Tune like a Studio Pro in 5 EASY steps...

[@randy206]

If you get nothing else from this video, listen to, study, recite, rehearse, memorize #5. I preach this to every guitar player I play with and I'm surprised how many of them don't know it or understand what is going on. So many gems here that really will make you a better sounding guitar player the moment you implement them. Nothing worse than hearing a guitar player that can shred but is out of tune.

[@johnburkhart4167]

Whatever you want to do

[@jazzmachine]

I always just buy my guitars in tune.

[@KennethMoyer-t3y]

Factory tuning!!

[@jeremyalm9006]

​@@KennethMoyer-t3yalways so sweet!

[@thomassicard3733]

ALWAYS tune from below pitch UP to pitch. ALWAYS!!! This is THE BEST and most basic advice given here. It is not negotiable.

[@roncarter2188]

Being a machinist the same principle was used in in using a milling machine, you always have to get the backlash out before you can get an accurate feed. And tuning low up to pitch is it. Happy you mentioned that.

[@giulioluzzardi7632]

You got problems? Try playing in touring band eith 6 brass players, trumpets, sax trombone, tuba , clarinet and french horn, no 2 are in tune so I use a wah pedal and capo to help keep the Sax man happy cos he gives me daggers when I we duet. I just stick to Eflat or 432hz now cos it's easier to play too. Thsnks for vid, cant use guitar tuners anymore coz they all nod dissaprovingly, one guy slapped my boss tu12 out of my hand saying "No, no, you must tune by ear"!! That Strat sounds great, agree on heavier strings for a Fender, I am still seeing players putting 9s on them and they think thats "normal". In emergencies and there no spare 10 or 11 I use a 13 that never breaks and keep it in the case. Learning by experience is the only way, Your viddy is hsndy because you explain the practicalities and mechanical problems that can stunt a players progress enougb to make em give up.More power to you Man! I am from the days when a tuning fork was the only portable device to help us..won't forget that old geezer (at the time) slapping that tu12 out of my hands!

[@squirelova1815]

"Tune how you play..." I guess it won't be very well then. The more things change...

[@pharmerdavid1432]

Very helpful, thanks Justin! I just ordered an ST-300 Turbo Tuner directly from Sonic Research direct for $139.00, free shipping. I got the regular size, since the mini would be harder for me to see (getting old). Supposedly these are made in the USA, unlike most (all?) others. I already have a Peterson strobe tuner in headstock mount, which I use for adjusting intonation while doing setups. I like to tune by ear, then check it with the strobe tuner to see if my pitch was accurate. Usually when I tune by ear it's a little flat on every string, because my ears like to tune to 432Hz. I can set my tuner to 432, but most music is tuned to 440Hz., thanks to the Nazis (ha ha, seriously?). I find this to be one of the most helpful guitar channels - cheers!

[@sambolino44]

One thing that took me a long time to learn was that, on a guitar with a whammy bar, just change one string at a time instead of taking all of them off.

[@meltedwheeliebin]

Nut slot depth is sooooo important. Getting the strings as low to the first fret as possible without any buzz. I also fine tune by ear. I get the strings as in tune as possible with a tuner. Then fine tune each string to the d string twelfth fret harmonic. Fretting each string at its d position and tuning that note to the d harmonic. It’s worked really well for me for years.

[@vintagepipesnightmares]

Mike Landau plays with a high action at the first fret. And high action everywhere. Many greats do. Joe Glacer says this in a video.

[@meltedwheeliebin]

@@vintagepipesnightmares do you mean Joe Glaser? kzbin.info/www/bejne/a3uXmnmsbcetkM0si=0Zy8bYtt98wtw9jl

[@jackhargreaves1911]

Well said. I’m barely out of the beginner category, but the best thing I ever did was fit a bone but cut to half the height of factory specs (it’s an Epi Les Paul). Suddenly the strings weren’t playing sharp when fretted (despite being perfectly in tune when open).

[@MusingInStereo]

If you haven’t already… How about a video on “Studio Setup” I’m looking to design my Home Studio… Think I wanna go with the MacMini M2 Pro… Beyond that not sure what DAW to start off with… Garageband, Apple Logic Pro or Protools… From there what interface or mixer should I get as my go between from my instruments/mic into the MacMini???? I wanna get this right for best possible recording as I’ll be mixing and mastering myself most likely…. Sorry off topic I know… ✌🏻😎

[@joshhigh5538]

I just gonna yank on em again.

