'' Everybody has one ''

Gary Preston · From: Columbus, Ohio, USA

I have been looking around the forum for a while now and it seems to me that everyone has an openion what sounds the best for their steel . I have seen many tunings that a lot of folks swear by . I think that it would be safe to say that most steel players have some type of tuner that they like the best . Yours truly inc . It is very hard trying to tune your steel when the other members of the group have the same idea . So hence ''a tuner '' . But the question is this ,has the pro players like John Hughey or Lloyd Green or Tommy White and so on ever posted the way they tune their guitars on the forum ? I'm talking about ( hertz or cents ) for each open string and floor pedals and levers ? If so i have never seen them . Chimes are ok if you are the only one in the room but most of the time that is'nt the case . I'm thinking that this is an honest question and now for the answer . Who's first ??? Gary .

Lem Smith · From: Long Beach, MS

If I remember correctly, Buddy Emmons has posted on here before that he tunes his steel straight up 440 with the tuner. I also remember hearing that Weldon Myrick tuned his straight 440 with the tuner as well.

Lem

Bobby Lee · From: Cloverdale, California, USA

Lloyd Green and Paul Franklin tune by ear.

Dustin Rigsby · From: Parts Unknown, Ohio

I use the Gary Preston tuning...works good and sounds purty.

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D.S. Rigsby
Wilcox SD10 3&5

Rick Schmidt · From: Prescott AZ, USA

I think us steelheads have inadvertently found a subject more taboo at the dinner table than religion and politics. After listening to steelradio for the last hour or so, I'm beginning to think we're all out of tune.

Gary Preston · From: Columbus, Ohio, USA

Bob Lloyd and Paul may tune by ear but they still have to have a starting point ,also it's my guess that they have some type of tuner .Something else you would think that even tuning by ear that after you do that would'nt it be eaisier to check that tuning with a tuner and record it and that would be much better than tuning by ear in a loud room ?( Just my little pea brain rolling around ) . I have tried the straight up method of tuning (440) and that does'nt work for my steel guitars . I have tried some of the other tunings and i'm not happy with those either . I have a tuning that sounds real good to me and i also share it with my students and they seem to like it . So i'm still waiting on some of the Pro's to share their tuning with us . By the way it's not like we are trying to buy some top secret information from ''Uncle Sam ''. Just a thought . G.P.

[This message was edited by Gary Preston on 28 November 2004 at 06:26 PM.]

LARRY COLE · From: LANCASTER, OHIO, USA

I just tune my strings till they feel right and adjust my hearing aids to make it sound in tune.

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Playing For JESUS,LC. WILLIAMS U12,SHO-BUD PRO1,CARVIN TL60,GIBSON LES PAUL CUSTOM,YAMAHA L-10A ACOUSTIC,ROLAND JW-50 KEYBOARD,G&L AND BC RICH BASS'S

Bill C. Buntin · From: Cleburne TX

The BIG E published a guide to tuning with harmonics which is basically tuning "beatless". The pro guys are right. You should be able to tune by ear, regardless of the surroundings. Its very tough sometimes, but I've been forcing myself to do it, just get a note from the piano player or something and then get everything like its suppossed to be using only your ears. You're better off in the long run for knowing how to tune without electronics. Just my humble opinion of course. I for one, listen to what the pro's say on this forum and then try everyway possible to apply those tips and knowledge to my own playing. Great subject.

Larry Bell · From: Englewood, Florida

Bill,
Buddy hasn't tuned beatless for many years. He does tune thirds slightly flat to avoid them going sharp and really sounding bad, but he's said several times he basically tunes 'straight up' to a tuner.

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Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2003 Fessenden S/D-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S-12 6x6, 1971 Dobro, Standel and Peavey Amps

John Drury · From: Gallatin, Tn USA

Gary,

I attended a short seminar that was put on by Russ Hicks and Jerry Brightman at the last NTSGA Super Jam and during the seminar I recall Jerry saying that he does not own a tuner, never has owned a tuner, and did not foresee ever owning a tuner.

BTW his guitar was very much in tune, and the cat can play! One of the best IMHO.

John Drury
NTSGA #3

David Doggett · Posted 29 Nov 2004 6:38 am

Jeff Newman had a complete tuning chart for both E9 and C6. The majority of top pros take a single note from a piano or tuner, and tune the rest by ear. That doesn't really tell you much. They could be tuning the rest beatless (the traditional Just Intonation, JI), or they could be compromising some strings and stops in the direction of the Equal Temperament (straight up) to make all combinations of strings, pedals and levers work best together. Paul Franklin takes into consideration the "stretch tuning" of pianos, which sets the strings a little sharper the higher they go, and a little flatter the lower they go. Buddy Emmons starts with everything straight up, but sometimes tweaks some strings or stops in the direction of JI. If you search on the top pros names in tuning threads you will find some stuff.

If you want to keep tuning by ear, head phones can be helpful in noisy environments. Otherwise you can get your perfect tuning in the quiet at home, then check a meter for each string and write that down or memorize it. On later occassions you can tune every string to that without listening.

Gary Preston · From: Columbus, Ohio, USA

David i think that it would be advantages to tune your guitar at home and check each string with a tuner for future reference . Again this is only my idea . G.P.

Joey Aguilera · From: Whittier, California, USA

What is the tuning that you use Gary?

Gary Preston · From: Columbus, Ohio, USA

Joey , i will e-mail you the tuning that i like the best and also sounds the best for my guitars . P.S. I also know that what works for me may not work for you ! Gary .

Joey Aguilera · From: Whittier, California, USA

Gary,

Your tuning worked really nice on my guitar. Thanks !

Joey

Gary Preston · From: Columbus, Ohio, USA

Hi, Joey ,thanks for your reply and i hope you feel good with the tuning i use . Best regards,,,Gary .

Roger Crawford · From: Griffin, GA USA

OK Gary, send it down south for us good ole boys!

KENNY KRUPNICK · From: Columbus, Ohio

Hey Roger, You're the one that had the Zumsteel that Jerry Miller now owns? That's a nice laquer Zum guitar.

Gary Preston · From: Columbus, Ohio, USA

Roger please check your e-mail ,thanks Gary .

Roger Crawford · From: Griffin, GA USA

Kenny, yeah, I'm afraid I'm the one that let that guitar get away. It is a beautiful guitar. I went through a phase when I thought I had to have another brand of guitar, but I came back to my senses and got back in the Zum family.

Gary, no e-mail from you, can you try again?
Thanks,
Roger

Roger Crawford · From: Griffin, GA USA

Gary...got it! Looks interesting, I'll try it and let you know how it feels.
Thanks,
Roger

Bob Carlucci · From: Candor, New York, USA

Tune the E's to 440 and temper tune the other strings and all the stops. I have never done ut any other way.

Gary Preston · From: Columbus, Ohio, USA

Bob we are thinking somewhat alike . Gary .

Bill Llewellyn · From: San Jose, CA

When you guys share tunings, do you also show how to tune all the pedals & levers, not just the open strings?

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Bill, steelin' since '99 | Steel page | My music | Steelers' birthdays | Over 50?

Terry Sneed · From: Arkansas,

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