup. As for the tuning issues, if you don't keep switching between an aircon and room temp environment (which causes the strings to expand and contract, thus affecting tuning), the problem is probably that your tuning pegs aren't stable. This is a problem which is common on all cheap guitars. At least you've a tuner to aid with that.

 

[relinquish69]

well for a start, classical guitars do go out of tune more often compared to any other guitars. considering this is an entry level guitar, just take it as it is.

set up is required only when you find difficulty in playing the instrument itself. you can change the machine heads but I think it's unnecessary.... at least at this point.

 

[Godspeed64]

Buzzing sound is most probably technique. When you strum, try to hit each string individually and discern whether it is a human error or is it the frets itself.

To check if it's the frets, assuming your technique is correct, play every note on each string and when there's a buzzing sound for certain frets, it shows your action needs to be raised and a set-up is in order.

 

[cryingstatue]

Hi,

you cant really setup your classical for a lower action. So dont go and waste your money. in fact lowering your action will cause more buzzing. unless the action is really high to begin with due to a technical fault.

Tuning is a daily affair, differences in temperature and humidity cause the string to expand or contract so it affects the tuning.

new strings on a newly bought guitar require more playing to stay in tune. you need to play it for a while more before the tuning becomes more stable. but tuning is a daily affair that you have to get used to, a guitar does not stay in tune all the time.

buzzing like Godspeed64 mentioned is probably a technique issue: in my experience most likely you start to let go of the fingering once you hear the sound of the chord/note because naturally you dont hold down the string all the way. try to remember to hold down the string all the way i'm pretty sure you will hear less buzzing.

i say less buzzing because you need more time to build up muscle power to hold down the string as well so yeah give it some time man and have fun

 

[doggieshaman]

classical strings take a rather long while to get seasoned so don't need to feel too worried - get a clip on tuner - tuning before playing isn't that big a hassle so it's ok

a few months i think is what took my classical strings to get seasoned and only go mildly out of tune every now and then

 

[Dscythe]

I used to play classical a long time ago. A technique I use to season the strings a little faster is to tune it 1/2 step higher... So instead of EADGBE, I tune it to FA#D#G#CF...

 

[sirhc_gnob]

I find that the guitar goes out-of-tune very quickly and tuning is like a daily routine. Is this normal?

like the others have said, classical guitars strings are made of nylon and so they expand and stretch a bit more than steel strings do. but besides that, it is always a good practise to tune your guitar before you start practising anyway. so just keep doing what you're doing.

The other problem is that when I strum, I get a buzzing sound. How does this happen?

normally, i would start ppl off learning how to pluck clean notes before moving on to strumming chords. cuz strumming tends to be harder to correct issues with bad technique. basically, you want to make sure that your fingers are arched so that you can get good pressure on the string you're holding down as well as to make sure that you're not accidentally making contact with other strings. pluck thru the chord slowly making sure to get a clean note out of each string before trying any fast and hard strumming.

that being said, if you are fairly confident that there is no issue with your technique and you are still getting the buzzing sound, it could be that the guitar is not set up properly. set up meaning that the string height above the frets are not ideal or that there are loose parts somewhere. it's hard to say online without hearing the buzzing personally becuz it could be coming from any part of the guitar.

I read online that we should send new guitars for professional setup. Is this also true for relatively inexpensive guitars like the C40?

a well set up guitar will be much easier to play which will make it much more enjoyable to practise and learn on. and that applies to any level of guitar. it is purely a matter of whether you really wanna spend the money to have it set up. either that, if you're willing to experiment, go look up some DIY videos on youtube, do some research online and then try out a DIY set up.