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  1. #1

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    I recently purchased a Godin Multiac ACS-SA nylon string guitar. I've had the guitar a little over 2 weeks. When I bought it, the tech put on a set of new strings (D'Addario Pro-Arte xtra hard).

    After 2 weeks, I would have thought the strings would have settled in, but I find that when I play the guitar, the top 3 nylon strings (high E, B and G) go flat very quickly. And I don't mean just a little off - they go significantly flat. I have to tune the guitar every 15 minutes or so. It's very annoying.

    This is my first nylon string guitar. Due to the lower tension of nylon strings vs. steel strings, is this a common problem with nylon string guitars? Or is this a common problem with Godin guitar - it's my first Godin too. Or should I check the work the tech performed during the set up and try replacing the strings?

    Any help/thoughts/comments would be greatly appreciated.

    May 13, 2014: Update - I finally got around to changing the strings on the Godin and they are 100% better than before. Like all strings, they took time to settle in but I am not experiencing the problem I had before when I first brought the guitar home. I looks like the tech just didn't take his time putting on the strings (or maybe just didn't know how to). Thanks again to everyone who responded - lots of great advice.
    Last edited by jakeyboy1216; 05-13-2014 at 12:40 PM. Reason: Update

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  3. #2

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    guitar is OK...

  4. #3

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    I'm guessing the tech didn't do a good job...you're getting slippage, probably at the post.

    Any way you can post some close up pics of the way the strings are tied at the headstock?

  5. #4

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    Thanks Jeff. I'll post some pictures tomorrow. I'm hoping that is the root cause as a set of new strings would be the easiest fix.

  6. #5

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    I'd be surprised if it wasnt. I have a God in multiac grand concert and I believe it has the same tuners, which are really good.

    Another question...If you tune the guitar and let it sit, does it still go out of tune quickly? And is it chilly in your house?

  7. #6

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    Yes, the guitar goes out of tune if I let it sit for a day.

    I wouldn't say my house is chilly, but living in Toronto, I do have the typical problems with dry winters/humid summers. The weather lately has been cool (50 degrees F) and rainy. Unfortunately, the Godin only came with a gig bag, so a case humidifier is not an option.

    My Eastman, which I keep in it's case whenever I'm not playing it, has a case humidifier that keeps the internal relative humidity of the case at an optimal level. Although, even before I bought the humidifier, I never had a problem with the Eastman staying in tune - I can leave it for weeks and it stays in perfect tune.

  8. #7

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    And it goes flat, right? Gotta be the string tie the tech did.

    Not to judge the cat too harshly, but it seems a common problem around here at least where guitar store techs don't know much about nylon strings...

  9. #8

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    When you tune the strings properly, is the intonation good throughout the fret board? Nylon strings do take more time than steel to settle, but two weeks seems long. Changes in humidity could cause you to go flat or sharp, but not all that much. Curious. Godins are pretty well set up usually.

  10. #9

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    Except for the tuning issue, the guitar plays like a dream. The intonation is almost spot on.

  11. #10

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    Is this your first nylon string guitar?

    It takes much longer for nylon strings to settle than it does for steel.

    Also, as has been said, could be a problem with the way the tech put on the strings.

  12. #11

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    Quote Originally Posted by mr. beaumont
    I'm guessing the tech didn't do a good job...you're getting slippage, probably at the post.

    Any way you can post some close up pics of the way the strings are tied at the headstock?

    Here are some pictures. I'm not sure if you can tell from these if the tech has strung the guitar correctly. When I tried to zoom in to get a better picture, the camera wouldn't focus. I also took a picture of my tuner to show you how out of tune the guitar goes. That picture was taken when I got home from work after the guitar had been sitting all day.

    Godin Multiac Nylon won't stay in tune-20140501_182620-1-jpgGodin Multiac Nylon won't stay in tune-20140501_182559-jpgGodin Multiac Nylon won't stay in tune-20140501_183119-jpgGodin Multiac Nylon won't stay in tune-20140501_182704-jpgGodin Multiac Nylon won't stay in tune-20140501_182620-1-jpg

  13. #12

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    Can't really tell...that G string is a disaster for sure.

    I think first line of attack is put some new strings on. Ever do nylons before?

  14. #13

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    unwind the treble strings and rewind them with the end of the string wound around itself a few times to prevent slippage. You should find that they stay in tune fine after a day or tow.

