The Real Reason the G String is Always Out of Tune
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Best, most original meme from this vid gets a prize
035?
h a m b u r g e r
TH-cam crashed while trying to watch the video. Guess it doesnt wanna see your G-String
Anyway, here’s…
Is it straight, or is it Nutty
“Guitarists spend half their time tuning and the other half playing out of tune.” - Andres Segovia
True
Especially us 12 ers
Andres Segovia and the players he speaks of and I have the same issue. We play with nylon strings.........OK, I also play electric and acoustic guitars and yes, he is correct for all players...“Guitarists spend half their time tuning and the other half playing out of tune.”
@@stevedrake2031 My best friend gave me an acoustic 12 string last year...I still haven't forgiven him
Still tuning it...
When a musician blushes from talking about "nuts", "G-Strings", and "lube" you know it has to be something he has experience with.
Don't forget about the discussions between guitarists about finger nails, nailpolish, glue-on nail brands and what glue to use for them.
Thanks bugs b YBhbyb
I've been hit in the face with a too-tight g-string before, (and I'm a straight girl), but the worst problem we had was that the g-string kept buzzing because the nut was too low.
300th like
@@CatsPajamas23 mental cinema mental cinema mental cinema
tax declaration
tax declaration
tax declaration 🤭
"Old guitarists never die: they just lose tension in their G-string--" [You're welcome; Blessed Be, & Peace!! 🙏☮ ]
G-whiz 😂
I’ve been a professional guitar tech for over 50 years. I’ve been playing guitar for nearly 70 years. I’ve been giving this advice and using this advice the whole time. Additionally, the out of tune G phenomenon is worse with single coil pups…. This video is absolutely right on the money!!! Excellent advice……
Why is it worse with single coils?
just say it dude fender's
have a g string problem @@chaseolsen4467
@@chaseolsen4467 yes why?
they have more magnetic pull I think. Ive only been playn since 64.
so wtf does me no.
Nah, my tele is rock solid, my strats on the other hand... but thats only if tue tremolo is floating
Every time a G string is in tune an angel gets its wings.
😆
That's what she said. 😁🎸
That’s a lot of walkin’ angels.
Angle*
@@cnvrgnt A 42 degree "angle"? LOL
I feel like this was just Tyler excusing his “g-string” search history.
"No, I swear, nut lube is for guitars, honest!"
Tight G-Strings!!! What the hell are you searching on your work computer????? It's for my next post I swear.
"You don't understand, f-holes are just sound holes shaped like an f. And you want them moist and shaved because... SHUT UP IS WHY!"
@@charlesrense5199 I read it with his voice
@@unacuentadeyoutube13 i think he should just do a video where he reads meme comments from a lot of his videos because lets be honest there are too much of those
I use a spot of lock oil in the nut slots, which has graphite in it - also stops the strings breaking so often - as the nut is a necessary seat for the string, but also a stress point as the strings may change in both directions, left / right and/or up/down, plus any friction by the string minutely moving over the nut by bending.
If you tune a guitar using harmonics, starting at the fifth fret of the low E tuned to the A string, there is a jump at the G-B where the tuning differs by four frets and you can't use a harmonic. If you then start again at the high E and go down through the B to the G, they will not and cannot match. This is because the guitar fret intervals are spaced by a scale called "Equal Temperament", a mathematical ratio used for convenience to get all keys roughly right. Whereas using harmonics rather than the frets is using another tuning with whole number harmonics, or "Pure" tones. The clash between the two comes to a head at the G-B four-fret interval, which is not a natural harmonic interval.
Yes! I love you. A guitarist who understands the difference between harmonic and mathematic scales. The comma. I was fucking gobsmacked that I read so many comments blaming guitars instead of music theory and reality
@@daveabsolution5246 Steady on! Judging by your channel you might be interested to know in the last two days I saved to playlist "Born Slippy", and compiled a "work in progress" playlist featuring artist Saffron. Sounds sort of in your ballpark.
That is the fact, Not the type of g string.
Exactly! You have to narrow the 5ths and squeeze the 4ths.
@@Mantramurtim ???
If this was Stevie T talking about nuts, you could sure as hell expect an ad for Manscaped
God I hate Stevie T
Your balls will thank you
I love he's videos!
@@aztechproductions5146 yeah he's thr cringeiest person on this planet. Glad I'm not the only one that thinks that
@@aztechproductions5146 why
Ive felt self-conscious about tuning the G string my entire life. No joke. This video makes me feel eons better. Thank you.
I'm new and didn't know this was a problem just thought my g string had an extra chromosome
You feel the pain when you see Gary Moore, Slash or other excelent guitarrist who abuse that string and stay in tune forever
Self conscious? Boi wat
Want me to tune your g string 🤤🤤
floyd rose and none of the string tree and angle problems
I couldn't agree more! For rhythm and leads with little to no bending, a wound G string is stays in tune and intonation much better than unwound. And yes, bending is not recommended - it takes WAY too much effort and brings back beginners' callouses! GREAT video - entertaining, well shot and edited! Thanks!
Exactly I posted similar comment!
Amongst all my guitars, the one guitar that has given me the least grief with regards to tuning instability, would have to be my Gibson-made Steinberger Spirit GT Pro Deluxe, it still goes out of tune a bit, but not by much, when Ned Steinberger designed his original series of headless guitars, he started from scratch and got rid of all the extraneous stuff, he also flipped the strings 180 degrees so that the tuners became part of the bridge, he re-designed the tuners so that they were gearless and "pulled" the strings up to pitch rather than wound them, it's a straight-pull gearless tuning system, which I think eliminates 90% of what causes strings to go out of tune, the end of the neck where the headstock normally would be simply anchors the strings, and a zero-fret serves to define the zero point of the scale as well as a nut, the Tuners are supposedly 40:1 ratio too, it's a wonderful guitar to play, balance is phenomenal, no neck diving, and the guitar only weighs 4kgs, but still sounds like a regular electric guitar.
