I have been searching all over the internet for information like this. I simply can't bend my high E up to a full tone. Have tried adjusting the truss rod, action, strings... You are the first one who mentions the tail piece thing. I will try it when I get home. But thanks in advance!
i was wondering why my fingers hurt after a tech setup my guitar. the tention is super tight now. i play in standard tuning but like drop tuning stuff. it seems that my string height as well as my bridge is higher than before. i have a charvel with floyd rose. thanks for the vid! it makes alot of sense for my situation. gonna have the tech look at it and ask about the height
One thing ive noticed on very high end guitars (Suhr, PRS, Anderson, ect) is that they bend very easy, but they still seem to have good tight tension close to the pick guard. I love that, because I tend to like tighter strings if Im going to be tremolo picking, but more loose if Im going to be bending. I can't seem to find an answer as to how this is possible, but somehow it is. Most cheap guitars are either one or the other all the way up the fret board... tight or loose.
Thank you!! It was the "angle from the nut to tuning heads" that made my Les Paul play too stiff. Thank you. I tried everything else b4 seeing your vid. That was the trick. Thank you
that’s an excellent video I recently gota new cheap affinity telecaster and a didn’t tune it up all the way and it was that a whole step down and I love jazz and this thing now sounds like a perfect Jazz guitar it’s got a bell like tone due to the single coil but it’s super easy to play and I did a gig a half step down and it was brilliant because I got to practice playing in a keys that were a whole step up on the guitar given the standard tuning‘s of the tunes and so it was a challenge but it was really enjoyable because I got to understand why Jimi Hendrix tune his guitar half step lower I never knew why when I listen to his recordings when I was 17 but I’m glad you broke it down because that is so important you know
Love it, break angle matters. Standard response is typically to change string gauge. I feel sad that most guitarist do not understand basic physical principles. They keep harping on tone woods for a magnet based pickup.
this is the only video on UA-cam that helped me. They said that I have to change the strings(go lower gauge, practice to bend more) but I play other guitars as well. Actually I can bend my acoustic guitar much easier than my problematic strat. But not anymore 😁
Thank you for this info. I got a headless guitar and have been feeling crazy because I usually got with 9.5s for the scale length of this guitar in general. But on my headstock guitars it’s good but it felt more tense despite the same scale length on my headless. I think it’s the break angle is why and how shallow it would be.
I just discovered after years of playing that the main reason for having high tension, hard to bend strings is that I over tighten my tross rod :/ I just loosen it and it felt a lot better now.. I use 10's for years :)
I changed thr height of my tail pce on my les Paul. It reduced the string tension by a amount. I was very surprised it made soo much deference. I reduced it back down by small increments till I was happy. Basically to almost where it started. I found it changed the feel too much and effected my playing. Worth experimenting with - but take note on where you start from.
SO if i change the height of my tail piece am i going to have to fix the intonation because i just heightend mine a little bit and the strings are starting to go out of tune very quickly did i do something wrong? Is that something to do with intonation now or whaaa
Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top, the favorite guitar player of Jimi Hendrix late in his life) used .008" gauge strings. I often used .008" gauge strings on some of my guitars.
Man very informative the angle of the string after the nut made me relook how i wound my strings .. i remade them so that i decrease the angle now its much easier to play thaaaaaaanks!
@@NgalaRaywinding the strings makes rings around the tuning peg make sure that the last loop having the string is highest ie. that the string after the nut has the least angle possible foing into the the tuning peg
Hardtail bridges can have more string tension because they don't have the relief of springs on a trem. They also have a much more immediate snap. But they work great for double bends. If you set a trem flush so it won't move in case of a string break it will work fine for double bends.
dude please help me my strat plays stiff even with 9 gauge strings tuned to e Flat! have played gauge 11s what feel looser in standard tuning! since i got it setup by a tech its so stiff what could be the reason i like a loose feel so much easier to play
So this is the part I can't get my head around. If a string needs a certain amount of tension to bring it up to pitch, why should break angle affect tension, because pitch depends on tension?
