# Temperament tuning.



## Jocko (May 17, 2010)

I have AP Tuner on my PC and it has the ability to set for varieties of Temperament tuning other than just Equal temperament. Has any one any knowledge of this and what temperament best suits a guitar?


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## washburned (Oct 13, 2006)

lots of good articles on the web. I use this method when I don't have a tuner:
tune the low E string to a keyboard or anything else you can find that plays E
tune the high E open to the low E harmonic @ 12 fret
tune the D string at second fret (E) to the low E 12 fret harmonic
tune the B string 3rd fret(D) to the Dstring 12 fret harmonic
tune the G string 12 fret harmonic to the third fret on the high E string (G)
tune the A string to the second fret on the G string.

season to taste.


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## kat_ (Jan 11, 2007)

Other temperments are fun to play around with but tend to sound off to ears that aren't used to them. Your frets are (most likely) spaced for equal temperment anyway so you can't really do much else. Unless you're going for historical accuracy there isn't much reason to use other temperments.

There's a really good museum of musical instruments at the university in Edinburgh. Since you're not too far from there it could be worth a visit. They're sure to have some instruments tuned to different temperments if you want to actually hear some. The new organ at the university here uses mean-tone temperment. It sounds awesome for German early-baroque music but kinda weird for anything.


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## Jocko (May 17, 2010)

The books I have read on setting up the Strat and Les Paul both go on about tuning up then adjusting the tuning depending on what key you will be playing in. The author keeps going on about how Equal Temperament is only an approximation and the guitar has to be sweetened by ear and experience. I know the Buzz Feiten system is supposed to negate this. Fancy tuners give much more options than just Equal Temperament. My ear is not accurate and acute enough for this. Think the expression is "tone deaf"!!!!
thanks kat for information on university museum. I will have to pay it a visit.


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## Highphi (Mar 1, 2010)

Eddie Van Halen is commonly quoted as tuning the guitar to a song specific key. I find it much easier to do in open tunings.


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## jimihendrix (Jun 27, 2009)

just get a hold of one of these "true temperment" fretboards...


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