In guitar tuning, a temperament is a tuning system that slightly
bends to find middle ground to the pure intervals of pure intonation.
Most modern musical instruments are tuned in the equal temperament
system. So “perfect tuning” is a search never mastered. It’s an ideal
never realized in guitar tuning.
Trussrod view relax and tighten for better action and intonation
“Temperament, in music, the accommodation or adjustment of the
imperfect sounds by transferring a part of their defects to the more
perfect ones, in order to remedy, in some degree, the false intervals of
those instruments, the sounds of which are fixed; as the organ,
harpsichord, piano-forte, etc. Temperament is what the Italians call participatione, or system temperato,
because it is founded on temperature; that is, on the diminution of
some intervals and augmentation of others, by which it partakes of the diatonic and chromatic systems.” according to Wiki Musical temperament notes.
Perfect Guitar Tuning
Can
perfect guitar tuning be achieved? Sorry, it cannot. But we can get
very close. It is impossible to place the frets on the guitar so that
all notes on the instrument will be perfectly in tune in every key —
simply impossible, because of the way tuning works. However in the shop,
when building and setting up guitars, we take all of this into
consideration.
Proper intonation is what makes a guitar’s strings
play in tune as you fret different notes on the fret board. If the 12th
fret note is flat or sharp, your intonation is off. On most electric
guitars you can adjust the intonation for each string individually at
the bridge with each saddle.
A fret notched straightedge for guitar neck being checked for string buzz, action and intonation in The Haywire Custom Shop
Very often, the strings are too high at the nut. As with the action when it is too high, chords will be very difficult to play, particularly near the nut. Normally, the strings at the nut should barely be higher than the height of a fret.
Locking tuners just make string changes faster and have a cleaner look. Locking tuners do nothing for tuning stability.
Anyone who says they do doesn’t know how to properly wind a string
around a traditional tuning peg. What they will do is take a well
balanced guitar and make the neck nose dive from the huge extra weight
added. Is that what you had in mind?
12-Tone Equal Temperament
12-Tone
Equal Temperament guitar tuning is difficult. This is the musical scale
which “ordinary” guitars are constructed for – in theory. In reality,
the best that can be achieved is a close approximation to Equal Temper.
How
do we solve the problem of imperfect guitar tuning? We set the guitar
up properly, cut the nut slots just right, radius the strings to the
neck. Then we set the action low, lubricate all friction points, set the
intonation at the saddles correctly. In addition, and get the action
very low, check again to make sure the truss rod is set perfectly.
Lastly we tune the guitar with an accurate digital tuner to get to notes
dialed in perfectly.
Rick Mariner Mr.
Rick Mariner Owner and Founder and CEO of Haywire Custom Guitars Inc.
He is a member of The Association of Stringed Instrument Artisans
(A.S.I.A.) as well as a guitar player. Rick holds a bachelors degree
from University of Md. and a Masters degree from George Washington
University. Rick developed his exclusive 8 – Point “Gig- Ready” guitar
process that allows for Custom Guitars that are “GIG-READY”. With Rick’s
many years of development and guitar set-up experience, Haywire Guitar
shop “Builds satisfied players… one Haywire guitar at a time”.
There’s nothing more aggravating than guitar string buzz makes noises it shouldn’t. An issue that comes up often is subject of guitar string buzz. It’s a problem that happens often to players. What is it?
String buzz is caused when a string strikes against the top of a
fret. It creates a buzzing sound. There are a few reasons why this
occurs from the strings on your guitar: 1. Are you playing the note in the right place?
Watch your technique. See if you’re fretting notes at the
right spot behind the fret. If your fingers are too far behind your frets then you’ll
hear some unwanted buzzing. 2. Are you striking your strings too hard?
Don’t be rough but be firm with your instrument. If you hit the
strings too hard when strumming, it can cause the strings to vibrate up
and down too much (as opposed to side to side), increasing the chance of
string buzz.
Apply proper finger pressure
3. Do you apply the proper amount of pressure to the string when fretting your notes?
Make good contact with the frets with the tips of your fingers.
Again-this is a technique issue. Are you playing sloppily or clean?
Finger strength is important. Are you having trouble playing barre
chords? Strengthen your fingers. How? Play more and
practice details such as clearly articulating each and every note.
Maintain good string contact with the top of each fret. 4. Are the guitar strings too light for your technique?
Look at any new changes in your guitar strings. Have you changed the
gauge? If so, this will cause a different tension when tuned up and
therefore cause you to have to change your attack. If you cannot adjust
then string buzz will occur.
5. Is your guitar new? Has it been properly set-up? Does it have the gauge of string that you normally use? Is the action too low?
With low action comes a trade-off. Super-low action can cause a sring
buzz. However, if you can live with it-it is so much easier to play.
Not all buzz will translate through an amplifier. So, if slight buzzing
occurs when un-amplified, ignore it when plugged in, because you’ll
never hear it anyway. 6. Is your guitar is set up properly?
Taking it to a guitar tech can help a lot. Get it set up right.
Uneven frets or humped neck
7. Can the buzzing is caused by uneven frets, an over-bowed or humped neck?
A good guitar tech can tell. He’ll level the frets,
straighten the neck and get it right for you. 8. Are the tuner bushings loose?
If so you’ll clearly hear a good amount of buzzing and
rattles that can be hard to pinpoint. Check and see if they are tight. 9. Does the string buzz occur when the note is played on and open string?
This will occur when a string “nut” slot is cut incorrectly. It can
be fixed by a competent luthier or guitar tech. It sounds much like a
“Sitar” effect when the open note is played.
Tips For Players To Keep Your Guitar In Good Working Order
Guitar maintenance tips for players to keep your guitar in good working order
First of all, I know you’re not a janitor. But it
helps to know a few guitar maintenance tips for your guitars’
happiness. Has it become a little difficult to play sometimes? Does it
sound,”out of tune”? Are the strings too high off the neck? Is the
neck warped or bowed? Are the tuning gears difficult to turn due to,
rusty moving parts ? Probably? It seems like, that your guitar needs a
guitar tune up! Sometimes these items are best left to the pros,
however there are some things players can do. With little effort a
player can perform some tasks to help a guitar play better.
Thanks for dropping by. There are a few maintenance tips
I can offer. First of all, wipe down the strings after playing. That
will help keep rust away. Add some silicone grease to the friction
points such as in the string slots of the nut and the string trees as
well as the bridge. Add light oil to the tuning keys to keep them free.
You need to be ready to play at all times
Clean the fret board with some light mineral oil. One of the most
important things: make sure when changing guitar strings to do so-one at
a time, rather than take off all of the strings at once. It is so much
easier on the neck. Finally, always keep your guitar in a comfortable
temperature. Avoid extremes in temperature. Remember, if it’s
uncomfortable for you then it’s not good for your guitar. Guitar maintenance tips are only good if you use them.
Guitars need to avoid extremes in temperature
If you feel a bit more adventurous with these
guitar maintenance tips then try doing more. This includes cleaning the
electronics, adjusting the string height, tightening any loose
hardware, adding the proper washers to the input jack and tightening it
to make sure it stays tight, re-stringing, adjusting the truss rod, cleaning and adjusting nut slots, set string radius and intonation. These a just a few things you can do to keep things running smooth.