F# is flat, G is sharp

[wdrago]

All,

I have a 314ce V-Class. On my low E the F# is very flat and the G is very sharp. It's so bad that I have to custom tune the string for the song I'm playing. Intonation gets better further up the fret board.

Has anyone else noticed this? How can this be fixed?

I'm using the Taylor recommended Elixir Light Gauge Phosphor Bronze NANOWEB strings and the instrument is in perfect condition.

Thanks,
-Bill

[timfitz63]

Pure speculation on my part -- and it may not be the rosiest speculation -- but I would think the only thing that can cause what you're describing in a best-case scenario are frets that are not installed correctly; and in a worst-case scenario, a neck or fretboard that's warped, twisted, or otherwise improperly manufactured...

Best advice would be to take it to an Authorized Taylor dealer or service center and have them look at it.  Taylor's quality control is excellent, but nothing in this world is perfect.  But Taylor will almost certainly make it right.

[DennisG]

I agree with Tim that there may be something seriously wrong with the neck, and I’ll suggest another horrific possibility, as crazy as it’ll sound: I bought a 114 to be used as an alternate-tuning guitar on stage.  Problem was, it was way out of tune and got progressively worse the further up the neck I played.  I took it back to the store to have the guitar tech take a look at it.  Ten minutes later he told me he had never encountered this before, but he believed Taylor had installed the wrong neck on the guitar.  After he placed a call to Taylor, and relayed the neck measurements to them, they agreed that it was the wrong neck.  They authorized the dealer to give me a new 114.  I also agree with Tim that Taylor’s quality control is excellent ... but things happen.

[wdrago]

Thanks for the replies. The guitar sounds and plays beautifully, it's just those two notes on the one string. I looked at other 314 V class instruments and compared necks and it looks like I have the right  neck on mine.

Another curious thing - I can't use a tuner on this string (I've tried two different ones) because it bounces all over the place as if it can't hear the note. There must be overtones that are confusing the tuner and I wonder if that's part of the problem.

I'm definitely bringing this to a Taylor tech for evaluation.

Thanks again,
-Bill

[DickBanks]

How much flat, and how much sharp? A few cents? More?

[SDTaylorman]

How much flat, and how much sharp? A few cents? More?

Maybe more to the point...has the OP taken it in to a tech in the past month since posting here? If so was it diagnosed/resolved?

[Ohio Tom]

I found I have to mute all the other strings when tuning.
The other strings will create over-tones that throw the tuner off.

[Earl]

Usually my tuner can lock on, but as a matter of standard practice I try to mute the other strings.  The bass E string often needs to be tuned using a 12th fret harmonic - many tuners don't grab that low E very well.