[@midiman5045]

Great Tips Justin. My old Guitar Teacher taught me about tuning up instead of down. It helped a lot.

[@dustyparker4806]

Thanks Justin!! There are things I learned here for sure. Many things I’d heard before but you perfectly explained the “why” which is super important. The “why” keeps you from getting complacent and forgetting. 😎

[@bluglass7819]

Washing your hands before playing helps string life a lot.

[@elwrongo]

one trick I learnt a little while back is that if you have to tune by ear, tune every string to one string e.g. the high E rather than tune each each relative to the string before it. I've found this to be a more reliable way to tune by ear. The other thing that bugs me is that so few guitars come with the nut cut right are therefore significantly sharp in the first three frets even with intonation set and tuned correctly. Why don't all guitars come with a zero fret?

[@78tag]

ZERO FRETS - YES! Life would be a lot simple if they were standard but I think it is mostly the bean counters that are the problem in that respect.

[@thomassicard3733]

That's some mighty tasteful playing, sir. Wonderful musicianship and guitar mastery!!

[@marcsullivan7987]

If a string is just a BIT sharp, before detuning and tuning up to the proper pitch, I’ll pull/snap them, or bend them pretty hard and then check pitch

[@nohillforahighstepper]

Excellent advise. If I may, I'd like to add just 2 extra points. 1) For pickers that aren't as skilled as pros, it helps to have specific guitars for specific tunings. The neck tension changes for each tuning and could affect set-up drastically. 2) If you struggle with being in perfect pitch, especially with bends, aim to be slightly sharp. Sharps tend to be less harsh to the ear. Most casual listeners won't catch a note that it slightly sharp. Almost everyone will catch a note that is slightly flat. 😊😊😊

[@1sainteve1]

One thing I've noticed is that the low string are more affected by neck tension. I always start with the high E and work down, since the EBG strings aren't as affected by the change in pull of the lower strings. You'll end up having to go over all the strings less often.

[@78tag]

Absolutely - just a touch goes a long way on the those fatties.

[@cryptosecuritytools]

Ive worked for years in recording studios and as an assistant I had to restring many guitars. I had the good fortune of being shown everything you discussed first hand, early on. It has helped me no end as a producer engineer. Loved the video and you got a new sub. Thanks nashville bro!

[@JustinOstrander]

Thanks a ton!

[@AxelBezzi]

Please make a video on the strobo-tuner, it would be super helpful! Thank you in advance.

[@JWEmbry-wc7qi]

Thank you Justin for taking the time to record and share this info with us; I learned something today, so even an old man in his 60's can still learn if it is explained as clearly as you have presented it here. Thanks again!!

[@Wargasm54]

I only have one guitar in standard tuning. I rarely play it. All my other guitars are in different tunings. And I typically let the guitar choose the strings that work best. I prefer 9-42 but some of my lower tuned guitars have 11-49 or 12-52. But I can usually get away with 10-46 on drop C# . I find alternate tunings are much easier to get closer to perfect. I especially like open C tuning. I don’t know why open C is not “standard”. Makes more sense than any other tuning. Consider most other stringed instruments are tuned in 5ths, why isn’t guitar?

[@78tag]

It still don't truly get it but I once heard it explained that the fourth step (D - G) is there to accommodate easier fingering of the chords? It definitely complicates the visual scale on the fretboard.

[@timkempisty258]

