[Ultimate Garage Band]

Intonating your electric guitar or bass


Ok, today I'd like to walk you through the process of setting your own intonation on an electric guitar or bass. Now there's a couple of things we need to get out of the way first; what I am going to describe applies directly to fixed bridges. I will go step by step through the process of one string and then you just repeat that for the others. Tremelo bridges add the dynamics of string/spring balance that one would have to assume is set and correct. Maybe another post down the road will be adjusting your string/spring balance, but remember my goals in guitar business and help is aimed at the newer player and I hold a personal belief that tremelo bridges are not best suited for the new player and as such, I don't even stock any guitars that have a tremelo bridge. Acoustic guitars are a completely different animal requiring a different skill set and skill level and different tools. I would suggest the new player that needs his acoustic guitar intonated, if he's not very handy with woodworking tools, take the guitar in to a shop and have it done. So, that's that, ok? Let's get started with a definition of what intonation means/is.

I think improper intonation is one of the leading reasons new players quit playing guitar. No matter how many times they tune the guitar and how hard they stuggle to make good chords the guitar always sounds awful and out of tune. Even a veteran player can not make a poorly intonated guitar sound good. So what it is intonation? When a guitar string is tuned to concert pitch, 440, the note that is being sounded is open, that is, the entire length of the string from the bridge to the nut. We do not fret the string to tune it. However, when one does fret a note, now the string yields its pitch vibrating from the bridge to the fret where we are fretting the string. If your guitar can have each string in tune when each string is open, but goes out of tune (usually sharp) when strings are fretted, your guitar is most likely not properly intonated. There can be another source for this problem though, a couple actually. One, is a poorly cut nut that makes you, two, press the string down too hard. When we play the guitar we don't press the string all the way down to the wood. You can, but that's too far and will make your notes go sharp. So, let's determine if it's the guitar or our fretting technique.

TOOLS YOU WILL NEED:

An analog, needle tuner, usually about $20. Don't try and use an lcd meter or an led tuner. You must use a needle tuner. A strobe is the best but I don't expect a new player to pop that kind of money for a strobe tuner. A $20 analog, needle tuner will be fine.

Phillips screwdriver or correct allen/hex wrench for your bridge system.

CHECKING INTONATION:

Tune the guitar to concert pitch. Go directly from your output jack on the guitar to the tuner. Don't use an amp and the tuners' mic. When the strings are all in tune when open, wer're ready to check intonation. Using normal to light pressure, fret the 6th string (the top/thickest one) at the 12 fret and strike the note. Look at the needle on the tuner. We're attempting to strike a note exactly one octave higher than the open note so the needle should be dead on zero as it was when the string was open. Is the fretted note flat? This means the saddle for that string in the bridge is too far away from the nut. Is the fretted note sharp? This means the saddle for that string is too close to the nut. You already know what to do, don't you? First, detune the string so saddle adjustment is easier, then using either the screwdriver or the allen/hex wrench, adjust the saddle whichever direction you need to, retune, and try it again. When the fretted note is dead on zero as well as while the string is open it's dead on zero, then that string is done. Move on to the next one. Perform all tunings and fretted notes with the guitar in your lap in a playing position; do not lay the guitar on it's back and make these adjustment. It's that easy!

Now, combining the post I did on truss rod adjustments and this one, you should be able to set up your guitar yourself fairly easily. I have not discussed adjusting saddles for fretboard radius but that's not always possible on each kind of bridge system. Also, the wrap around stop bar type bridges on some guitars are not adjustable. Also, some Tele models have bridge system where 2 strings share a saddle. I don't stock guitars with wrap around stop bar bridges or guitars that don't have individual, adjustable saddles for each string. It's important to me to know that my customers are getting a properly intonated guitar. If your guitar sounds out of tune when it's actually in tune, and it sounds worse the higher up on the neck you go, intonate your guitar!

[Ultimate Garage Band]

I'm sure that's him. There's not too many 6"-7" guitar players that work in a music store in Cartersville!!

your right about that ! I've gone to one of those stores just once for a pack of guitar strings and man was that place high on prices for equipment ! The one i went to was on 41 by a pizza place. I only shop at Ken Stanton Music, or Guitar center in Marietta. take 'er easy UGB, We'll talk back at ya later. Johnny

[Chaotic Kittie]

Might I just ask... what is a strobe tuner? -.-

[Ultimate Garage Band]

http://www.petersontuners.com/

[Chaotic Kittie]

I don't understand that website at all, can't find anything... I see the word "strobe" everywhere, but where are the tuners? :S

[D-Dawn]

http://www.petersontuners.com/produc...tomp/index.cfm

Under products...you'll see a list of all the different ones they have...how they work, I dunno, but there they are

[Chaotic Kittie]

Ah, thanks.
Odd, UGB's link directed me to "strobosoft" instead, where there just where computerstuff and I don't know what. O.o

Darn... is it not possible to order them online? :/ Is there no way to order it online, where can I see prices and such? :o
I'd like this one, it has everything I want...

[D-Dawn]

http://www.petersontuners.com/dealer/index.cfm Try this...it will let you search for dealers...might be one online... but there are a few in Sweden

Edit:
http://www.petersontuners.com/dealer/onmail.cfm

Whoops! here's a few online

[allthumbs]

Originally Posted by Chaotic Kittie

Ah, thanks.
Odd, UGB's link directed me to "strobosoft" instead, where there just where computerstuff and I don't know what. O.o

Darn... is it not possible to order them online? :/ Is there no way to order it online, where can I see prices and such? :o
I'd like this one, it has everything I want...

Here is another page of them with prices.
http://www.pedalgeek.com/cgi-bin/new...mmand=link--pt

[737blues]

I thought I knew my way around Australia reasonably well, but ............

Clicked on the link to Australian Dealers on that website and come up with this:


Dealers

There are 17 dealer(s) in 2 countries in the continent of Australasia.
The following is a list of countries that Peterson has dealers in.

Which country in Australasia would you like to search in?

Streuth, anybody want to help a poor boy from the bush out with this one?

[Chaotic Kittie]

Thanks for the answers everyone.

737blues:
Austral-asia is what that part of the world is called.
So if you live in Australia, pick australia, not new zealand and so on.
If that's what you meant, I don't know. ;P

[737blues]

Thanks Kittie ... I would never have thought of that.

[tom2828]

thanks for your article, i got the same problem with my guitar-open note tuned correctly with chromatic tuner does not correspond the one on the 12 th fret, it is a little bit lower.But most interesting thing is when i fix a saddle with screwdriver and got the string tuned i make the string tighter and after that i have to loose again the open string to tune it to the previouse position, and here we go again to the original set. So what to do?

[Ultimate Garage Band]

thanks for your article, i got the same problem with my guitar-open note tuned correctly with chromatic tuner does not correspond the one on the 12 th fret, it is a little bit lower.

Ok, I understand that part fine.

But most interesting thing is when i fix a saddle with screwdriver and got the string tuned i make the string tighter and after that i have to loose again the open string to tune it to the previouse position, and here we go again to the original set.

This part I don't understand. Can you try and say this again using different words?

[tom2828]

thanks for quick reply,i am trying to use other words (sorry for my english).i tryed to solve that problem exactly according to your instructions mentioned above, namely- i tuned a string on the 12th fret using tuner and by screwing a bolt on the bridge, well done,a string is tuned, after that i go back to the open string and have to tune it again as it was detuned during the operation, after tuning i check the 12 th fret again and it shows detuning.
sorry for bothering you,thanks,tom