Tuning a GFI s-10sm with tempered tunings

John Botofte · Post by **John Botofte** » 11 Mar 2015 1:57 am

Hello!
I have a question concerning tuning my E-strings with Peterson's SE9 and SP9 tunings?
GFI's instructions want me to tune the E-strings to D# first with the keys while engaging the LKR and then open E and F (with the LKL) with the nylon nuts. SP9 is for levers and pedals, but as D# is tuned both with key and lever engaged, I'm confused which tunings to use for D# and E.
Thanks in advance
John

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 11 Mar 2015 2:21 am

What model GFI do you have? My wife's is a GFI Expo S-10 and I tune with the Newman settings. I don't tune the E lower first. I tune the E open, tune the E to F raise, the E to F# raise and then the E to Eb lower.

But it really doesn't matter which sequence you tune the raises and lowers, just tune the open first. Each of the raises and lowers are on separate pulls so none interact with the others.

Same way with all the other strings. I tune the opens and then the raises and lowers.

Unless you have one of the student model GFI's, the way I stated is the way to tune it. The student model does tune differently.

John Botofte · Post by **John Botofte** » 11 Mar 2015 2:27 am

Thanks for the quick reply, but it is not a question of sequence, but rather whether my D# (tuned with both lever engaged and tuning key) should be tuned with SE9 or SP9. Sorry if that was unclear. My guitar is a SD-10 as indicated in the title.
John

Les Cargill · Post by **Les Cargill** » 11 Mar 2015 3:57 am

My guess would be SP9, since a lever or pedal is engaged.

For the Emmons offsets, (2)D# and (4,8 )Eb are the same pitch. My undcerstanding is that SE9 and SP9 are both Newman offsets with sharp E's.

SO all that remains is to find the Newman offsets.

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 11 Mar 2015 4:11 am

Yes, SP9 for the knee levers and pedals.

The way it was stated, it meant something different.

Geoff Noble · Post by **Geoff Noble** » 11 Mar 2015 7:54 am

Hi John,

Is this the GFI student model? if so this is a pull-release changer which needs to be tuned as per the GFI guide.

I used to have one of these so am aware of the tuning confusion

From memory you tune the E's to Eb with the knee lever engaged which lowers the E's, using the machine heads. Then you use the nylon tuners to tune in your E's (to E) with the lever released?

What I would do is use the pedal/knee tuning to tune the Eb's then the string tuning to tune the E's.

I hope this helps

John Botofte · Post by **John Botofte** » 11 Mar 2015 8:15 am

Thanks Geoff. I just tried that. My GFI Student Model clearly sounds better now with Eb tuned with SP9 and E with SE9. I just got confused.
Cheers
John

Geoff Noble · Post by **Geoff Noble** » 11 Mar 2015 9:50 am

Happy to help, glad you got it sorted

chris ivey · Post by **chris ivey** » 11 Mar 2015 10:20 am

i think the confusion here is that your model is an
s-10sm , not as sd10 as you put in the title.

John Botofte · Post by **John Botofte** » 11 Mar 2015 10:46 am

Thanks Chris. I got the abbreviation wrong.