I have a lot of thoughts here, so... apologies in advance for the novel. There's a guitar here... it was a friend's Amazon special that I tried to fix up nicely. (Note: Never buy an Amazon special.) After all the cleaning and new strings and adjusting saddles, etc... I looked at the nut. It's ever so slightly non-parallel to the frets. It is physically impossible for that thing to ever play in tune. Something will always sound off. Proper set-up... yes... proper instrument, also yes. With the way I play, I often have the 6th string just a tiny bit low. Then when I clobber the thing, it comes up to pitch. 😀 Plus, I'm also aware of piano tuning issues. The lowest notes on a piano should be tuned just slightly flat. That's because those strings' thickness raises the pitch of the harmonics. If a piano's lowest notes are tuned exactly to the fundamental, they sound bad when you play them together with higher notes because the overtones won't line up. One way to mitigate this problem is to have a larger piano, where the low strings don't have to be as thick. This is why large concert grand pianos will always sound better than uprights. It's weird, but that's physics for you. I often wondered if that could also apply to guitars, but I think I'm just heavy handed. One last nugget: Tuning using the 5th/7th fret harmonics will get you really close, but because the harmonic series is not perfect, your high string will end up about two cents too high. At some point, we just have to accept the non-perfect nature of music. All the electronically perfected temperament is just... well... sterile.

[@78tag]

I'm not sure he said that perfect tuning is sterile but I agree with you - along with "auto-tune" that is a huge disservice to real music.

[@georgekatkins]

damned informative, especially turning with the neck pickup over the bridge pickup. And tuning "how you play".

[@georgemoore7231]

This video by Justin can easily serve as the standard for tuning your guitar and keeping it in tune. He touches on every important aspect of proper tuning. He covers things in this all Inclusive video that I had to learn over years and from multiple sources. I even learned a few new techniques like the value of fine tuning. Thanks Justin for another really helpful video.

[@effdpaul1815]

I played an early 70s Gibson SG when I gigged in clubs for 15 years or so (full time). My 62 strat just didn't work. I used 10s on the SG and Sound City strings were the ONLY strings I found that could hold up to two weeks of full-time playing without breaking (it was usually the E string). We generally tuned to our keyboard player's Hammond B3. I had an old Peterson Strobe Tuner on stage with me all the time to fine tune my axe. That axe would pretty much stay perfectly in tune through 4 sets of hard playing.

[@ShawnTubbs]

Great video Justin!!!

[@logank.70]

When you are re-stringing your guitar, is it okay to get the tension in the strings when it is laying flat and then pick it up like I'm going to play it to finish tuning / stretching them?

[@JustinOstrander]

Yes. Just finish tuning it in the position you’ll play it in

[@shawndeveau]

This channel is like having a personal guitar mentor on call 24/7. I'm an old geezer, and I learn new things from you all the time. Some of your best content is the non-guitar advice: "People will hire you if you make them sound better." You are a very generous human being Justin, and your efforts are greatly appreciated!

[@jeffslade1892]

Yeah. When intonating don't use the 12th fret octave harmonic, that is a quick check, but use a really, really good tuner on the 10th and 15th which should provide better intonation on most of the frets. Check up and down the fretboard. Do this after setting up for action. Raising or lowering a string slightly can fix intonation (notably Telecaster) When tuning start from the top string and work down. The pressure, pounds per square inch, on each string is about equal but the bass strings are thicker, so they pull the neck more. The trebles will go out of tune less than the basses as you do this so you probably only have to repeat the once. If you do it the other way you can be going backwards and forwards. It is a lot easier to pull a note sharp with finger pressure on the fret than pushing it flat. We tend to correct without thinking as we play. It can help (during intonation) if notes that are a little off are a few cents flat rather than sharp. Our ears like bass notes that are a couple of cents flat, indeed pianos are tuned this way, but treble notes have to be spot on. A musicians ears are always more accurate and far more critical than those of the audience. It's not perfect pitch, it is merely practise.

[@78tag]

Someone on an earlier comment said just the opposite about your ear and wanting to hear a sharp note. I am definitely not and expert but that went against everything I have learned to date (including my ear). I agree with you. Tuning a piano is an intricate process and requires one hell of an experienced ear. It's all in the slight differences. Nothing is perfect and that is what your ears expect to hear - the interplay of the harmonics and minute differences measured in small increments (cents) that many people do not bother to research. Some people don't need to - they just hear it. Us mere mortals need some help.

[@jeffslade1892]

@@78tag My professional background is as a physicist, specialising in the measurement of radiation, which includes sound. And this relates to human hearing and response to frequencies. Most physicists play a musical instrument, better or worse. If we intonate, typically by the octave/harmonic at the 12th, much of the rest of the neck will be out.If we pick a couple of frets either side, typically 10th and 15th and use a good tuner, e.g. Peterson, then we can get most of the fretboard in. If we raise one side of a Telecaster barrel saddle, typically the thinnest string, that string will pull sharp more. It does not take much but can be used to fix the problem of paired strings.

