So I need to lower my strings via deeper cuts in the nut and a lower bridge --otherwise my 30 day investment in building an electric CBG will be in vain (it currently is unplayable -- tone is completely muted when I touch the strings to a fret (or JUST TOUCH THEM AT ALL!) Also, I installed a FlatCat pickup (sqaure) but I get an annoying hum from my mini amp. Do I need to ground this? The instructions from the guy on Etsy never mentioned grounding the pickup. One last question to the seasoned builders -- when I went to tune my strings to GDG I broke my strings -- how many "Gs" do I tune to as the strings get tighter to get to the proper "G". This goes for the D and higher G strings. Love the community! Thanks in advance for any thoughts from a dissapointed but eager newbie builder.
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I had the same question as you about which G to tune to. This video helped me out.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGsSGVs_jfQ
Oily nailed it, but an easy way to know you are around the correct "g" or any note for other strings for that matter, is to tighten the string until it stops being floppy and dull, and rings out a bit, at this point , if you are looking for a g , with a suitable string, your tuner may be reading a couple of steps below g, maybe a c, or even a b, then you just tighten up to the next g, I recommend tuning above g a touch, strum the string for a while to help it settle, then tune back below g, and back up to g, this should take up any slack in your tuners etc
Darryl is right on, start tightening the top/low G string till stops being floppy and starts to make a note, then tune up to the first G you find. the D string should be just above that note and the same as your tuned G when fingered at the 7th fret, the bottom string high G should be just above that and the same as the D string fingered at the 5th fret and the Low G when fingered at the 12th fret.
and yes you will have to play the "New String Blues" ... play them a bit and hear them go flat and re-tune a handful of times as the string relaxes into the tension and the wraps around the tuner post even out their friction and tension also.
Thank you for the great tips! I look forward to re-string my CBG and tuning it with my tuner, now that I have some guidance, thanks to you.
Thank you for your advice! I like the idea of tuning above, letting the string settle, then tuning back down to a G rather than stretching the strings with my finger (which I saw online).
The pickup will be grounded if you soldered it to the jack correctly. What will not be grounded, which you need to do, is grounding the strings through the bridge.
For tuning, get yourself a cheap but serviceable chromatic headstock tuner; they generally run $18-$35. Some of the nicer ones tell you if you are tuning to G2, for example. This will make sense if you consider that a piano keyboard is comprised of 8 whole notes (the white keys), repeating up and down the scale, at higher and lower frequencies than the root note. Typically, middle C is the visual reference to which all other notes relate. Middle C is also called C4 in scientific pitch notation. Have a look at this to understand the relationship of notes and intervals to the piano keyboard and measured frequencies:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_pitch_notation
And GDG tuning is also G2 D3 G3; you can look up the frequencies on the above chart, and also this explanation here:
https://music.stackexchange.com/questions/32715/what-do-the-terms-e...
Great advice! I'm all about learning and you provided invaluable expertise. Ill ground the strings, shave the nut from the bottom, and pay attention to the tuning ( I use the second G on the bass string, the 3rd D on the middle string, and the 3rd G on the skinny string.
On breaking strings, it very much depends on your scale length and the weight of the strings you are using. Try to find an online tutorial that has the tones you are trying to reproduce, which will help get the proper tension...
Hums from pickups is the issue I have had with many of my builds. Grounding to the strings usually helps.
THANK YOU! Building this CBG was easier than getting the action correct. I looked at hundreds of videos on how to play a CBG, but if the CBG is unplayable.... no dice. Yes, I will search YouTube for tuning the strings (which seems basic, but when you can tune one string to 2 versions of "G", then you lose a begginer like me. It's like telling someone to tune into channel 9, and depending on how many times you turn the knob you get multiple channel 9's but only one is the right one! Thanks for taking the time to comment