Er, both. I'll use a tuner to "get a note" and then do the rest by ear. On stage it's silent electronic tuning all the way.
With an electronic tuner
By ear
By tuning fork or other steady note
Other (please explain)
Which way do most often tune your guitar, with a tuner or by ear?
I only use a tuner when recording or gigging, otherwise I tune predominantly by ear.
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Er, both. I'll use a tuner to "get a note" and then do the rest by ear. On stage it's silent electronic tuning all the way.
Electric: Fat strat > Korg PB > TS7 > DS1 > DD-20 > Cube 60 (Fender model)
Acoustic: Guitar > microphone > audience
Tuner, either my handheld Korg, my pedal tuner, my iMac, or my iPhone.
Steve Thompson
Sun Valley, Idaho
Guitars: Fender 60th Anniversary Std. Strat, Squier CVC Tele Hagstrom Viking Semi-hollow, Joshua beach guitar, Martin SPD-16TR Dreadnought
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tuner.
my trombone teacher said i had near to perfect pitch [whether he's right or not i have no idea and would not make that bet], and it makes me witchy about being spot on.
2006 Washburn WD55SW Augusta, 2006 Washburn J28S12DL, Washburn EA20SDL,
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I'm a tuner guy. I can easily tune by ear and relative pitch and harmonics etc but it's so easy to just plug in and tune in 30 seconds that I don't want to waste time tuning - I'd rather play.
"No Tele For you." - The Tele Nazi
Ha! Tele-ish now inbound.
When I hear a string going slightly off I usually just correct it by ear but I'll always tune electronically before I start playing.
- Lev
Main Guitars: Fender US Deluxe HSS Strat, PRS SE C24, Fender Baja Tele
Bass Guitar: Squier VM Jaguar Special
Main Amp: Vox AC15
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By ear, string-to-string is always the first go since it's easiest to get in the ballpark; as in the old saying "close enough for rock n' roll!"
But with a Boss TU-12H chromatic if an electric needs to be spot-on. For acoustics, a clip-on tuner (Intellitouch IMT-500) works very well. So does a tuning fork, working off the same principles of picking up vibrations. Tap it, rest the ball end on the bridge and match the 5th fret A harmonic; the soundwaves lock in & don't lie.
^^
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If I have a tuner handy I will use that, if not I tune by ear.
I can tune by ear and get it in tune with itself, but basically I'm with Spud. A tuner removes all inaccuracies and is much quicker. Why waste time?
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i'll third thisOriginally Posted by marnold
by ear i can tune a guitar to itself, but i'm never all that positive the first note is "right"
"I happen to have perfect situational awareness, Lana. Which cannot be taught, by the way. Like a poet's ... mind for ... to make the perfect words." - Sterling Archer
Depends on setting and how close I am to begin with. Just picking up and jamming alone in the office there's no need for a tuner, but much more often I'm playing with others, either in practice or performance. In the former I almost always use a tuner, in the latter I always always use one.
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I hit the little button on the back of the Micro Cube Amp. It's either A440 or Ab. Tune the rest of the strings to the A.
Guitars/Bass - MIM Fender Classic 50s Strat, MIM Fender Standard Strat, Squier Classic Vibe 50s Tele, Gibson Les Paul Studio, Epi '56 Gold Top Les Paul, Martin DSR acoustic, Sigma Martin Auditorium electric/acoustic, Squier Jazz Bass.
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I'm with Spud as well. I always seem to have a funky G or B string that tunes well open, but sounds horrible with chords up the neck. Then I try to retune by ear. I'm kinda of a stickler with tuning though, I like it right.Originally Posted by marnold
I can tune by ear and get it in tune with itself, but basically I'm with Spud. A tuner removes all inaccuracies and is much quicker. Why waste time?
“Your sound is in your hands as much as anything. It’s the way you pick, and the way you hold the guitar, more than it is the amp or the guitar you use.” Stevie Ray Vaughan
I usually go by ear but when it comes to performances Ill use a tuner
I'm VERY particular about tune so by machine most of the time. I've spent hours intonating every guitar anyway...by harmonics etc. it never will get as well in tune as with a tuner...so whenever there is one handy, I'll use it.
However I often drop to D and make small corrections to, say high E etc. and you don't need a tuner for small adjustements or drop D etc.
Dee
"When life's a biatch, be a horny dog"
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Half a dozen custom built/bastardized guitars all with EMG's, mostly 85's, Ibanez Artwood acoustic & Yamaha SGR bass, Epiphone Prophecy SG, Vox Wah, Pitchblack tuner plus assorted pedals, rack gear etc. for home studio use.
I'll 4th it. My tuner is my friend.Originally Posted by R_of_G
Tuner.......................
I keep my guitars set up accurately, so I know they sound right tuned up with my tuner.
Guitars: 2008 Gibson SG Classic, 2006 Gibson Les Paul Standard LE, 2002 Gibson SG Supreme, 2001 Gibson Les Paul Studio Plus, 1996 Les Paul Studio Gem, American Deluxe Double Fat Strat, Bluesville "Super" Strat Copy, MIK Fender "Limited Edition" Tele, JD Bluesville "Night Pilot", Yamaha AES 820, Steinberger Spirit GT Pro, Taylor 355CE, Ovation 1897 Adamas, Ovation CC057 Celebrity
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been using my ear for years But had a tuner that recently bit the dust so am looking at an Intellitouch IMT-500 to replace it and my trusty tuning fork.not sure I should pull the trigger on one just yet.
Life is like a camera, just focus on what’s important and capture the good times, develop from the negatives and if things don’t work out, just take another shot. ~ Anonymous
Guitars: 1967(year they came out): Fender Coronado II Wildwood I ,Fullerton ST- 4 Fat Strat , Esteban Legacy acous/elec,99 MIA Standard Fender Strat
Amph's Original Roland Cube 15,Drive 30 w/spring reverb
I usually tune by tuner and a good one at that. In fact I have 3, one in each case. Where I play decides how I tune it, like at my friend's shop which was pretty big, I tune up a little sharp because of the way I hear it, it's like a doppler effect. My guitars will be tuned by tuner and as I play I'll be tweaking the keys to get the tone.
You'll know what I mean when you get the chills.
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GUITARS - Carvin DC127M - Carvin Bolt kit
AMPS - Bogner Alchemist 112 - Blackheart Handsome Devil half stack
FXs - Roger Linn Adrenalinn III - Boss GT-10
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