[@RobertBakerGuitar]

Love the videos Justin. Killer insight.

[@JustinOstrander]

Thank you, sir!

[@RobertBakerGuitar]

Let’s grab lunch sometime man

[@JustinOstrander]

@RobertBakerGuitar let’s do it!

[@RobertBakerGuitar]

@@JustinOstrander I'll drop you a message on the gram man

[@seanzinger]

I have dry hands too! It’s kind of a blessing and a curse. I hate it when other people play my guitars because they sweat all over them. The dryness is hard to deal with though because I hate putting lotion on too. Lotion all over my guitars?! No thanks.

[@JustinOstrander]

Hahaha. Man I feel the exact same way. Other people playing my guitars is the one thing I am weird about. I’ve had people completely RUIN my strings in 2 minutes. And my wife gives me such a hard time for not putting lotion on my hands in the winter months. I just can’t stand it on my guitars!!

[@seanzinger]

@@JustinOstrander We are long lost brothers 😂 “Hey can I try out your Novo?” -that’s a no-go

[@WorshipGuitarResources]

#5 is the hidden gem!!! Great insights 👍

[@vintagepipesnightmares]

Zero great guitar music was made on guitars with great setup. You can’t really intoned a guitar. Please check your “ intonation “!on every fret !! You will see what an illusion intonation is. This is my opinion. I don’t try to be mean or anything like that. I like your work!!👍👍

[@TheCleaner6969]

I use the AC/DC mindset. If it ain't broke don't fix it. They don't change strings until they break. Every player should learn to setup their guitar. Back in the day most bands tuned by ear hence the reason when you play along with the song it's not standard or half step down. Don't let my playing fool you at one point I was a righty & now re-learning lefty.

[@mikeoxley4458]

Great video, Justin! I do all the things you mentioned. I use Stringjoy strings, and use Turbo Tuner’s on all boards. I also use the Earvana Nut, and Big Ben’s Nut Sauce on all pivot points of the strings. I also have my guitar set up by a pro. All good! I use a 1981 Walnut The STRAT. Thanks!

[@TheFeelButton]

A musician's tuning will always expand to fill the time allotted. Cheers Justin!

[@JustinOstrander]

This is true!!

[@MOAB-UT]

My .02c's. Buy a Peterson Strobotune. I did. It was pricey but no regrets. My tuning is much better now...much. I used a Snark before...4 sale if you want them. Not nearly as accurate.

[@toneleudy]

I bought strings this week...... I am terribly bad at not changing strings. Looks like I have plans for my weekend off next week.

[@brian91145]

Justin, how often do you have to change strings on your guitar? also, a set up video would be wonderful! love your stuff man

[@patrickfarley8036]

Cool video! As a PROFESSIONAL in a different industry than yours, I totally understand the cost effectiveness of having another Professional service my tools or machinery in order for me to NOT HAVE DOWN TIME (aka Not Making Money!), HOWEVER, as a drummer and guitar player I am of the mind that anyone who is mechanically apt enough to play a guitar (or any instrument for that matter) has the aptitude to service and maintain their instrument! I'm not saying REPAIR WORK, but change strings, neck relief, intonation, string height, swap out pick ups, clean or replace pots/ switches/ machine heads, solder, adjust a floating bridge, etc. I think it makes you a better musician! Like working on your car or motorcycle definitely makes you a better driver or rider. Just my 2 cents.

[@chucksatava8944]

I recently had a problem with a guitar, and I just couldn’t understand why it was happening because it was in Tune when I bought it!

[@kevinkingrey4506]

The way you put strings on makes the hugest difference in how well they stay in tune. Keeping tension on the tuner post as it's wound is critical, as well as limiting the amount of wraps on the post, 3 or 4 for wound strings, a couple more on the plain strings. The more wraps, the looser the tension on the post, the longer it's gonna take until they stay on pitch. Dan Erlwine at Stewmac has about the best video available on stringing up. I first ran into the method in his Guitar Players repair guide a couple of decades ago. It'll change your life!

[@78tag]

I agree - ever since understanding the winds on the post I am careful about the tension and minimal number of winds. Dan has done a lot for all guitar players.