I have an electric gibson guitar..prior to gettjng it restrung (after yrs of it sitting in the case), i noticed that even my though my tuner said my low e was in tune..it wiggled & didnt have the clean tension like my other strings...i got it re-strung rececently with, now i noticed the A is in tune...but continues to wiggle around more than anyother string? Id like them all to be semi tense & dont like how or understand why my now A string (i moved from 10’s to 9’s strings few weeks back), but id like all strings to be constistant with their tension, i dont like that the A rings out someimes because it’s looser, but in tune? I cant find a vid where someone explains this issue, any help would be great, thanks!
I'm not an expert but I think I'm going through something similar. It could be the intonation, string height and truss rod, either individually or all of them at once. I hope that helps a bit
What to do in case my guitar has string retainer?? In that case the angle from nut to tuners will be steeper. I have js1000 ibanez with string retainer..and i feel slight little tension as compared to my Jackson dkmg.. kindly suggest what to do in that case how to reduce the stiffness..i am using 9s guage ernie ball 2223. Thanks
using 7 gauge string tuned down to C these days. I feel like I can make it even lighter than taht. Have had a repetitive strain injury on my ring finger recently.
I think this is what I’ve been looking for. I have LTD guitars, but none of them play as nice as my old Peavey Wolfgang, or my LP style guitar. I like my strings tight but can’t stand think strings.
what if you want to increase the string tension? i have a stratocaster that feels like strings (10-46 eb slinkys) are hanging off to me at a440....but i like to fight guitar a bit, and have a slightly tighter string tension
To me, square machined saddles like the older American Standards had on them had slightly higher string tension than the more recent vintage bent steel saddles on the current American Standards. The "Balanced Tension" string sets that D'Addario makes have slightly higher tension on some strings like the "B". You can always step up to their 10.5 gauge set. It is slightly higher tension without making a full jump to elevens.
Most guitarists will easily misunderstand it as an actual decrease or increase of string tension. That is not the case. A certain gauge at a certain scale length and tuned to certain pitch, maintains its tension, ideally beyond the nut and the saddles (if friction there is very low). It HAS to be at same tension after tweaking on saddles, nut or tailpiece! Otherwise it will be out of tune! It‘s the slinkier FEEL that comes with lower break angle, because friction on those points is reduced and by fretting or bending the string you pull extra string length from behind the saddles or nut. And the length of those string bits beyond the scale length are influencing that behaviour: longer pieces= more string to stretch= slinkier FEEL. In fact (it’s measured by "Dylan talks tone") you need a further distance to bend on pitch, and also more force. Simple: because a "longer" string needs more tension for bending to pitch. You just feel it as slinkier, but it‘s not!🤷🏻♂️ But, science aside- everybody should chose what feels the best and makes him/her happy.😊
regarding subject of heavier string /higher tension stings(with bigger core) seeming easier to play . It seems that the additional amount you can lower the action with larger cores/higher tension does at least partially, if not all, if not more than, make up for or overtake the higher action/lighter tension stings in terms of final deflection force required. For depressing stings, (not bends of course). Because the farther you deflect a string under tension, the more tension increases, so lower action maybe? can reduce overall deflection force even if tension is higher. But I have no idea how this translates to particular string sizes and action heights. I have no 'feel' at for any actual different combinations. The same can be said for intonation compensation. Heavier cores/higher tension need more compensation, but lower action requires less compensation, which is always good. Higher tension can sound more 'bell like', reduce inharmonicty. Too much inharmonicity will make a string sound bad and out of tune with itself, especially as you play higher and higher frets. With guitars it usually happens on lower strings that have too little tension or too short a scale length for the pitch.
Am I the only one who actually finds heavier gauge strings to be much easier to play than lighter gauge strings? Idk I find light gauge strings to feel too fragile. It might be cuz I play dropped tuned guitars and pick the hell out of my strings.
It can be, in a way. I agree. Even though I play a lot of shred stuff, I find 9 gauge strings too unstable to play on. I like the 9.5 gauge set from D'Addario because it give me just a tiny bit more tension. I use 10 and 10.5 gauge sets on my drop-tuned and short-scale guitars.
