BusinessMan
Well-Known Member
Every time I pick up my guitars I’ll tune them up. It drives me absolutely crazy if it’s even slightly out of tune while I’m playing. I don’t play live so I can’t say anything on that.
How often do you tune your guitar?
- Thread starter Franko
- Start date
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Jamiecrain
Well-Known Member
Sensing some strong OCD vibes from the OP...
As an audience member, it can be somewhat unsettling to see a guitarist check the tuning of their guitar every song. It suggests you aren't present in the show as a performer. If you must do it, do it discreetly.
Bottom line:
If your guitar's tuning requires adjusting that often, you need a new instrument or at least fix it.
If your guitar's tuning doesn't require adjusting that often but you're still checking every song anyway, it's you.
As an audience member, it can be somewhat unsettling to see a guitarist check the tuning of their guitar every song. It suggests you aren't present in the show as a performer. If you must do it, do it discreetly.
Bottom line:
If your guitar's tuning requires adjusting that often, you need a new instrument or at least fix it.
If your guitar's tuning doesn't require adjusting that often but you're still checking every song anyway, it's you.
ShredmasterD
Calls it like it is.
or, its a Gibson
Sensing some strong OCD vibes from the OP...
As an audience member, it can be somewhat unsettling to see a guitarist check the tuning of their guitar every song. It suggests you aren't present in the show as a performer. If you must do it, do it discreetly.
Bottom line:
If your guitar's tuning requires adjusting that often, you need a new instrument or at least fix it.
If your guitar's tuning doesn't require adjusting that often but you're still checking every song anyway, it's you.
JediMasterThrash
Well-Known Member
Couldn't be any more wrong there. The double-locking system is amazing at keeping you in tune for weeks or months.
I've got 4 guitars with floating vibratos. Two OFR, an edge III, and one with a 1000. The original floyds and the edge iii are rock solid. I literally play on them for weeks or a month before I even notice it's time to re-tune. And even then it's minor adjustments only. I haven't put enough time on the 1000 yet. I'd be the new 1500's would be just as good as the OFR though.
Once the strings are broken in, good strings with reduced impurities and longer life (like cobalts/bluesteel/nyxl/m-steel, etc) will age slowly, which means they stretch out slowly. So their pitch remains consistent if their length/tension remains consistent. And a double-locking trem does exactly that. Fixes the length and tension (tension is always balanced to the springs, so as long as the strings don't stretch, length is fixed, hence they never go out of tune).
If your string does go out of tune, it probably slipped against the locking nuts at either end. Which could just be a poor initial setup, or a bad floyd clone/licensed copy.
A bad truss rod could change the string length if the neck bends too. But even then, a floating vibrato is probably still better, as the tension is still balanced against the springs so it won't go out of tune as much if the neck warps (temperature/humidity changes, etc).
Now the floating block not returning to neutral is a separate issue from tuning stability. This is something you should only encounter on cheap floyd knock-offs and licensed copies. The cheaper steel used doesn't create a stable knife-edge to post connection, so it doesn't always return to neutral. But an OFR or edge Ii/iii are well engineered with quality components. You can easily check how effortless it is to butterfly/flutter the vibrato. If it flutters like butter your vibrato will have no problems returning to neutral. If it doesn't it's probably junk. Also just slam it up, and then slam it down, compare the tuning each way. An OFR returns to perfect neutral no matter what you do to it. And you can always try a little oil on the knife edge if you find problems.
Even then, a guitar is a relative pitch instrument. So if the whole bridge moves, the strings are still in relative pitch, so chords won't sound wonky (might notice against other instruments though).
Now if you have a pass-through nut, then i feel sorry for you. The string tension is split, there's a separate tension and length between the tuner and nut, and the nut and bridge. And if you have a guitar with the pass-over bridge (like the balls are in the rear), you have a 3rd split of the string tension with another length. the issue with these is that the friction between the nut and string can cause it to have uneven tension on either side, and the string can slip through the nut a bit to equalize tension mid-song, causing individual strings to suddenly go out of tune.
DECEMBER
SS.org Regular
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I tune/check tuning before every take (recording). Very small inconsistencies in tuning become very apparent in recordings, especially when double-tracking or layering guitars. You get that chorus effect with just slight variances, so it's crucial to make sure the tuning is perfect before each take, or you could end up wasting a good take.
Like tonight, I did 4 takes of something and kept thinking "the intonation sounds off", and sure enough, every note was sharp at the 12th. So I had to stop and intonate the bridge and start over, 4 wasted takes.
So, not only does tuning need to be checked before every take, intonation should be checked at least daily. I've had my intonation drift after an hour. It's always good to check.
Like tonight, I did 4 takes of something and kept thinking "the intonation sounds off", and sure enough, every note was sharp at the 12th. So I had to stop and intonate the bridge and start over, 4 wasted takes.
