Bending Strings

yep. you can try putting more springs in the back, and that'll help a little, and a bridge with a locking trem or no trem will get rid of it pretty much, but i've even noticed it a little bit on acoustics or stop-tail electrics with whippy necks.

Actually, I think it's very unusual. Simply bending a note should not throw the other strings out of tune.

I am assuming that you have a Strat style guitar with a floating bridge. When all 6 strings are in tune, your bridge should float parallel to the body. If the bridge is tilted forward with the guitar in tune, then you simply need to increase the spring tension. You don't usually have to add springs at all, each spring has an adjustment screw. You just turn the screw in to increase spring tension, back the screws out to relieve spring tension.

If the bridge tilts back with all strings in tune, then you have too much spring tension underneath. So you have to back the springs out a little. Sometimes it takes several adjustments to get your bridge to float level with all strings in tune. Just take your time.

If you are using down tunings as many do today, perhaps in this case the overall tension may be so low that bending a note will pull the guitar out of tune. But in normal 440 tuning this should not happen.

And bending a note is an ear thing. If the bend does not sound correct, then you need to bend the note more, or bend it less. It is your ear itself that tells you when you are bending the proper amount. So really, a bend should never sound out of tune. Bending on an acoustic guitar can be very difficult because the string gauge is heavier and there is more string tension, sometimes it is physically difficult to bend a note to the desired pitch. But electrics are much easier. An electric can be difficult to bend a note in the early frets like frets 1-3. Bending takes lots of practice to develop the strength. And always use extra fingers when possible to assist the bend.

it doesn't put them out of tune permanently, but the extra tension on the neck or bridge can cause a low string to temporarily dip in pitch as you bend up a higher string. i've noticed it on at least 3 guitars i've owned.

Yes, bending the note G to an A WILL change the pitch of your low string to about a D#(Trem guitars). I just tried it with my tuner. The open on the low E on cliffs of Dover is not supposed to ring any longer then the duration of the note. Try muting the low E when picking that G with the palm of your hand if the change in pitch of the low E if it bothers you. Personally I can't even here it over the bend.

As far as bending goes, try picking the picking the A on the high E string(17) and listen to it, then bend the G to match it's pitch. It may take a few times to get it but Wes is right, its all in the ears, you'll get it. I also agree with Wes, muliple fingers on almost every bend, way more control. Every bend with one whole step or ore gets three fingers. For example the bend you mentioned, my index finger would be on the 13 fret, my middle on the 14th and my ring on the 15th and I would bend with all three fingers.

If the bridge tilts back with all strings in tune, then you have too much spring tension underneath. So you have to back the springs out a little. Sometimes it takes several adjustments to get your bridge to float level with all strings in tune. Just take your time.

If you are using down tunings as many do today, perhaps in this case the overall tension may be so low that bending a note will pull the guitar out of tune. But in normal 440 tuning this should not happen.

And bending a note is an ear thing. If the bend does not sound correct, then you need to bend the note more, or bend it less.

Thanks for all the great info...the bridge is being pulled up some, looks like I have some adjusting to do. I just pushed down on it, and there's a full 1 1/2 step difference.

As for bending itself, I would listen as I bend the string, and it would never hit the desired note, no matter how far I'd bend it. Oh, I'm sure if I pushed a little more, I'd eventually reach it, but while I'm no expert yet, I'm reasonably certain that I'm passing the point where I should have reached that note.
As far as bending goes, try picking the picking the A on the high E string(17) and listen to it, then bend the G to match it's pitch. It may take a few times to get it but Wes is right, its all in the ears, you'll get it.

That's exactly what I was doing, and I guess a good way to put it, is that I was trying to hit a moving target. Again, I'm far from proficient, but I am getting more familiar with my guitar all the time, and I was bending pretty hard, and fairly certain that I was bending enough that I *should* have hit the correct pitch by then. Listening to the low E dip out of tune was the AHA moment for me.

Thanks all for the good info! :)

If you have a chromatic tuner you can do the bends with your ear (important) then CHECK with the tuner. Do not use the tuner to do the actual bend, just check yourself with the tuner. Use your ear to do the bend.

oh, most definately, my strings detune just a bit when I bend. to my ears it sounds natural.
I have no problems with that phenomenon. my strat plus is a real bendy guitar. it's sound is looser in a way.
my tele stays true with bends. it is a tight guitar. twangy.

what's guitarport? it sounds like it's a computer program...

OK, that was googled..... WOOOOOOOOW does this work for bass? I am for sure gonna give this a try. blackdiamond13 @ Jemsite

[caveman] Me crush rocks. Make fingers strong! [/caveman]

practise, practise, practise!

Talk to your local music store, they should have some items to improve finger strength. Or those balls filled with sand or whatever might work?

If not, you could just drop to a lower gauge string, I guess.

some of the grips are quite good. Others are awful. Ultimately, your local music store should have a general idea of what's good. My local music store gives them away for free a lot of the time. If it ends up not being to great, I'm not out any money. The grips are more versatile than the balls. With the grips you can not only increase finger strength but also your reach. They're good for stretching them fingers. Plus the balls tend to pop, and the sand/powder substance, tends to get everywhere.

Ultimately though, You've already got the equipment to increase your finger strength. So go and bend them strings buddy!