can a guitar tune itself?

Subject: can a guitar tune itself?
From: GUEST,mick
Date: 02 Apr 05 - 08:26 AM

Does a guitar exist with heads that adjust automatically so as to keep strings in tune ?   Would it be possible to make such guitar and ,if not ,why not?

Subject: RE: can a guitar tune itself?
From: MuddleC
Date: 02 Apr 05 - 08:50 AM

-it's called an electronic piano....

good idea, like the ever-lasting lightbulb, but what would the player do instead of the 'tuning-up' ceremony?

Subject: RE: can a guitar tune itself?
From: GUEST,punkfolkrocker
Date: 02 Apr 05 - 09:11 AM

yes..

back in the 80's/90's


"Tomorrows World"

jimmie page demonstrated a prototype based on a customised les paul..

internal sensors and minature motors did all the necessary Technical stuff..

sure i read recently that someone else notable in music tech innovations is testing
21st century ways of acomplishing this goal

Subject: RE: can a guitar tune itself?
From: Leadfingers
Date: 02 Apr 05 - 09:19 AM

I would assume such a guitar would have a 'Tune On' - 'Tune Off' Switch , and a selector for where each string was to be tuned , or there would be all sorts of problems ! Would the minor convenience of this system be worth the cost ? I can see it at least doubling the cost of a decent instrument , And adding a HELL of a lot of weight !!

Subject: RE: can a guitar tune itself?
From: Willie-O
Date: 02 Apr 05 - 09:23 AM

No doubt it's possible. But I strongly suspect the cure would be worse than the disease.

"Hello, Fender tech support hotline. Press one if your guitar is out of tune. Please ensure that all the available updates, patches and anti-virus software are installed and that you are using Fender operating system 9.9 or later so that we can support you....

All our available guitar technicians are serving other clients. Please hold..........................."

Tuner technology has come a long way, but there is not substitute for ear training. If you can play guitar, you have the hand-ear coordination to tune one pretty quickly...and no phone calls!

Subject: RE: can a guitar tune itself?
From: John Hardly
Date: 02 Apr 05 - 09:45 AM

Oh my guitar does it all the time.

It seems to choose an "aternate" tuning every time. It almost always seems to be very close to standard tuning (my tuning of choice), but not exactly standard. So I always re-tune it anyway.

Subject: RE: can a guitar tune itself?
From: GUEST,Al
Date: 02 Apr 05 - 10:18 AM

Listen sometime to Joseph Spence. His guitar sounds like it tuned itself, and it sounded great! Not necessarily in tune, though.
Al

Subject: RE: can a guitar tune itself?
From: Peace
Date: 02 Apr 05 - 11:42 AM

Damage yer hearing. The tuning won't matter.

Subject: RE: can a guitar tune itself?
From: Peace
Date: 02 Apr 05 - 11:43 AM

http://actiontuners.com/

Subject: RE: can a guitar tune itself?
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 02 Apr 05 - 12:42 PM

There was a bit on Daily Planet (It mighta even been back when it was still called @Discovery) a few years ago, about a rig that could be built into an accoustic or electric guitar, under the saddle, that would read the sound from a given string, and automatically compensate for what note it was playing, (real time, automatic intonation and tuning adjustment... )

I seem to recall they pegged it somewhere in the $10,000 range... plus the price of the guitar...

Subject: RE: can a guitar tune itself?
From: Peace
Date: 02 Apr 05 - 12:50 PM

Buy two, they're small.

Subject: RE: can a guitar tune itself?
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 02 Apr 05 - 12:53 PM

And looking at it, I wouldn't let that action tuner anywhere near my guitars...

Subject: RE: can a guitar tune itself?
From: Les B
Date: 02 Apr 05 - 01:12 PM

I think I'd rather have the girls at the bottom of that page tune mine!!

Subject: RE: can a guitar tune itself?
From: Peace
Date: 02 Apr 05 - 01:20 PM

Just looked. I suppose I'll have the usual crew chewin' me arse now. Before ya do, please get fooked.

Subject: RE: can a guitar tune itself?
From: DMcG
Date: 02 Apr 05 - 01:27 PM

I've just returned from celebration of Bob Copper's life at which Martin Carthy got up to play, approached the mike, found his guitar was already in tune and claimed that completely threw him and he didn't know what to do for the next minute ...

Subject: RE: can a guitar tune itself?
From: mandoleer
Date: 02 Apr 05 - 03:10 PM

I play worse things than guitars to tune and there's always the problem of other people's tuning to be taken into account. What's the point of having a perfect concert pitch guitar, mandolin or whatever, if it isn't in tune with the box? And to retune a box involves a lot of screws and bits.... (By the way there are worse things than mandolin banjos to tune - there are lutes with moveable gut frets, and sitars and other inventions of sadists...)