Out of tune with capo, intonation? What do I do?

[geokie8]

Originally Posted by murrmac123

I yield to nobody in my admiration for Tommy Emmanuel, but let's not get the idea that he is the originator of this tip. .

Regardless of who came up with it, I'd never heard of it -- so I just tried it and it pretty much works. I mostly play solo so if I'm a little sharp it's OK as long as the strings are in tune with themselves; still, I often do retune (and retune again when I take it off). It's kind of a drag. This trick saves me (almost) two complete tunings. (When I take the capo off, the bottom two strings are a tad flat, but retuning two strings sure beats 12).

Thx,

geokie8

[joannan]

Originally Posted by Jamler

This would be my suggestion... Bring it to a good repair shop, tell them all
about your playing style and capo uses etc... In fact a good setup tech will
likely ask you all those things. I play at church too, you absolutely NEED the
capo and if you're like me bounce between 2nd, 3rd and no capo several times.

Thanks, I think i'll do that as soon as I am somewhere that has one (currently in Saudi Arabia!)

[$ongWriter]

Take your guitar to someone who can set the intonation....cost you around a hundred bucks but is well worth it!!!!

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by joannan

Thanks, I think i'll do that as soon as I am somewhere that has one (currently in Saudi Arabia!)

Hi j…

Well - that sounds like a bit of a journey to find a tech!

[joannan]

great, am going to check it in for a good set up. thanks again

[acousticologist]

Or try a capo with adjustable pressure...

I'm a big fan of the G7th...

Can't go with the old guns triggers anymore

[brianmay]

Two's up on the G7, you can vary the tension very easily.

[Glennwillow]

Originally Posted by murrmac123

I yield to nobody in my admiration for Tommy Emmanuel, but let's not get the idea that he is the originator of this tip. To my knowledge, guitarists have been doing this since the mid-sixties, and possibly for long before that ...

It seems to me that as long as I have been playing a guitar and using a capo -- 47 years, I think, definitely since the mid-60's -- this problem of the low E and 2nd B string going out of tune with the capo has been an issue. And somewhere along the way, I also learned to pull on these strings a little and watch the tuning come right back into line, these days on my clamp-on tuner.

I have heard Tommy Emmanuel provide this tip to people and I thought, huh, it never occurred to me to mention this to anyone. Maybe I should have. I might be as famous now as Tommy is.

Regards, Glenn

[Howard Klepper]

If your nut slots are not as low as they can be adjusted, a capo will always throw the intonation off.