So, not only does tuning need to be checked before every take, intonation should be checked at least daily. I've had my intonation drift after an hour. It's always good to check.
AndiKravljaca
Well-Known Member
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In an everyday situation, I tune MAYBE once a week. When tracking, I tune between every take. A friend of mine said a session guitarist gets paid to tune, not to play, since that's what you do 94% of the time.
NoodleFace
Delicious Noodles
When I play live I usually never tune unless I notice something is wildly out. I use OFR/Edge trems though.
If I played my Gibson live I'd probably tune it every goddamn song.
If I played my Gibson live I'd probably tune it every goddamn song.
Rev2010
Contributor
Live/rehearsal studio, I tune it once and that's it unless I happen to hear anything drifting slightly out, but that really almost never happens as I use Floyd's on all of my guitars except my 8-string. The 8 has a hipshot bridge and holds tuning well enough during a set but no joke any time I pick it up between days or many hours in a single day I have to tune it, just nowhere near as rock stable as my Floyd guitars. My Floyd guitars often surprise me when I haven't played on of them in weeks and pick it up and check the tuning and often find it still perfectly in tune.
Between days though like when I sit down to write and record at my DAW I always start with checking the tuning, but just that once. I don't check it anymore after that, again unless I hear it going a little out.
If you're checking that often you're just confirming your OCD. I think most of us have a bit of OCD in some way shape or form so don't take that as an insult as it's not intended to be. You'll just have to work on reprogramming your brain to not check your tuning so often if it's really not needed.
"PS- I would rather live like this than own a guitar with a floyd or evertune." - You're insane my friend!!!
Floyd's are awesome and people seem to love Evertune's
Between days though like when I sit down to write and record at my DAW I always start with checking the tuning, but just that once. I don't check it anymore after that, again unless I hear it going a little out.
If you're checking that often you're just confirming your OCD. I think most of us have a bit of OCD in some way shape or form so don't take that as an insult as it's not intended to be. You'll just have to work on reprogramming your brain to not check your tuning so often if it's really not needed.
"PS- I would rather live like this than own a guitar with a floyd or evertune." - You're insane my friend!!!
Floyd's are awesome and people seem to love Evertune's
GunpointMetal
Well-Known Member
Man, I'm jealous of you guys that have guitars that stay in tune for weeks on end. The ones that never leave my house will if I'm not playing them every day, but anything I've ever traveled with needs tuning just about any time it comes out of the case.
Henz
New Member
My empathy goes out to you Brother. There's much more going on here than what most ppl recognize. You're pretty much waving A red flag for help. I'm reading between the lines. I've been seeing therapist for over five years for what he's going thru. First, didnt anyone read where he hates himself!? He's spending more time nit picking over his gear than actually getting joy from it. Why? Because of him being a perfectionist . I'm sure to him nothing is good enough. that's what I do. I'm sure frustration is a big part of his daily life. Frankly, I applaud him for having the ability to be up on stage performing. Or struggling. Your OCD is wearin at ya. Having OCD along with perfectionism is awful! I'm 64 and its been 30 plus yrs since my last performance. My advice to you my Brother is to try and fight thru this. You are not alone. Its ok to seek help. Please, don't let anxiety disorders keep you from sharing your God gifted talent with others. I hope I'm wrong with my perception of his issue. Blessings!
Hellova first post
wheresthefbomb
Well-Known Member
Get the gibson set up
TheWarAgainstTime
"TWAT" for short
When I was in a gigging band, I would check my tuning in between most songs and sometimes during a song if I had a gap during a quiet section or something. I generally would only have to make a small adjustment here or there, but I'd rather peek down at my tuner a couple of extra times than be out of tune during a performance.
When I'm just jamming at home, I'll tune up every time I change guitars and again every couple of songs or if I notice something is out. If I'm recording, I'll check my tuning every few takes and listen through my final takes really closely to make sure they don't drift anywhere. I've been using a Polytune 3 for several years with the always-on display setting, too. Super handy to be able to peek down without muting, especially for bending notes or letting chords ring out
When I'm just jamming at home, I'll tune up every time I change guitars and again every couple of songs or if I notice something is out. If I'm recording, I'll check my tuning every few takes and listen through my final takes really closely to make sure they don't drift anywhere. I've been using a Polytune 3 for several years with the always-on display setting, too. Super handy to be able to peek down without muting, especially for bending notes or letting chords ring out
Fenriswolf
Well-Known Member
Get the gibson set up
Ya, before I had strap locks mine fell of the strap and bounced off stage, still barely out of tune.
NoodleFace
Delicious Noodles
It is! I was being a bit facetious but it does go out of tune more often than my floyds.Get the gibson set up
I blame the headstock design.
