Who tunes their B strings flat?

[Jedi]

Some of the questions on The Gear Page crack me up.

 

[TubeStack]

LOL, I'm going to say it again, that sounds like hot garbage! Around 3:00 it sounds like he's in a completely different key. Is that for real?

https://www.guitarworld.com/news/th...ne-jump-performance-has-finally-been-revealed

 

[rowdyyates]

I tune the B a couple of cents flat. Not really enough to notice, but it helps up the neck.
Tony Rice is who told me to do it.

 

[mjross]

This is why this is out of tune

Wow, just being polite, that was not good! His tech should have exchanged guitars and I mean fast. I mean, could he not hear that something was wrong? Would have just taken a second. I’m sure Eddy could not have been that far off for any other reason. Maybe the key track was off or something but I can tell you this, something was not right! Oh yeah, DLR was not helping the situation with his vocals, wow.

At shortly after 3 minutes into the song it gets kinda scary!

 

[BlueRiff]

The B string can be a PITA as far as tuning and intonation goes. EVH used to tune it flat where you could play a 7th fret-position E barre chord and it would be in tune. This would mean having to compensate by slightly bending it up when playing an open D chord.

How many in TGP land do the same? I’m debating starting to tune that way but I’m wondering how hard it’ll be to adjust to after 40-plus years of even tempered tuning. Would I clash with my keyboard player?

You’ve tried setting the intonation on the bridge first? You shouldn’t have to flatten the B string unless you’re bridge saddle is set too far in direction of the nut but that can be fixed by adjusting it.

 

[gunslinger]

I tune everything to equal temperament with my Peterson VS-1. If any of the strings seem off to someone I figure the nut or bridge saddles or both aren't adjusted properly.

 

[Strummerfan]

Wow, just being polite, that was not good! His tech should have exchanged guitars and I mean fast. I mean, could he not hear that something was wrong? Would have just taken a second. I’m sure Eddy could not have been that far off for any other reason. Maybe the key track was off or something but I can tell you this, something was not right! Oh yeah, DLR was not helping the situation with his vocals, wow.

At shortly after 3 minutes into the song it gets kinda scary!

DLR was never helping any situation with his vocals.

 

[Tone_Terrific]

If a guitar is perfectly intonated it still will not be in tune when playing certain intervals because we do not perceive perfect tuning, at the mathematical level, as being in tune.
Tune your G string to perfect harmony with the D string and it will only be in tune where you have set it, even though the single string will intonate properly all the way up i.e. they both play the 'right' note but it will sound wrong.
Minor compensations can work a little but tends to move the problem around.
The problem is that the perfect note is dynamically shifting depending on harmonic context.
Work with tuning and finger compensation but it is a fruitless exercise to expect perfect.

 

[LoopyBullet]

The B string can be a PITA as far as tuning and intonation goes. EVH used to tune it flat where you could play a 7th fret-position E barre chord and it would be in tune. This would mean having to compensate by slightly bending it up when playing an open D chord.

How many in TGP land do the same? I’m debating starting to tune that way but I’m wondering how hard it’ll be to adjust to after 40-plus years of even tempered tuning. Would I clash with my keyboard player?

I was going to ask the opposite question, actually! Lately, I’ve been tuning my B string a cent or two sharp. I feel like there’s slightly less of that “major 3rd” warble when playing major chords with a A string root (R-5-R-3), or any fragment of that chord. However, what really is the main attraction is that the guitar more in tune when playing the interval of a fifth, with the root on the D string and the 5th on the B string, which I do more often.

I’m not sure why this works for me, because I’m aware of EVH doing the opposite for certain songs.

 

[Tone_Terrific]

There are so many methods because everyone is actually just seeking a best compromise for their style and application.
For live band work, straight to the tuner without tweaking is close enough...but not 'right.'

 

[cm54545]

Never, I know how to tune a Guitar properly.

Try to tune it "properly" and then make Runnin' With the Devil sound like EVH did

 

[Bach88s]

Sometimes chords or intervals can sound off a bit if the open strings are tuned perfectly. I like sweetened tunings a lot. Meaning some notes are tuned a bit sharp or flat and Eddie did realize it for sure by tuning the B slightly off I read.

 

[jjaaam]

Try to tune it "properly" and then make Runnin' With the Devil sound like EVH did

Exactly my point

 

[hchoe741]

Wow, just being polite, that was not good! His tech should have exchanged guitars and I mean fast. I mean, could he not hear that something was wrong? Would have just taken a second. I’m sure Eddy could not have been that far off for any other reason. Maybe the key track was off or something but I can tell you this, something was not right! Oh yeah, DLR was not helping the situation with his vocals, wow.

At shortly after 3 minutes into the song it gets kinda scary!

From what I've read his tech had a guitar ready to go, but evh didn’t want to switch?

 

[KiwiRocker]

Try to tune it "properly" and then make Runnin' With the Devil sound like EVH did

This

 

[BOBBYBOO]

Try to tune it "properly" and then make Runnin' With the Devil sound like EVH did

I have no desire to sound like EVH. I sound like me.

 

[Graham G]

I have no desire to sound like EVH. I sound like me.

Yes, who would want to sound like Eddie Van Halen , except for about 90% of Guitar players under 60 & me at 76

 

[John(aka: Moby Dick)]

I’ve been tuning my B string a little flat for as long as I could play a open C chord.

 

[coffeecupman]

If my guitar needs to be tuned, I buy another.

 

[Phil the Kill Bill V2 guy]

I tune the low E, the A, the G, and the B strings ever so slightly flat. On the low E I also check G. On the A string I also check C. On the G string I also check A, the B string I check the D as well. It may well be that my left hand pulls the fretted notes slightly sharp, or the initial attack of the pick makes notes sound sharp.
So I think it's my attempt to sound reasonably in tune no matter what key I'm in, or where I am on the neck.
Unfortunately I'm pretty anal about sounding in tune, but I've tried to relax about it onstage.