Am I out of tune?

astrozombie

KatyPerryologist
I think I’m a little off right? Is it the G? It’s always the G isn’t it?

I wonder if this is real or some weird psychological effect due to everybody on Facebook saying les Paul’s can’t stay in tune.

Ever heard an opinion about something so many times you forget it isn’t fact?


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Re: Am I out of tune?

No guitar is perfectly in tune -it's impossible.

It's all about if your ear is sensitive enough to tones ringing unsympathetically to bother you.

Some people can't hear intonation problems at all and some are hyper sensitive to it.

but the G and B are usually the first and second culprits for obvious intonation issues for multiple reasons.
 
Re: Am I out of tune?

I'm having trouble telling whether this thread is illustrating an actual problem, or giving an example of a 'perceived' problem that is usually just user-error.

I've never heard 'Les Pauls don't stay in tune' but I also dislike Facebook group discussions. Forums are not perfect, but they are much better for focused discussion of such things.
 
Re: Am I out of tune?

Take any guitar in tune, give a couple two step bends on the G string, then check if G is still in tune. I betcha it's a little bit flat. If it's not, you have a locking nut. :P
 
Re: Am I out of tune?

It's the G
Really it is

On a LP
That's the on dragging in the slot
All that extra strang over the nut
That's right

It's the G strang
 
Re: Am I out of tune?

Ain’t nothin’ but a G string, bay-bee...
 
Re: Am I out of tune?

I didn't used to hear how "out" some intervals can be, even if every string is tuned with a strobe. Thirds will bug me from some chords but not others, if I'm not in a hurry I like to tune the instrument the last bit by ear to give the least "beating" on whatever chords I'm using most for the song. and with the thinner strings, especially high on the neck, I'll adjust the intonation slightly south of the true note because my finger pressure often pulls it back up to "normal". For frets near the nut, I try to carefully deepen the nut slot to eliminate high action there cuz on nearly every guitar I've bought, there was room to come down and my finger pressure would sometimes sharpen notes there too.

As for Les Pauls in particular... I sold mine...maybe the out of tune thing was a factor at the time and I didn't realize it, maybe it was just boredom... but after owning a few I always love how they look but would not hurry to buy again.

Some people made some string tree or roller contraptions for LPs to try to correct this I thought, but I think as long as you try to mitigate the problem as best you can you'll get "good enough for rock and roll".
Do people complain on facebook about SGs and 3+3 headstock other gibsons, do they not have this supposed problem, or is it just popular to hate on Les Pauls because no one can afford the r9 they actually really want?
 
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Re: Am I out of tune?

I don't have that sharp ears to tell if someone is just slightly out of tune. No one is ever in perfect pitch unless you are using a special guitar with fanned frets. To me tuning is allways a compromise. There are tunings where one can be in tune some positions, but out of tune in others. I mean tune some strings a bit flat or sharp and you are in tune in some position like 7th position and a bit out of tune in others. Was this the compensating tuning system. I can't remember.

One thing I would like to know is how much someone is out of tune when someone is mentioning that someone is out of tune.
 
Re: Am I out of tune?

A bit over the top even for someone as pedantic as me (True Temperament frets):


TT-fingerboard-web.jpg

Not gonna solve any issues at the nut of course.

Regards,

Dale.
 
Re: Am I out of tune?

It makes a lot of sense since a guitar has frets. Its not just a random pattern
 
Re: Am I out of tune?

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Re: Am I out of tune?

Get an earvana or any other fancy nut that tackles that problem.
I put an earvana on a strat and even though it's perfectly intoned you get so used to hearing it slightly off that it doesn't sound right when compared to regular guitars.
 
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