#16
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I have a Peterson strobe tuner on my phone. I bought a sweetened tuning package for it that does this. I only use it when thing seem really off, otherwise the regular tuner and my ears work ok.
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2007 Martin D 35 Custom 1970 Guild D 35 1965 Epiphone Texan 2011 Santa Cruz D P/W Pono OP 30 D parlor Pono OP12-30 Pono MT uke Goldtone Paul Beard squareneck resophonic Fluke tenor ukulele Boatload of home rolled telecasters "Shut up and play ur guitar" Frank Zappa |
#17
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It'll make you sound just like JT Last edited by KevinH; 09-28-2022 at 02:54 PM. |
#18
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David
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I took up the guitar at 62 as penance for a youth well-spent. |
#19
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https://youtu.be/V2xnXArjPts Oh, it looks like others have rushed to your aid! Gotta love AGF.
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1952 Martin 0-18 1977 Gurian S3R3H with Nashville strings 2018 Martin HD-28E, Fishman Aura VT Enhance 2019 Martin D-18, LR Baggs Element VTC 2021 Gibson 50s J-45 Original, LR Baggs Element VTC ___________ 1981 Ovation Magnum III bass 2012 Höfner Ignition violin ("Beatle") bass |
#20
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I love the B string on my CEO-7. Sounds magical. In isolation, that is.
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#21
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Yes, tighten the screw a little at a time, play, and hear what happens. I've had this issue occur on a couple of guitars even with high-quality tuners.
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Martin HD-28 Sunburst/Trance M-VT Phantom Martin D-18/UltraTonic Adamas I 2087GT-8 Ovation Custom Legend LX Guild F-212XL STD Huss & Dalton TD-R Taylor 717e Taylor 618e Taylor 614ce Larrivee D-50M/HiFi Larrivee D-40R Blue Grass Special/HiFi Larrivee D-40R Sunburst Larrivee C-03R TE/Trance M-VT Phantom RainSong BI-DR1000N2 Emerald X20 Yamaha FGX5 Republic Duolian/Schatten NR-2 Last edited by SpruceTop; 09-30-2022 at 08:40 AM. |
#22
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Is this a tuning issue, or a string issue, or a guitar issue?
Tuning ? I tune my B string by fretting the D note on the 3rd fret, that compensates for the fretting pressure when chording. Also, is the string winding around the tuning machine capstan slipping? String ? I had a bunch of string sets with the B string winding (that 1/2" after the barrel) that slowly came unwound. Check it out. Guitar ? how is the bridgeplate ? that tine bit of maple that the string barrel lodges against, wear out eventually. Luthier job but fixable. Of course it might be that you are not lodging the pstring barrel abainst the nridge pin properly - easily done (wrong).
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Silly Moustache, Just an old Limey acoustic guitarist, Dobrolist, mandolier and singer. I'm here to try to help and advise and I offer one to one lessons/meetings/mentoring via Zoom! |
#23
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‘There are no B strings in heaven’ - John Hartford.
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Fender Tim Armstrong Hellcat (2015) Ibanez G5ATCE-AM (2022) Gretsch 5420T (2016) Fender Deluxe Nashville Telecaster (2012) Squier Vintage Modifed Telecaster w Bigsby (2015) Epiphone MM40l Masterbilt mandolin Epiphone MM50e mandolin Gretsch New Yorker Supreme mandolin Washburn mandolin Jbovier ELS mandolin Ibanez RB850 4-string bass Ibanez SGDR 5 string bass Washburn Banjo |
#24
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Yeah, for me, too, the B string is the one that always seems out of tune. The article that Scott referenced, I think, does a good job of explaining why the B string, in particular, is so often a problem.
I often tune the B string by ear to the chord that represents the key of the song. The D chord, in particular, tends to make the B string sound out of tune sharp even when it's properly tuned using the equal temperament system. I routinely slightly flatten the B string pitch for many songs until it sounds right. - Glenn
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#25
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That's the most likely reason. The second most likely reason is a poor job of winding the string on the peg. But the string seating itself on either end is likely the issue and it will eventually run out of room to move and hold steady.
