why do I have such an OCD with tuning?

Re: why do I have such an OCD with tuning?

Wow that was profound, I liked the obligation part. Thumbs up!
 
Re: why do I have such an OCD with tuning?

I'll tell you why you have this problem: You have never played with me, or anyone else who b!tch slap you for playing with the knobs like they are your d!ck when we are supposed to be getting our rock on!!!

Seriously, in order:

#1 You change strings too often and don't properly stretch them
#2 You don't properly wrap/wind to the post
#3 On a LP (or any 3 per side) you don't tune up to pitch
#4 The nut is binding and needs lubed/recut
#4 The tuners just effing suck (I DID NOT run Kluson smack. They COULD be fine.)
#5 The truss is too loose/tight/messed up in general
#6 The neck is crappy in some fundamental way

After that, the only thing I got is you just have no balls. Rawk out with your cock out. I don't think I have ever encountered tuning so bad that a little attitude and some string English couldn't overcome. Or sometimes a lot. But as was mentioned, when playing Rock & Roll All Night, the 'tude that you indeed are going to do just that is way more important than intonation. see Hendrix for supreme examples of out of tune win (he also has some fail, to be fair, but after bashing it into an amp, wrangling the bar, playing with your teeth, and setting it on fire, "Little Wing" might sound more than a bit off - but Purple Haze? Rock that beyotch!!!!)

It's like stopping every couple minutes to adjust the pillows or change positions during sex - just ruins the mood. Lay her @$$ to the sheets and go to pound town!

Music is the same way - at least any of your more rock oriented.

Id be willing to put money down on my problem being #4
 
Re: why do I have such an OCD with tuning?

Being in tune is a wonderful thing,providing one doesn't obsess about it and ruin the overall fun of playing...Even in tune,we all know a guitar isn't "really" in tune all over the fretboard,but close enough for Rock N Roll.. ;o)

You'll always be out of tune when you're on Youtube. no matter what.

*see comments box
 
Re: why do I have such an OCD with tuning?

Wow that was profound, I liked the obligation part. Thumbs up!

When you're on stage, you're a paid entertainer, not a bedroom player. You offfer the audience well-played music and something resembling a stage show. That means you start on time, the songs are fairly tight, the volume levels are balanced, nothing's shorting out, everyone's reasonably in tune, you look like you enjoy being there, and the singer knows the lyrics and has a sense of pitch. If the band can't do that much, they should have stayed home. A band's not doing anyone a favor if they haven't got it together.
 
Re: why do I have such an OCD with tuning?

When you're on stage, you're a paid entertainer, not a bedroom player. You offfer the audience well-played music and something resembling a stage show. That means you start on time, the songs are fairly tight, the volume levels are balanced, nothing's shorting out, everyone's reasonably in tune, you look like you enjoy being there, and the singer knows the lyrics and has a sense of pitch. If the band can't do that much, they should have stayed home. A band's not doing anyone a favor if they haven't got it together.

+1.....If people are paying us to perform,nice to at least come across as a performer,professional,and of course,in tune! Lol
 
Re: why do I have such an OCD with tuning?

I used to intonate at the 12th fret, but now I intonate so that the notes that are most in tune are frets 5-9 and it definitely sounds better to me. Check your neck relief, I can barely fit a thin paper between 7th fret and string.

Intonate towards the area of the neck that you play the most, it's all a compromise but at least that way you sound closer to perfect more of the time.
 
Re: why do I have such an OCD with tuning?

When you're on stage, you're a paid entertainer, not a bedroom player. You offfer the audience well-played music and something resembling a stage show. That means you start on time, the songs are fairly tight, the volume levels are balanced, nothing's shorting out, everyone's reasonably in tune, you look like you enjoy being there, and the singer knows the lyrics and has a sense of pitch. If the band can't do that much, they should have stayed home. A band's not doing anyone a favor if they haven't got it together.

You should send this to Axl Rose :lmao:
 
Re: why do I have such an OCD with tuning?

wait...