[@brianmiller3287]

I've been using a d'addario clip on tuner because it's rechargeable via USB. Recently, I started using a Peterson clip on (not rechargeable) and it's much faster...

[@StevePatrick-t3t]

Hey Justin...love your vids...I'm an old ex Nashville Cat who's been running a studio for over 30 years now. Hope every player out there takes this sage advice. What are your thoughts on so-called "sweetened" tunings. I've been using James Taylors tuning on all my guitars for years and it's really improved my overall sound.

[@ChristopherOrth]

Back in the day I started tuning my floating bridge guitars inside out, so D - G - A - B - E - E This kept the bridge more stable and let me tune faster. It became a habit and I still tune all my guitars this way, even Tele's, etc.

[@silverwings1843]

Thank you.... I remember Joe Walsh being asked what was the hardest thing to do on a guitar. He said: "To Tune It"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I had a Big Dog show me once to get that D string perfect. Than to harmonically tune the A,E and G to it via frequency harmonics by ie: Chiming the 5th fret of the A to the 7th fret of the D and get the warble out of the A. Same for the E and G. Then make the B fit with a A and D chord and E fit with a G chord. All we can do is be tedious with an Imperfect System and remember what Joe said!!

[@CarlWinter-oy8uf]

And imports from USA cost 10 times advertised price on Amazon --lucky if it gets past corrupt customs dudes !---IN ONE piece !

[@semiforte]

Hey @Justin Thank you very much. Well - I didn't learn anything new from your video, but this gives me confidence that what I have learned over the years also gets noticed by other players and shows me that I am not alone when it comes down to be very picky about details 🙂 On thing that I am really trying to handle, stil lhaven't found a solution is dealing with small break angles at the bridge. Somehow it seems that I am the only person bothering about that, but since I see that your Novo is sort of a Jazzmaster style guitar I wondered if you never get intonation problems there? As I play punk and alternative, I am used to beat my guitar. So at least .011s are standard on my guitars, in my main band we play in D standard and on a leas paul scale guitar I play .013 - .059 sets since otherwise I won't get a prober tension for good intonation with heavy strokes. No problems on my les paul, but on my Rickenbacker 330 I can't play these sets. a plain 3rd has just to much thickness that it won't lay nicely in the grove of the saddle and therefore sounds very thin, almost like a sitar. This is the reason (and also palyability) I play mostly wound 3rd strings, but this gets other problems. And also sometimes bass strings with heavier cores don't sit in properly on a bridge with a small brake angle. Would be nice to share youre experiences with these issues... best regards from Switzerland! Fabian

[@johnmintalar]

Well done video. I read the description; looking forward to the courses you'll be making. 👍

[@CarlWinter-oy8uf]

Thankyou - for the advice--will try to purchase one here ---wish me luck ?

[@UURevival]

So weird, I'm a total newb (playing 3 years) but I was wondering that very thing about tuning up. It feels like unwinding the string down to the note could leave unresolved tension where tightening it would set it. I feel like a genius! lol Probably just a random quinky dink - but a fella can dream. Thanks for resolving that now I just have a few thousand more questions...

[@leswhitham]

Cool, nice info. I've always tuned in the order of 162534 and then readjust where necessary. Dunno why, habit I gues

[@rawkinj6609]

Thanks for this. My HSS Strat takes quite a hard rock beating! This really helps alot! Just subscribed because of this and your "almost got scammed video" Awesome to see how the pros do it! Cheers from Montreal Canada!

[@picksalot1]

I've got a Strat with a floating bridge. When I change strings, I put a wedge under the back of the bridge so it's not floating. This cuts down tuning time by about a half to a third because tuning one string does not cause the others to go out of tune. A popsicle stick is about 2mm thick, and works well as the wedge. 😎

[@brianpartridge5654]

D'Addario 👍 (i always put my positions on as many unsplit PU on when tuning and then (grabs neck and pulls after retuning lol) buys Evertune™ equipped guitar blows mind 🤯

[@DougHinVA]

Keep decent strings on the guitar and keep them clean... I use a cheap rag on the underside and top of all the strings and a quality of string that is enough (SIT, Ernie Ball are 'good enough). Staying tuned to a TUNER ... 1/2 step low is another way to make strings last longer.

