Then there are "fretless..." instruments? You can tune them ;-) But weather they are "in tune" is all about how they are played... I just finished one I've been working on for MONTHS! And the fretless just adds a spice which otherwise would not be there... And part of the reason is that they are never "exactly" in tune when you play them? There are quarter note and 8th note variations, and the slides of course. But you work it, and it adds a color to the music that is better for the imperfections.

Wow! You can't say the word "spi ce?" What is offensive about that? like garlic? or onion? What am I missing? I tried it twice because I thought maybe it was a typo? But it edited it out both times. And PLEASE moderator, use common sence and don't ban me?

It's the letters s-p-i-c that are deemed a banned word

Bristol_Jonesey


It's the letters s-p-i-c that are deemed a banned word

It's apparently racism, I guess...


Note that I had to create a mini url to even be able to make a hyperlink of that word!

digi2ns


Wonder what everyone else does as a standard practice with guitars.

I find that its a necessity to check tuning before hitting [Record] every 3 or 4 takes. I leave my tuner up and on at all times when messing around in the studio. 

Good habit to check often or is it kind of a once a day thing for you?

I'm the odd man out here Mike...as usual. LOL! You're not going to believe this....so I may need to provide a little proof just because I can't talk this ball game and not deliver. Hahaha!
 
Ok, I tune one time and never tune for the rest of the time I record. Sometimes I don't need to tune for a week. The reason being? I never need to. But the REAL reason for this is due to how I meticulously set up my guitars. I'm at a huge disadvantage from most guys because I tune to a C below your standard E using guitars that were made for standard tuning. So I'm dealing with way less tension than you guys which makes tuning a nightmare if you don't really work a guitar.
 
All my guitars have Sperzel locking tuners as well as a Floyd Rose locking nut. My trem springs are changed at least once per year whether they need it or not and I always lube them up with some heavy duty white grease. My trem bar assemblies are all measured and perfectly level with my guitar body so they float evenly. I can pull my guitars off of an airplane and they are either in perfect tune or my low E string may drop a few increments.
 
I DO check my tuning before every new take in a song as well as before I start a new song. But fortunately, I never have to tune. The guitars I own that DON'T have a Floyd (fixed bridge) also have Sperzel locking tuners and either a graphite nut, or graphite dust in a bone nut. Again, never any tuning problems.
 
In the video I'm going to show you, I depressed my trem bar all the way to the body so you can see how much slack my strings get. They literally come off the neck about an inch and a half or more. I also tried to cross them over top of one another to really make this look evil. Yet, as you will see, it stays in perfect tune. If I throw it on a tuner after, it's still dead on "in tune" with maybe a VERY slight waver sharp or flat to where it may move the strobe in a direction every 1.5 seconds while staying in the center as "in tune". That's still in tune to me as it's rare to make a strobe stop dead with a guitar anyway. If I turn strobe off, the regular tuner reads "in tune" right down the center with a green light on both sides.
 
So if you are having any tuning issues, definitely check out those Sperzels. They make an incredible difference as they lock your strings at the tuning post. This is gonna sound funny..lol...but clean your nut every few weeks with soap and water using your finger nails to rub the nut slots while using a paper towel or a rag. After that, use a #2 pencil to put some graphite in the nut slots. This will keep the strings from hanging up there and stop or drastically cut down on tuning issues. Or, buy a little tube of graphite dust and sprinkle it in the nut slots from time to time. It's amazing how little things like that will stop you from tuning as often.
 
Also, watch how you string up. Make sure if you are a wrapper that you get at least three wraps that coil nicely. From there (only for fixed bridge guitars) pull/pop the strings so they seat and the coils tighten. Most of our tuning issues come from new strings as most of us try to use a fresh set for recording. I bought this Fender string stretcher years ago that works great on fixed bridge guitars. It looks like a big letter D and the string tucks under it, you pull the string and slide the tool up and down a few times and it's all stretched out and tight at the coils. Pretty nifty tool if they still even make them. This of course isn't needed if you use Sperzels because the string locks at the post and has no where to go or really stretch.
 
Anyway, have a laugh at this video. Trust me...it's way harder to make a guitar in my goofy low tuning stay in tune than it is to keep one in tune that has the proper tension on it. Just to show you how sick this is and how much slack I get, here's what I'm talking about. LOL!
 
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/4909348/FlubTension.wmv
 
Hope some of this helps man. :)
 
-Danny

environment makes a big difference.my Precision never leaves the tracking room and stays in tune between re-stringing.
the ambient temperature and humidity ,IMO,can effect tuning.
I always ask clients to get their guitars out and on the stands asap to allow them to warm up to 23 degrees C.which seems to help.
the bass was always slightly out of tune when i picked it up and i tweak the bass before playing by pulling the string 1-2 inches off the fretboard and it seems to snap back into tune.
is it possible the mechanics of playing effect the strings elasticity.
not advice-just an opinion
cheers 

Thanks for the vid Danny.
I never thought about graphite dust (Nice tip) I think alot I see is more of guitars without the Line Lock. Even sitting over night they will go out a little after it has time to get climatized to the room, (enough to be a prob).