Do you know how to intonate your electric/acoustic guitar with a deformation degree concept applied ? Well, you are already near than you think. Firstly, let's be clear with this wrong idea that is in our heads always: "My guitar now is in tune. I got the best tuner in the market !!!". Wrong!. Even piano makers know the intonation is NOT perfect. Some notes need to be more sharp (or flat) than others in order to get a "perfect" piano tuned. The fact is that the real world tuning that makes sense is made by a perfect "out of tune" system. Some notes are near to the pure note by fractions than others. One fine example is given at the first frets of any guitar. There's too much tension applied at this point because strings are near to the nut and the action is too high (ex. acoustic guitar). Have you heard a perfect Am chord .... but you get a sour Em chord on the first frets?. Tension is even greater with wounded strings at this point. Try to play for 3 or 5 minutes an F Major chord. Your strength in your fingers decreases and that chord start to sound like is not a complete F Maj chord anymore. Some strings ring and others are muted. The concept of deformation degree applied on a string is related to it's gauge. The greater is the gauge, the greater is the tension at the first frets. It's harder to track the strenght you apply on wounded strings. Check your guitar is in tune with your electronic tuner. Now play a G note on the 6th string/3rd fret. Check on your tuner how this G note goes sharp as you play soft or hard. Apply little pressure until you hit a perfect G note. It's noticeable !!!! Knowing this lead us to the conclusion that open strings notes are not good for tuning because these notes have ZERO deformation degree applied. The best way to keep tension lower in a practical manner when you are tuning your instrument is to "relocate" the nut to get a low deformation degree at the wounded strings. It' s a logic step you need to be aware of: -Tune every string as usual at the 12th fret harmonics, then fret notes at the 12 fret, and check open string notes. -Execute some wide bends slowly at the 12 fret and the 7 fret on every string jumping from one string to another for about 3 minutes. -Now, at the 7th fret/6th string , tune to B slowly. -Next, 7th fret/5th string, tune to E slowly. -Shift to 6th fret/4rth string, tune to Ab slowly. -6th fret/3rd string, tune to C# slowly. -Shift again to 5th fret/ 2nd string, tune to E slowly. -5th fret/1rst string, tune to A slowly. -Repeat wide bends and tune again the same way until you don't need to tune after bends. This way you got the perfect balance, tension vs. string gauge/lenght in every string. Your guitar NOW is "out of tune/in tune" by fractional notes at the right point on the fretboard with the lowest deformation degree when You fret notes. Want to check how open notes are "in tune/out of tune" making chords sound sweet ? Play a cowboy G Maj chord an pay attention on the G note on the 3rd fret/6th string. Every note now is in a relocated harmonized-pitch due to the tension applied/wounded strings (Gauge) relationship. Ask the pros about it. Check Earvana nut, Buzz Feiten System, Guitars with fan fretboard. This relocated spot tuning procedure [Virtual Nut With Balanced Gauge/Tension Tuning] works wonders on cheap acoustic guitars. One final word: Have you noticed how hard is to record an acoustic guitar that You think is in tune? And what about when you use a wide capo?. Goes Sharp enough to make things worse? "Devil is on details" , said the guy that showed me to tune my acoustic guitar to the song's key .... every time I record a song. (?!?!). Well, all that hell of "learning to deal with an acoustic guitar" is now .... in the past ! You're welcome ! Cheers.
+Shred He'd I have to disagree with you there. I can definitely feel a lessening of tension the shallower the string angle is over the bridge saddles and the nut. I have heard many many pro players talk about the same thing on their guitars. I do it by sight and feel and try to strike a balance between low string tension and not having any string buzz from too little of a break angle. The tension definitely changes as I make the adjustments. In another video, I explain how installing lower height tuners on my Les Paul changed the string tension enough for me to buy another set of mid-height tuners. I wasn't expecting the tuner's break angle to effect string tension but it did, and I was not looking for it to happen. That is evidence to me that it is a real phenomena. You would have to perform a controlled scientific experiment and have it peer reviewed before I would believe I am not feeling what I am feeling.