Very true! I have one.
a Gibson made Steinberger spirit GT PRO - Delux. Did we leave anything out? Ill bet it doesnt have the trans trem or was that just the gt pro but not the delux.
I have a 70's Yamaha acoustic, which you can put away for months, and stays in tune.
“Don’t use graphite if you live in a humid environment like Nashville.”
*laughter from Louisiana turns to crying*
Alabama has entered the chat.
South Florida thinks this is hilarious.
I have to wipe my guitars down with WD40 weekly or they look like an old tin roof when I open the case
@@sneekopotamus Alabama can go ahead an exit the chat, geaux tigahs.
@@_mysilentblue2227 Once you can walk outside and swim straight up on a particularly humid day, south Florida can eat me.
The B string has always been the real pain in the ass, to me anyway.
Yes
Me too... But I've concluded that it's because of too much downward pressure by my finger especially around the lower frets like holding a three finger A chord on the 2nd fret...
Also low E string for my acoustic
I know the unwound strings are generally viewed as needing more wraps around the post... but recent I experimented making the break angle on all the strings as close to each other as possible. It worked very well for headstocks with 3×3. I live in Minnesota so I'm always checking mounting screws and such. Tight machineheads, decreasing a steep break angle from nut to posts & trying to get all break angles matching , and some nut sauce were a tremendous help to me. I also applied a tiny bit of lube to the string contact point on the saddles. I also recently saw a video on James Taylor's theory on tuning... check it out
YES! The B is...a Bitch.
This guy is reaching new levels of showing us what we are like.
I've been playing for 45 years and to this day it still gets me. I'll dink around with the B string thinking it's the culprit only to discover it's the freakin' G string! And yes , I do bend the living hell out of the G. I've tried a wound G before and hated it.
Guess we just live with it.
🎸🎼🎵🎶🧠🌌♾
Try winding the g up the tuning post instead of down! Works for me let me know if you try it.
I always blamed it on the B string also. Thanks man! I thought my brain was just out of tune!
Me, a bass player: I DO NOT HAVE SUCH WEAKNESS.
Ha! Yeah…. But you can kiss all that goodbye when you switch to a 5-string!
The sound matching problems of a low B are DREAM SHATTERING. 🤣🤣🤣
Let me guess, you snapped it yesterday?
@@BlackPrince41 No. I didn't played it. But one hour after making this joke the thin .07 G string of my 12 string guitar snapped.
@@danepaulstewart8464 Real men don't use 5 strings
No one would notice if your strings are out anyway 😂
Anakin: I put lizard spit on my nut to help with my G string problem.
Padme: For your guitar, right?
Anakin: ...
Padme: For your guitar, right?
Anakin going for dark side I believe in this scene...
And the Best most original meme goes to...
It’s 2am and I laughed so hard at this my wife and my dog both woke up and gave me a glare. No regrets 🤣
I hate sand. It gets everywhere.
When I farted my G string would whistle. So I slathered on some nut sauce, now whenever I fart my G string makes a low ‘om’ sound which is very relaxing. Wait what, oh this about guitars, thats embarrassing.
It has been my humble experience that the B string was impossible to tune. I could sort of tune it, but within 3 to 5 minutes, about the time to pick a tune, ('64 Gibson J-50) it was annoyingly out of tune again. Just flat enough to notice. I used pencil lead, graphite in all my nut slots amd cleaned them out every time I changed strings. The new strings appreciated that gesture and with fresh graphite from a sharp pencil, a #2. I just learned to live with a flattened B note much of the time. Humidity seemed to affect it more or less depending. A different saddle than the factory ceramic might have solved the problem with a slight compensation filed into it, but I didn't know about stuff like that at the time and there were no "luthier" types where I was living at the time to help me out. I sold my '64 much later and somebody else could deal with it. A bone compensated saddle???
Well it is a Gibson so an out of tune b string is normal 😂
Excellent video! And that is an awesome guitar room! I couldn't agree more about the wound G string. For strictly rhythm, it IS a great solution for the G string tuning issue. And you're right on the money about lead/bending - not fun with the wound G at all. MOF, it's reaaly difficult to bend it beyond a half step, though it's possible. I'm guessing that anyone who plays both lead and rhythm in the same gig will NOT enjoy the wound G, despite its usefulness for tuning stability. Yours is, by far, the best video on this subject among many that I've seen. Great work! And thanks for the link to the Complete DIY Guitar Setup vid - another excellent one!
I remember Eddie Van Halen saying that he always tuned his G string slightly flat on purpose, because he knew it would always end up going sharp on its own.
B string! A lot of VH songs he wrote in E major based around a half barred E chord on the seventh fret with strings 2-3-4. That is 3rd-root-5th of the E chord. In equal temperment all twelve notes have the same distance to their neighbor notes (think keyboard instruments) but that's not how nature sees it. A natural 3rd is slightly flat and the guitar is built without compensating for that. So EVH heard his favorite chord sounded weird and probably tuned it by ear one day and now it sounded much better at the seventh fret!
But of course the problem isn't the string, it's the 3rd. So if you play other chords with the 3rd on top a lot you may detune the string with the 3rd on top. :D
It's the overtone...a plain G is an obnoxiously loud thing.
@@timgrey1239 What does that even mean?
Rick Derringersaid he tuned his a little flat because it sounded better.
@@timgrey1239 The trick is to use a lighter gauge-like a .15 instead of a .17. Or so said Roger Mayer, Hendrix' guitar tech.
It's the thickest non wound string on an electric, which makes it extra prone to all the weirdness of vibrating strings: getting stretched too hard (nut too high often), the note starting sharp and going flat, slight tension changes causing larger pitch changes compared to thinner strings. Also, on the G and B strings, people sometimes tune these strings by ear to sound harmonious with each other. But in equal temperament tuning, a major 3rd (like G and B played together) won't quite sound harmonious and "non wavy." So you tune it to sound good with an open G chord and then D sounds out of whack, because "in tune" actually has what we perceive as imperfections.
