What temperament is a guitar tuned?

[Joe & Penny Goss]

Whoa Neato Bill,
I do not understand how to use the numbers that you give. Could you give a
more detailed description? I think you mean to go to A4 then tune?? Why do
you give A2 and A3 readings ie. Would you be able to crunch the numbers and
give the tuning scale for a 6 string bass B E A D G C ? and a tenor Banjo?
Thanks and warm greetings Joe Goss

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> From: Billbrpt@aol.com
> To: pianotech@ptg.org
> Cc: CajunduTX@aol.com
> Subject: Re: What temperament is a guitar tuned?
> Date: Tuesday, June 02, 1998 5:29 AM
> 
> In a message dated 6/2/98 4:08:26 AM Central Daylight Time,
>  John.Woodrow@aus.dupont.com writes:
> 
> << A book on guitars that I was flicking through made the claim that a
guitar
>  is tuned as a Well Temperament, reflecting the period from which it
evolved.  
>  
>  
>  Can anybody confirm or otherwise that a standard guitar tuning is a Well
>  Temperament. >>
> 
> This may be the result of a common error that has persisted for nearly a
>  century.   Many reference books and texts imply or state that Equal
>  Temperament (ET) and Well-Temperament (WT) are synonymous but the two
are
>  actually mutually exclusive.
> 
> The guitar's frets are laid out in a manner that would imply ET.  All
>  electronic guitar tuner's frequencies are based on ET. However, many
players
>  will tell you that once they have tuned  according to the elctronic
tuner,
>  they play some chords and "tweak" the tuning a bit to suit their own
>  preferences.  Many who do this are essentially converting the ET to a
WT.
> 
> If you are interested in tuning a guitar in a WT, here are two sets of
>  deviations which you can use.  The first is a "Victorian" the next is a
1/6
>  ditonic comma, "Vallotti" type WT.  In a performance in which I was
involved
>  of the musical Man of La Mancha several years ago, the Vallotti type was
used
>  for both the orchestra and on stage guitars.  It provides for beautiful
>  harmony in the simple keys and very dark colors in the remote minor keys
that
>  were written in the score.
> 
> These figures may be used with a Sanderson Accu-Tuner and possibly a
>  mechanical Strobe tuner.  All values are read on Octave 4  (this is
>  important).  An adjustable guitar tuner may also be used but the results
may
>  not be accurate.
> 
> E2: -2.0¢  A2: 0.0¢  D3: 1.0¢  G3: 2.0¢  B3: -2.0¢  E4: -1.0¢
>       -4.0¢        0.0¢        2.0¢         4.0¢       -4.0¢        -2.0¢
> 
> Bill Bremmer RPT
> Madison,Wisconsin
>  
>