Are you constantly tweaking in an attempt to be perfectly in tune or will your guitar not old tune perfectly???

it doesnt hold tune "perfectly," Ill tune and its play and it ends up being a 'hair' out of tune. Maybe 3 cents flat on the high strings. Its not bad by any means, but my ears still hear the inperfections in the chords.

Is it too much to expect a $4000 guitar (LP custom) to hold 100% perfect tuning? am i just picky or what?
 
Re: why do I have such an OCD with tuning?

tu....tuning? BLASPHEMY!! i only get anal about it when i'm recording. if i'm working on a song, i won't screw with it until that song is done. then i check it and go to the next one.
 
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Re: why do I have such an OCD with tuning?

A well setup and intonated guitar with the string gauge that I prefer will tend to respond to what my fingers do to produce notes that are in tune.

I feel you on the imperfections in the chords. I tend to hear the most imperfections on the highest note, tends to be B or E, so before I perform or practice, even after tuning, I'll play a chord, do the chord scale to the top note and check to make sure it rings well together and I'll do slight tweaks on those important melody tones. FINGER PRESSURE will take you out of tune, sometimes a friend will play my strat and sound totally out of tune and awful, but when I play it, despite no bending, it stays in tune.
 
Re: why do I have such an OCD with tuning?

but seriously, am i just crazy for wanting my les paul custom to stay 100% intune? or will it just never happen, even with a perfect nut job and perfect set up?
 
Re: why do I have such an OCD with tuning?

it SHOULD put you in the ballpark of staying in tune
I remember intonating a friend's les paul custom and les paul studio, both were a bit of a mission, but with extremely close attention to the needle and the saddle adjustments, necks being perfectly straight, they played in tune perfectly.

Use a quality tuner with either an analog needle or a strobe, or connect to your computer and use a program that tunes to a fraction of a hz. Adjust the intonation until it's perfect, test the notes, confirm that the open string is in tune, find your median finger pressure as well. I will re-fret the notes after each pluck because sometimes my hand will tighten up and take the note sharp, simulate the way you play and intonate it towards those needs!
 
Re: why do I have such an OCD with tuning?

it SHOULD put you in the ballpark of staying in tune
I remember intonating a friend's les paul custom and les paul studio, both were a bit of a mission, but with extremely close attention to the needle and the saddle adjustments, necks being perfectly straight, they played in tune perfectly.

Use a quality tuner with either an analog needle or a strobe, or connect to your computer and use a program that tunes to a fraction of a hz. Adjust the intonation until it's perfect, test the notes, confirm that the open string is in tune, find your median finger pressure as well. I will re-fret the notes after each pluck because sometimes my hand will tighten up and take the note sharp, simulate the way you play and intonate it towards those needs!

something i might do when i get a chance is run some floss or something through the nut slots to make sure there isnt a junk in them, and then maybe give the truss rod a tiny turn, just to make sure its tight.

I love the way the guitar is set up right now and I dont wanna get too far away from how it is right now. Ill just give the rod the smallest turn just to make sure its snug
 
Re: why do I have such an OCD with tuning?

ALL guitars should STAY in tune but NO guitars PLAY in tune...none of them...not a $99 Squire and not a $15k handmade custom made guitar with a special compensated nut and compensated frets...the minute you put frets on a stringed instrument you shoot playing perfectly in tune out the window.
 
Re: why do I have such an OCD with tuning?

something i might do when i get a chance is run some floss or something through the nut slots to make sure there isnt a junk in them, and then maybe give the truss rod a tiny turn, just to make sure its tight.

I love the way the guitar is set up right now and I dont wanna get too far away from how it is right now. Ill just give the rod the smallest turn just to make sure its snug

You don't snug up a truss rod to make sure it's tight...and a truss rod has little to do with a guitar staying in tune...

You have slippage happening somewhere...tuners are the most likely cause.

After that make sure your nut is cut properly...flossing the nut slots is a waste of time...floss won't do anything.

Take the guitar and get it set up...have the tech that does the set up check the tuners for slippage...if they are slipping replace them.

THIS IS ALL ASSUMING THAT THE GUITAR IS INTONATED PROPERLY AND THAT THE INTONATION IS NOT THE ISSUE...
 
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