I tried doing this on my strat. I removed the strings from the string tree on the headstock, so the angle is less agressive. I sincerely did not feel the slightest difference.
wifey so is he correct because you agreed? It does have an impact and there are controlled scientific experiments that have proven this. Get a les Paul and change the heights of the stop tail piece and tell me there is no change.
that's a good answer, if the proper tension at the nut and saddles is applied then anything past that point won't change the tension. He is correct saying it will move more freely and as such will align with your point that it changes the "feel" but not the tension.
Not true higher action is easier to bend it's impossible to bend with low action without the string slipping under your fingers you after press hard in to fretboard to hold string there
Amazing video. Thank you so much. I’ve played all my life and never knew the retaining bar effected string tension with the Floyd’s.
Thank you, you've confirmed what I've been thinking for quite a while. Really like this video - good clear factual explanation. Excellent.
Bro I have a question? Does professional guitarist use light gauge strings or heavy gauge springs
Thank you for all of this information
The video and info i was looking for !! thx so much for the upload
I have been searching all over the internet for information like this. I simply can't bend my high E up to a full tone. Have tried adjusting the truss rod, action, strings...
You are the first one who mentions the tail piece thing. I will try it when I get home. But thanks in advance!
Same here
i was wondering why my fingers hurt after a tech setup my guitar. the tention is super tight now. i play in standard tuning but like drop tuning stuff. it seems that my string height as well as my bridge is higher than before. i have a charvel with floyd rose. thanks for the vid! it makes alot of sense for my situation. gonna have the tech look at it and ask about the height
One thing ive noticed on very high end guitars (Suhr, PRS, Anderson, ect) is that they bend very easy, but they still seem to have good tight tension close to the pick guard. I love that, because I tend to like tighter strings if Im going to be tremolo picking, but more loose if Im going to be bending. I can't seem to find an answer as to how this is possible, but somehow it is. Most cheap guitars are either one or the other all the way up the fret board... tight or loose.
Mike Dean precise designs, repeatable and controlled manufacturing and proper setup.
Excellent stuff mate, very informative!
Love the info and accent, and now it's more clear why is there a buzz on the saddle
Thank you!! It was the "angle from the nut to tuning heads" that made my Les Paul play too stiff. Thank you. I tried everything else b4 seeing your vid. That was the trick. Thank you
that’s an excellent video I recently gota new cheap affinity telecaster and a didn’t tune it up all the way and it was that a whole step down and I love jazz and this thing now sounds like a perfect Jazz guitar it’s got a bell like tone due to the single coil but it’s super easy to play and I did a gig a half step down and it was brilliant because I got to practice playing in a keys that were a whole step up on the guitar given the standard tuning‘s of the tunes and so it was a challenge but it was really enjoyable because I got to understand why Jimi Hendrix tune his guitar half step lower I never knew why when I listen to his recordings when I was 17 but I’m glad you broke it down because that is so important you know
really useful info. it's like you are re-introducing my own guitar to me.
Good video. Bravo. I did not know about Ray Vaughn and Hendrix tuning down to E flat. Cool!
Love it, break angle matters. Standard response is typically to change string gauge. I feel sad that most guitarist do not understand basic physical principles. They keep harping on tone woods for a magnet based pickup.
Really good video it was a very helpful Thank you..🙂
this is the only video on UA-cam that helped me. They said that I have to change the strings(go lower gauge, practice to bend more) but I play other guitars as well. Actually I can bend my acoustic guitar much easier than my problematic strat. But not anymore 😁
Thanx man. You helped me here a lot.
Thank you for this info. I got a headless guitar and have been feeling crazy because I usually got with 9.5s for the scale length of this guitar in general. But on my headstock guitars it’s good but it felt more tense despite the same scale length on my headless. I think it’s the break angle is why and how shallow it would be.
Thanks for the explanation!
I just discovered after years of playing that the main reason for having high tension, hard to bend strings is that I over tighten my tross rod :/ I just loosen it and it felt a lot better now..
I use 10's for years :)
I changed thr height of my tail pce on my les Paul. It reduced the string tension by a amount. I was very surprised it made soo much deference. I reduced it back down by small increments till I was happy. Basically to almost where it started. I found it changed the feel too much and effected my playing. Worth experimenting with - but take note on where you start from.
