Wound g string

For tuning I used an mp3 file containing of a tuned guitar in EADGBE.

It better be a high bit rate MP3 file. Lossy codecs do not do well with nearly sinusoidal signals, tending to smear them in frequency, which usually sounds like annoying tremolo or vibrato. The higher the coding rate, the fewer and less severe are these artifacts and so the better the reproduction. Also, code in mono for highest fidelity/bitrate efficiency.

For tuning I used an mp3 file containing of a tuned guitar in EADGBE.

It better be a high bit rate MP3 file. Lossy codecs do not do well with nearly sinusoidal signals, tending to smear them in frequency, which usually sounds like annoying tremolo or vibrato. The higher the coding rate, the fewer and less severe are these artifacts and so the better the reproduction. Also, code in mono for highest fidelity/bitrate efficiency.

Thanks Greg !

Disillusionment time. You need to read up on equal temperament tuning, Cat.

Okay...a NEW thread...over on OPINIONS!!!

I've listened to DOZENS of links by folks that showcase their playing. ONE guy was in tune! ONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cat

Dude, you're confusing "being in tune" with being in Pythagorean tuning. Do read up on equal temperament. The only intervals that are precisely "in tune" in equal temperament are octaves, by design.

Geez...and here I thought that I had laid out the easiest/simplest/most perfectest way to tune a guitar...in a way that Blind Freddie could suss out on his first lesson...but then some people post scientific tomes on how it's IMPOSSIBLE to "actually" tune a guitar! Sheesh! Some people would kick even if they were hung with a brand new rope! :roll:

Believe me...it's entirely poskibubble...and heck, I'd even say poskibule...to "actually" tune a guitar so right the noise it makes is "sweet as"! Hey, I found one on the dozens of links I've sailed through so far. Imagine that...a nice piece of music played on a guitar that's "actually" tuned!

I fool you not.

So...solely for the benefit of those that want to hear a tuned guitar...here I go again...tune five of your open strings saving the G for last...and then:
Use the G# instead of the open G. Next..."split the difference" by retuning your strings (actually, not RE-tuning but FINE-tuning them) by cross-matching your open low E with the 7th fret on the A...open A with the 7th fret on the D...and so on. Wipe some chimed harmonics after yer finished and pay attention to hearing any strong beats...there shouldn't be any. This assumes (I hope) that you aren't trampolining your strings AND that you've already got the intonation jig set properly in front of your bridge!Cat

Cat, this one is interesting:
http://www.endino.com/archive/tuningnightmares.html

Cat, this really could be settled by just a quick google search. It's what I did when I first heard of equal temperament. It's not an opinion, it's the way it is. Only octaves are perfect, the rest are slightly out of tune. This is the way the guitar is designed. If you tune one key exactly, all the other keys will be way off. You can even test this yourself.

Tune the 6th string with a tuner. Then tune the 5th using the harmonics on the 5th fret of the 6th string, and the 7th fret of the 5th string. Now, tune the 4th string to the 5th in the same way etc, tuning each string to the previous string. When you are done, play your low E string open and your high E string open. EWW.

We aren't moribund-by-theory, totally impractical guys, Cat. In my case, I play guitar more than I think about this stuff. And on one hand I'm very sensitive to tuning, but can be practical as well (pianos ...). But I also happen to understand underlying reasons for most of the issues. And at least several of us understand your argument; but it has flaws. It may tune well enough for you -- you may even have your bridge intonation setup warped a bit so this works passably well on certain guitars. And maybe you tend to use certain chord forms more than others, so it works in that respect as well. But it's not a universally good way to tune for best use of every note on the guitar.

So here's the simple and best advice for good tuning: For a correctly constructed and set-up guitar (nut and bridge), use of a good electronic tuner will give best results. Really. If you wish to "sweeten" the tuning in some fashion to accommodate your playing style, a guitar with certain characteristics or a particular song, yep -- do it.

BTW: Your point about checkng tuning on G#: I get it, and often do it myself on a new or unfamiliar guitar. But if it offers a significant improvement, then I will avoid first and second position playing, because the nut is not set up properly.

Also if you want to continue to tune by ear or don't have a tuner, tune the A string, then tune every string by the A string. You can tune by octaves or unison. This will give you a much better tuning than tuning each string by a different string.

Still one more thing to consider about tuning, especially relative tuning: As you tune each subsequent string after tuning earlier ones, the total string tension changes. Guitars aren't rigid. The tuning of previously tuned strings will change somewhat as you tune others. It's especially noticeable on Strat type guitars with floating bridges and resonators with springy cones under the bridge, but other guitars show the effect to a lesser degree due to flexion of the neck, mainly. Usually takes 2-3 passes across all the strings to get them in stable tune.

Cat, this one is interesting:
http://www.endino.com/archive/tuningnightmares.html

Holy Crap! A website that says it all! THANKS for that, Matey! (Hey, Lars...I notice that you play in tune, too!)

I've been "studio bound" since the mid 70's (YES>>>even with the Big Labels) and I'll bet I bought them 325Es JUST from the time it took for everyone to tune...or to redo a blown take(s) SOLELY because of bad tuning!

It escapes me HOW people just sail past the fact that they need to play tuned!

I agree with Dogbite's way of tuning all over the neck then "checking" by ear. I mean...HOW ELSE do you get it right???? Whaddya say to yer guitar? "Read this scientific journal and then twiddle yer pegs by yuhseff???" :roll:

Cat

Hi Folks. I bought a Taylor T5 about a year ago. Since then, and until now, I have been on a quest to find the perfect set of strings to get the most out of this guitar's acoustic abilities going to a small acoustic amp and its electric abilities going to a small electric practice amp, using an A/B switch. I have been trying sets with a wound g, and I really like the acoustic qualities. However, the lowest gauge I had been able to acquire, until yesterday, was a set of D'Addario 11's, jazz. These were adequate, but very hard to bend when playing in electric mode. I did manage to find, on Ernie Ball's website, that they carry a set of 10's, non-Slinky, with a wound g, but I didn't want to wait on shipping to see if they fit the bill. So I visited a guitar shop and the attendee at the string counter helped me out:

I explained my situation and how I wanted the bend-ability of a set of Slinky's while retaining the acoustical qualities of a wound g (remember, acoustic string material won't jive with the magnets in an electric pickup). He searched his drawer of single strings and found an Ernie ball nickel-wound g (18). He then pulled a set of regular Slinky's (10-46) off the shelf and handed me those, which contain a plain steel g (17). He said replace the g in this set with this single and see what you get. BINGO!!!! Perfect bending, sounds great in acoustical/jazz mode, and even yielded a bit more sustain on the whole guitar. The 18 gauge wound g actually bends like a Slinky should and doesn't sound so twangy like a plain steel and stays in tune. ♪♫♫

Wound g's were actually once the norm for electric guitars... you can read online about this factoid. If you are an electric or even a jazz player who just wants a wound g, but with a bendable and light gauge, try this set up. You won't regret it... do be aware, though, that you may have to adjust the truss rod and/or bridge set up to accommodate the larger diameter on the g and the lessened tension all around.
Quest Fulfilled!!! 8)

but I think you have to move up to about a set of .13s to get a wound g string by default, and I'm no SRV :(

Apparently you can find wound .18 singles :)
In this link, the wound G is in the 11's and 13's gauge set. Take a look at "Electrical strings" table at end of of page:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strings_%28music%29
I Hope that helps