Self Tuning Guitars

Rock on dude!

It will be interesting to see how well it is accepted. The first problem I can see would be broken strings from changing tuning all the time. If I could retune at the push of a button I would be tempted to change tuning a lot more than I do and I can't imagine that current string technology would hold up to that very well.

The other thing is that I tend to tune very slightly sharp, others tend to tun a bit flat, the way you tune is a part of your tone. I wonder if this makes all guitars sound the same... I suppose you can tune as you like and save it.

I also wonder what the tolerance is in the electronics. When is the tuning close enough?

Sounds like I need to go do some homework on it...

The first problem I can see would be broken strings from changing tuning all the time.

I wonder. There should be less metal fatigue if the string is always constantly tensioned, instead of allowed to go out -- so maybe (but this is purely hunch) the string will last longer, if you are someone who always uses standard tuning. On the other hand if you are actually changing tuning (D tuning for example), then I suppose, as you say, you'd certainly go through more strings because you could do it so easily, you'd do it more often.

The whole idea seems odd -- tuning seems part and parcel of playing. Maybe I'm just being an old fogey. But who knows, it may take off.

Your wooden guitar should always go out and in of tune as the weather changes.

In my house, very draughty and cold until I start a roaring fire, it could be as far out as almost pitched on the next string (ok almost and only sometimes)

Metal fatigue is more a problem with playing hard I think. Tuning is done all the time by all the learners in the world and we do not break more strings because of that (I think)

One of the guitar virtuosas asked said it was a brilliant idea as now he could bring just the one guitar and retune or de-tune in a matter of seconds while normally he had to bring a few guitars to cover the different tuning methods over and above the spares.

Hi Ken,

"There should be less metal fatigue if the string is always constantly tensioned, instead of allowed to go out--"

Unless, as you say, one is changing the tuning, D, C#, tuning down, etc., then the actual movement of the motor(s) would be miniscule, more like a servo motor seeking its balance point. The tension on the string would be kept constant.

Seems to me like this would alleviate, not agravate, the changes in tension caused by manual tuning.

-John

Oops! I just watched the video from the link that RidetheWave posted. Looks like a full-fledged computer control. Pretty versatile too.

What happens when you give the old trem some stick? I have a vision of the auto tune motors going crazy! And will there be any interference in the guitar's sound? If someone turns on a light switch you can occasionally pick it up through the guitar, it's the nature of the system. Will those little motors be humming away, subtly changing your sound? (As any guitarist will tell you, your 'sound' is everything!)

These motors do not run all the time, Only when you want to tune.

No background noise at all, no interference.

I would expect it to allow you to tune to your liking or preference. Maybe you can pre-set it so it does it the same every time.

Broken strings is not a problem I think as every learner will tell you that they are forever tuning (me included). We learners spend more time tuning than playing and still I get a long time out of my strings

Great idea though, isn't it?

Actually very neat. Why did I not think about it?

A self tuning piano would have been nice. When I was young I attempted to change the piano into a honky-tonk sound One of the 3 strings is lowered and one is raised slightly.

With spanner and pliers I set out to tune, The more I tyned the worse it got.

My dad had to get the blind tuner to re tune it.

My dad had to get the blind tuner to re tune it.

We probably had the same tuner: Mr Oppornockity was blind, as I remember. We could never get him to retune the piano if it sounded funny after he left. He always said, "Oppornockity tunes but once."

My brother would not be able to play one -- he's obsessed with tuning his guitar "by ear," even at the expense of stopping in the middle of a tune to adjust the pitch of a string which doesn't sound just right.

I would hope u could tune it however u want. I'll bet it's like those tuners on the newer amps. Could take the individual's sound out of play though, which I don't like. Overall though it's a cool idea. I'd have to imagine the thing waits until u tell it to tune becuse there's no way the thing can tune with external interference such as talking/singing, other music, etc.

When you tune by ear, do you mute the other strings or do you let them "sing" with the resonance?

This is a serious question as the tuning you arrive at will be different.

I was thinking about this device and was wondering, how will it do it? Does it strum all strings and goes bananas on the machine heads or do you need to do string for string and even then do you mute the others?

What do you think?

I have never tuned without resonance from the other strings. I think if I was playing individual strings and muting the other ones during every note in the middle of a song that's the way I'd tune it. Otherwise I think the others should accompany. I like the ring of a note in a high octave most of the time while playing a lower octave note.

It looks like u can strum all the strings or individual strings and it'll tune accordingly.

http://www.gibson.com/robotguitar/guitar.html

Sweeeeeeet! Les Paul at that!

It looks like it can do all at the same time as it relies on the string to do the transmitting of the signal, that is neat to. This means the machine heads WILL go bananas all at the same time. That must look impressive

Your tuning system makes sense, if you pluck strings you would mute them, if not you let them all ring. Thanks for that, very useful.

