HELP with Nikon D300 Over Exposure! Please!

I am not much of a photographer but am trying to get good high quality pictures on my Nikon D300 and simply cannot get good pictures, the pictures look nothing like what I see through the viewfinder. I use these settings with the fine tune optimal exposure at -1 for matrix metering.

Nikon D300 settings | Michael A. Schwarz Digital Photography Training

I am trying to get inventory pictures of guitars, good detail, correct color, etc and EVERY single picture is wayyyy too bright and doesn't represent the guitar at all like it is supposed to, even with barely any light in the room I have to put the ISO up to H1 just to get decent color. What am I doing wrong?! Please help

This is with the Nikon, this is the best of about 50


Even my phone seems to take better pictures!?

It would help if you posted the Exif data

First off, you need more light, a lot more light if you're using H1 (btw, what shutter speed are you using?). Secondly, you need to match the white balance to the type of light you're using. I'm sure these 2 things will make a big difference.

Also, if getting the color exactly right is important, consider getting an 18% gray card to set your white balance to exactly match the lights you are using. I do a lot of coin photography where color is extremely important and using a gray card is the way to go.

If I turn the light up I get images that are so bright parts of the guitar look white, I only have one light with an umbrella and have it positioned for minimal glare, and use the Auto WB (again I'm not a photographer this is something I'm trying to learn for internet sales). I have been messing with the camera for weeks now and have yet to get any pictures I am actually happy with. Thanks in advance!!

f-stop - f4
exposure time - 1/8s
ISO speed - blank
Exposure bias - +2.7 step
focal length - 44mm
max aperture - 4
metering mode - pattern
subject distance - blank
flash mode - no flash
35mm focal length - 66

Also with the light I use if I bring the ISO down into the hundreds it takes the camera about 5 seconds to take a picture.

It's like I can't find the happy median where pictures work...

First off, change exposure bias to zero. That's why you're over exposing all your images. And are you using a tripod? If not, you should, especially at those shutter speeds.

I'll look up how to change that, I have to use a tripod...that's actually a separate problem I'm having where I can't take clear pictures holding the camera. That's why I went through and looked up that settings page hoping that would get everything to a good setting...clearly there are things in there I missed!

I see that you have speed at 1/8. That's pretty slow. set ISO at 200, speed at 60-90, Fstop at around 6.7 and use your flash. Thats where I would start. Then adjust from there. I could be wrong but, thats my oppinion.

Clearly the over exposure problem is that you're telling your camera to over exposure by 2.7 steps, so that will solve that problem asap. As for color hues, to get it exact you need to use a gray card. Auto white balance is just a guess, but usually pretty close.

It is starting to look much more true to the color of the instrument