# How do you tune your low E string



## ccuwan (Jul 9, 2008)

I’m using an Intellitouch PT1 to tune my guitars and feel confident that it does a great job. I find however that if I tune the low E string to an accurate setting with the Intellitouch or any other Chromatic tuner it is slightly sharp to not only my ear but to recordings I may play along with. If however, I fret the E sting at A and tune, I am happy with the result and I get a perfect match to the A string. This is important as I use a lot of 2 string bass in my style, fretting the E string at the 5th for a double stringed A. 

I expect that this is caused by the fact that when the string is fretted it is slightly stretched causing it to become sharp. As guitars have since the beginning been tuned by ear using a fretted E matched to an open A string, that would explain why the guitar just sounds wrong when the E string is accurately tuned and is better when tuned slightly flat. String stretching seems not to have as much impact on the smaller guage strings.

I’ve discussed this with other players and they don’t agree with my technique. I’m not looking for approval for my tuning method but I am curious to see if anyone else tunes their E string as a fretted A.


----------



## geezer (Apr 30, 2008)

I've talked to other players that tune their E string slightly flat,but only if the're tuned down or drop D.


----------



## ccuwan (Jul 9, 2008)

geezer said:


> I've talked to other players that tune their E string slightly flat,but only if the're tuned down or drop D.[/QUOTE
> 
> Much of my playing is in open G which of course is a D on the 6th string. My ear tells me it is necessary to tune the 6th string slightly flat in that tuning as well. Try it with your own chromatic. After tuning the 6th string, simply fret the 6th string at 5 and check the tuning. You will find that the result is slightly sharp.
> 
> ...


----------



## devnulljp (Mar 18, 2008)

All the above is bang on correct.
Check your intonation, but you will always be a touch out of tune somewhere on a guitar. it's supposedto be better if you plek the neck, but I've never played a plekked guitar.

Check this out from Eric Johnson on tuning

[youtube=Option]NpEP34X0fe4[/youtube]


----------



## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

good point about the piano tuning


----------



## marcos (Jan 13, 2009)

*Tuning E string*

Interresting,I just got a 96 Strat that I love but the E sounds a bit out of tune at different spots.All my other axes are O.K.so I assume that Intonation is in order for this one.


----------



## mrmatt1972 (Apr 3, 2008)

The intonation on one of my acoustics is off a tad on the low E string too. I play a G chord and tune the low string to it. It seems to work better that way. Kind of part way between flat and sharp as I go up to the 5th fret or so. I rarely play single notes on the the low string after that point.


----------



## ccuwan (Jul 9, 2008)

devnulljp said:


> it's supposedto be better if you plek the neck, but I've never played a plekked guitar.


devnulljp

What is a plekked neck?


----------



## devnulljp (Mar 18, 2008)

ccuwan said:


> devnulljp
> What is a plekked neck?


Paul beat me to it. The only manufacturer I can think of that routinely pleks their guitars is Heritage... 
Gibson CS maybe?
I'm sure top luthiers probably do something similar by hand when dressing frets. 

I've still never played one -- closest I've come is almost buying a Heritage 535 I'm afraid...


----------



## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

devnulljp said:


> Paul beat me to it. The only manufacturer I can think of that routinely pleks their guitars is Heritage...
> Gibson CS maybe?
> I'm sure top luthiers probably do something similar by hand when dressing frets.
> 
> I've still never played one -- closest I've come is almost buying a Heritage 535 I'm afraid...



Supposedly Crooks, Grosh, Anderson and Suhr all plek the necks of their guitars.


----------



## smorgdonkey (Jun 23, 2008)

G&L and some regular Gibson models are PLEK d as well from what I've read.


----------



## ccuwan (Jul 9, 2008)

It’s good to hear that I’m not alone when it comes to flat tuning the 6th string. I guess whether you tune in this manner or not depends on your style of play as well as the generation you are from. I don’t think Robert Johnson had an Intellitouch.


----------

