Why do open G strings sound out of tune

[80's_Thrash_Metal]

I think I clicked on the wrong open G-string link....

[Securb]

.

[GuitarDoc]

Love the one about Neil Young!

['59]

After further analysis (ie fiddling around with half a dozen different guitars at the guitar store) I've found the thing I'm attempting to describe seems to be that the open G string just has a ton of overtones, which varies from guitar to guitar.

If I mute the string even slightly, the "tuning" problem goes away. All of my guitars have the overtones a few cents sharp, but a few of the ones I tried had the overtones a few cents flat. Time to figure out what that's all about...

[GuitarStv]

After further analysis (ie fiddling around with half a dozen different guitars at the guitar store) I've found the thing I'm attempting to describe seems to be that the open G string just has a ton of overtones, which varies from guitar to guitar.

If I mute the string even slightly, the "tuning" problem goes away. All of my guitars have the overtones a few cents sharp, but a few of the ones I tried had the overtones a few cents flat. Time to figure out what that's all about...

Are the guitars you're trying 3+3 headstocks? The G string has the longest section above the nut that's a plain string (plain strings seem to have more overtones usually), could be contributing to what you hear.

[Petros]

Wow. All this talk about the need for compensated nuts and inherently bad tone for a G string. Makes me wonder how did anyone even get away with making a recording of a plain old guitar in the 70s and 80s or even before that.

I also believe in a wound G for a better fundamental and stable intonation. But I mean if you want to bend fretted notes it's a lot harder.

[solspirit]

I say compensated nut. Unless you like those wolf tones, then just a new nut with a shallower groove.

[GuitarStv]

Wow. All this talk about the need for compensated nuts and inherently bad tone for a G string. Makes me wonder how did anyone even get away with making a recording of a plain old guitar in the 70s and 80s or even before that.

This concern is why no popular guitar based music was made in the 70s and 80s. :P

['59]

Wow. All this talk about the need for compensated nuts and inherently bad tone for a G string. Makes me wonder how did anyone even get away with making a recording of a plain old guitar in the 70s and 80s or even before that.

I also believe in a wound G for a better fundamental and stable intonation. But I mean if you want to bend fretted notes it's a lot harder.

Even with an acoustic, the sympathetic vibration goes away when you plug it in. Every knows the reason cranked amps were a big thing back then was so the guitarist couldn't hear scary open G noises.

[BeKindRewind]

Cause it's one of the things that makes guitars sound cool