String stretching...

I recently read a tip about changing strings on another forum that I thought I would share. It originally came from Bill Lawrence. He recommends when putting new strings on a guitar, tune the guitar 1/2 step higher than standard tuning and let the guitar sit for an hour. Then loosen and tune up to pitch. This of course only works if you have the time to wait.

It has to do with the tensil strength of the strings and the physics involved (way over my head), but this puts just enough even tension over the entire length of the strings without over stretching them and taking too much life out of them prior to playing.

I tried it, and it worked great. I didn't have to retune at all on a new set of strings, and it kind of took the guesswork out of how much or how little to stretch. Give it a try.