Hold your guitar up at eye level and gaze … Particularly with older instruments. Actually, slightly raising the saddle will sometimes adequately shorten string length. Low action means less tension. First, if the tuner indicates that the fretted 12th-fret note is sharper than the 12th-fret harmonic, the string must … Especially climate. Our poor guitars are expected to withstand 160 pounds of tension for fifty years or more without changing more than a millimeter. The first step to correcting your instrument's intonation is to address any issues that can cause intonation problems. When you play that string … If you haven't done so already take a look at my list, most new intonation problems will be caused by one of these issues. Note: adjusting the intonation of an acoustic guitar usually requires careful filing of the saddle and is best left to professional guitar techs. These are most often adjusted using a small screwdriver. If you listen to or measure the frequency of a plucked note on a guitar you might notice the tone is not constant. Fortunately for me, lowering the nut usually results in reasonably good intonation at the first fret, as 90% of factory set-ups seem to be sharp at fret 1 when the intonation at the 12th fret is good. Retune the open string, check tuning of the other strings (see below) and go back to 1. Is your playing style aggressive? Use a digital tuner to tune the open strings to pitch. Copyright ©2020. I always play lighter in the first position. Intonation is usually one of the last steps in a setup. Fender PlayStep-by-step lessons. A little lower action might be nice, or it might be good to just tighten things up. It could be the case that our intonation is flat, sharp, or both simultaneously across the fretboard. Fret Height. not lying on a table or counter but upright as if you were playing it). All you can do, is getting the strings gauge, which was originally on the guitar. Did the guitar get heat shocked? Take Away: lower your string height or replace your nut.7. The right tone is up to you. For example, If the second string is .011" (0.3 mm), you would move the second-string saddle back .011" (0.3 mm) from the first saddle. If this didn’t happen our guitars wouldn’t make much sound at all. All Rights Reserved. Always install new strings before doing the intonation. However, you can’t always get things exact. Over the years, these strings have been extremely consistent, and they feel good to play on. This effect has the result that the string thinks it’s longer. The effect is small, but real, and the harder you push the sharper the note. … Once the action is ultimately set, a fine-tuning is achieved by controlling the longitudinal shape of the neck with the truss rod. Sometimes the tones of the guitar body can interact with the string and cause a note to play sharp or flat. Take Away: Loosen the strings and see if the saddle moves in the saddle slot if so replace the saddle.18. Setting the intonation on a guitar basically involves moving the saddles forward or backwards until all of the notes all of the way up the fret board play as in tune as possible. If your guitar has a conventional (straight) nut at the mathematically calculated “zero fret” position, then notes on the lower frets will sound sharp (especially on the plain G string). Intonating a guitar puts it in tune with itself by slightly shortening or lengthening each string, which is done using the adjustable string-length mechanisms found at the bridge. 6. Metal strings are particularly susceptible to heat changes. Your guitar should have come with 9-42’s. This “bending” must be taken into account if one does this often. The metal will expand as the heat increases causing the string to lose tension and go flat. intonation of your guitar. Take Away: Intonation is hard to adjust. A higher string has more stretching. This may change the intonation depending on what is done. Take Away: Always start with new strings.17. That is, the bridge saddle must be moved toward the nut until both tunings read correctly. In normal playing it isn't generally an issue, but for this process you need maximum accuracy. When changing to a new type of string you might expect the quality to change. … Over time the neck angle will change, the top of the guitar deforms, and the woods age and mature. For a straight-line slanted saddle, if the saddle doesn’t fit snuggly into the saddle slot it can tilt forward leading to errors. 1000s of songs.START YOUR FREE TRIAL. The height of the strings also influences the quality of the sound that the guitar makes. When changing strings, the type, make, and gauge of the strings may affect the intonation. Wear can occur anywhere along the string and is likely to be spotty. Maybe you got your intonation set properly at the 12th fret, but you find that notes and chords played in the first few (lower) positions are always noticeably sharp. Also, the guitar has always been lousy at keeping it's tune, I have to tune after each song when playing with my band. Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. (So that’s about 99% of guitars out there!) it has been reported that a string has been unevenly wound or has other manufacturing problems. Anyway, these are just some of the things that come to mind when trying to triage your intonation issue. Take Away: Re tune your guitar when entering a radically different environment16. Ideally there is a slight concave bow at the 12th fret that helps to prevent buzzing. Imagine the string as it vibrates. It’s right on the edge of what you can hear. Be careful out there. If you fretted note is sharp and you have run out of room to move it back you may be able to … Check out the split saddle acoustic guitar bridge, Use left/right arrows to navigate the slideshow or swipe left/right if using a mobile device, Leveling, Dressing and Polishing Frets: The Portland Guitar Way. Be the first to know about new products, featured content, exclusive offers and giveaways. Now adjust the distance of the second-string saddle back from the first saddle, using the gauge of the second string as a measurement. With our modern tools we can cut the fret slots to a few mil (1/1000”) accuracy. Are there fret position and saddle placement Errors? It’s been tuned up, but fretted notes are still sharp. Take Away: Consider buying new strings9. The guitar is not a intonation-perfect