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Jim 2023 Iris ND-200 maple/adi 2017 Circle Strings 00 bastogne walnut/sinker redwood 2015 Circle Strings Parlor shedua/western red cedar 2009 Bamburg JSB Signature Baritone macassar ebony/carpathian spruce 2004 Taylor XXX-RS indian rosewood/sitka spruce 1988 Martin D-16 mahogany/sitka spruce along with some electrics, zouks, dulcimers, and banjos. YouTube |
#26
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That is a nice hat. And I'd really like to get a giant tuner like that.
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#27
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First, I find, it helps immensely, to have action and intonation set as close to perfect as possible.
Does an open string tuned to pitch. Note true when pressed on the first fret? Quality tuners are a must as well. Even quality tuners can wear out. Some offer lifetime replacement warranty. When I change strings, even just tuning at any given time. I stretch into pitch. I tune the string then stretch. If it goes flat. tune up a bit. If it's a hare sharp, I won't reach for the tuning button. I stretch. Many times, you will stretch the sharp out. When string stops going flat, your good to go. Temperature will have an affect on this as well. Warmer temp will cause flattening. When it gets cold, strings will go sharp. |
#28
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This post is not about the slipping B string issue of the OP but the wonky sounding B string issue others have mentioned in this thread:
One cause: Notes move! Well, in just intonation notes move. So the frequency of a perfect B note played in a G chord (where it is the 3rd of the scale), is slightly different to the frequency of a perfect B note in an E chord (where it is the 5th of the scale). Equal temperament tries to rectify this (equal temperament frets and equal temperament electronic tuners) but unfortunately no one told your ears!!!! Consequently, we can feel a bit torn as to where that open string should sit - and get annoyed when the tuner says it's "right" and our ears say it's "wrong". I build and play my fretted zithers in just intonation, so I'm sort of used to the sound of perfect note blends - so I just grit my teeth and come up with the best tuning compromise that I can when playing guitar. I think that's why I like the TC Unitune tuner, because it has a margin of error. So, I can get all the green lights on (tuners happy) within the bounds of "tweaking" (my ears are happy) - it's a win, win! Another cause: This one sounds a bit strange, but compensated saddles can make the b note sound bad. Not the compensation factor itself, but the shape and position of the saddle top string release point. On most compensated saddles the B string runs over a narrow shelf at the back of the saddle. On a couple of guitars I have dropped in the traditional rounded topped saddle where all the strings, including the B string, come off a rounded top center of the saddle. On the 3 guitars so far that I have made this change the B string timbre has become more fundamental and rounder - less twangy (that's a technical term). I don't actually need B string compensation for my playing style, so losing it is no big deal (guitars never used to have it anyway). Buying or shaping a traditional round topped saddle to drop in is no big expense to test it out. And I note that the new issue 50s series Gibsons have gone back to this style of saddle.
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I'm learning to flatpick and fingerpick guitar to accompany songs. I've played and studied traditional noter/drone mountain dulcimer for many years. And I used to play dobro in a bluegrass band. |
#29
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I don't get the whole James T tuning thing. Here's why (only my reasoning and it turns out I'm fallible..)
First he says the vaguaries vary instrument to instrument...so,why would his adjustment work on my guitar? Second he says watch me tune low e to minus 10. The machine shows a highly fluctuating cent measurement, noticably not on ten and he moves on. This is with every string! Thirdly, any "sweetening" of an ET tuning is a move away from ET. So it may be excellent for playing in one shape (say d) but will be correspondingly sour in another shape. That's why ET is as it is, to allow playing in any key with acceptable dissonance. I believe JT uses a capo and plays in the d shape alot. But if I don't? Just my thoughts Nick |
#30
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Quote:
He talks of just intonation ...440 becomes 880 in an octave. But that is only true in discussing what scientists call "a perfect string". A perfect string does not actually exist in this world. All strings in use have a tension and a mass. This throws off the ideal perfect doubling. Which leads me to... He says to tune using a piano. But that is a bad way to tune a guitar. Because piano strings are under massive tension and are far thicker than guitar strings, the reality of tuning is that the higher E will be probably 2 cents sharper than the lower E. Each piano is different but if you want to tune a guitar to a piano pick one note, say, A and tune that to the piano. Then tune the guitar on it's own with no further reference to the piano. As you go up a piano keyboard you will find that the notes measure quite sharp compared with the theoretical, mathmatical number predicted. His explanation and references to Just Intonation show a lack of understanding. Nick |