[@donaldshidal851]

Roland GR55 tuner can show all 6 strings simultaneously. You hit all 6 to tune and it well illustrates the effect of how strings affect each other

[@buck7477]

I’m having to do my own setups because I take my Geetar to so called guitar techs and they stuck. I pay them and I eventually figure it out myself. It would be nice to find somebody good in the central Texas area that could fix my Geetar fast but they all screw ya. Guitar Center chipped a brand new US Tele just installing a chopper T.

[@Coopdog1911]

Makes me sad people say a guitar can not be in tune. I disagree. I play a 12 string mostly, and I just love when it's all grooving together. EDIT: I just broke a string on my 12 string tonight. Guitar detail coming up lol. Good to see I was taught how to tune early on as well.

[@WineRedDeluxe]

Since you are a recording artist, are you super conscious of your sitting position and mindful to not lean your arm over the guitar? Just muscle memory at this point? I find some guitars like an sg are so whippy that its super easy to pull it out of tune while sitting. My sg hates my belly!

[@TomCPlus1]

interesting . . . I happen to own a Wine Red Deluxe. (1973 LP, mini humbuckers)

[@JustinOstrander]

Great point. Some guitar necks can be floppier than others. Especially SGs

[@tituschalk]

So much wisdom on your channel even for a very intermediate guitarist. Thanks so much!

[@jonbirmingham6005]

Very informative and helpful. Thank you!

[@thomassicard3733]

Equal temperament is NOT 'perfect' temperament. 'Just' intonation is not a static solution. Intonation is a complicated subject and subject to personal preference, as well. Perhaps you would like to produce a dissertation on an aspect or aspects of intonation that no one else has explored? Great idea for musical scholars in search of an idea for their Doctoral Dissertation!! Good luck and best wishes!!!

[@Guitarman66]

No, I've got the driest hands . Thank you for the daily lessons and greetings from Germany 🇩🇪

[@RedArrow73]

To make it the most interesting (annoying to some), the guitar of choice would be a Rickenbacker 12-string. Riff on some Byrds!

[@tomford8286]

Fine tuners, IE TP-6, Floyd Rose, etc., allow tuning down to the note with no issues. So much for "never."

[@Astr-w6y]

I think Jimi Hendrix used to just bend up and down to the right pitch as he was playing, I do as well, it's from years of figuring out tunes from the old vinyl albums and constantly tuning to the record because of the turntable speed differences , also never had a tuner back in the day , usually tuned to the A 440 tone I hear in my head as I can sing it without a reference ..enjoyed your video and am always learning something new.

[@williammartin5116]

Thanks for the tips! One very important thing I do is always,always, wipe down strings and neck after playing especially after eating fried chicken. I sweat a lot too and a quick rub with a cloth extends the strings life ten fold for me. Peace

[@jimamsden]

I agree with never tune down, always tune up. But Fender instructions for locking tuners say the opposite. Not sure why and I don't do it. Maybe its an error in the document?!

[@JohnMcGFrance]

Interesting point about picking the way you play. I think I always pick more gently when tuning so I’ll stop doing that.

[@jimsliverootsculturemusic]

Amen that you must re-check tuning after any significant amount of change while getting it tuned the first time. I alternate Lo and Hi strings even to move the tension change further away. With new strings, you have to do this a few times.

[@KreikreiKreiner-pk9tf]

don’t know if it’s been mentioned, but singers who rapidly slap on capos and assume they’re in tune with the rest of the band much less themselves (on light gauge electrics especially )

[@bobbys4327]

Yup, have had a ST300 for a number of years now and I really like it!

[@pedalscapes]

Simple and great - love your philosophy! 😎

[@ChristopherHolmgren]

Quick strobe tuber video please! Love mine, but wonder if there is a better way to use it. Especially for faster intonation.

[@toxictime9604]

I think the last point is a kind of secret but crucial one. I figured it out by myself quite early but it's definitely worth being mentioned since I often see people don't give damn

[@CRP2426]

This is so important. This should be common knowledge. Now I have a nice video made by a Pro to save me from explaining how i Tune. Strobe Tuners are the Best! Thanks again Justin, wishing you my Best always!

