Weird tuning issue

[mfprh]

My strat is having an odd issue. I'll tune up, but my low E is off. Intonation is good, nut is good, fretting around the board is in tune, but the low E is sharp when I go for chords. Very noticeable, I have to "under tune" the string to sound in tune. Is this a common issue for strats in drop-d? Both this strat and the last strat I had did this, but no other guitar I've used or owned :scratchch

Any ideas/remedies?

 

[beandip]

Re: Weird tuning issue

I actually deal with this problem quite a bit on my acoustics. You fret a G chord, and the low G sounds sharp. Play an A chord and it's sharp.

Really, it's not so much a tuning issue as it is a design issue. It's the way the guitar is, we've all discussed the tempered and equal tuning of guitars to play in tune with pianos and the like. The bottom line is, the guitar isn't in tune with itself. If you have to detune the low D string a few cents for it to sound right, then that's what needs to be done. Don't worry too much about it. Yeah, it can be a pain sometimes, but the most important thing is to have fun playing.

Dustin

 

[WhoFan]

Re: Weird tuning issue

ya the scale length is not perfect on most guitars that is for sure...

...but could the issue be a high nut that causes you to stretch the string to the fret and go sharper then normal? maybe the guitar is in need of a minor set up? I've seen some guitars with a high nut and the saddles adjusted high as well and the intonation is OK at the 12th fret but the guitar would not play that well in tune...

 

[Boogie Bill]

Re: Weird tuning issue

+1 for what WhoFan said.

You almost certainly have a nut slot that needs to be lowered.

Bill

 

[mfprh]

Re: Weird tuning issue

Now that you mention it, it does seem to sit high in the nut. I'll look into that. Thanks

 

[kaligula11]

Re: Weird tuning issue

Well in fact you can't tune a guitar perfectly. For example if you tune it to sound right in a particular chord, it probably won't sound right in any other chord.

 

[mfprh]

Re: Weird tuning issue

Well after a couple runs with a file its close enough for me.