I've always thought that I was in tune

[Frankieabbott]

I tune up my Telecaster with an electronic tuner pedal. And I've been ok with this for the last 2 years or so since buying the guitar. Then a mate of mine popped round to see me and, noticing the guitar, asked if he could have a play. I tuned it up on the pedal as usual but on him playing it he said it was lousy. He spent a few minutes retuning and the guitar sounded much better.

I checked the tuning on the tuner pedal before he left.....they were all out of whack!!!!!!..........

Low E was showing around 16 cents flat.
A 8 cents flat.
D 2 cents flat.
G 5 cents flat.
B 7 cents flat, and
High E 3 cents flat.

The tuner is supposed to be accurate to 0.1 cent.....so what is going on?

[mr. beaumont]

He arrived at a "sweetened" tuning. Your intonation's probably out of whack.

Using your tuner, tune the guitar "normally." Then check the 12th fret harmonic notes versus the 12th fret fretted note.

They should be the same. If they are not, report back with your findings and I'll help you get things in check.

[frankmcr]

Originally Posted by Frankieabbott

I tune up my Telecaster with an electronic tuner pedal. And I've been ok with this for the last 2 years or so since buying the guitar. Then a mate of mine popped round to see me and, noticing the guitar, asked if he could have a play. I tuned it up on the pedal as usual but on him playing it he said it was lousy. He spent a few minutes retuning and the guitar sounded much better.

I checked the tuning on the tuner pedal before he left.....they were all out of whack!!!!!!..........

Low E was showing around 16 cents flat.
A 8 cents flat.
D 2 cents flat.
G 5 cents flat.
B 7 cents flat, and
High E 3 cents flat.

The tuner is supposed to be accurate to 0.1 cent.....so what is going on?

https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/...d.php?t=541726

[Howard Emerson]

Originally Posted by Frankieabbott

I tune up my Telecaster with an electronic tuner pedal. And I've been ok with this for the last 2 years or so since buying the guitar. Then a mate of mine popped round to see me and, noticing the guitar, asked if he could have a play. I tuned it up on the pedal as usual but on him playing it he said it was lousy. He spent a few minutes retuning and the guitar sounded much better.

I checked the tuning on the tuner pedal before he left.....they were all out of whack!!!!!!..........

Low E was showing around 16 cents flat.
A 8 cents flat.
D 2 cents flat.
G 5 cents flat.
B 7 cents flat, and
High E 3 cents flat.

The tuner is supposed to be accurate to 0.1 cent.....so what is going on?

There are a couple things to note here:

1. If you've been tuning it using your tuner, and then playing it while hearing that it was fine (to your ears), that's your touch, & and your ears.

2. If with the same 'tuning' your friend felt/heared that it was out of tune, that could be him having a death grip.

3. It may be that you really don't 'hear' that it's out of tune, and trust your tuner to be your 'ears'.

It's hard to know all the little bits that go into accurately responding to a post like this.

You can tune your 12th fret harmonics perfectly, and fret the 12th fret lightly and everything is fine, until the particular player lays hand on the frets and finger pressure comes to bear, so to speak.

I only use my tuner to get in the ball park, and then I tune by ear to the particular open tuning I'm using, but specifically to all the different chord forms, positions, etc that a particular composition use.

After that 'fine tuning' is done, if I were to check the open strings against my electronic tuner, they'd be off. That, of course, is meaningless to me.

My ears serve the song, first and foremost.

HE

[Jerry D]

Originally Posted by Howard Emerson

I only use my tuner to get in the ball park, and then I tune by ear to the particular open tuning I'm using, but specifically to all the different chord forms, positions, etc that a particular composition use.

After that 'fine tuning' is done, if I were to check the open strings against my electronic tuner, they'd be off. That, of course, is meaningless to me.

Me, too. I've never had a tuner that sounded EXACTLY right to my ears, especially on the B String.