[@drew699]

Great advice, as ever. Thanks for posting.

[@asphalthollar269]

When I install a new string , I always gently stretch each string while bracing a finger against the fretboard at the 12th fret. Little to no “settling” is required after doing this.

[@grene1955]

I've been playing for over 50 years and I've always struggled with tuning my guitars, even though I never sing out of tune. This video was super helpful. Thanks!

[@Rski1234]

#5 is something I learned right out the gate. Thanks Justin for a spot on explanation!

[@Theweeze100]

Really great advice, Thanks!

[@LeftAloneTrusk]

Great video. Thanks. \m/.

[@MichaelHebbes]

Anyone else want that video on how to use a strobe tuner properly. JO help your boy out and make that for meeeee.

[@shocker5981]

Great, great video! Thank you

[@johnpannella]

Awesome stuff Justin. I would agree about #5, that one is a no no! Always good to have a refresher about tuning. For the past year or so I have been using Stringjoy strings. I really like them. D'Addarios are also great. I really don't like coated strings. Question, have you ever owned or do own a guitar with the Buzz Feiten tuning system? I had a Tom Anderson which is Buzz Feiten. To me, it was no better than all my other guitars.

[@JustinOstrander]

I love Tom Anderson guitars. And I can’t say enough good things about Tom himself. Used to play his guitars a bunch. That BFTS sounds very modern to my ear. I have come to prefer old school non-BFTS guitars.

[@perpersson1072]

thats why you need to start use true temper necks made her in sweden so start use them problem solved

[@axe-ologist]

Pardon my ignorance and I probably should not ask a skilled Nashville session musician (cuz I'm not even close to that)...but I thought if I had locking tuners (in my case Sperzels) I would not need to stretch strings. Partly because if you stretch strings with locking tuners, you can pull the strings out - which I have done - stupidly. So please, let me know if I am wrong about this. Nothing pisses me off more than taking my guitar (Tele with Gotoh In-tune saddles...lol) to a luthier for a setup, getting it back and tuning my guitar and playing "Smple Man." That song consists of 3 chords that if your guitar is not intonated PERFECTLY, all 3 chords sound like...well...you know. HELP!

[@JustinOstrander]

Man I have never got along with locking tuners. I went to normal vintage style tuners on all my guitars and feel a lot better about tuning and how my strings settle. Hope that helps!

[@jamescoleman3476]

All your videos and Content is over-the-top, helpful, and much appreciated I do have a question about PRS guitars I haven’t seen a lot of session guys at least on KZbin playing on PRS guitars They’re usually on strats or 335 or jazzmaster or less Paul Style What’s your opinion of PRS guitars? Say compared to a nice SG Gibson

[@JustinOstrander]

I have a PRS baritone. The Mike Mushok. I haven’t played any other PRS guitars in a long time. Didn’t ever really bond with any of the ones I checked out. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@CarlWinter-oy8uf]

Central Africa. ---Congo border --nothing here unless you diy it---!

[@78tag]

As long as you are all satisfied with the base freq, everyone tuned to each other should give you what you want. People have been doing that for centuries.

[@dennisray2821]

I used 10 and 11 for years, tried 9 and im hooked

[@78tag]

I can tell you this - you had me captured in the first two and a half minutes - your drop D flat sample is right up my alley. It looks like I am in for an interesting 22 minute ride. Thanks in advance. EDIT: Can't say I learned anything new but you did reinforce what I already understood about tuning. 1 question - what do you think of the Peterson "sweetened" tunings? I am partial to the pedal steel adjustments. Thanks again, this post is something every twangbanger should view. New subscriber :)

[@JustinOstrander]

Thanks a ton!

[@CamiloVelandia]

Awesome video, Justin. As a session player myself, I find that tuning is a deeeeeeeeeeep rabbit hole and it isn't talked about enough. Thank you!

[@peterb.559]

Justin, if you're a D'Addario guy then you should pronounce the name correctly: dah-DARE-ee-oh (It's in some of their videos and used to be on their website.) Great video otherwise.

[@JustinOstrander]

Thank you. Old habits die hard.

[@nikolacvetkovic2276]

How do You keep that P-90s from buzzing all over with that drive? I love sound from P90 but just can not stand them buzzing like hell as I kick overdrive.

