Nobody wants to struggle with a guitar that keeps going sharp. Whether you are a casual player or a performing artist, the idea of tuning your guitar every time you want to play can be frustrating. There are many reasons why your guitar might be going sharp, some of which are easier to fix than others.
When a guitar keeps on going sharp, it might mean that the humidity where it is being stored is too high. It can also be that the nut slots are too shallow or the intonation is wrong. Possible fixes include using a two-way humidification system, filing your nut, and setting the intonation.
In this article, I will discuss eleven reasons why your guitar keeps going sharp. I will also give you the solutions to fix these issues so that you don’t have to struggle with them going forward. Let’s get started!
Related: what to do when a whammy bar keeps falling out and how to remove acoustic guitar pegs. New to this topic? Start with our complete guitar maintenance and cleaning guide.
👇😀👇NOTE👇😀👇
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- Fender Cutaway Acoustic-Electric Guitar Bundle (MY FAVORITE GUITAR)
- Snark SN-8 Super Tight All Instrument Tuner (Easiest Tuner I’ve Used😏)
- 6 String Acoustic Guitar Capo (Best CAPO for quick changes)
- Dunlop Max Grip 1.0mm Nylon Picks (Thick Guitar Pick So You Don’t Lose Grip!)
- Universal Guitar Stand (Cheap & Minimalist Guitar Stand I Recommend)
- Levy’s 2″ Wide Quick Adjust Guitar Strap (Best Guitar Strap For Any Level)
1. The Humidity Is Too High
More often than not, high humidity is the main cause for a guitar that keeps on going sharp. When the humidity rises, the wood your guitar is made of collects moisture and expands. This can cause the neck of your guitar to warp, which means it will start bending backward.
If the humidity is extremely high and you don’t do anything to fix the situation, the warp might be visible. If it is a slight warp, you might not even be able to see it. When the neck of your guitar bends backwards, even if it is slight, there will be more tension on the strings, which will cause your guitar to go sharp.
Since acoustic guitars have hollow bodies, they are more likely to suffer damage from high humidity. Humidity changes won’t affect solid-body electric guitars as much, but extremely high or low humidity can damage them.
How To Fix It
The best way to protect your guitar from high humidity is to regularly check the humidity levels and to ensure that you always store your guitar in a hardshell case.
The best humidity levels to store your guitar are between 45% and 55%. If you can keep the room humidity or the humidity within the guitar case between these numbers, your guitar will be much better off.
Suppose you live in an area with high humidity or where the humidity fluctuates significantly. In that case, I recommend getting a hygrometer like this Veanic 4-Pack Mini Digital Electronic Temperature Humidity Meters (available on Amazon.com).
You will get four of these mini hygrometers, which have a digital display so you can easily see the humidity levels. It will tell you the humidity and temperature, which are perfect for keeping your guitar healthy. The temperature is displayed in Fahrenheit, and it can read humidity levels between 10% and 99%.
You can put one of these hygrometers in your guitar case and another in the room where you keep your guitar.
If the humidity is too high, you can invest in a dehumidifier or get a two-way Humidification system like this D’Addario Guitar Humidifier System (available on Amazon.com). You simply have to place one or two of the pouches in your guitar case, which will automatically control the humidity levels, ensuring the relative humidity stays between 45% and 50%. This will protect your guitar from warping and cracking and ensure it doesn’t go sharp from humidity issues.
2. The Bridge Is Tilted
The bridge of your guitar may have tilted forward. The bridge or the saddle can come loose and move. It is also possible for the saddle or bridge to break.