The Lost Art of Tuning

Its all in the fingers, or is it?

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The Lost Art of Tuning

Post by Slowy »

How many of you remember the days before digital tuners made life simple?

There were multiple methods for achieving sonic harmony. How did you do it?
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Re: The Lost Art of Tuning

Post by mrmofo »

I still ask bandmates for an A
There are still some that think the neck PU is moved to accommodate the extra frets which only proves they cannot detect the difference in length of each.

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Re: The Lost Art of Tuning

Post by Miza »

I remember using middle A on my parents piano to tune my first guitars (albeit in the age of digital tuners).
That, plus harmonics (5th & 7th frets) can usually get you 95% of the way there. Of course, the ears can play tricks.
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Re: The Lost Art of Tuning

Post by MikeC »

A little pitch pipe gave me an "A" (or "E" - can't remember) then 5th fret usual & (styley) "harmonics" from there!
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Re: The Lost Art of Tuning

Post by Molly »

Slowy wrote: Tue Dec 08, 2020 6:57 am How many of you remember the days before digital tuners made life simple?

There were multiple methods for achieving sonic harmony. How did you do it?
I got my dad to do it. Dad, Daaaaad.... Will you tune this for me? Some POS nylon thing. We had one tuning fork in the sideboard so I probably used that too.

Then the Justina tuner came out. Hurrah!

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Re: The Lost Art of Tuning

Post by olegmcnoleg »

+ 1 for the tuning fork. Sounds great when you hold the handle to the bridge of your acoustic

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Re: The Lost Art of Tuning

Post by Bg »

records with known pitch then harmonics.

Nowadays I wait until oleg comes round and I get him to tune all my guitars
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Re: The Lost Art of Tuning

Post by Molly »

Bg wrote: Tue Dec 08, 2020 7:52 am records with known pitch then harmonics.
I remember doing that.

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Re: The Lost Art of Tuning

Post by olegmcnoleg »

Bg wrote: Tue Dec 08, 2020 7:52 am records with known pitch then harmonics.

Nowadays I wait until oleg comes round and I get him to tune all my guitars
Scammed! And here’s me thinking you were being so generous, passing me one guitar after another.

My suspicions should have been alerted when you took them from me after a few chords :-(


:-)

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Re: The Lost Art of Tuning

Post by NippleWrestler »

I'd use a CD. Metallica stuff had a lot of open strings so makes it pretty easy to find your E, or Eb depending on the era.

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Re: The Lost Art of Tuning

Post by calling card »

When installing new strings I crank up to E approx on sixth, it's usually very close when I check with tuner. Then tong tong through the other strings like days of old. I miss that sound of tune ups on live recordings.
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Re: The Lost Art of Tuning

Post by jeremyb »

The sound of my cock slapping your mums face is a perfect low E, stood me in good stead back in the day.
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Re: The Lost Art of Tuning

Post by Olderama »

I used a 7inch floppy record from an old guitar tutor book
:mental:

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Re: The Lost Art of Tuning

Post by KNNZ »

my sister's piano

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Re: The Lost Art of Tuning

Post by Kev77 »

jeremyb wrote: Tue Dec 08, 2020 8:41 am The sound of my cock slapping your mums face is a perfect low E, stood me in good stead back in the day.
That would be Db diminished?
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