Do you tune from e to E or E to e

[donlyn]

Do you tune from e to E or E to e


E to e, even if it's just a touch up tune up.

On 12 string, for 'standard' tuning', I do D# to d# and then d# (D# octave) to d# for all the octave strings. Then I do a touch up d#/D# to d#/d# just to be sure. I tune my 458 to D# this way. My 355 is in C# Keltic (DADGAD down a semitone, tuned in the same order).

The madness in my methods is to have an order, maybe one which would generally tune the strings with most tension first (not necessarily true, but it's orderly at least). Goes double for 12 string guitars. And after all the BS about the octave 'g', I am now slightly paranoid enough so that gets tuned to F, and I bring it up to speed last at F#

Don
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[RalphH]

E to e. Probably because I grew up tuning by ear, and it makes more sense to go E to e because you can hear the pitch of the string as you tune it up, rather than take your hand off the 5th fret, turn the post a random amount, fret again and check.

(not that I'm so old that electronic tuners didn't exist, but when you're 16 years old and playing an £85 guitar, a £25 tuner is not really in-budget)

[AndrewG]

I start with an A=440 fork and the fifth fret harmonic on the A string, and go from there.

[SpruceTop]

I always start with Low-E, and then to High-E next, and then through the other strings, and do it all once again.

[jaytee32]

no no no no no .... start with the D string, make sure the E and the A are still in tune with it (the A usually is, the low E often is not). Tune the G and B strings relative to the D - the D and G plucked open together will be enough to get that right, then you can play a D on the B string (3rd fret) and get that right. Finally get the high E right by finding the best compromise between how the high E sounds in the D and G cowboy chords.

[llew]

E to e one at a time but fretted on the third fret. I tend to get a "sweeter" tuning that way. Someone showed me that years ago and i don't always do it but usually do. Seems the older I get the more I want the guitar as perfectly tuned to itself as it can be. Or as JP Cromier likes to say "tempered".

[Mooh]

I generally start with the string that is most out of tune and after that I'm not too consistent. A quick octave check and I'm done.

[raysachs]

I start with the biggest strings and work down to the smallest. Figuring that big strings pull more on the neck, so if I go from E to e, the strings may or may not need any fine tuning once I'm done. But if I start with the small strings, by the time I've tuned the big ones, the odds are very good that I'll need to fine (or not so fine) tune the small ones again to compensate for the changes in tension on the neck from the big strings.

Seems amazingly logical to me, so I'm sure someone will explain in great detail why I'm totally wrong. That's cool - I'm here to learn...

-Ray

[dwasifar]

I start with the low E, on the grounds that adjustments to the thicker strings make a greater difference in neck tension. So it makes sense to start with the strings that will have the most effect on the neck, and work down to the least.

Exactly what raysachs before me said, if I had bothered to read it before posting. Oops.

[musicman1951]

I don't normally use a tuner at home. I usually play a chord, often D, and see how it sounds. If things have gone strange for some reason I tune the A and D strings, then the D and G strings. Then I usually go back to the low E and finally the top B and E.

I don't honestly remember which way I go with a tuner. Does it matter? I think I probably start with the Low E.

[Italuke]

As a former apprentice piano tech, since the bass strings exert far more tension and thus have greater potential to "move" or disturb a thinner string already tuned (via possible soundboard or other transmission), I always tune from bass up. Sometimes I'll start with the A rather than E though, a remnant from the old tuning fork days.

But on guitar this may not matter. Who knows...

[boombox]

Originally Posted by Glennwillow

...

If my guitar was out of tune very much, then I will have to repeat the process because as the low E string is tightened it will cause the high E string to go flat again as the neck is slightly bent with increased tension from the heavier strings.

- Glenn

And this is why I always go low to high as I've found most guitars' necks are not stable enough for the movement of the bottom string not to cause flattening. On a 12-string, this is even more important, although I always do the octave G last and am yet to break one - one of the best pieces of advice I ever got from this forum.

And don't get me started on tuning a violin when you have to repeat the process umpteen times!!

[Jeremy]

A to e, then E.

[lanielsen]

Lower strings create more tension when tightened increasing the likelihood the higher strings will go flat. that's why after a rough tune-up I start with the lower strings first 654321. Please bear in mind I have no idea if this actually helps. Just makes sense to me...

[UncleJesse]

Low E to high E then I repeat it and repeat it again.