Tips and Tone – Tuning War
Tuning War
How to win the battle!
by John M. LeVan
I have received some great questions lately that fall into the category of “Tuning Problems”. Getting your guitar to play in tune can be a daunting task. This has been a fierce battle that has been raging since the invention of the guitar. There are several issues that, overlooked, can & will cause your guitar to play out of tune. After many years of fighting this battle, I’ve discovered some ideas to help, so here we go…
Why is it so difficult to tune my guitar?
There are several reasons why it’s difficult to tune a guitar.
- Worn out strings.
- Burrs on the saddles.
- Strings are binding at the nut.
- Intonation is out of adjustment.
- Defective Tuning Keys.
- Playing Style – Are you pressing the strings too hard?
- The String Nut and/or Saddle(s) are in the wrong spot.
- The frets are worn out or pitted.
Strings, Saddles & Nuts …. Oh MY!
Worn strings are generally the first thing I look at when a guitar has tuning issues. The more you play a string, the more it wears and develop “dents” as it’s pressed against the frets. This will cause the string to rattle & play out of tune. Likewise, the more you play, the more wear & tear you inflict on the saddle(s) & String nut. When the “point of contact” between the string & saddle(s)/nut begins to erode, this changes the intonation. Thus, the instrument plays out of tune. Another common ailment is when the strings are binding at the nut, commonly caused when either the string slots are not properly cut to match the string gauge, or the slots are worn down and the strings “stick” or “bind” in the slots. This is why you should have your guitar setup seasonally.
Dented strings will cause string rattle & intonation problems. Photo by John LeVan
Defective Tuning Keys
A common problem with tuning is when the tuning keys are defective. Defective keys can cause the strings to slip out of tune, or jump beyond the desired note when you’re tuning. The Quality of the keys is another important factor. Most contemporary keys have a turning ratio of 14:1. In other words, it takes 14 turns of the button for the post to make 1 complete revolution. Most vintage keys have a ratio of 11:1. Typically, these keys were poorly machined and had a lot of what we call “lag-time”. That’s when you turn the button and nothing happens until you’ve turned it ½ a turn (then the string jumps ahead of the note you were tuning to). There are some excellent tuning keys available today that have turning ratios of 18:1 up to 21:1.
Worn out tuning keys. Photo by John LeVan
<The higher the ratio, the finer and more accurate you can tune.>
Several manufacturers are producing reproduction, or direct replacement keys, so now you can buy high performance keys for your vintage instrument, as well as a modern guitar.
Playing Style
How you play directly affects whether or not your guitar will play in tune. This can be a sensitive subject when explaining it to a customer. Sometimes the truth hurts, but it’s not nearly as painful as playing out of tune! Remember, the harder you press the string, the sharper (#) that string sounds. The harder you strike the string, the more the sharpness (#) spikes. Your playing style is a variable that always affect tuning.
<ALWAYS tune your guitar exactly the way you play it.>
In other words, if you normally play with an aggressive strike, then tune using that same technique. If you play soft, then tune it playing softly.
Always tune the string to the “attack”, of the note. The “attack” is the first measurement that registers on the tuner.
Many players tune to the drift of the note (where the note settles on the tuner), but this will cause the chords to sound out of tune. The only exception is when you tune a bass and you should tune those to the “drift” of the note.
Another commonly overlooked mistake is holding the tuning key while watching the tuner. Once you turn the key, take your hand off of the key. The slightest touch can give you a false reading on the tuner. Another important note…ALWAYS tune your guitar in playing position, never with it lying on its back. Gravity will mess with tuning!
Planet Waves Tru-strobe Tuner. Photo by John LeVan
Wrong Address?
If the string nut and or saddle(s) are in the wrong spot, the instrument will never play well in tune. This is a common problem with many guitars and affects acoustic, as well as electric guitars. The reason the location is critical has to do with the string length, fret placement and the location of the harmonics. If the string nut is too far away from the first fret, this will cause the notes to play sharp (#) in first position. Likewise, if the saddle is in the wrong location on the bridge, the guitar will play out of tune as you move up the neck. To really complicate the issue, if the frets aren’t in the correct location, you’re out of luck!
What is Intonation?
Intonation (as it applies to guitar) is to match the fretted note (at the 12th fret) to the harmonic (at the 12th fret). This can be adjusted by moving the bridge saddle(s). On an acoustic guitar, the bridge saddle has to be carved (compensated), so that each string intonates. However, if the string nut or bridge saddle(s) are in the wrong location, it’s nearly impossible to adjust the intonation.
- GEEK ALERT –
<The following information contains complicated math!>
Nut & saddle placement can be corrected. Relocating the string nut requires accurately measuring the scale length of the neck, and then evaluating the location of the string nut & first fret based on a series of calculations we call “the Rule of 18”. In basic terms, we divide the actual scale length of the neck by 17.817 to determine the correct distance from the string nut to the top of the first fret. In geek terms: scale ÷ 17.817 = distance from face of nut to center point of first fret. From there, we make the proper adjustments to relocate the nut.