I've been playing and tuning by ear for 25 years. I love your comment. 👌
This comment is an important addition to the presentation and explains a common experience!
That sounds pretty deep but prpbably the best explanation I have ever heard. I do use wound G's on my sets of 11s on my Hollow bodys . Dont know why , but probably because I bought a guitar strung that way from the factory and always thought it sounded better
G string is the one to go most often out of tune on my ESP 256 LTD, and low E string is the one most often to go out of tune on my starter guitar Yamaha pac012, the other strings rarely go out of tune on them.
Imagine it all before the well tempered piano 😉
Loved this vid. It was to the point without being dry and really explained a lot. Really liked the sound of the wound G
Back in the late 1960's when I was playing with my high school band, ALL electric guitars I ever used or even laid eyes on used flatwounds. Some years later players wanted more "dirt" in their sound (so I was told) and wound strings became the norm. Recently, I see flatwounds are moving back into use. One thing I liked about flats is that the were a LOT more easier on the fingertips.
Buy a wound G string
I mistakenly bought a pack of strings with a wound g string (heh) and I've been using one ever since. I'm mostly a rhythm player and I like how it fattens up my sound a bit, and it doesn't stand out like a sore thumb like unwound Gs (to my ears). I love it. Never tried flatwounds though, may check em out.
I used flat wounds all the time in the 60's, but now prefer round wound. Flat wound strings are dead.
“You can’t possibly have as many G-string problems as me.”
12-string acoustic guitar player: “Hold my beer.”
Bro I feel you there, 20 min later I can finally play my 12 string only for it to go out of tune in like 5 min 😂
Built-in chorus, boom, problem solved. :D
Double the strings, double the fun
I took my old Guild 12 to the repair shop for a buzz on one of the high E strings a couple months ago, got it back a week later and it's still playably in tune today. I sorta don't want to touch the tuning pegs for fear of breaking the spell.
More like: hold hold my my beer beer
That The Departed clip is so good. Just like the movie.
I'm so glad he didn't beep it
You’re nawt a cawp!
Yes, a flat wound G string was my go-to choice when I used to play back in the 80's. I also have the nut locks too on my Yamaha SE250.
String Butler fixed my Les Paul's G-string!
On my other guitars, I often find it's slightly imperfect tuning of the D and B strings that makes the G string "sound" out. Close attention to those strings solves a lot of G string issues.
There is a completely different explanation for the G string being "out of tune" and it depends on Just Intonation versus Equal Temperament tuning. For those who do not know, Just tuning sets the intervals between notes according to the exact ratios of the harmonic series, while ET tuning makes every interval the same, a ratio of 1 to (the 12th root of 2) which is about 1.06. This is the ratio between two notes one fret apart. The interval between the third and 2nd strings is 4 frets which is 1:1.26. The exact interval between G and B should be 1:1.25 so there is an audible beat. All the other strings are tuned with an interval of a Perfect 4th, which in JI is 1.333 and in ET it is 1.334, which is indistinguishable. The best solution ( not necessarily the easiest to play) is to tune the B string just flat enough that it does not beat against the open G, and bend it slightly when fretting it. A different approach is to file the B nut slot back so that the open string is a fraction longer, ( therefore flat) but the fretted notes are in the correct place.
That is exactly the real reason. A normal guitar can only be tuned correctly for one chord. If you change the chord, it is out of tune. Steve vai has a guitar with crazy zig zag frets which corrects this mistake and sounds perfect in tune (for my ears).
So humans can distinguish one cent tone differences, thus it is the base unit interval in scientific notation.
Adam Neely just shed a tear of pride.
That, and the answers he gave I feel contradict each other completely. "Lube up your nut for better stability", so you want it to be able to move, OK. "Use a wound string for better stability", so you want it to grab, OK. Wait, no, those two together make no sense. Maybe if you do both at the same time, so it grabs on the tuner, but it slips on the nut?
@@matthewconnell3593 The human ear can probably distinguish 5 cents, but that is not what is happening here. If you play two non-identical notes together there will be a beat at a frequency equal to the difference in frequencies, e.g.220Hz (A) and 225 Hz (A slightly sharp) the sound will beat 5 times a second, although the two notes played one after the other will sound the same. By the way, wound G strings need different bridge intonation from plain ones, so you can't just swap them around (wound go slightly nearer the neck). Finally a slightly sharp interval sounds worse than one that is slightly flat
I wonder also whether it's a matter of the G string going out of tune more (it does of course!), but also that we're more sensitive to it because of the interval (G-B being a major third), though that should affect the B string also - but maybe not as much because of the G string's position in a lot of open chords, etc.. You can't really have a good major third tuning with equal temperament; it's already off by 14 cents I think and so if it's slightly out of tune, it sounds awful.
I have a digital piano that allows you to select different tuning and it's amazing listening to the difference between equal and just temperaments, especially with major chords. It's also fun to listen to the Beach Boys vs Beatles vocal harmonies; probably why the Beach Boys kept their instruments lower in the mix. I've gone down a rabbit hole with this and driven my bandmates crazy, but really, for some chords, your vocal choice is "be in tune with the other singer(s)" or "be in tune with the instruments". Barber shop quartet's always a Capella. :)
Last observation - it does *seem* to be less of a problem with my Fender-style headstocks, but no good way to compare apples-to-apples here.
You should listen to some barbershop quartet. They sing in just intonation. Every chord will be in tune. It's pretty cool.
"You can't really have a good major third tuning with equal temperament; it's already off by 14 cents"
That's interesting, why so?
@@Vivi_9 because equal temperament makes compromises everywhere to ensure that each note is equally far apart. Adam Neely has some fantastic videos on tuning that will interest you. They should come up with a quick search.
