Whenever my friend Matt Blackett calls from the West Coast, I know we’ll be discussing at least one of two things: Baseball and guitars. When his name came up on my caller ID a few weeks back I figured we’d be talkin’ guitars as baseball season had already ended with neither my beloved Yanks or his esteemed Giants coming that close to a World Series title.
For 14 years, Matt was my music editor at Guitar Player and Frets magazines and when it comes to all things of the six-stringed variety I trust his expertise and opinion immensely. So when he excitedly tells me he’s now working for EverTune and that he believes wholeheartedly in their automatically-intonating bridge system, I’m all ears.
Okay, before I go any further I should inform you of something you may or may not have already surmised: Even the most accurately-adjusted electric guitar has some difficulty staying perfectly in tune and intonating all over the neck, and if you don’t believe me, I invite you to see for yourself. First, bang out a good ol’ open-position D chord, then move the shape up an octave to the 14th fret and hit it again. Chances are the higher voicing will be slightly out of tune to the lower one!
Now slap a capo on the fifth fret and play the same D shape. I can almost guarantee your electric guitar strings reacted to the capo by going slightly out of tune and your chord sounds completely cattywampus. Enter the EverTune bridge. Unlike a standard guitar bridge, the EverTune is dynamic—designed with a system of moving parts that automatically react and adjust to differing tension and string pressure keeping the guitar in tune and in perfect intonation 100% of the time anywhere on the neck…at least this is what Matt tells me. And even tho I’v no reason to doubt him, he’s quite keen to get an EverTune-equipped axe into my hot lil’ hands so I can see for myself.
To that end, EverTune inventor and CEO Cosmos Lyles—who just happens to be flying to NYC—loans me a beautiful EverTune bridge-equipped PRS Custom SE guitar. Now keep in mind that this guitar has started on the west coast, been boxed up, placed in the cargo hold of a jumbo jet, flown across four time zones, been in the back of an Uber to Midtown, then in then in back of my car thru the Lincoln tunnel to NJ. I take it up to my condo, unbox it, and strike a big G chord….
AND THE DARNED THING IS PERFECTLY IN TUNE!
I then put the guitar through its paces playing all manner of scales, chords, and bends all over the neck and sure enough, the EverTune bridge performs as advertised. You can play in any position and it intonates like a keyboard. You can slap a capo on it without retuning. You can bend till you have calluses on your calluses…it stays in tune!
To be perfectly fair, the EverTune system takes a little bit of setting up to optimize, it has a slightly stiffer feel than a regular bridge, and it does require a little bit of financial commitment to install. On the plus side however, it will provide you with a guitar that will stay in tune indefinitely and intonate perfectly. It’s the ideal tool for layering take after take multiple lines in the studio, or playing an outdoor show in the blazing sun without worrying about detuning.
Among the many top-tier artists currently rockin’ EverTune-equipped guitars are Dave Mustaine (Megadeth), Zach Blair (Rise Against), Willie Adler (Lamb of God), and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Steve Miller. To provide a more in-depth explanation and presentation on the benefits of the EverTune system, our resident expert—the aforementioned Mr. Blackett—will be joining us on Wednesday Dec. 16th at 8:30. It’s open to all—students, teachers, and even the public! Sign up for the event here.
Be sure to also check out Evertune’s website. I’ll see you on the 16th!
