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Guitar Tips – How To Tune An Electric Guitar

By Mike Hayes | March 26, 2010

Tuning an electric guitar presents an whole new set of problems
that you don’t encounter with acoustic guitars particularly if
your electric guitar has a tremolo arm fitted.

Before we get right into the specific methods of tuning we need
to run through our intonation checklist to be certain we can get
our electric guitar performing at an optimum performance level.

Intonation checklist

New strings: It’s pointless spending time trying to tune your
guitar if your strings are old or worn; how often you should
change your strings will depend on:

(a) the chemical makeup of your perspiration;

(b) whether you wipe your strings down after you finish playing
and

(c) the quality of strings you use.

Quality strings: Always use a quality brand of strings such as
D’Addario, Gibson, SIT or Fender. I personally prefer D’Addario
they are very consistent with their quality control and are quite
reasonably priced; if you are playing a standard Stratocaster
type guitar I recommend D’Addario’s EXL120 set these strings are
nickel wound and feature the following string gauges.

string 1 =.009
string 2 =.011
string 3 =.016
string 4 =.024
string 5 =.032
string 6 =.042

Check harmonics: Next check your individual string harmonics at
the twelfth fret. It’s a good idea to use your electronic tuner
to help you with this …

step 1: tune your open sting with an electronic tuner

step 2: play the harmonic on the twelfth fret

step 3: compare the fretted note on the twelfth fret with the
harmonic on the twelfth fret

step 4: if the fretted note is sharp increase the string length
by adjusting the bridge saddle with a screw driver, we want the
bridge saddle to move closer to the tailpiece to lengthen the
overall string length.

If the fretted note is flat decrease the string length by
adjusting the bridge saddle so that the bridge saddle moves
closer to the neck of the guitar.

Remember to check and re-tune your open string if necessary each
time you make an adjustment to the bridge saddle.

How to tune an Electric Guitar

Tuning tip #1: tune the open strings in this order:

stings

1 = E,

6 = E,

2 = B,

5 = A,

3 = G,

4 = D,

We tune the strings in this order to evenly distribute the
tension over the neck of the guitar.

Even though electric guitars have a truss rod in the neck to
prevent warping because the truss rod is round it does not
prevent the neck from twisting side to side when additional
tension is created by tuning the strings consecutively; this
method of tuning is particularly important if your electric
guitar has a Floyd Rose of Kahler tremolo system fitted; you will
save an enormous amount of time tuning your instrument if you use
the string tuning sequence described above.

Tuning tip #2: tuning by harmonics

* Compare the harmonic on fret five, string six with the harmonic
produced on string five, seventh fret.

* Check the harmonic on fret five, string five with the
harmonic produced on string four, seventh fret.

* Compare the harmonic on fret five, string four with the
harmonic produced on string three, seventh fret.

* Check the harmonic on fret four, string three with the
harmonic produced on string two, fifth fret.

* Compare the harmonic on fret five, string two with the harmonic
produced on string one, seventh fret.

Tuning tip #3: tuning by octaves

* play the sixth string open and check that note with the fifth
string, seventh fret.

* compare the fifth string open with the fourth string, seventh
fret.

* play the fourth string open and check that note with the third
string, seventh fret.

* compare the third string open with the second string, fret
eight.

* play the second string open and check that note with the first
string, seventh fret.

It’s a good idea to use a combination of these methods to be
certain you are in tune in every key all over the fretboard of
the guitar.

Topics: Beginner Guitar Lesson, Guitar Tips | No Comments »

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