Tuning issues are driving me nuts

[James Dean]

To play in tune. Just kidding of coarse.

Oh thank god, I thought I was missing something

You're probably right about my ears contributing to it, I'm sure that although the guitar does have tuning issues, my ears are blowing them out of proportion.

 

[ACELUEK]

To play in tune. Just kidding of coarse.

Every guitar I have played has the issue with tuning being off on the first few frets that the tempered scale resolves.

 

[River]

Riv, I know what you mean about the strings being pulled when you play standing up. I've done that on occasion, but managed to kick the habit. I'm almost 99% sure the issue I'm having is with the nut.

As I said, just anecdotal food for thought. I turned an "unplayable" $99 Strat into a great guitar by knocking out the nut and cutting the sucker down to nearly half its height. No investment in new parts required. If the young gal for whom I did that doesn't start playing it pretty soon, I'm going to buy it from her. And I learned how to diagnose and fix the problem right here at MLP.

But if you're a noob to all this like I am, look to your technique first. Borrow another guitar, and lend yours to someone who can play circles around you and see/listen to what happens. I've learned more from doing the latter than I could with 100 lessons in playing or guitar setup.

 

[LKB3rd]

You could try "sweetened" tunings. You'd have to figure out whether the strings are going sharp or flat, and compensate by tuning it slightly off from 440.

 

[icantbuyafender]

You could try "sweetened" tunings. You'd have to figure out whether the strings are going sharp or flat, and compensate by tuning it slightly off from 440.

What is a sweetened tuning?!

 

[ACELUEK]

What is a sweetened tuning?!

After tuning the guitar, you pour some sweet texas tea on the fretboard.

 

[Sixstring63]

I just made two new bone nuts this week for my Les Paul classic and an acoustic. You have to cut the slots very low so the string is very low over the 1st fret but not too low to buzz. The cut has to be cut at an angle too about the same pitch as the headstock to leave just a very fine edge where the string will sit. If it sits back on the nut away from the end of the fingerboard this too will cause issues. A lot of variables can make the nut perform incorrectly.

 

[River]

I just made two new bone nuts this week for my Les Paul classic and an acoustic. You have to cut the slots very low so the string is very low over the 1st fret but not too low to buzz. The cut has to be cut at an angle too about the same pitch as the headstock to leave just a very fine edge where the string will sit. If it sits back on the nut away from the end of the fingerboard this too will cause issues. A lot of variables can make the nut perform incorrectly.

You're obviously into this stuff, and I respect that. But I took a cheap-ass nut, filed its underside down with a bastard file, and got a guitar that played like nobody's business.

There's such a thing as over-thinking this shit.

 

[boney bones lee]

You're obviously into this stuff, and I respect that. But I took a cheap-ass nut, filed its underside down with a bastard file, and got a guitar that played like nobody's business.

There's such a thing as over-thinking this shit.

Damn straight...

Seems to me that most folks get on about stuff that wouldn't matter if you just play and not dwell on every fvcking note.

PLAY THE FVCKING THING AND MOVE FORWARD. MAKE SOME ADJUSTMENTS. IT'S YOUR GUITAR.

Half the guys on here act like chicks talking about cars.

 

[entresz]

I have heaps of tuning issues if I'm using gauges under .11 for the plain strings. I can't use any set with a plain G either as it just won't be in tune. It's definitely my technique (or lack thereof) .... a poorly cut nut will cause all sorts of problems though so it's worth checking out.

 

[Kaicho8888]

Hmmm...

Can you use a chromatic tuner and check each note on the fretboard to see if they are in tune? If the frets are close to in-tune, then it's your technique (like River mentioned). If the frets do not give the right notes then you could compromise your tuning...or get the tempered scaled fretboard. I sometimes have the same problem when playing standing up vs sitting.


BTW, do you have the same problem with other guitars?

 

[geddy]

That twisted guitar is freaky.

 

[flashbak]

Sure sounds like a badly cut nut!

 

[breidbee]

i love how people think its your nut, when you specifically said your guitar doesnt go out of tune. Anyway, no guitar is ever going to be in tune at every fret. that is just the nature of tempered instruments. so what you have to do when you tune is compensate by tuning some strings slightly out of tune so you can reach the best compromise possible. for example, on a guitar that is perfectly tuned, some chords E major for example, will sound perfect, where other chords, such as open D major will sound out of tune. This is due to two things: the guitar being impossible to be perfectly in tune with itself, and the series of overtones dictating that in order for a chord to sound in tune it must have the third of that chord be flatter than perfect pitch, and the fith be around two cents sharp. in short, just try tuning better. and use your ears, not your tuner.

 

[Sirzach]

I have a friend that plays mostly rhythm guitar in his band, electric, and acoustic. He had to put heavier strings on his Tele to match the strings on his acoustic guitar because he was pressing harder on the light gauge strings, and throwing himself out of tune.

Exactly the same for me. I played only aocustic for a while, and then I bought a new stock Tele. It baffled me as to why everything was going out of tune.

Then I threw some 11's on it and everything is working out so far.

 

[kenmarkat]

I had a similar issue on my CC as well as an old Gretch Double Anniversary. In my case I was fretting so hard close to the nut that I was pushing the strings slightly sharp, not sure if from pushing directly down too hard or sliding sideways a bit, I think the latter is most likely. Doesn't happen with the acoustics, I guess some guitars are just more sensitive to it than others.

I stick with lights, extra lights etc which make it pretty easy to bend, intentional or not. Not that it's your issue, but for me just being careful in my fretting down low keeps me in tune.

 

[nick1962]

Buy a min-etune Gibson; I tried one today and was blown away! If you play in a band and/or use different tunings it is a must have!

 

[Latearrival]

+1 on the sweetened tunings!

Using a conventional tuner, I used to be forever tweaking and adjusting my tunings. What sounded good in one position, sounded out in another.

Now I use this with sweetened tuning:




Not only is it more sensitive and more accurate than a conventional tuner (+/- 0.1 Cent Vs +/- 1 Cent), it offers sweetened tunings that sound "right" more of the time, over more of the neck!

 

[p90fool]

Ok, start from scratch. New strings. No, not nearly new, I mean NEW. Capo on the first fret, nice and tight, but not TOO tight. Tune your guitar as normal, I'd recommend F, B-flat, E-flat, A-flat, C, and F, you know the usual 1st fret notes. Set your intonation at the bridge saddles using the 13th fret and its harmonic.

Now play all your usual stuff, (obviously it'll all be in a different key) except don't bend any strings because with a capo they'll stay bent. If your chords are now all in tune, or can be tweaked close enough with further fine-tuning of the saddles, then your nut was the problem all along and you'll need it cut properly or replaced by a good tech.

 

[Shogun]

One obvious thing no one mentioned, do you hold your fingers close to the fret or in the middle of the board? Putting them in the middle makes it easier to push things out of tune.