Evertune Bridge Review

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  • p90foolp90fool Frets: 31368
    p90fool said:
    Thanks for the excellent, detailed review, not least because it makes it evident that it's not for me.

    The point about recording is interesting though, there are occasions where I tune a guitar in a session to suit the specific fingering I'm using but I do it less and less these days, simply because it all starts to sound like guitar soft synths if you do it obsessively. 
    I'm not sure what you mean, surely a soft synth would be providing guitar noises in "Twelve tone equal temperament" TTET https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equal_temperament ;

    Whereas if you tune a guitar for the fingering, you are probably closer to  "just intonation" I think?
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equal_temperament#Comparison_to_just_intonation

    Or do you just mean retuning so that higher voicings are in tune with TTET?
    This ^^^ or as near as they can be. We all do it, and with some high gain styles it's almost essential if you want tight, pro-sounding guitar tracks, but for the rootsier stuff I tend to do these days I much prefer the natural tuning anomalies you get all over the guitar neck.

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  • ToneControlToneControl Frets: 11789
    p90fool said:
    p90fool said:
    Thanks for the excellent, detailed review, not least because it makes it evident that it's not for me.

    The point about recording is interesting though, there are occasions where I tune a guitar in a session to suit the specific fingering I'm using but I do it less and less these days, simply because it all starts to sound like guitar soft synths if you do it obsessively. 
    I'm not sure what you mean, surely a soft synth would be providing guitar noises in "Twelve tone equal temperament" TTET https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equal_temperament ;

    Whereas if you tune a guitar for the fingering, you are probably closer to  "just intonation" I think?
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equal_temperament#Comparison_to_just_intonation

    Or do you just mean retuning so that higher voicings are in tune with TTET?
    This ^^^ or as near as they can be. We all do it, and with some high gain styles it's almost essential if you want tight, pro-sounding guitar tracks, but for the rootsier stuff I tend to do these days I much prefer the natural tuning anomalies you get all over the guitar neck.

    have you ever tried a True temperament neck?
    http://www.truetemperament.com/

    I find mine quite addictive, in that other guitars sound not-quite-right after playing it
    I would think it would be even less like a soft synth, and the purer intervals do add something to the overall feel 
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  • I’m interested in true temperament necks but probably not enough to consider buying one.

    The evertune bridge gets the guitar in tune enough that I’m happy.

    When the bass version is released I’d love to get one. Will likely do the same thing - grab a used MIM Precision fit a nice pickup and get the ET bridge installed on that. 
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  • grungebobgrungebob Frets: 3299
    Quick question, how would you go say from normal tuning (in what ever pitch you prefer) to a drop D tuning?
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  • I like the look of these - I sort of want a heavy guitar tuned to drop A or something, maybe a fan fret, and these would really help keep those low strings in tune when riffing.

    I don't play much these days :( but one day I'll have an epic clear out and just have a strat, a tele and a beast off fan fret. 
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  • ToneControlToneControl Frets: 11789
    edited December 2017
    grungebob said:
    Quick question, how would you go say from normal tuning (in what ever pitch you prefer) to a drop D tuning?
    same as normal, just turn the machine head. The first few turns will only drop the pitch a few cents, then suddenly, it will start to drop as normal

    the evertune setup is basically to set up the "active" part of the machine head's travels
    you set it up so that as you tighten the machine head, first the pitch goes up as normal, then for a while it barely changes at all around the pitch you have chosen (this is when it lifts that string's little trem-type block off its end stop, and balances it against the evertune spring, then as you keep turning the machine head, you get to the the other end stop, and the string just goes up in pitch as with any normal guitar

    so basically, you have configure each string to do the clever evertune trick for one specific pitch with a specific string gauge. Above and below that, the machine head works as-normal, with no evertune effect.
    Therefore, for example, you could set To drop D evertune to help with tight rhythm guitar work, but then tune up to bottom E for the occasional track that needs it

    i.e if you detuned all 6 strings by one semitone, there would be no evertune effect on any string
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  • ToneControlToneControl Frets: 11789
    I like the look of these - I sort of want a heavy guitar tuned to drop A or something, maybe a fan fret, and these would really help keep those low strings in tune when riffing.

