[pianotech] 6 strings versus 200 + strings

[Mr. Mac's]

On Jan 31, 2011, at 10:48 PM, <johnparham at piano88.com> <johnparham at piano88.com> wrote:
> … A guitar with a lower action, straight frets, a straight neck, and frets
> that are not worn will tune up true. …

and

On Jan 31, 2011, at 9:56 AM, Ed Foote wrote:
> … When I see a guitarist using the harmonics to tune, they always get the fourths either pure, though, at times, a narrow one will get in there.  The result is that the G-E sixth(formed by making the E octave),  is too wide to allow the B to make an acceptable third and fourth at the same time. …

John, Ed,

I have an acoustic guitar that meets John's physical description,
   but does not necessarily tune up true using the
   conventional known tuning methods.

You guys know the drill:
   The beginning basic low E, fifth fret to tune A, etc. process.
   The harmonics process Ed mentions
   And one or two others, but I have no name for them,
   and still, it seems I have always had to fiddle some more after the fact,
   to please my sense of hearing when playing various chords.

Over the years I continued to try and come up with a method
   for tuning this guitar I own, and finally arrived
   at something that really seems to bring everything 
   into focus when in standard tuning, all up and down the neck.

Somehow I attribute what I describe below to the process
   of how intonation is done on solid body electric guitars.
I am fairly certain this method will bring very poor results on any guitar
   that doesn't match the description John mentions above.

I play the D string and match it to a depressed B string, 15th fret.
Then I play the B string and match it to depressed  A string, 14th fret.
Then I play the A string and match it to depressed  G string, 14th fret.
Then I play the G string and match it to the two E strings, both being depressed at the 15th fret.
Then compare those two Es' to a depressed D string, 14th fret.

I do this round robin process 'til everything settles into place.

Sincerely,

Keith McGavern, RPT
pianostuff.kamcam.com