need a little help

I am having a problem tuning my guitar. The low E string jumps around like crazy when I use an electronic tuner making it very hard to tune my guitar. I have used 5 different tuners including computer based ones. Anyone have an idea why this is happening. Please help me.

Yep, I've run into this with most every electronic tuner regarding that particular string anyways. No big deal though...just tune the rest of them as accurately as you can, then tune the E to those, either by fretting or using harmonics. Otherwise, you can tune to a cd whose key you know. And there's also a quite a few sites online that have audible tones/samples for tuning, but I'll leave it to you (or others) to dig em up.

Ok sounds great. Funny thing though I had a few fenders and don't remember having that problem. Guess my memory is not what it used to be. I am greatful that my new guitar is not at fault. Once again thank you. Paul :) :)

You can also frett an 'A" on your E string.Just make sure not to squezze too hard.

Originally Posted by: R. Shackleferd then tune the E to those, either by fretting or using harmonics. .

just a question----- i'd always learned to do it the fretting way- how do you do the harmonics?

Lightly touch the string over the fret as you pick it and quickly move your fret finger off.

Natural Harmonics

Ok...you got 3 frets that give practical harmonics for tuning. Harmonics plucked above the 5th give the same note of each respective open string, only several octaves higher. 12th fret ones are a few octaves below the 5th's, but again the same notes. The 7th fret harmonics yield the same notes as the 7th fret notes if you were pushing down.
Here's how it looks:
5th fret: EADGBE 12th fret: EADGBE
7th fret: BEADF#B

So hit the harmonic on the 6th string, 5th fret...and while ringing, hit the one of the 5th string, 7th fret. All strings will tune this way (5th fret harm = 7th fret harm of string below)...except the 3rd string (G) trying to tune the 2nd string (B). Yet looking above you can see 2 different octaves of B harm availble on either E string at the 7th fret. That's the basic jist of it.
Use this in addition to open strings, chords, and/or the method you already use. Tuning is never perfect. You just have to kinda find the best average compromise. Does that make sense?

Originally Posted by: R. ShackleferdOk...you got 3 frets that give practical harmonics for tuning. Harmonics plucked above the 5th give the same note of each respective open string, only several octaves higher. 12th fret ones are a few octaves below the 5th's, but again the same notes. The 7th fret harmonics yield the same notes as the 7th fret notes if you were pushing down.
Here's how it looks:
5th fret: EADGBE 12th fret: EADGBE
7th fret: BEADF#B

So hit the harmonic on the 6th string, 5th fret...and while ringing, hit the one of the 5th string, 7th fret. All strings will tune this way (5th fret harm = 7th fret harm of string below)...except the 3rd string (G) trying to tune the 2nd string (B). Yet looking above you can see 2 different octaves of B harm availble on either E string at the 7th fret. That's the basic jist of it.
Use this in addition to open strings, chords, and/or the method you already use. Tuning is never perfect. You just have to kinda find the best average compromise. Does that make sense?

hmm. fretting is easier hhaha

Originally Posted by: rockonn91hmm. fretting is easier hhaha

True...but I use the harmonics cuz the waves of dissonance are more apparent. Know what I mean? That wah wah kinda sound you hear between 2 strings that are just slightly off. And besides that, I'd recommend you learn to do harmonics on command anyways just for playing purposes too.

Originally Posted by: R. ShackleferdTrue...but I use the harmonics cuz the waves of dissonance are more apparent. Know what I mean? That wah wah kinda sound you hear between 2 strings that are just slightly off. And besides that, I'd recommend you learn to do harmonics on command anyways just for playing purposes too.

oh yes, i know harmonics and all i just didnt know how you would tune using them

thanksss

Sounds to me like the tuning problem you are having may be due to pickup height. If your pickups are to high it will pull on the string causing an oblonged oscilation of the string when you pluck it. If that doesn't make sense, then imagine this - when you pluck a string, it vibrates in a circular motion. If the pickup is too high, the magnet field will actually kinda tug on the string at the lowest point of this circular motion causing it to be more egg shaped.

Now, you might say, but then wouldn't it do it to every string?

Well, not necesarily, you see the low E has more mass than the other strings and is therefore affected by the magnetic field more than the other strings. Try to lower the bass side of the pickup, just a half turn at a time till the problem goes away. If you end up with a wildly slanted pickup, then you've gone too far and it's time to check the other pickups. Usually the offendind pickup will be the neck pickup as that is where the the circular motion of the vibrating string will be at it's largest size occcuring over the pickups, therefore making it more vunerable to the tug of the magnetic field. Also, this is usuall more of a problem with single coils than humbucker as the magnetic feild of the single coil in more narrow and there a lot more focused.

Oh yeah, and this is an easy one...try tuning with the other strings muted. Sometimes you can pick up overtones from the other strings when tuning, therefore confusing the tuner.

Hope this helps.