    I don't play much these days :( but one day I'll have an epic clear out and just have a strat, a tele and a beast off fan fret. 
    You might need to order a different Evertune saddles if the tension is different: this page works all that out
    https://evertune.com/faq/faq.php

    here's a nice video


    of course, these are straight bridges, you would not be able to have a fanned bridge
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  • guitarfishbayguitarfishbay Frets: 7953
    edited December 2017
    grungebob said:
    Quick question, how would you go say from normal tuning (in what ever pitch you prefer) to a drop D tuning?

    Via the tuning key on the saddle. It takes a fair few turns so I’m not sure if it’s something you’d want to be doing live though it’s possible. I’ve been going between C# standard and Drop B as I fancy at home and it’s pretty straightforward. In fact you can do any tuning that fits the tension requirements of the saddle. 

    The other thing I’ve found is when you want to check the tuning it’s best to remove the key as it does change the pitch very slightly when it’s in. I get it as close as I can with the key, then do a few removal/check/turn/check and it’s done and you don’t touch it again. 



    The tuning pegs on the guitar are only to get it into zones. Once the string is held straight in zone 2 all tuning is at the bridge itself.





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  • ToneControlToneControl Frets: 11789
    so as @guitarfishbay says, if you permanently want drop D, you just reconfigure the evertune setting for that string
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  • ToneControlToneControl Frets: 11789
    Another point worth knowing is that, for normal soloing, you would typically tighten up the machine heads to get you to the top part of zone 2 in the diagram. With that, if you bend, you can do normal solo bending.
    However, if you unwind the machine head a few turns, it will take you back to the centre of zone 2 (and down 1 cent or so), but then bending strings becomes almost impossible, making the guitar rock-solid for rhythm work - the bottom strings won't raise in pitch when hit hard.
    I've not seen it pointed out, but this clearly means that you could set the bottom strings to not be bendable, but leave the top 3 or 4 as normal so that you can do bends

    https://www.evertune.com/manuals/_img/evertune__manuals__quick_start_guide__f005.png

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  • I have all of them near the top of zone 2. With good technique the pitch is still straight for fretting and strong picking, though I use a thin .73mm pick. Bending is very slightly stiffer than a normal bridge but it’s pretty easy to get used to.

    Setting the sensitivity is pretty easy by ear, wind the tuning peg until the pitch raises out of zone 2, back it to where it’s the zone 2 note again, and then turn it back from there to set sensitivity. About 1/8th turn leaves bending pretty easy, about 2 half turns effectively switches bending off.

    I’ve not tried but I could probably go down a string gauge and that would compensate for the slightly stiffer feel. As noted there is a calculator on the website under ‘what tunings are supported’, you can get multiple tunings out of a typical set of strings.



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  • guitarfishbayguitarfishbay Frets: 7953
    edited January 2018
    grungebob said:
    Quick question, how would you go say from normal tuning (in what ever pitch you prefer) to a drop D tuning?

    I've just had a 'du'h' moment.

    If you primarily play in the drop D you can just tune up your low string to the E using the tuning peg.  It won't be evertuned since that string will be in zone 3, so that's a downside, but the other strings will be in zone 2, and when you go back down to the D you'll be back in zone 2 again on the low string.

    So there's a potential workaround for gigging though it'll suit someone who mostly does drop D more so than someone who mostly does E.  
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  • Setting the sensitivity is pretty easy by ear, wind the tuning peg until the pitch raises out of zone 2, back it to where it’s the zone 2 note again, and then turn it back from there to set sensitivity. About 1/8th turn leaves bending pretty easy, about 2 half turns effectively switches bending off.
    Note on this, it's possible to be caught out if you're trying to set it right at the top.

    The way to check is to tug on the string and see if the saddle moves.  If the saddles moves it's in zone 2, if it doesn't it's in zone 3.




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  • grungebob said:
    Quick question, how would you go say from normal tuning (in what ever pitch you prefer) to a drop D tuning?

    I've just had a 'du'h' moment.

    If you primarily play in the drop D you can just tune up your low string to the E using the tuning peg.  It won't be evertuned since that string will be in zone 3, so that's a downside, but the other strings will be in zone 2, and when you go back down to the D you'll be back in zone 2 again on the low string.

    So there's a potential workaround for gigging though it'll suit someone who mostly does drop D more so than someone who mostly does E.  

    Ola Englund just released a video about drop tuning with the evertune, and it seems he does it this way as well.


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  • jpfampsjpfamps Frets: 2723
    blueskunk said:
    Ugly tings though :-/
    Well, I mean it’s a Telecaster so it was never off to a great start to begin with.
    Heretic.
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