That's why I found my guitar sounds slightly better when each string is flat by a certain amount of cents, brings a different kind of richness in the most minuscule way
*@Joe Cat* Just addressing your Last Observation. This is based on my guitars (a mix of a variety of inline-6s, 3+3s and a 4+2).
It looks to me the tendency to go outta tune seems to be somewhat less likely on those headstocks with straighter string deflections (both tuner and/or tiltback angles). Presence/absence of string tree/guides also seems to correlate too (absence = less likely outta tune).
Those with Fender style headstocks (inline-6, straight string run thru nut, consistent and minimal string back angle with staggered height tuner pegs, no tree/guides + TUSQ nut) seems least likely to go outta tune, even after doing massive bends on flatwound strings (with unwound G string).
The inline-6s with splayed string angles like those found on Jacksons, Kramers, etc. are more likely to go outta tune, especially if they have actual headstock tiltback. Those with string guides/trees seem to experience more tuning issues with these headstock types.
3+3s with straight tuners that forces the D & G (and to lesser extent A & B) strings to deflect outwards seems to have the most tuning issues, and Gibsons LPs with those extreme tilt back angles invariably has the most tuning issues.
Epiphone LPs with more moderate tilt back definitely has less tuning issues and seems to be about on par with inline-6 with splayed nut to tuner string angles.
Of the inline-6s I have, the Fender/Squier straight setbacked headstocks with straight string run from nut to tuners and staggered tuner heights are the best I have, which are my Fender MIM and MIJ Standard Stratocasters and the Squier Contemporary Telecaster HHs. They're all about equally good.
Among the 3+3s, the best I have is a close race between my Jackson JS-22 Monarkh SC (yes, it's spelled that way) and my more traditionally designed Agile AL-3010.
The Jackson 3+3 headstock has a fairly low tiltback (perhaps on par or less vs Epiphone's tiltback angle), with a roughly inverted diamond shaped headstock that has progressively closer gaps between each tuner pairs for straight string runs thru the nut. It is definitely less likely to go outta tune than any other 3+3 I have EXCEPT for my Agile.
The Agile is a more traditionally arranged headstock with equally gapped tuner pairs, similar tiltback angle as the Jackson, but I had installed a String Butler for straight string run thru the TUSQ nut. Before I installed the String Butler, the Jackson might've had more stable tuning. But since installing the String Butler, the Agile is now slightly ahead, possibly due to its superior TUSQ nut over the Jackson's plastic nut.
I suspect once I swap in a TUSQ on the Jackson, they'll probably be dead even again. This is not a problem as the Jackson is my shred n bend metal axe, while the Agile is more a Texan Blues Axe as expected from the Jackson's JB/59 vs the Agile's Pearly Gates.
Another close contender is my Ibanez XH300. It sports a similarly designed headstock as the Jackson, however there are string deflections outwards from the nut, BUT each TISQ nut slots are ALSO cut at an outward angles that are HALFWAY between each string's angle to tuner and straight. The end result is a remarkably stable tuning, altho not quite as stable as my Agile or Jackson.
My best 3+3s are about on par with my 4 best i6s. The Ibby is slightly behind.
EDIT: Bottom line tuning stability is minimizing string deflection thru nut, and minimizing any points of friction on the strings.
PS: Of course, those guitars I have that features double locking FR style trems pretty much eliminates the headstock design from tuning stability considerations. They have very stable tuning characteristics. I love my Ibanez which features the various versions of the Edge trems. I have 4 of them, the '86 RG450, '89 RG565R, '12 S570DXQM, and '13 S420. The Squier StageMaster HSH Deluxe is also a double-locking FR licensed trem guitar..
This makes so much sense, i went from a les paul that i put flat wound strings on to an ibanez with whatever strings came with it and i thought i was going crazy with how weird the chords sounded
This is excellent! The wound G is the key to the G string tuning issue, as long as you're not doing much bending - I agree! Thanks for that very helpful fact about graphite and humidity - I've never heard that from those who recommend it. Great vid - informative and very fun - much appreciated!
I read somewhere that the G string simply has the thickest core of all the strings, hence all the tuning problems. The wound strings look thicker, but their cores are thinner. I'll try measuring if it's actually true the next time I'll be changing strings. But this would explain why the wound g string stays in tune better.
Yeah it's because of that. I can't believe Tyler has like multiple videos about the G string and none mention the actual reason why it is the least stable.
I also suspect that G string has the biggest flat contact surface of all the strings and it provides the most contact between itself and a nut thus making it grip the nut`s surface solidly. With plastic nuts B and E strings tend to experience same problem but to less degree, while wound strings have least straight contact with a nut by touching it only with ribs of a wrapping.
Same thing happens with B string on a lot of acoustic guitars. They usually have .016 or .017 gauge there (so same as plain G on electrics), so it's not as severe as with G on electrics due to much higher tension, but it's still a PITA to tune and doesn't intonate very well.
Theres no core in an unwound g string. Its a plain piece of wire
This guy's channel has grown on me so much overtime. I've kept coming back here and I'm hooked. Great content full of comedy, personality, and most importantly information!! Music Is Win
Awesome, thank you for the great video, might try some flat wound G-Stings in the near future, never really thought about them before ... till there was you.
Keep up the great work.
I used to have that problem years ago until I started using a 18 wound G string. I Have used D Addario XL100's for decades and when I found the XL110w I tried them and have been using them ever since. When I do use a different brand I use a 18w for the G string.
I think you forgot to mention "Acoustic Grip Syndrome". This comes from playing acoustic all week then picking up an electric and applying the same amount of pressure. This causes the strings on the electric to go all haywire.
This video is hysterical! I like how you attempted to head all of our minds (that live in the gutter-cause umm music) off, and stuck to topic!