[@JustinOstrander]

I am just constantly muting with my volume pedal or knob. These hum as bad as any other. I just don’t usually use a compressor or very much gain.

[@CarlWinter-oy8uf]

This is Africa pal - no tuners of any kind--for several thousand KM --well we can always create a tuning fork from scrap steel----internet DIY helps ?

[@JustinOstrander]

When I played in Ghana, Nigeria, and South Africa, the locals we did shows with had electric and acoustic guitars, solid state amps, drums, keyboards, PAs, and… electronic tuners. I did give my glass slide to one guy in Ghana. He thought it was the coolest thing.

[@MLaurence]

Lots of good tips here man! Just came across your channel. One of the big tips you didn’t mention is that little tuning peg flick that you do at the end haha. I think the rule of thumb is to change your strings roughly every month, but are you changing more than that if you’re recording all the time?

[@JustinOstrander]

It just depends. I leave them on until they don’t intonate very well anymore. I’ll change them mid-session if needed.

[@timfarnsworth2071]

Justin, totally agree with everything you’ve listed and have done the same for a while now tho I’m nowhere near a recording level musician. One thing I heard a while back and have used in tuning up or checking existing tuning is tuning from the inside out G-D-B-A-e-E to decrease instability of strings moving from E to e. Have you heard this before or tried tuning this way?

[@JustinOstrander]

Interesting. Never have tried it.

[@jameshocking1188]

Great subject and explanation. One thing I'll add is if playing at an outside venue check your tuning more frequently especially if its out in the sun and no shade on stage. I remember playing a summer outdoor church gig, the band took the break between opening and closing but during the sermon the guitars sat in 95 plus temperature , unfortunately the worship leader just kept playing while the rest of us were in tune, we got on stage earlier and tuned while the pastor was giving the closing prayer. We stoped playing and instantly swiched to acapella trying to drown out his guitar. He was young and inexperienced but we all had a good laugh at the end . Later services we would place post it notes on his music stand saying CHECK TUNING!😂

[@JustinOstrander]

Temperature changes suck. My arch nemesis in the studio is when the AC kicks on, especially if they’ve got me sitting near a vent. My guitars instantly go a tiny bit sharp.

[@78tag]

Did he get the hint?

[@jameshocking1188]

@@78tag unfortunately I believe he only would check it when he got to church and place is guitar on his stand until it was time to play and then never check it again, that is unless we were playing outside. He once came up to me while I was tuning my 12 string Rickenbacker with the capo on and said "you tune with the capo on?" Acting very surprised. And I said absolutely the capo will pull the strings sharp and he said "that's a 12 string for ya, half the time tuning and the other half playing out of tune!" Now at the time I was using a different capo with a very strong spring, there are other capos now that are especially designed for 12 strings and use a different method of clamping that are also a lot more $. Also my Rickenbacker surprisingly holds tune extremely well considering external fluctuations and being a Rickenbacker fanboy, if you will, I took offense. So I asked him if he was already to go for the next set, and he said absolutely "I did all my setting up 4 hours ago when I got here before first service " now I knew that there were 3 songs we played with a capo and I also knew that he places his guitar right in front of an AC duct on the stage floor. He said kinda smugly I learned my lesson after playing outside and you guys put post-it notes on my stand, so now I keep my axe cool when I'm playing. You see first service is still cool on stage and they don't turn on the AC until about a half hour before 2nd service . We had about 15 minutes before 2nd service began and the AC was on, so I said let's go check your tuning as I disconnected my tuner. I said I bet your out of tune! He said OK and sure enough he was about a half step sharp. He got this deer in the headlights look and said I can't believe it! This is a brand new guitar I'll have to take it back! So I explained how temperature changes work and where he was placing his guitar was throwing out his tuning and that his Gibson Hummingbird was a great guitar and also showed him how to put on a capo so it would have the least affect on tuning changes by barring the fret just ahead of were you will place the capo. He learned a couple of things that day, including we as a band need to help each other for the greater good of the song and performance not the spotlight..

[@78tag]

@@jameshocking1188 - Commendable....most people in the position he put you in would have lost their patience with this gentleman. You are probably responsible for that band even being able to perform - great job bud.