The Steel Guitar Forum

Dave and all

Figured out one better.

Set the calibrate button for the Hz I want and tune dead up to the center.....

Chuck

James Morehead wrote:

David Doggett wrote: If I had a Peterson, I would tune carefully by ear, and enter my own presets. I would not blindly use any factory presets.

I agree. For the newbies, it's a good idea to learn how to tune by ear using a tuning fork. Then, with a stroboflip, you can measure the tuning and enter it in as a preset for YOUR guitar. Most tuners do not allow you to measure.

Every guitar is different, and the programmed tunings in the Petersen Stroboflip are just an "average", to get you in the ball park if you are in a hurry, at least for me. I enter my guitar's personal settings into the stroboflip and it's wonderful for noisey situations, like at a gig, where you will have a difficult time tuning by ear. I also like the stroboflip in the shop doing setup work. But you would really do yourself a favor to learn how to tune by ear, using a tuning fork as a starting spot.

james, as i am a newbie - how do i find out what tuning is the best for my guitar??
i use the rob haines tempered tuning from his dvd.
on band practise i tune by ear.

TU-2

Lyon by Washburn LSMT-30 metronome /tuner

Boss TU-12H

it's important to know just how much cabinet drop your steel has in order to tune it accordingly
tuning charts are helpfull but not specific to all models
check this thread out before you get too wound up on the tuning issue :
http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=164485

I tune my 4th string E to 440 with A and B pedals down using an old TU-12. This brings the E up to about 441 when the pedals are released. The rest I tune by ear depending on who/what is in the band/session.

It's really pretty academic compared to how badly you can be out of tune with sloppy bar placement. Learning to tune by ear is all part of learning to play. You need good ears to play this instrument well. You've got to work them the same as you work your hands.

That's my advice. Actually it's Lloyd Green's advice. He told me so years ago. And so did Basil Henriques. And so did Tom Brumley. And Gerry Hogan. And Jeff Newman. And Paul Franklin.... I've never met Buddy but I'm sure he'd say the same thing.

I use a Korg CA-30. Inexpensive, and it does the job.

It's really pretty academic compared to how badly you can be out of tune with sloppy bar placement

Or how capable you are at pulling one back into tune (or close) with the bar. Seems I have a ceiling fan blowing right down on me at all times. Reaps havoc with the strings.

i'm using a clip on chromatic tuner now for everything because it is super easy to use...banjo, acoustic guitar, uke and steel, just clip it on and tune it up...works on vibration and is the best one i have used of these type of tuners...$30...brand is KORG model number is AW-2G...

Jeff Newman once said that "all tuners lie".

I agree, because my experience with tuners is that they are great as a shortcut to get you in the ballpark, but, you must use your own inherant hearing abilities to "fine-tune".

OK, I'm ready for flames, I've heard all of the defense about the fallacy of depending upon your own hearing.....I've been there before!

I use a Boss TU-2. I take it out of the sig chain once I'm done using it. I tuned my 6-string guitars for 18 years by ear and never had a problem but I had to buy a tuner when I started steel, just so I could spend more time playing the thing. It's hard enough when you can't remember what the strings are supposed to be tuned to, then throw in pedals and knee levers!

Now I find that if I take the time to get every string, pedal and lever PERFECT according to the tuner, it works great. I even use it for regular guitar now, though for one of my acoustics I have to employ a special tuning system I figured out that the guitar seems to like best.

I've never understood the benefits of using your ears tuning steel. I'm not disputing it, I know a lot of steel players do it. It just seems like whatever tuning method you employ for cabinet drop or whatever, a tuner would be faster. All you're doing anyway is compensating (or compromising) certain notes so that the guitar will be more in tune during certain pedal/lever combos...but then subsequently less so in others, right? Not sure why you couldn't use a tuner for that anyway, it would be faster wouldn't it?

Plus if you have a model with bypass, you can do it silently. At gigs, after unpacking your steel you can tune silently off stage while the previous band plays their last song. Then you're ready to go!

For the past 2 years, I've been using a KORG CA-30, and my ears. Paid about $20 for it, and it has variable hz, and an LCD "needle". Works great for me.
Now, if I could only make that tuning have "the sound", I'd be happy
rick

Georg Sørtun wrote:

- With a tuner you have to check strings and pedal/lever combinations individually, and you can only reliably check open strings and harmonics - no bar. Takes time - you know better than me how much time it usually takes.
- By ear you can strike a few chords almost anywhere on the neck, push those pedals/levers, and immediately pick out what needs tuning. Such a tuning procedure doesn't take long for a trained "ear tuner" - I'd say less than a minute if pressed for time.

OK that does make sense. I'm not ready to let go of my tuner yet though! Crazy, I was pretty proud of the fact that I never needed one before, now I'm scared to go without...I'll have to ween myself off it I guess...

Peterson Stroboflip. Great piece of gear. I use the Newman pedal presets on my non pedal console steels.

Guido,
use a tuning like the one you have, or the one from Jeff Newmann as a starting point.
Then tweek the tuning the next years to your ears.
Then find a way how they are to be recognised on any tuning device, brand is not important, as long as it is reliable. Then you can tune on a crowdy, noisy stage or in the studio. Don't get dependent on tools, but try to get that goal by your ears.

I know a lot of steelers with the most expensive gear that rely on tools and have big problems to play in tune. Instead of chasing numbers with two digits behind Hrz I advise them to train their ears and listen to their own recordings to learn from that.
mfc.

Johan

Years ago I had one of those big Korg tuners that you had to turn the dial to the note. All I use now is a cheap "Tanglewood" tuner, cost me £20..that's about $36 ...get my E's and B's in and the rest use my ears. Works for me

Micky Byrne U.K.

Korg LCA120 - I particularly like the large backlit LCD screen as I use it on a pedal board. Allows one program of customised presets.

After decades of Boss Tu-12's and predecessors and Intellitouch-type units for stage, I finally broke down and bought a Peterson Stobostomp.

I'll never go back to "needle" or LED tuners again.

The virtual strobe is even better than my old (long gone) Conn strobe. The accuracy and sensitivity are uncanny - you barely pick a string and you get a solid reading. It's also VERY easy to read form odd angles, which is really helpful when I jump from steel to guitar.

But the best thing is the temperaments. Used to try to "fly by wire" and position the TU12's needle + or - a set amount of cents to use a temperament b0b and Doug Livingston helped me with , but with this it took 5 minutes to program the offsets....and the guitar "sweetened" tuning i already there.

Both make a huge difference in the sound. No clashing thirds or other problems - it just sounds "right"

I recommend SOME kind of strobe tuner to all guitar and/or steel players. They're easy to use AND make you sound better.

It's been a while for this thread and new ideas have come about. Free apps for your Android like PANO TUNER is as accurate as a TU-2 and you don't need to connect anything. The microphone on your phone does the work. Easy to use.

I've been using a Boss TU-12 forever. I tend to be hard on gear. I've repaired the input jack connection twice and replaced the display once after dropping it.
I make a tuning chart in excel with my copedent including offsets and string guages, etc. I reduce it, print it, then tape it to the interior case wall that flips up.
The clamp-on inexpensive tunners are a good concept in that you can leave them attached to your steel for a quick tuning check between songs even. However, I find the ones I've tried lack resolution.
I'll probably try a strobed tuner next.

TU12H