The Tuner

The Tuner

I've had some questions about how to tune one of my guitars. The actual tunings vary from guitar to guitar based on scale length and string gauges. I try to find the best setup for each guitar. Most of them are tuned to an open "D" chord (DAd), meaning, when all strings are strummed unfretted, a D major chord is produced. This is ideal for slide playing. As long as the slide is kept perpendicular to the neck a good chord will be played. My second favorite tuing is open "A" (AEa.) It lends itself well to slightly shorter scaled necks. Getting the strings in tune is another story. I personally don't have a very good ear for tuning, so I rely on a mechanical tuner. There are loads of different tuners on the market, but the one I use is perfect for a homemade guitar. The Intellitouch PT2 clamps onto virtually any instrument and picks up the vibrations of each string and show the note being produced. A series of arrows on each side of the note let you know if you are sharp or flat. It is a different system from other tuners out there, so if you are used to a more traditional one, this might take a little getting used to. The PT2 works fine for me, but Intellitouch also makes a higher end model with a back lit screen and a storage case. It can also remember multiple tuning calibrations. Maybe you'll know how to use that, I sure don't. Because this kind of tuner reads vibration frequencies, it can be used with even wood and brasswinds, not just stringed instruments.