Brilliant - really helpful.
You are awesome man! Great video!!!
SO if i change the height of my tail piece am i going to have to fix the intonation because i just heightend mine a little bit and the strings are starting to go out of tune very quickly did i do something wrong?
Is that something to do with intonation now or whaaa
Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top, the favorite guitar player of Jimi Hendrix late in his life) used .008" gauge strings.
I often used .008" gauge strings on some of my guitars.
Man very informative the angle of the string after the nut made me relook how i wound my strings .. i remade them so that i decrease the angle now its much easier to play thaaaaaaanks!
Please how did you adjust it?🙏
Please how did you adjust it?🙏
@@NgalaRaywinding the strings makes rings around the tuning peg
make sure that the last loop having the string is highest
ie. that the string after the nut has the least angle possible foing into the the tuning peg
@@TheCarDude1 thank you🙏🙏🙏🙏
Doesnt it make more sense that the longer the scale length, the easier it is to bend?
Hardtail bridges can have more string tension because they don't have the relief of springs on a trem. They also have a much more immediate snap. But they work great for double bends. If you set a trem flush so it won't move in case of a string break it will work fine for double bends.
dude please help me my strat plays stiff even with 9 gauge strings tuned to e Flat! have played gauge 11s what feel looser in standard tuning! since i got it setup by a tech its so stiff what could be the reason i like a loose feel so much easier to play
Thank you
So this is the part I can't get my head around. If a string needs a certain amount of tension to bring it up to pitch, why should break angle affect tension, because pitch depends on tension?
any advice???? I can't bend a string on my guitar and I'm using 9 guage string
You're probably just tired
mines to loose
Ban Vann use 10s (heavier gague)
John Snow tnx but I just kinda fix it already not too lose but not too tight my preference
A very good and thorough explanation of string tension and tuning.
I have an electric gibson guitar..prior to gettjng it restrung (after yrs of it sitting in the case), i noticed that even my though my tuner said my low e was in tune..it wiggled & didnt have the clean tension like my other strings...i got it re-strung rececently with, now i noticed the A is in tune...but continues to wiggle around more than anyother string? Id like them all to be semi tense & dont like how or understand why my now A string (i moved from 10’s to 9’s strings few weeks back), but id like all strings to be constistant with their tension, i dont like that the A rings out someimes because it’s looser, but in tune? I cant find a vid where someone explains this issue, any help would be great, thanks!
I'm not an expert but I think I'm going through something similar. It could be the intonation, string height and truss rod, either individually or all of them at once. I hope that helps a bit
what happens if i am already tuned down a half step and my strings are still kinda high above the neck? someone help please
What to do in case my guitar has string retainer?? In that case the angle from nut to tuners will be steeper. I have js1000 ibanez with string retainer..and i feel slight little tension as compared to my Jackson dkmg.. kindly suggest what to do in that case how to reduce the stiffness..i am using 9s guage ernie ball 2223. Thanks
using 7 gauge string tuned down to C these days. I feel like I can make it even lighter than taht. Have had a repetitive strain injury on my ring finger recently.
E flat is worth trying anyway just to see how the guitar sounds as all the resonances of the string change relative to the pickups.
Will a sting buddy change the tension of the strings? I have a ES _ 347 with an extreme 17 degree neck angle. The strings feel stiff as a board.
How about shimming the heal of the Guitar? Will that relieve tension when bending?
No wonder my 7 string just got harder to do bends on.. duh dave?? thanks for answering my question
i currently am playing with a low string tension, any advice for a frusciante type sound?
Angle break affecting string tension.
Some things weren't covered in Physics II.
I think this is what I’ve been looking for. I have LTD guitars, but none of them play as nice as my old Peavey Wolfgang, or my LP style guitar.