Yeah, the electric requires a softer touch
Exactly. He should have mentioned this. Besides most beginners play a bit ‘heavy-handed’, anyway. They don’t want to risk a ‘sissy-buzz’, since one doesn’t usually get away with blaming that on the guitar.
Try going from a Martin dread to a telecaster with Jumbo frets. You can play the Gilmour bend from Marooned without the Whammy pedal!
Oh I do this when I switch from stand-up bass to electric guitar. Same sort of thing as switching from a mechanical piano to a B3 - you don’t need to pound it so hard.
Good video. I've found that the most common reason for this is that the guitar was built for a smaller string gauge than is being used. In this case, filing the nut slots with a proper set of files to allow for larger strings helps. You can also use an old D string to file the G string slot before putting on a new set of strings. You just want to make sure not to file it deeper. And if your inline headstock has a string tree for the D and G strings, remove it.
CAUTION: I have broken a bridge using strings with gauges larger than recommended.
Good advice! My Tele and Strats have only the one string tree, so all set there. And I like your idea of using a D string to file a G string slot… Next time I get squeaking or tuning issues, I’ll try that!👍🎸
been using a flatwound g string from daddario for a couple years now, saw it from a Tomo vid, love the sound and how you have to be just a little strong on the bends. great vid as always
Quick correction, while pencils contain graphite generally they are around 50% clay bonded together with glue and pressure with graphite as more of a pigment. It's done to make the graphite harder and easier to write with but unfortunately means that pencils are not ideal for lubricant since they actually contain an abrasive. Hopefully the graphite helps prevent abrasion from the clay.
I didn’t even know I was a part of this shared experience. The anxiety, the uncertainty, the not knowing if my guitar is just one big ole pos. Am I one big pos? Am I even worth saving? Wtf thank you dude. I feel ok again
I was also worried for like the first two years I played. Then I bought more guitars and I realized its a thing.
Bwaahahahaha!
That’s hilarious the way you put it.
I felt that way too.
👍👍
Tyler, your growth is evident in this video. I LOVED it. It was funny, informative, and well thought out. I look forward to the amazing content up next! You have truly inspired me to push my guitar to the next level, and I can’t wait to see what else I discover because of you. I am grateful for you :)
The G string intonation is affected by the position of the nut slot. An easy way to check is to tune the string to G and then hold down a first fret G# note and check on a tuner whether it plays sharp. If it does, the nut slot position needs to be moved forward by either glueing on a step or recutting the nut with a step in it.
I find mine goes a little sharp, so I detune it a hair and then smack the open string. That usually takes care of it. I play a Fender Mustang Player Series with flatwound on the low end, with an unwound G (mixed gauge, but 11s on top).
If I recall correctly they were
Extra Light Electric Guitar Strings 'ECG23' (E=48 A=38 D=28)
and G=18p B=14 e=11...
It is perfect. Very little trouble with chronic tuning due to bends per se. However the guitar is sensitive to temperature changes. Not sure if the floating tremolo bridge has a positive or negative effect on that. Nevertheless I love the guitar.
There’s also a much more subtle point to be made about standard tunings and perfect intervals of pitch that cause certain notes I. Relation to the others to never be precisely in tune no matter what you do. You can either tune the G string for a particular chord or key or you can choose the best-fit average, which is what standard 12-note tuners do.
Pederson Strobostomp has what’s called “sweetened tunings” which address this, and Paul David’s did an entire video on it.
It's the nature of the string. The unwound G is the loosiest/slinkiest string when tuning up to pitch. Because of its loose nature, it's VERY unstable. There are 2 ways to fix this. A wound g or an unwound G from a heavier set. The second option will make the G string VERY loud compared to other strings though
Adjustable pole pieces can fix the string balance issue. I still prefer a wound 3rd though.
@@dwaynenewton1 You are right!I forgot about the adjustable pole pieces thanks!
I do believe I've never seen the word Loosiest used ?? I think this is a great word to remember the nature of the G-string....
I think the main reason is that your ear will hear "just intonation" but your guitar is tuned to equal temperament tuning. So it matters what key you think G is out of tune with
I will start working on design of a G string with perfect tuning ,even when it's out of tune , on a side note Eddie Van Halen probably tuned the G string a little sharp , knowing it would go flat thru bending, why not just keep it in tune using the the Tuner as soon as you realize it's out? - Half-Round Wound strings are the best I have have ever used by D'Addario - great video
Thanks for closure on g- string, nuts, and lubing.
Been using wound Gs for decades. Sweeter intonation up & down the fretboard is a big plus. Also my lead playing is far more jazz influenced than blues or rock & roll, so big bends just aren’t part of the deal.
G 0.22 nickel-wounds are the bomb, been using them for decades now, no tuning prob's on 3-a-side headstock (can't say for 6-a-side headstock tho?).
Peace, be kind & far too much rock n' roll is criminally negligent.
Didyabringyabongalong Station, 455,000ha. Central Queensland.
Exactly.
I was gonna say the same thing.
As a rocker, I live to bend. Tuning is for musicians.
Been using for about a year now and am in love. 11's for jazzmaster, 10's on talman. Never going back.
Was not expecting the departed clip. Well played.
What was the strat you played on the video?
P.S. I never had an issue with the G string. I usually after tuning do the slight adjustments by playing chords (G and E) and fine tune certain strings. It works well.
Aside from the innuendos, this was a well made, quality video. Tyler, you keep getting better at making content and we appreciate that you’re true and honest as a creator. Keep rocking. \M/
Wiener.
Loved that you explained the technical WHYs. Now, have you ever played an EverTune?
i own one. a tele. i take it out of the case and put it in stage as a spare guitar. even after a week i can pick it up and just play it immediately and its in tune.
