Tuning your guitar-luthiers recc. procedure

Jeff M · #1 07-09-2003, 03:31 PM

While visiting the AG forum site I came across a link to this article on how to tune your guitar as recommended by teh American Guild of Luthiers. It takes into account the even tempered nature of guitars. Interesting reading.
http://www.stagepass.com/tuning.html

ME@VT · #2 07-09-2003, 07:33 PM

Right on...

I am definitely one of those picky people. The first thing I do when I pick up a friends guitar to play is tune it to my liking. More often that not they get a little annoyed and claim to have "just tuned the guitar!"

I'll try this out tonight

THanks,

Devon

cpmusic · #3 07-10-2003, 12:03 AM

I don't know....my ears are pretty picky too, but this sounds like a great big mess of effort for a relatively small payoff. After 11 years of playing hammered dulcimer (92 strings, no gears), I've found that life's way too short to get this hung up on tuning. For recording, you make the effort, but for average use, even on stage, ordinary ear or electronic tuning works just fine and gives me more time and energy to focus on what I'm playing.

This is a personal thing, but I also don't care for stern admonitions like "You must not, at any time, use harmonic tones at the 7th fret as a point of reference...." I can almost see the author standing nearby with a ruler in his hand.

Finally, these instructions assume that the guitar is set up as well as possible. Those of use who are fussy about intonation will have a good setup, but for most people, it's hit-or-miss. These instructions could give someone a headache thinking that they're doing something wrong, when the problem is rooted in a simple adjustment.

Jeff M · #4 07-10-2003, 02:04 AM

Well, used it for the first time tonight and it gives a good result. After the first time through, it is very easy to do and my guitar does sound more in tune across the chordal spectrum (no glaring off notes).

Bluepoet · #5 07-10-2003, 06:07 AM

****!! I got almost to the end before my eyes started watering, glazed over, and closed...when I woke up, it was time to go to work, and my guitar still wasn't in tune...I'll have to try again tomorrow....or, wait, maybe I will just get out my tuner, tune each string, hit a few chords, turn off the tuner...and.....and....

PLAY!!!

trappermark · #6 07-10-2003, 09:49 AM

i think the most useful thing about that article may not be the complicated tuning procedure, but rather the explanation of tempered tuning, something not understood by many people who play fixed tuning western instruments. as soon as you learn that all western music is based on compromised tunings (which allow you to play the same music in any key), you'll relax and just play.

mark
t

~j~ · #7 07-10-2003, 09:59 AM

each guitar player should know his/her own instrument well enough to know what form of tuning works the best, and can "feel" or hear when the notes are in tune. Probably most of us use a combination of chord forms and compromises and all mental statistal analysis to form the tuning that we use. I think tuning to a bass guitar helps a lot as well because they are not as influenced by uneven temperament in harmonics because the notes and harmonics are at a lower frequency (beats are easier to hear)

nhsmitty · #8 07-10-2003, 10:38 AM

I printed the article and will try the tuning method. Sounds easier than adjusting a Floyd Rose after a string gauge change.

Jeff M · #9 07-10-2003, 11:58 AM

It really is very simple, it's just reading through the directions that can give you a headache.

boboki · #10 07-11-2003, 12:40 PM

Very interesting article! I tried the tuning procedure and found that it indeed improved the intonation across the board. Once you get used to the order of the strings it's fairly easy to do.

Thanks!

Plexiprs · #11 07-11-2003, 01:36 PM

Petersen Strobe tuner. Less reading...............

boboki · #12 07-22-2003, 07:42 PM

Do the Peterson Tuners work equally well on acoustics as on electrics? I assume you plug directly into the tuner for the electric and there's a built-in mic for the acoustic. Is this correct?

I've also found that the above tuning procedure works great on my acoustic but I can't get my electric to sound as good. It seems I hear the tones "differently" from the acoustic to the electric. Is this a common problem for anyone else?

derekt · #13 07-23-2003, 10:30 AM

I tried this the other night on my Gibson LG1. This guitar is really hard to get in tune using 5th and 7th fret harmonics.

This worked great!! Took awhile, but it did an incredible job of tuning the old guitar.

I would never show up to a gig and spend 15 minutes tuning my guitar (I do have a Sabine and a Boss TU-2 tuner to use for that), but I would tune at home that way for now. Then when it is a 2 minute process I will use it out and about.

RRtalpkr · #14 07-23-2003, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Jeff M
While visiting the AG forum site I came across a link to this article on how to tune your guitar as recommended by teh American Guild of Luthiers. It takes into account the even tempered nature of guitars. Interesting reading.
http://www.stagepass.com/tuning.html

I think I agree with the remarks by "CPMusic." I don't have a hammered dulcimer but I do have a T-355 Jumbo 12-string. And I tune it--very carefully--using a Korg CA-30 electronic tuner. (I find I have to replace the two "AAA" batteries every 3 mos., but since I buy them 12 at a time, the cost is relatively trivial.)

While the Luthiers' tuning procedure may be slightly more accurate, I prefer to keep on using the Korg!

But thanks for the reference.

Dan (Rio Rancho, NM)

4Gtrs · #15 07-30-2003, 04:21 PM

Ditto on Chris' thoughts. Break out the electronic tuner and start playing. For me, there are too many other sounds when the band is warming up to hear the harmonics.
Peace...