I never realized guitars go to sleep!?

[fortyearspickn]

I never told her.  She didn't ask.  BUT, she also gave me a really nice Thalia Capo  I use and leave out so she can see it.  🙂

[jifov38653]

On 9/9/2023 at 10:45 PM, PrairieDog said:

I’m learning so much here: through my earlier post about the “dead j-45” there was a lot of discussion of old strings.  This gave me the thought to look closely at the strings on the DIF I picked up used a few months ago…. Eeewwww! I also had been struggling with my fingers killing me for days after playing, well beyond just building up the callouses again.

In researching what strings to put on, I stumbled on the thread about nickel sensitivity. So thanks to the folks suggesting trying coated strings for that.  A new set of the D’darrio XS coated P/Bs later, and the Doves are truly flying! 

So now I’m getting to really know the guitar and what makes her tick.  Today, I had a major breakthrough, fueled by stuff I read here.    

See, every practice the first thing I’d do is tune the guitar, right? And, it is  “ALWAYS” just a tad sharp.  Even if I just played that morning, or the day before.  I’d set it right, grumbling about finicky tuners, and hit that first C chord.  Always sounds like crap!  Flat, dull, buzzy.  I’d fiddle with my fretting, figuring it’s me and my placement, have spouse hit theirs, hit mine again. Go, wtf, how can it be out of tune? Grab the tuner and invariably it would be the equal amount flat now!  So get it back up, impatiently decide it sounds good enough, and start working.  As the session goes on the guitar mellows out and sounds sweeter and sweeter, and gets so fun to play I’m bummed when I have to put it down.  

So, thinking back again to the dead J-45 and other threads about  guitars that sit around for long periods that need to be worked back open again, it hit me! I believe I have some prima donna guitar that just nods off as soon as she is put back on the stand.  

Tomorrow I’m going to just pull the covers off and start playing before I touch the tuner.  I’m guessing I’ll hear a few initial groans of protest, but I’m betting all she needs is just a little cajoling to wake up.  

Again, thanks for all the helpful info.  I can finally stop freaking out every day at the first few strums, and I will be more patient and generous with strange guitars I meet in stores. They may just be sleepy.  

 

If you're also looking to enhance relaxation and combat anxiety, you might want to explore supplements like GABA on Amazon. They're known for vitamins for anxiety and sleep that you can find here. Just like coaxing your guitar awake, sometimes our bodies need a little extra support to unwind and rest deeply. It's fantastic to see your dedication to understanding and caring for your instrument – and yourself! Keep up the great work, and here's to many more harmonious sessions ahead!

It's funny how little things like old strings or a guitar's sensitivity to nickel can make such a big difference in the sound and feel of your playing. And your realization about your guitar needing a little wakeup call before tuning is spot on—sometimes they just need a bit of coaxing to get going! It sounds like you're really getting to know your instrument and finding ways to make beautiful music together.

Edited February 9 by jifov38653

[PrairieDog]

2 hours ago, jifov38653 said:

It's funny how little things like old strings or a guitar's sensitivity to nickel can make such a big difference in the sound and feel of your playing. And your realization about your guitar needing a little wakeup call before tuning is spot on—sometimes they just need a bit of coaxing to get going! It sounds like you're really getting to know your instrument and finding ways to make beautiful music together.

Hey, thanks! It’s been leaps and bounds since and dragging old muscle memory out of the cobwebs. Having a great time, even with the banjo distraction 😉