I got an ESP. Love it for recording rhythm. Can't wait till they put out the whammy version. @@georgeworthmore
Great video. I put a wound G string on my semi acoustic about four years ago. Solved my tuning and buzzing problems. Probably not good for lead but great for rhythm/chords. Now if I could just tune the B string…
My drop C tuned guitar has a wound G and I’ve found it makes a massive difference for tuning/ staying in tune.
The headstock does have a straight pull through to the tuning peg also, so could be a little of both.
I have several Music Man guitars with the 4 over 2 head stocks and a compensated nut and the intonation is perfect up and down the neck, and they stay in tune even with some serious bending abuse. Gibson's are a completely different story. The head stock is angled at 17 degrees to the back of the fret board and then the D and G strings are angled 8 degrees toward the edge of the head stock as well. The result is the G string gets bound in the nut on a regular basis. Also, Gibson's spec for the height of the nut keeps the G string up off the fret board compared to other brands like PRS and Music Man. This extra height will throw off the intonation on the first three frets. So even though he mentions he doesn't recommend filing the nut, I have done so on almost every Gibson I own to get them to stay in tune and have correct intonation on the 3rd and 12th fret, (not just on the 12th fret). If you don't have the right files, please do not even think about doing this. Also, please review several of the very good tutorials here on TH-cam for filing the nut correctly. Keep in mind, you are widening the nut (on the G string) to keep if from binding. File only the back edges of the nut to widen. Filing the front edge of the nut, lowers the a string height. Again, don't do this if you are not sure. Take it to a pro. Start by lubricating the string to see if helps with tuning issues. Won't help with intonation of course. Like I said earlier, I rarely have this issue on most guitars, and regularly have it on Guitars with angled head stocks.
@Chris D - Good advice. I have had to adjust every guitar I have ever owned regardless of brand or type. Nut slot depth affects the action along the entire length of the neck just as much as saddle height at the bridge end.
I also have poor, very ham-handed technique which I try to counter with a setup that can handle a lack of finesse.
I eliminated the nut and headstock issues and bought a Kramer Duke-6string, Steinbergers, and a Cort bass.
I still have regular guitars, a couple variax guitars, etc. Nut slot depth is too often either ignored, or adjusted only when there is a low slot which causes buzzing. I always cut too low on the nut slot, but I'll often let one or two open notes buzz if the rest of the notes are easier to fret.
I personally have another solution for Gibsons. I just don't get a Gibson. Seriously, that whole brand has so many flaws. Guitars are unnecessarily heavy, the whole fucked up design of the headstock, they have BS quality control and cost way too much for that. Hell, I prefer a 500 to 600 bucks Epiphone over over-priced Gibsons. The best solution for me was going with Ibanez. Those guys are also constantly innovating and don't have their heads stuck in the 60s.
I have found that compensating nuts fix the G string out of tune issue. I find that buying a pre built compensating nut is very close but not perfect. I make my own and it's a pain to do but each of my guitars compensating nuts that I make are slightly different for each guitar. However, pre built compensating nuts are so much better than a non compensating it's night and day. The video shows a closeup on the G&L headstock and clearly it has a compensating nut yet the author makes no mention of it? Of all the methods he discusses to have the G string play in tune, the compensating nut would be the most effective. IMO.
@@williamhannapel7098 - Agreed.
@@williamhannapel7098 - About the only thing better than a compensating nut, would be a compensating nut plus compensated frets.
I started using a wound G string a few years back as a solution to the vintage stagger on my strat pickups making unwound g strings sound way too hot. It solved that issue and I prefer the feel (I don't do much bending).
The Bigsby solid body electric guitar from the 40s had its tuning pegs on one side of the headstock. Long before fender.
Microfret guitars back in the late 60's patent a adjustable G string nut that would compensate the intonation problems with the G string. The G string adjustment on the bridge would be much further than the other saddles. The offset adjustment on the nut would keep the scale distance correct on that string
I’ve been using wound g strings exclusively for years. Daddario has a few sets with wound g strings that aren’t super heavy in gauge too. Usually bends aren’t as huge of a problem. Personally I’ve always thought it just sounds better along with it usually staying in tune better.
YES!
I recently switched to the D’Addario .10s set with the wound G string on my Ibanez Iceman - which I use the way Paul Stanley intended - as a primarily rhythm guitar instrument.
BOY has it given me better results.
Fuller sounding chords when the G sting is part of them, and much more of a similar and consistent sound when playing from the D to the G strings.
For anyone reading this, there is a downside, and that is the tonal change when you move to the B string.
On typical strings there IS a tonal change when you move from the D string to the unwound G string - we are just all USED TO IT.
With a wound G string that tonal change is removed, giving you 4 strings with a highly consistent sound from string to string.
But when you do this, there is a MORE noticeable change in sound when you move from the wound G string to the unwound B string. A change that to me sounds like it’s more of a difference than the difference from a wound D string to an unwound G string.
It’s not a huge additional difference at all… but it’s there to my ears.
So it is all a BALANCING ACT that you have to decide on for yourself.
Neither option is without drawbacks.
@@danepaulstewart8464 Yeah, the g to b balance is really tricky. On one of my guitars, the b string also has the worst intonation, so it's almost impossible to get it in tune all the way down the neck, AND it's way louder than everything else. I love that guitar though... Anyway, you can buy single wound g's as small as .016 (I think - definitely .017) so you have a lot of room to experiment there. I've tried everything between .017 and .024. The sweet spot for me is around .019. It's much closer in volume to a light b, it blends really nicely with the d string, and it feels good under the fingies.
Yup!!! Been on the wound G for 15 years now. I feel it's warmer a tone as well.
@@axmnstrbnd I love the warmer done. Chords with that g string just sound so much more full and click together better
@@danepaulstewart8464 the D’Addario .10 set has been my go to recently. I was messing around with a bunch of Ernie ball sets as I never really loved my D’addarios years ago. But then I realized I was just buying the wrong sets. However I do like a few of the Ernie ball sets as far as gauges go like the power slinky and the beefy slinky depending what I want to play.
