les pauls can't be tuned

deytookerjaabs said:

Not really. You can make things sharp with your hands, much of the board is sharp to begin with no matter what the touch.


No setup will change the fact that your octaves/invervals all over will be out of tune. 3rds, 5ths, not as bad, 4ths hurt but really the octaves are the worse for my ear. But, it's part of how the guitar sounds all at the same time. Compensation behind the first fret won't fix this. If your octave on the A chord and open G chord is perfect? There's no way for the E chord to have true octaves, etc. Something will always have to be out of tune to a degree. How bad you can hear it is an individual thing but it's there.

This is the level of compensation needed to reach proper intonation:

I've played a couple true temperament guitars and they sound like a digital keyboard, no thanks. True temperament isn't perfect anyways so it's striving for perfect imperfection all the same.

But, is is a HUGE deal? No, because it's how the instrument has always sounded!!!




Well, the A chord, yeah 440 or whatever is relative to the other guys in a group. I never played classical formally, I majored with a contract major in jazz studies and experimental composition (back when you could do that if they like you).

I think tuning to the open A chord with the pinky works nice cause you get a good 5th, good 4th on the D/G strings, a nice M3rd at G/B then you have two consonant octaves in A and E, 4 strings. So, at least that shape rings sorta true like you're "coming home" when you hit it, doesn't fix the rest of the board but to my ear it's the best compensation. I hate tuning the open strings to pitch via tuner cause the octaves don't ring as true.

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El Gringo said:

Great observations and you certainly know your stuff . So true ! Myself I have found I can have every string tuned perfectly except that darn infamous G string on the Les Paul . It always will tune a little sharp and then I back it off a hair and it tunes a little flat . We are not playing Casio keyboards after all . I loved that observation of yours about the digital keyboard !

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AA00475Bassman said:

And I thought the G string was just me !

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duaneflowers said:

OK Justin Bieber, I'll just have to take your word for that... :rofl

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Tom Wittrock said:

:bigal

You have proven yourself to be nothing more than a troll. :troll

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Texas Blues said:

And I will gladly do so.

I am so stupid
.

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igloobob said:

Look, I understand that you're bitter and filled with envy because you were born tone deaf but that's no excuse to insult people. When life hands you a lemon, you make lemonade. There are plenty of hobbies you can take up that won't be hindered by your tin ear- stamp collecting, masturbation, watching tv. . . and I can tell already that you'd have talent for one or all of those things. You never know, you may be a virtuoso at jerking off and watching tv. I'll even help you get rid of those frustrating guitars of yours. Give me your address and I'll swing by and dispose of all your music equipment so you can have a clean break with the past.

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Tom Wittrock said:

You have proven yourself to be nothing more than a troll. :troll

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igloobob said:

It would be funnier if you just get up on a stage and let the loud boos from the audience enlighten you on that.

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igloobob said:

Look, I understand that you're bitter and filled with envy because you were born tone deaf but that's no excuse to insult people.

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igloobob said:

Don't be so hard on yourself. You can't help the way you were born.

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Tom Wittrock said:

You are the one insulting people, :troll boy.

You aren't a good enough guitar player to play my guitars. If you ever learn how to play, maybe you can buy one of mine. :ganz

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Texas Blues said:

You are correct.

Thankfully I wasn't born a +20 year strat player.

That can't tune a Les Paul.

On another note.

Popeye's Chicken just called.

You're fired.

Now taking dishwasher applications.

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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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