I like my strings tight but can’t stand think strings.
what if you want to increase the string tension? i have a stratocaster that feels like strings (10-46 eb slinkys) are hanging off to me at a440....but i like to fight guitar a bit, and have a slightly tighter string tension
To me, square machined saddles like the older American Standards had on them had slightly higher string tension than the more recent vintage bent steel saddles on the current American Standards. The "Balanced Tension" string sets that D'Addario makes have slightly higher tension on some strings like the "B". You can always step up to their 10.5 gauge set. It is slightly higher tension without making a full jump to elevens.
I ended up just grabbing some 11s. See how I go with them I guess.
Most guitarists will easily misunderstand it as an actual decrease or increase of string tension. That is not the case.
A certain gauge at a certain scale length and tuned to certain pitch, maintains its tension, ideally beyond the nut and the saddles (if friction there is very low).
It HAS to be at same tension after tweaking on saddles, nut or tailpiece! Otherwise it will be out of tune!
It‘s the slinkier FEEL that comes with lower break angle, because friction on those points is reduced and by fretting or bending the string you pull extra string length from behind the saddles or nut. And the length of those string bits beyond the scale length are influencing that behaviour: longer pieces= more string to stretch= slinkier FEEL.
In fact (it’s measured by "Dylan talks tone") you need a further distance to bend on pitch, and also more force. Simple: because a "longer" string needs more tension for bending to pitch. You just feel it as slinkier, but it‘s not!🤷🏻♂️
But, science aside- everybody should chose what feels the best and makes him/her happy.😊
ive got a set of 10s on my g & l floyd rose and my b string is easier to bend than my high e - whats up with that ?! any suggestions ?
Normal feel
regarding subject of heavier string /higher tension stings(with bigger core) seeming easier to play . It seems that the additional amount you can lower the action with larger cores/higher tension does at least partially, if not all, if not more than, make up for or overtake the higher action/lighter tension stings in terms of final deflection force required. For depressing stings, (not bends of course). Because the farther you deflect a string under tension, the more tension increases, so lower action maybe? can reduce overall deflection force even if tension is higher. But I have no idea how this translates to particular string sizes and action heights. I have no 'feel' at for any actual different combinations. The same can be said for intonation compensation. Heavier cores/higher tension need more compensation, but lower action requires less compensation, which is always good. Higher tension can sound more 'bell like', reduce inharmonicty. Too much inharmonicity will make a string sound bad and out of tune with itself, especially as you play higher and higher frets. With guitars it usually happens on lower strings that have too little tension or too short a scale length for the pitch.
Am I the only one who actually finds heavier gauge strings to be much easier to play than lighter gauge strings? Idk I find light gauge strings to feel too fragile. It might be cuz I play dropped tuned guitars and pick the hell out of my strings.
It can be, in a way. I agree. Even though I play a lot of shred stuff, I find 9 gauge strings too unstable to play on. I like the 9.5 gauge set from D'Addario because it give me just a tiny bit more tension. I use 10 and 10.5 gauge sets on my drop-tuned and short-scale guitars.
yeah heavy gauges are easier to hit but harder to press for me
BB King and Billy Gibbons have been know to play with 7’s 😭
String tension is different from string stiffness
small string hard to play for me I always want to play nine but I need practice some dynamic. Big string easy to play but small string sound better
Billy Gibbons plays SEVENS! .... How he keeps them in tune is beyond me.
He has a full time tech that works on it before during and after he plays them MAY be one answer.
i love billy but dont believe all he says,he owns a original moderne too....
@@harryw9598 I have some of his signature .007 strings, you can buy them....he's not lying
Do you know how to intonate your electric/acoustic guitar with a deformation degree concept applied ?
Well, you are already near than you think.
Firstly, let's be clear with this wrong idea that is in our heads always: "My guitar now is in tune. I got the best tuner in the market !!!". Wrong!.
Even piano makers know the intonation is NOT perfect.
Some notes need to be more sharp (or flat) than others in order to get a "perfect" piano tuned.
The fact is that the real world tuning that makes sense is made by a perfect "out of tune" system. Some notes are near to the pure note by fractions than others.
One fine example is given at the first frets of any guitar. There's too much tension applied at this point because strings are near to the nut and the action is too high (ex. acoustic guitar). Have you heard a perfect Am chord .... but you get a sour Em chord on the first frets?.
