My JTV-89 Low E String Shows Up As a G ... WTF

[sdre9096]

What is going on? Beyond the HORRIBLE tuner on this thing(how do they not get this part right  :wacko:) this is happening. Ideas?

[phil_m]

You mean that it's reading a G when you're playing an E? Try switching to your neck pickup, if you haven't already, and turning the tone knob all the way down on your guitar when tuning. That gives the tuner more of fundamental to work with.

[FlyingsCool]

Umm, are you using an alternate tuning?

 

Sorry, had to ask given it's a variax.  Tuner works great for me for both my Tokai LP and my JTV-69S (connected either through VDI or 1/4 cable whether I'm using the pickups or any of the models and alternate tuning settings (pretty much only use Drop D and down a half step)...  I've never had an issue with it misreading.

 

Have you compared it using another tuner?

[sdre9096]

Tone all the way up. Standard tuning. 30 year player here... Just saying. E is reading as G yes.

[phil_m]

Tone all the way up. Standard tuning. 30 year player here... Just saying. E is reading as G yes.

 

Try turning it all the way down... I left the most important word out in my earlier reply, lol... I have since edited it.

[phil_m]

Btw, nearly every tuner I've ever used has occasionally displayed an incorrect note while tuning. I think sometimes they are picking up on overtones in the string rather than the fundamental frequency. Usually, I can get them to read the correct note if I downtune a little, and pluck the string a little harder.

[maxnew40]

Tone all the way up. Standard tuning. 30 year player here... Just saying. E is reading as G yes.

I never try to tune when in variax mode, I have found that it doesn't work all that well. I tune with the mag pickups and use the neck pickup for the reasons phil gave. I have always found that tuning using the neck pickup works best for me any any guitar.

 

-Max

[spikey]

The tuner is a nervous hyperbolic jerk fest and needs to be fixed. That said, I've not seen it ever be that far off. Is another guitar acting the same, or just the Variax?

[Verne-Bunsen]

Is it transient or does it register steadily as G? My low Es occasionally register as B on my Korg Pitch Black tuner, but striking the string again generally clears it up. As has been said, I think it's just an overtone thing. As Phil said, I generally tune on the neck pickup with the tone rolled all the way off and that seems to keep things focused.

[PierM]

Overtones indeed. I've this problem with a seven strings guitar which for some reason does not tune with Helix, especially on low B and G strings, but instead reading wrong notes it does not read any note, at all. Only using harmonics "solve" the issue. I didn't try the "tone down" trick, I'll give it a try!

[klangmaler]

...well, again a tuner discussion :angry: - better go to the JTV subforum:

 

http://line6.com/support/forum/39-james-tyler-variax-guitars-workbench-hd/

[jbuhajla]

The tuner is a nervous hyperbolic jerk fest and needs to be fixed. That said, I've not seen it ever be that far off. Is another guitar acting the same, or just the Variax?

Uh oh... Here comes the tuner train... LOL. 

[spikey]

Uh oh... Here comes the tuner train... LOL. 

No train... No even a Caboose. Just an observation. 

[HonestOpinion]

The tuner is a nervous hyperbolic jerk fest and needs to be fixed. ...

 

Have to agree, I have tried all the suggestions for alleviating the jumpiness and it is still pretty bad. It is such an obvious problem that it is the first time I have ever had members of my band looking at my tuner asking "what is wrong with that thing, it jumps all over the place". The display and the addition of added granularity are awesome but can we please make it a bit more stable. 

[gunpointmetal]

Overtones indeed. I've this problem with a seven strings guitar which for some reason does not tune with Helix, especially on low B and G strings, but instead reading wrong notes it does not read any note, at all. Only using harmonics "solve" the issue. I didn't try the "tone down" trick, I'll give it a try!

This is about my only real gripe with the Tuner. It won't even pickup a bass tuned below B (and B can be a real PITA on certain instruments) and my 9-string guitars are tuned to A (one step below that five-string bass B) and they won't pickup up that either. It will pickup everything from the second fret (B) and up just fine, but not Bb or A. I thought maybe it was just a string physics thing since I'm down so ridiculously low, but since it doesn't register on a bass with adequate string tension either, it seems to be some sort of software issues, especially considering my stand-alone $15 korg chromatic tuner reads all those notes and all my tuners in my DAW pick them up without issue.

 

As far as the OP, I've never seen a string show a m3 off from overtones or harmonics. Is it possible there is some interference noise from somewhere, or really low action that would cause the the string to rattle of the third fret slightly when you're tuning?