The D’Addario .10 set holds its own pretty well in drop c as well. Maybe not as ideal as a .11 set but I like it way more when I’m tuned standard.
Fun video thanks! As a player of mostly surf guitar for a solid 15 years, I wondered who has issues tuning a G string. Then I bought an SG for my punk rock karaoke band and now I know what you're talking about. Surf guitars often have flat wounds with wound Gs (mine always did). Want to play lead on flat wounds? Play surf!
Thank you. I resolved now..
I have been using a wound G exclusively for the last 4+ years or so....I don't do lots of lead or bends (so I didn't have to worry about that) and it solved a multitude of problems with tuning and intonation. D'Addario makes a set of 11s with a 21w G string...this has been the perfect set for my needs.
The Evertune bridge fixes this though, for the record. It's not a perfect solution, but it does the trick for general tuning.
That and/or a wound g string. Or both, which is my preferred solution.
Best info on this issue that I've ever found
Thanks
I have a tuner pedal, my guitar is intonated pretty well, and I always tune the G string a little bit flat and check if it's reasonably in tune at the 5th/12th fret. After a while you just get a feel for tuning it slightly flat. Also helps massively if you're not using a Gibson style headstock lmao
Pro Tip: If you're going to play a wound G string, increase the gauge a notch or two. Unwound strings feel stiffer than wound strings at the same gauge.
The point at which a round wound string has greater tension than a plain string may be at the same gauge; but, a round wound .018" will be easier to bend than a plain .018" will be because round wound strings have greater elasticity than plain strings do. A .016" plain can be bent about as easily as a .018" round wound can.
@@773Spair I'm sure you're right. The point is, if you want "balanced tension," the plain strings should be a couple pounds or a single kilo (or thereabouts) lighter. The tension will actually be different. But the feel of playing them will be about the same.
@@crustophiles Ah, I may have misunderstood your original comment.
THATS STOOPID SLOTY NUT G STRING SPIT LUBE
Can't say i've experienced this issue myself, so I'm surprised it's such a common and talked about phenomenon. Proper tuning and re-stringing (ie. stretching the string, lubing all contact points, 3-4 non-overlapping string wounds on the tuner, setting intonation) nips tuning stability issues in the bud for me. In my opinion, general tuning stability issues may be getting conflated with the imperfect 12 TET tuning system, resulting in the g-string seeming out of tune in certain musical contexts, even though the tuner says it's perfect.
Yeah, this is a real problem, too. Most people don't realize how much of a compromise equal temperament is on guitar, especially consider how the harmonics shift under the different string tensions. Add to that the changes in pitch depending on the action and all the other weird things that happen when you fret a string and it's almost, if not totally, impossible to get a guitar truly "in tune." Should've played cello, I guess.
I'm not a luthier myself so the G string is always hard for me. Proper gauge for the tuning you want to play is key though. But most standard string packs are annoyingly conservative for drops tunings and so on, don't have access to something like stringjoy as easily in here in the EU. Locking tuners help immensely as well. It is best to tune in between songs on a set for example but that's quite an annoyance of its own. You don't want to be constrained like that, but I've seen players tune while singing.
Leo fender got it right near the end when he made his SC3s with locking tuners and a rolling nut. Once you set your action and intonated properly you can ship it around the world and it'll stay in tune.
I had a IBANEZ Artist semiacoustic guitar, same problem with the g-string.
As I also played western guitar, I tried the coated g-string and the result was quite better
This explains why my acoustic (which usually have wound g's) stay in tune better than my electric (which usually are unwound)!
Wind it up the tuner post, instead of down. Reduces the break angle. When the string moves from a bend, it's easier for it to settle back to where it was.
Love your video,very informative,an entertaining,love the pun,thank you keep up the work.
I have a Steinberger headless guitar: no nut, (zero fret = zero friction, no sliding through a nut = no string height problems at the head end. No tuning pegs (straight threaded string pulls directly behind the bridge = all strings are about 1/2 inch between the bride and the string pulls), no tuning issues: once new strings stretch out, I never need to retune it, except during major temperature changes. A very rugged, stable guitar.
6:20 YES!! I was just going to say this. I always do a custom setup with a wound G. I prefer an 18w, which is the skinniest I’ve been able to find, or will settle for a 20w. They’re a bit rare to find at times, but quiet possible, so I stock up. That size wound has the feel of a plain, but the tone characteristic of a wound (or I might have that flip-flopped as I’m rusty), and it stays in tune better. And I use standard unlocked nut and tuners-nothing gimmicky. Overall it’s just a much smoother transition from your wound D to your plain B. 💪🎸
Does this come is a set of strings or s it just one string I buy?
I'm so glad it's not just me! This title resonated with my soul. Do me proud bro
I've played with a wound g for years and I play metal. I just liked the higher tension, makes you work for the tone a bit more which gives more control. Nice to see an argument for it, as I never gave it a second thought but I guess it indeed does stay better in tune.
Good information, presented in an entertaining fashion. Thanks!
"Close enough for rock" has always applied.
All innuendo aside, I really thought I was the only one having a problem with the g-string in particular. Of my four guitars, the two electrics are the worst and I always have to tweak it up before I record something. Sometimes even from one take to another on the same song. I'm glad someone pointed out that it's just part of being a guitar player. Thanks, love all your videos!
Not often someone gets me to make changes to my rig. Definitely gonna keep a guitar with a wound G for rhythm tracks. Thanx!
As an acoustic guitar player, I always expect the G string to be wound. It's the B string that gives me the most trouble.
I mostly play a 12 string Adams, and on that the high G is not wound, but it is quite a bit longer from the peg to the nut than any other unwound string, plus it is the string with the most tension, so though the G string breaks the most often, it's the B that always sounds off.
