Dealing with a floating Bridge On A Guitar can sometimes feel like a tuning rollercoaster. You get one string perfect, and then adjusting another seems to throw everything slightly off. This is a common experience for guitarists, and it all comes down to the physics of how a floating bridge works. Because the bridge is designed to move in response to string tension changes, any adjustment you make to one string will have a subtle effect on the tension of all the others, causing the bridge to shift. This is similar to how bending one string can temporarily flatten the pitch of others, just on a smaller scale. Tuning a guitar with a floating bridge, therefore, often becomes an iterative process, requiring a bit of back and forth to achieve perfect pitch across all strings.
Fortunately, there’s a tuning order that can significantly streamline this process. The most effective method is to tune your strings starting from the highest pitch string (the high E string) and progressively move downwards in pitch to the lowest string (low E). This sequence is: high E, B, G, D, A, and low E.
But why this order? Strings at higher tensions are less susceptible to being affected by changes in tuning caused by bridge movement. By tuning the higher tension strings first, you establish a more stable base. Then, when you tune the lower tension strings, which are more sensitive to bridge shifts, the overall impact on the already tuned higher strings is minimized. While you might still need to cycle through the strings a couple of times, particularly when you first pick up your guitar each day, this method dramatically reduces the frustration and time spent tuning. After the initial tuning session, minor adjustments should be all that’s needed during your playing time.
For those seeking the absolute most technically optimized order, it would be: high E, D, B, A, G, low E. Another slightly less drastic alternative is: high E, B, D, A, G, low E. However, the standard high E to low E sequence is generally recommended for its ease of memorization and practical effectiveness.
While the intricacies of tuning a floating bridge guitar are often overlooked, understanding the mechanics and employing the correct tuning order can make a world of difference in your playing experience.