Measuring Location of String Nut. Photo by John LeVan
Many classical builders have used a similar technique, as well as, the Regal Guitar Company back in the 1940’s. Even Taylor Guitars, PRS and Washburn use a similar – although slightly different – system for string nut location.
This is a very precise adjustment. DO NOT try this on your own.
It requires special tools and attention to detail.
Saddle relocation is also very complicated when intonating an acoustic guitar. Usually, we have to fill the existing saddle slot (in the bridge) with a matching piece of wood. Then, we re-cut the slot in the proper location. It is much harder than it sounds. The most common mistake repair guys make is to glue a piece of wood in with the grain in the wrong direction. This causes an odd reflection that is very noticeable. The biggest mistake is when the saddle slot is cut into the bridge. If the slot isn’t cut to the correct depth, location and width, the project will look and perform poorly. I use special tools that I have developed in my shop to ensure that I find the right location to cut the saddle slot.
Always consult a qualified Luthier to make these corrections.
Bridge Saddle in the Wrong Location. Photo by John LeVan
These Frets are the Pits!
When the frets develop pits & dents, it can cause a world of problems. String rattles dead notes and intonation problems. As the frets wear, it changes the point of contact between the string & fret, thus altering the intonation. Maintaining your frets will greatly improve the playability & intonation of your guitar.
Worn & Pitted Frets. Photo by John LeVan
What is Tempering?
Tempering refers to a series of adjustment to make an instrument “sound” more in tune with itself. In other words, certain strings are tuned slightly sharp (#) or flat (b) to make the chords sound more in tune. This was developed by Bach. He would tune his piano slightly off from “Middle C”, tuning each set of string slightly off in order to sound more in tune with each other. The same concept applies to guitar. Not only can you tune your guitar to different temperaments, but you can actually intonate it slight sharp (#) or flat (b) for better sounding chords. There are many different ways to temper-tune an instrument. In fact, there are over 80 different ways just to temper-tune a piano! It requires a very accurate tuner.
The Bottom Line
Tuning will always be a matter of compromise; believe it or not, no guitar can play perfectly in tune. Learning how your guitar reacts, along with the fore-mentioned tips, will help you play as well in tune as possible.
For more info on how to tune and intonate your guitar, check out my books & DVDs on setups.
FAQ Electric Guitar Care & Setup DVD $14.95.
I encourage you all to check out the Guitar Setup, Maintenance & Repair book, written by yours truly. This book is a step by step guide on setting up a guitar like a pro, carving string a nut, intonation, as well as other important upgrades and repairs. Packed with over 250 photographs and diagrams, this series thoroughly guides through the setup process step by step. Of course, I even have a chapter on the top ten signs of a problematic guitar. This chapter explores the defects to look for when you’re thinking about buying a guitar. The information in that chapter alone could save you from buying a lemon!
Figure 1.6 Guitar Setup, Maintenance & Repair Book. (Cover by Skip Anderson/David Johnson)
I know that you will find these books to be informative, fun and an excellent investment in you’re guitar’s future. To order go to www.guitarservices.com or any Mel Bay Dealer. Enjoy! John M. LeVan
Copyright © 2011 John M. LeVan all rights res.
Thanks for this article.
I think I may blessed, or cursed, by a pretty keen ear. Been through a lot of electronic tuners. Currently have the new Boss TU-3, Korg Pitchblack, and Sonic Research ST-200 Turbo Strobe. Their accuracy is +/- 1 cent, +/-1 cent, and +/- .02 cents, respectively.
Couple of questions:
No matter which tuner I use, in the end I always end up tuning the G-string slightly flat because it sounds better to my ears. Does this make sense, and is it a common thing among guitarists?
Next, it seems the ST-200 may be too accurate for me. Once in tune, the strobe lights will drift slightly flat or sharp if I so much as breathe, so I’m constantly chasing that point where the lights remain still. The Boss and Korg tuners, on the other hand, will stay in the zone where both guide arrows are lit. (The ST-200 has no such arrows, just streaming lights.) So, for practical purposes, does it make sense that +/- 1 cent may be close enough, and the ST-200 is better left for setting intonation only?
Hope I’ve explained all this well and would welcome your comments.
Hi Michael
Finding the right tuner can be complex. For just tuning, I like the Planet Waves Tru-Strobe. It’s very accurate and easy to read. For setting intonation, my favorite tuner is the Accu-tuner by Inventronics, it has an accuracy rating of +/- .005 cents. They start at $1300.00! OUCH! The ST-200 is a good tuner, but I would just use it for setting intonation.
The “G” String is always a fight. I intonate it by ear by playing it fretted at the 14th fret and playing the A & D open. Generally, it sounds flat, so I adjust the “G” string saddle towards the neck until all three tones match. Always re-tune after every adjustment! The “G” strings will end up # at the 12th fret, but will sound more in tune with the other strings up & down the neck.
I hope this helps!
John M. LeVan
John, thanks very much for your message. I’d like to try your method for intonating the G-string by ear. I understand how fretting it at the 14th fret should match the open A string.
However, I don’t see how comparing the G-string at the 14th fret, which is an A, against the open D string, which is a D, should match. Am I missing something?