I have also noticed that the wrong gauge of string from what the instrument is set up for never sounds right to me, and that 3/4 or 5/8 scale travel guitars don't have good intonation above the 4th or 5th fret. Chords always sound sour to my ears when the guitar is in a standard tuning; I have often wondered if tensioning the strings to match the pitch of the holding it down at the fret that gives the same string length as the nut to bridge on the travel guitars would solve this, but I have never owned one to try it on.
Yeah, the B string is constantly out of tune and snaps the most.
Same here. It's the B string that gives me fits.
G string and B string ganging up together to make me cry.
I tried a couple things: I put a Zeroglide nut on a project guitar, and a Harmony H22 bass guitar. It added more sustain and I think helps the tuning/intonation issue. The ZG puts a metal fret at the zero fret, no bone nut, hence less friction. Another thing I try to do is follow James Taylor's tuning advice. He put out a video where he tunes using his strobe tuner, and all 6 strings are tuned from 2 cents to 6 cents flat(depending on the string), but when he plays, it sounds beautiful. The vid should still be on YT. Just a couple suggestions. Not to mention of course finger pressure on the strings. He's talking about flatwound G string--when I first started electric I had all flatwounds on my guitar "so they would be smooth and quiet". and most people were using them at the time. They DO NOT bend well, though. Maybe they are now lighter, though.
E2--neg. 3. B--neg 6 G--neg 4. D--neg 8. A--neg 10 E--neg 12
I have found that switching from.009 gauge strings to .010 gauge strings not only helps with the infamous G string problem, but everything is better. Chords sound better and intonation is a breeze. Of course they are harder to play but with repeated use your finger strength will get stronger. Soloing sounds better too. Use a bone or locking nut and you will be much happier. Those of us using trems on guitars will need to setup your guitar for heavier or lighter gauge strings but in the end is worth it. I prefer ghs boomers since they make strings for everyone else anyway. The acoustic guitar is a whole different conversation. 😊
You referencing StarCraft won me over more than anything you've done in the last few years of watching your vids. Bravo.
That silver Strat is gorgeous and sounds great too!
Years ago, I started playing Not Even Slinkys, since my band was playing down at C# Standard (Drop B). The G was so damn twangy, I wanted it to be more like an Acoustic. I bought a single .22 Wound to use instead of the supplied .24 Plain… Worked like a charm! That’s when I noticed the tuning stability was greatly increased! I don’t play a whole lot of lead, but when I do, I don’t find the Wound G to hinder me. I usually practice on my acoustic, anyway, so maybe I was just used to it, already? Anyway, great video!
I think also a lot of people simply don't know how to properly anchor their strings on the headstock. Even I had no idea for a long time that you're supposed to wrap the string around itself to hold itself in place as you wind it up to the proper tension/key. I'm still not great at it tbh, a lot of my restrings end up sloppy and that can totally affect a string staying in tune.
0:22 yeah the new tool album really worth the long wait
I started using a wound G string after learning that Tom Verlaine of Television used one, and I got curious. Haven't looked back. In fact, my string gauges went up a notch, to 11s, once I got used to it, and I find it strange to play a guitar with 9s. What I found is that when it is slightly more difficult to bend a string, I begin to think about a run or an arpeggio more carefully and deliberately, and I only bend a string when I think it's relevant in a musical context. It's been interesting. And yeah, it's true about the more stable tuning.
"I'll play as neutrally as possible:" Demos tuning accuracy with the most bendy, bluesy, vibrato-y playing example _conceivable._ :^D lol @ 7:37 Any notes of the tempered diatonic scale were touched only in passing, by accident. :^>
I play classical guitar, and have the same issues. Never knew before that wound g strings exist, let alone for classical guitar. Will check them out, thanks!
When I wind my unwounded "G" string and "B" string on my Les Paul's headstock tuning posts, I actually make it a point to wind both strings so that the strings circle the tuning peg and leave the peg heading towards the nut from the top of the tuning peg, not wound downwards like the other 4 strings. This changes the "Brake Angle" making the angle less severe for the "G" and "B" strings reducing the unnecessary excess friction at both the nut and at the tuning pegs. This method works like a champ and I recommend it to anyone who is currently living in "G" string/ "B" string Hell.
Late to the party but.... Thanks for the video - lots of fun! On less than very high end guitars nut slots are rarely filed low enough. Even with a light touch go ahead and fret your G string on the first fret and chances are... its out of tune. I admit I'm a bit aggressive with the file and lowering slots more than most other players. I'll tolerate only slightly less buzz from a low nut as I will from a fretted string with a low bridge. Players tolerate small amounts of fret buzz from a low bridge all the time. I lower nut slots so that when the string is fretted on the 3rd fret, there is only the slightest gap between the string and first fret - barely visible, but you can hear it when you tap the string. Agree on the slot grease. I use whatever I have laying around. Fret board oil ("lemon oil") or 3 in 1 oil works fine.
I use a wound G on my arch top
It wasn’t for tuning stability (although that helps)
It sounds better & I don’t find it harder to bend
It works for that
It feels like it has less tension
(I am comparing a plain 17 with a wound 17)
The core is smaller that way & that be the difference
But when I use a lighter gauge I still use a plain G
One question to consider. What key do you think the G string supposed to be in tune with? (Equal temperament tuning says that G is fixed in one place. A choir singing without an equal temperament tuned instrument, might arrive at a "just intonation" major third or perfect fifth. Your ears can hear the difference.
I’ve owned & played more Fenders & Gibsons than I can remember & the only axe that the G string is most in tune & stable is my all time favorite, a Peavey Generation Series Tele (don’t snigger until you tried one) I’ve had it since the early ‘90s and it’s the only guitar I will never sell…and the active pickups (and my 5 watt tube amp) sound like old Stones records; the Strat-like contoured back makes it one of the most comfortable guitars too
"Atleast guitar players are very respectable mature creatures...."
Wtf