Yeh Webb, Im with you on the climate changes that do occur and its effects on tuning. Your method of stretching has been mine as well LOL.

Gonna get me a can of dust and check out Dannys D-Stretcher . Never hurts to give it a shot for future use just in case.

Damn, I'm impressed you can keep your tune like that with a trem bar! I spend a bit of time setting up my guitars, but never to that extreme.. But on the other hand, I don't play may guitars all that much at the moment so I can't quite justify the extra work.

Have heard about the graphite one before. It certainly works very well.

Speaking of cleaning, I remember seeing a funny video once with the 'boil your strings' concept.. I'd be a little worried about rusting if it wasn't properly dried, but I wonder how that would go for bring some life back into the strings.. Can't imagine it would help too much with old strings which aren't holding tune - once the actual metal is starting to yield, you're out of luck.

Mike
Thanks for the vid Danny.
I never thought about graphite dust (Nice tip) I think alot I see is more of guitars without the Line Lock. Even sitting over night they will go out a little after it has time to get climatized to the room, (enough to be a prob).

You're welcome. I just had to show you the vid so you saw I wasn't out of my tree for stating such a thing. LOL! Also, what webbs hill said (as well as yourself) about climate is also true. I find if my room is hot, I go flat. If the room is cold, I'm sharp. I try to keep my room anywhere from 69-71 degrees at all times and never have any problems.

Matt
Damn, I'm impressed you can keep your tune like that with a trem bar! I spend a bit of time setting up my guitars, but never to that extreme.. But on the other hand, I don't play may guitars all that much at the moment so I can't quite justify the extra work.

Have heard about the graphite one before. It certainly works very well.

Speaking of cleaning, I remember seeing a funny video once with the 'boil your strings' concept.. I'd be a little worried about rusting if it wasn't properly dried, but I wonder how that would go for bring some life back into the strings.. Can't imagine it would help too much with old strings which aren't holding tune - once the actual metal is starting to yield, you're out of luck.

Yeah if you set up your guitars the right way, it can cut down on tuning issues considerably. The key with Floyd's (or any floater) is to have the bar assembly even with the body while tuned to the pitch you choose. Meaning, you don't just set the bar assembly to be even with the guitar body without tuning first. You may have to tune 4 times while adjusting the trem bar screws inside the cavity so that it evens out with tension. The next is good springs and to make sure the trem assembly is truly even and floating with the body.

If you have it jack-knifing or set back too far, it leaves a little play in the bar which can lead to tuning issues. The other fix of course is how EVH does his....he locks the trem bar assembly all the way back so he can't pull up with it. This is helpful for staying in tune as well as "keeping tone" while playing double stop bends. And the best thing this method does is, if you break a string, you can still get through the song and remain in tune with the others. If someone breaks a string with a full floating trem, the entire guitar goes out of tune...so you gotta make a change in the middle of the song there. 

As for cleaning/boiling thing....EVH used to do this too but moreso to get rid of the string stretching process. I never really looked into it to be able to tell you the pro's and cons there, so I can't be of much help. However, for cleaning, this is what I use that works fantastic as long as you're careful not to allow them to touch your guitar: http://www.allegromedical.com/syringes-c570/curity-alcohol-prep-pads-p191884.html

I depress my bar so the strings come off of the neck like you saw in the video, and those little alcohol pads wrap perfectly around the string. Run it up and down a few times and it literally makes them sound like new again because it takes away all the gunk and build-up on the string. I sweat so bad (I chalk it up as dego baystid sweat/oil lol) I can corrode a set of strings in one show to where they are brown with rust. I have to change strings for every show or use another guitar with fresh strings. I do really play my guitars though....fast runs and bends rip into your flesh, friction plus the sweat and it's easy to see where one can cook a set of strings in one night.

I also always wash my hands before I play one of my guitars and put new strings on once per week...so when you use something like these alcohol pads, it can really help you preserve string tone as well. Like for example, I'd never use a guitar I used for a show for another show. This is due to possible string breakage due to the rust that forms at my bridge from resting my hand there and sweating like a faucet. But when I get home, I cleans things up, wipe them down and then use the alcohol pads and the tone comes right back. I can then record with this guitar and lose no tone nor do I have any tuning issues. I just wouldn't chance playing live with it. :)

-Danny

Danny...I've been meaning to ask about dropped tuning..did I even get the phrase right...would it be possible to do that and still be able to go through an entire session without tuning again?

You might have already answered it...