Guitars can't be tuned...

[Wendigo]

Not just mine, but any. It has to do with imperfect intervals that are used in the equal temperment system, as well as the construction of the guitar. A pure mathermatical 5th or 3rd is different than the slightly dissonant 5ths and thirds in the western system, so that we can play equally in any key. "Just" intonation can be achieved in any one key as well as other tunings, but a guitar is especially vulnerable.
I'm basically to the point where this slight discrepancy is really starting to annoy me. Anyone else suffer from really good hearing? No guitar I pick up can be properly tuned so that all the chords satisfy me.....I used to be satisfied but I my recognition of the slight dissonances in the second 1st and 2nd harmonics are really starting to bug the hell out of me. I like it that a guitar can at least be tuned so that D, A and G sound pretty tight. When you do that, E, Am, C,and the matching barre chords sound god awful though, no matter which guitar I have tried in any price range or despite what others say about them. This is becoming a curse for me.

[Borderline Productions]

Then what you need are one of the guitars that have staggered frets for each of the strings so that every note is perfectly in tune (not even tempering). I don't have a picture, but remember seeing a video with Stevie Vai talking about one.

[nguideau]

See, sometimes it pays to be hard of hearing and totally uneducated on music theory.

[Nork]

ya i've heard of those necks as well. that might be the only way to solve your issue.

[irish_admiral]

I know what you mean. but I can get close enough to a good tuning solution that it doesn't bother me too much. Even if a guitar could be perfectly tuned, the very act of playing it and you pulling on the neck whilst playing would de-tune it from its perfect pitch. So hey, don't sweat it. It's an impossible dream either way you look at it.

Earwax and more beer is the only solution.

I'm going for more of the latter...

[nmendoza]

Time to start playing synth.

[Wendigo]

So you mean I can use beer drinking as an excuse? Sweet....I was thinkin of that the other night at the pub. I can usually get the guitars to sound pretty good, but there is always that little voice saying, "not quite perfect". True about the tugging on the neck, especially if you have a 61 SG RI like I do.

[thornicated]

sounds like this is needed for you to play guitar then...



its awesome that your ears are that graet...but DAMN man...your ears are THAT good?

[Thinline_slim]

Have you ever tried a compensated nut system like the Earvanna? I have used a couple of them with good success. It doesn't make everything perfect by any stretch but it helps with some chords.

[Drdos]

Not just mine, but any. It has to do with imperfect intervals that are used in the equal temperment system, as well as the construction of the guitar. A pure mathermatical 5th or 3rd is different than the slightly dissonant 5ths and thirds in the western system, so that we can play equally in any key. "Just" intonation can be achieved in any one key as well as other tunings, but a guitar is especially vulnerable.
I'm basically to the point where this slight discrepancy is really starting to annoy me. Anyone else suffer from really good hearing? No guitar I pick up can be properly tuned so that all the chords satisfy me.....I used to be satisfied but I my recognition of the slight dissonances in the second 1st and 2nd harmonics are really starting to bug the hell out of me. I like it that a guitar can at least be tuned so that D, A and G sound pretty tight. When you do that, E, Am, C,and the matching barre chords sound god awful though, no matter which guitar I have tried in any price range or despite what others say about them. This is becoming a curse for me.

True guitars are only in Relative tuning or in tune to itself... Not to perfect note pitches... To people with perfect pitch an imperfect guitar or any instrument for that matter can drive you insane. I have relative pitch, and when I hear a pitch out of tune it drives me nuts till I resolve it. Maybe you have perfect pitch and your search for the perfectly in-tune guitar could be endless... Sorry if that is the case..

[irish_admiral]

Yeah... none of the alternative systems - Earvana, BFTS etc - are perfect, but they might suit you better.

I'm happy enough with standard... it's worked for people for the last 50 years...

[bclaire]

That's why I'd like to Plek a couple of my guitars. Particularly the 'cowboy chords' are the worst culprit! A D chord can often be out enough that when recording, I would tune the guitar around that chord if the song was based on it.... and sometimes a G chord, too.

[Drdos]

That's why I'd like to Plek a couple of my guitars. Particularly the 'cowboy chords' are the worst culprit! A D chord can often be out enough that when recording, I would tune the guitar around that chord if the song was based on it.... and sometimes a G chord, too.

G drives me nuts unless I'm using 11's that chord always pulls or push's a string out of tune...

[irish_admiral]

I've never had a problem with G chords.

[Drdos]

I've never had a problem with G chords.

I usually don't have a problem with it unless I'm hitting it hard.. You also have to remember that the g string on a guitar the 3rd string in standard tuning typically is a little out of tune due to the thickness of the wire and no windings.. This is the Achilles heal for classical guitar due to that thick nylon on the 3rd string...