Tension is even greater with wounded strings at this point. Try to play for 3 or 5 minutes an F Major chord. Your strength in your fingers decreases and that chord start to sound like is not a complete F Maj chord anymore. Some strings ring and others are muted.
The concept of deformation degree applied on a string is related to it's gauge. The greater is the gauge, the greater is the tension at the first frets.
It's harder to track the strenght you apply on wounded strings.
Check your guitar is in tune with your electronic tuner. Now play a G note on the 6th string/3rd fret.
Check on your tuner how this G note goes sharp as you play soft or hard.
Apply little pressure until you hit a perfect G note. It's noticeable !!!!
Knowing this lead us to the conclusion that open strings notes are not good for tuning because these notes have ZERO deformation degree applied.
The best way to keep tension lower in a practical manner when you are tuning your instrument is to "relocate" the nut to get a low deformation degree at the wounded strings.
It' s a logic step you need to be aware of:
-Tune every string as usual at the 12th fret harmonics, then fret notes at the 12 fret, and check open string notes.
-Execute some wide bends slowly at the 12 fret and the 7 fret on every string jumping from one string to another for about 3 minutes.
-Now, at the 7th fret/6th string , tune to B slowly.
-Next, 7th fret/5th string, tune to E slowly.
-Shift to 6th fret/4rth string, tune to Ab slowly.
-6th fret/3rd string, tune to C# slowly.
-Shift again to 5th fret/ 2nd string, tune to E slowly.
-5th fret/1rst string, tune to A slowly.
-Repeat wide bends and tune again the same way until you don't need to tune after bends. This way you got the perfect balance, tension vs. string gauge/lenght in every string. Your guitar NOW is "out of tune/in tune" by fractional notes at the right point on the fretboard with the lowest deformation degree when You fret notes.
Want to check how open notes are "in tune/out of tune" making chords sound sweet ?
Play a cowboy G Maj chord an pay attention on the G note on the 3rd fret/6th string.
Every note now is in a relocated harmonized-pitch due to the tension applied/wounded strings (Gauge) relationship.
Ask the pros about it. Check Earvana nut, Buzz Feiten System, Guitars with fan fretboard.
This relocated spot tuning procedure [Virtual Nut With Balanced Gauge/Tension Tuning] works wonders on cheap acoustic guitars.
One final word: Have you noticed how hard is to record an acoustic guitar that You think is in tune?
And what about when you use a wide capo?.
Goes Sharp enough to make things worse?
"Devil is on details" , said the guy that showed me to tune my acoustic guitar to the song's key .... every time I record a song. (?!?!).
Well, all that hell of "learning to deal with an acoustic guitar" is now .... in the past !
You're welcome !
Cheers.
tension IS tuning.
break angle effecting tension is a myth
+Shred He'd I have to disagree with you there. I can definitely feel a lessening of tension the shallower the string angle is over the bridge saddles and the nut. I have heard many many pro players talk about the same thing on their guitars. I do it by sight and feel and try to strike a balance between low string tension and not having any string buzz from too little of a break angle. The tension definitely changes as I make the adjustments.
In another video, I explain how installing lower height tuners on my Les Paul changed the string tension enough for me to buy another set of mid-height tuners. I wasn't expecting the tuner's break angle to effect string tension but it did, and I was not looking for it to happen. That is evidence to me that it is a real phenomena.
You would have to perform a controlled scientific experiment and have it peer reviewed before I would believe I am not feeling what I am feeling.
I tried doing this on my strat. I removed the strings from the string tree on the headstock, so the angle is less agressive. I sincerely did not feel the slightest difference.
Shred Hed based on what? Your opinion.
wifey so is he correct because you agreed? It does have an impact and there are controlled scientific experiments that have proven this. Get a les Paul and change the heights of the stop tail piece and tell me there is no change.
that's a good answer, if the proper tension at the nut and saddles is applied then anything past that point won't change the tension. He is correct saying it will move more freely and as such will align with your point that it changes the "feel" but not the tension.
Not true higher action is easier to bend it's impossible to bend with low action without the string slipping under your fingers you after press hard in to fretboard to hold string there