les pauls can't be tuned

deytookerjaabs said:

Look at it this way...

Segovia...out of tune

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igloobob said:

I recently got into les pauls after playing strats for 20+ years and despite all the things I love about les pauls, the short scale really accentuates how out of tune guitars are. Every time I pick up a les paul I spend most of the time trying to tune the thing. All guitars have the same problem, but the short scale of the les paul makes it much more pronounced than a strat (or anything with 25.5 scale). I have a les paul that is otherwise a really gre4at guitar. Perfect tone, really low action, fit anf finish are perfect, etc How do you get used to this? Has anyone tried compensated nuts or have any advice on how to get these guitars to sound right? If your experience is just playing les pauls do you eventually just grow to like an out of tune guitar?

About compensated nuts, I can see how they would help with open strings, but how does a compensated nut help to keep fretted notes in tune?



P.S. If criticism of Les Pauls offends you then don't respond. I shouldn't have to say that, but internet forums tend to attract losers that do nothing but scour forums looking for reasons to be offended.

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Freddy Robinson said:

I have the same problem i tried a compensated nut, new bridge and everything i can think of .... this thing will not tune. ( 2016 gold top deluxe ) intonation on the g string 12th fret dead on but the A note on the G string 2nd fret, Way Sharp. compensated nut didn't work for me but might work differently on your axe. worth a try for under $20. good luck to you

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Texas Blues said:

Well bless your heart.

Heres some oiled up tone deaf playing.

Enjoy.

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deytookerjaabs said:

I get the feeling, completely. You're playing some chord forms live and hearing it wanting to make tweaks on the fly cause one shape is good over here but bad over there etc etc etc. Or, worse, the piano guy is the band leader and his **** is perfect.


As stupid as it sounds, I learned to TRY to shut it off and just dig in cause when you look around other guys are just diggin' in and not over thinking it. I usually tune to an open A with my pinky on that A on the high E string, got it from a Danny Gatton vid (he had PP). In some ways I think the longer scale can have a looser feel/tone, not sure how to explain it and that can maybe be more pleasing to ear fatigue?


I've gone through stages of mucking around altered tuning system compositions and that kinda crap too so it's not foreign to me to listen to atonal-esque stuff. Plus I did a semester of gamelan ensemble, lol. It's just, like I stated above with examples of rock tunes that were beautiful but a good bit off I guess I'm saying there's a certain zen if you can give in and hear the tonality shifts.



Now, if you're scoring stuff for a film and things are noticeably cat calling that's a different story.

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