  15. #14

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    Quote Originally Posted by ronjazz
    unwind the treble strings and rewind them with the end of the string wound around itself a few times to prevent slippage. You should find that they stay in tune fine after a day or tow.
    +1

    Here's some good pictures of how I like it done.

    Restringing - Nylon Strings

  16. #15

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    Quote Originally Posted by fep
    +1

    Here's some good pictures of how I like it done.

    Restringing - Nylon Strings
    That way of tying the nylon strings at both the barrel and the bridge is a bit over-kill but certainly better than having your strings slip.

    As a side note...One thing you can see in the photos, in the link fep posted, is that the strings run, as much as is possible, in a straight line from the bridge to tuner barrel over the nut. This is more important, for intonation, tone, uniform string tension etc, than one would think.

    I don't think your string is slipping at the barrel or bridge...maybe, I'd have to see before and after photos from when you got the guitar until now...if it was I'd expect it would have slipped completely undone by now.

    I think it's one or a combination of three things, the string is still stretching, being affected by climate changes or is defective. The 3rd string is the problematic string in the nylon set and the subject of much scholarly research with no real solutions to date. The 3rd string, more often than the other strings, can be out of round or not uniform in thickness or has weak spots, or is too stiff (due to the extra thickness relative to the 2nd and 1st) or for whatever reason simply won't tune...you just have to get another one). Nylon strings also move a lot more than steel. I can get my archtop in tune and it will stay that way for a long time, maybe a little tweeking here and there but my classicals need tuning almost every day, it's natural with nylon until they get broken in...and once you get them broken in it's time to change them

    Just be thankful you don't play lute...the old joke there is that a lute player spends a full half of his/her life tuning and the other half playing out of tune.

  17. #16

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    Quote Originally Posted by mr. beaumont
    Can't really tell...that G string is a disaster for sure.

    I think first line of attack is put some new strings on. Ever do nylons before?
    Thanks for your input, Jeff. I will try some new strings this weekend. It's hard to tell from my pictures because I couldn't get any really good close ups and, since the nylon strings are clear, it's hard to see how they are wound.

    I've never replaced nylon strings before but I have watched several good YouTube videos on how to do it. Is there a method that you can recommend?

    Also, is there a brand of string you can recommend? I'm using D'Addario Pro Arte Extra hard right now but am open to suggestions. Price is not a factor - hell, I put Thomastic Infeld's on my Eastman at almost $30 bucks shot so it's the least I can do for my new baby.

    Thanks again for you help and advise.

  18. #17

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    Quote Originally Posted by fep
    +1

    Here's some good pictures of how I like it done.

    Restringing - Nylon Strings
    Thanks fep. Is there a brand of strings that you recommend?

  19. #18

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    I looked at pics from musician's friend and the tuners looked different from the poster's guitar.

    Godin ACS-SA Nylon String Cedar Top Acoustic-Electric Guitar | Musician's Friend

    Mr. B said his tuners are good quality, I wonder if the tuners could have been switched in Jakeyboy's instrument to an inferior quality?

  20. #19

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    It takes a while, when the strings stay in tune, it means it's time to change them !
    Nylon strings are very strange, try open tuning, you'll never be in tune more than 5 minutes, they always want to be tuned in EADGBE...
    Same thing with drop D...

  21. #20

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    Got my 7-string Multiac almost 2 weeks ago, still settling in, will now stay in tune for entire gig, but needs touching up after an overnight. Nylon strings (and the guitars they're on) are very sensitive to changes on temp and himidity. All the concert players spend quite a bit of time between selections touching up the tuning for different keys, etc.

  22. #21
    Is it bad to tune "up" for a couple of days, while they're settling in?

    I always did this with classroom guitars (about 20 at-a-time, once a year; whole step for the trebles and half step for the bass). They were admittedly inexpensive instruments for the minions, but it seemed to be pretty effective. They settled in within a few days that way. I probably wouldn't do the whole step on a gigging instrument...

    Quote Originally Posted by fep
    +1

    Here's some good pictures of how I like it done.

    Restringing - Nylon Strings
    I used that page as my reference as well. The head stock end needs to be much "uglier" than the OP's were IMO to prevent slipping. There's also a great page on that site that has good illustrations of how the bottoms are tied as well.

  23. #22

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    I think this video is pretty clear!

    http://www.dummies.com/how-to/conten...ng-guitar.html

    I too have a Godin Multiac ACS-SA nylon string guitar.
    Last edited by jazzimprov; 08-25-2014 at 05:44 PM.