As has been mentioned if you change tuning a lot (going from standard to open D or open G) then it does take fatigue life out of the strings (Not so bad for dropped D, but I have experienced it with other tunings). At a concert if you see a musician changing guitars for each song, that is a good indication he/she is playing in different tunings. Better to have a guitar for each. With this gizmo, just a touch of the button does the same thing with one guitar, I wounder how the marketers at Gibson see this effecting their sales volume...

I know a few guitar performers, not even profesional but just gig playing bands, who will replace strings before I would have said they were bad, simply because they are not sounding "fresh" any more.

I think it will not make any difference to them at all. They sell as we buy, and buy we do

Hi Roger.

First lesson: learn how to tune a guitar.

Second lesson do it again and again and again..................

After many years of this, there will come a time were it becomes second nature. I am still able today to tell which string is sharp or flat when someone else plays. With 6 strings that is. It only takes a second or so to get it right. It depends very much on the instrument itself. If it's cheap you will not be able to tune it whatever you do (only to a certain fret).

Never introduce a new string to an old set. I have seen it done.

A true musician would not need computer assistance to get it right. It's all in the experience. Training an ear is part of the process of learning music. Don't let the instrument be your master but you master the instrument.

For stage work always use the same tuner for all string instruments. Some of them are out a fraction or at least back then they were.

A fine instrument will let you know when it needs tuning and usually its just a tick of adjustment.

If the stringing is done properly and the ware in period is over you will recognise any dissonance at once. To have a computer or mechanical device to do this is counter productive. If using different tunings have different Guitars. Double neck is a solution but they are not easy to handle for the beginner.

After 4 decades of being with these monsters I still train myself all the time to get the tuning right, sometimes mid air. No machine for me thanks. Ky.

I have to admit, when I posted this I didn't know how people would react. Personally, I hate tuning, but I'm not great anyway. I thought there would be more outrage at the thought of taking personal touch out of it, but someone mentioned you could predefine settings to your own preferred tuning. Its probably a good thing for people who aren't great but still like to play once in a while (like myself).

I hope this catches on.

Comming to think of it, it reminds me of "Paint by numbers". You can't go wrong. Your results will be better if you do it your self. Over time that is. Rock on mate. Ky.

I understand your feeling but I still partly disagree.

The part that agrees is the part that knows that your "touch" will create your kind of sound and once you know your settings as that is the way you hear it every time, you can reproduce that. You learn your way with your guitar by tuning it as well, kind of getting familiar with it.

The part that disagrees is the fact I have read you can "teach" it your preferences for the settings. It will then also reproduce that only faster. The other, more convincing to me, argument is that I have read some very good reviews from guitar master players and professionals that said it would fill a niche that was never fulfilled before. No more 15 or 30 guitars for a concert, just the few and a spare!

Last but not least we are talking Gibson here, they would never produce or condone the use of anything that would risk devaluing that name, the name that leads the trade (with 1 or 2 others). I am sure they will have a subsidiary company they could use for that if they thought it was useful to the profits but nothing more than that.

Sorry case 491 I should have explained myself a bit better. I was in no way suggesting that the people in the know (Gibson etc.) are to blame for doing what they are.

I was speaking more from the stand point of the teacher. Avoiding slackness in the tuning procedure and not training the ear and the connected parts of the brain to doing so "perfectly" does not help the musical development. In the end, if playing with a few others, one should be trained,skilled, and educated enough to hear if someone else is out of tune and notify person involved of such error. The appreciative/learned listener hears dissonances and will react to the gig accordingly. This is only at a higher level of performance as we all know. Relying on a tuning device as above will help to a degree.

Bach's Cello for ever. Ky.

Ok, from that point I fully agree.

If the auto tuner is left on it may sound like a Hawaiian guitar.

LOL!!!

A self tuning guitar sounds like it would be the cats meow especially for beginners who have not yet mastered the tuning-by-ear method, which I think is the best way to tune but takes awhile to learn properly. Once you've learned it only takes a short time to tune properly.

When I tune my guitar I tune by ear and use open string tuning and also tune to the E,A,C, and D chords to find a happy medium because I don't play as much as I used to and don't change my strings once a week anymore.

I guess what I'm saying is that regardless of how much you pay for the strings, after playing them for awhile they begin to "dischord". They will no longer hold a solid note without wavering. If your ear is good enough you can discern this wavering and find a happy balance that satisfies your ear in any chord you wish to strum or any strange tuning you wish to use.

So if strings get old can this system compensate? I seriously doubt it as it probably only tunes open string.

If Gibson is promoting it I seriously doubt that it is on a guitar that the average player would use but for the professional player who changes strings Very often.