Fine Tuning

Lawrence Lupkin · Post by **Lawrence Lupkin** » 16 Jul 2003 6:30 am

When setting up for a performance in a loud environment (another band or jukebox playing), I find it difficult to know if I'm truly in tune. My tuner may say that I am, but 30 seconds of quiet would tell me that I need some tweaking. Often times, that opportunity isn't there.

What do all you real players out there do?

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 16 Jul 2003 7:49 am

Since I don't use the tuner for anything but a reference note, I usually just play along with the jukebox, or other band, to check my tuning!

An important thing to know on your guitar is "which string is most stable", then use that one as your reference. I've seen a ton of players, steel and lead alike, have one string drift out, and then, instead of retuning that one, retuning all the rest to match the detuned one...now they're "in tune", but "out of tune" with everyone else!

Of course, the guys that tune every note with the tuner probably won't have that problem (until they forget their tuner, or if it dies).

It's also important to remember to PLAY your guitar a little before you start tuning it! That way, the strings have time to "settle in", and adjust to the ambient temperature. [This message was edited by Donny Hinson on 16 July 2003 at 08:52 AM.]

Jesse Harris · Post by **Jesse Harris** » 16 Jul 2003 4:07 pm

I suffered with that problem, for a while I thought of carrying one of those powered headphone units for those situations and also if you had to change a string during a set. What I ended up doing was finally getting the guitar in tune just like I like it and then using my tuner to make a chart of that tuning, So I tune with a tuner to that chart, and if my tuner dies, I switch to tele. Anybody have thoughts on this? Is this a sound method of getting in tune or am I missing something?

Larry Bell · Post by **Larry Bell** » 17 Jul 2003 5:32 am

I used to practice on one guitar and play the other, but ran into the kind of tuning problems in noisy environments like you described. Just lately I've been making myself set up the guitar I'm gonna play for the weekend's gigs (I only play weekends, as a rule). Last thing I do before packing it up, I change any strings (3rd/5th/???) that need to be changed to avoid having them break on stage, do any lube or maintenance that's needed, play for a while to stretch out the new strings and warm up the others, then check the tuning on all pedal and lever changes. I hardly ever tune anything except the open tuning on stage anymore. All I really have to memorize is the temperament for the open strings and I'm good to go. Also, as others have suggested, I NEVER tune a cold guitar. I'll play for a few minutes to warm up the strings before touching anything. Works for me. I think headphones look strange onstage and I have enough stuff to carry around as it is, but . . . different strokes.

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Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2003 Fessenden S/D-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S-12 6x6, 1971 Dobro, Standel and Peavey Amps

C Dixon · Post by **C Dixon** » 17 Jul 2003 6:22 am

1. Buy a Peterson "V-Sam", OR a Precision Strobe Tuner 3

2. Tune your guitar in a quiet room, 'til it is IN tune to YOUR ears.

3. Using either the Peterson or the PST3, find what each string is and what each pedal/knee lever change is as shown on the tuner.

4. Write them down.

(NOTE: If you purchase the PST, you can program in YOUR tuning exact and recall it instantly. I am not sure about the Peterson in this regard.)

5. From that point on, it does not matter how much noise there is, you can retune your steel quickly and silently to EXACTLY how you tuned your guitar in a quiet room.

Some who have them, maintain they can tune every string and every change on BOTH necks in less than 5 minutes. And it comes out perfect every time. ("perfec" in this case means; precisely as you programmed it to your tuning previously)

Now let's say that you have discovered, that for whatever reason, you may need to change a give string, pedal or knee lever, the PST-3 has 40 (yes 40) different programmed memories. You can dial each one up instantly. And tweak in silenece once again.

carl[This message was edited by C Dixon on 17 July 2003 at 07:24 AM.]