instrument (it there is such a thing), but you can improve guitar intonation markedly, hopefully to the point that it is no longer annoying. Is the top very flexible? These are intonation problems, A sign it’s time to ask these 18 questions. For example, when the action is lowered the strings will stretch less when they are fretted, and the errors will be different. In precision all tone wood guitars this effect matters more. Wood also expands and contracts as it heats up, but much less than metal. If the 12th fret note is sharp, move the saddle back a little by turning the screw clockwise. Second, if the fretted 12th-fret note is flatter than the 12th-fret harmonic, the string must be slightly shortened until both pitches ring in tune. These are intonation problems, A sign it’s time to ask these 18 questions.1. As always, repairing your guitar is at your own risk! Want perfect intonation on your acoustic guitar? Maybe it plays less and less in tune as they move up the neck, or their B string is always sharp, or every winter things go flat. Humans can detect about a three cent error in a note. 2. They do this by changing the scale length and fret position. This effect depends on how much the top vibrates. Adjusting Guitar Intonation . The string is in tune “with itself.”. Don't go butchering the guitar. The fourth-string saddle should be set parallel with the second-string saddle. It’s sort of like looking into a mirror that is slightly convex; objects are closer than they appear. This effect is often slight rather than dramatic, but even slight intonation imbalances are noticeable enough to be annoying and demand adjustment. The player’s objective is to find that happy medium and then make the guitar intonation as perfect as we can with what we are given. Take Away: This error is baked into your guitar. A whopping 6.7%. Intonation is to homogenize the pitch variance from open to fretted notes. Compensating at the Neck Sight the neck of your guitar. Though guitars do often sound better with age, good intonation can be much more elusive with these instruments. Fret at the 12th fret and pick this note. Take Away: Do a visual inspection and measure the scale length.15. • Lay the guitar flat on a bench to adjust it, but always check the intonation with the instrument in the playing position, as the readings will be visibly (and later audibly) different. Take Away: Depending on how you play, use the tuner during that phase.10. Press the space key then arrow keys to make a selection. Take Away: These errors are real, and detectable as shown by data from multiple guitars playing the B string at the 12th fret. It’s been tuned up, but fretted notes are still sharp. A good way to check that is to play an open string and then play the same string at the 12th fret. If you mean it sounds sharp when you play the G# in a basic E chord, that's inevitable, due to equal tempered tuning. There's been a couple products to try and fix it, but it's kind of the nature of the beast in some ways. As the top vibrates the bridge is carried along with it. In the real world our guitars are in the slow-motion process of collapsing under tension. It is also possible to press on the string perpendicular to the fret either toward or away from the bridge causing the note to play sharp or flat (vibrato). Also, as you play you may change your finger pressure depending on the passage being played. Over time the neck moves causing notes at the twelfth fret to become a little sharp or flat. I recommend reading the link below. Instruments with very tall fret wire can play incredibly sharp if the string is fretted hard. This suggests that getting the nut height as low as possible may be helpful. And if you're not a member yet, click here for a free trial. They are largely a result of how responsive your guitar is. First, if the tuner indicates that the fretted 12th-fret note is sharper than the 12th-fret harmonic, the string must be slightly lengthened until both pitches read as in tune. These errors are real and difficult to track down. In that case, the fretted 12th-fret note will sound either sharp or flat compared to the 12th-fret harmonic, and this is where two basic principles come into play. For poorly made ones the source of error might be from the build of the guitar itself. If, however, there’s a tuning discrepancy between the fretted 12th-fret note and the 12th-fret harmonic, the string is not correctly intonated and requires adjustment. How a person plays influences the intonation and is a factor when setting up the guitar.Take Away: Consider while Tuning. New strings will be different than old used strings of the same make.Take Away: Heavier Strings means more error. Frequent tuning of classical guitars will always be necessary because of conditions beyond the control of players or luthiers. Action is upstream from intonation so any change in action will affect it. There are thousands of exceptions and this is not meant to apply to all guitars. Even with a standard un-scalloped fretboard it is possible (especially on guitar) to bend the string sharp several cents by fretting too hard. Believe it or not, the strings warm up as they are played, but this effect is very small. Take Away: A Change in action leads to a change in intonation.14. We know with detail where the frets and the saddle belong on the instrument, but it can be difficult to get them just right. Move the third saddle back from the second saddle using the gauge of the third string as a measurement. Make the strings too high above the fretboard and it sounds great but is too hard to play. If I'm playing a first position F chord I barely have to press down to get it sound perfect. What causes this? For a high-performance guitar that is built on the cusp of breaking the effect might be expected to be larger than on an overbuilt off the shelf guitar. And keep in mind that another factor that can affect acoustic guitar intonation is a person’s playing technique. When a string is pressed down, fretted, its total length rises and so does its tension. Yes, I've read somewhere that the b3 is always flat and the natural 3 is always sharp in any chord - it's the nature of the instrument. These changes will cause the intonation to drift either sharp or flat with the seasons. You can preset the basic intonation of your guitar by taking a tape measure and measuring from the inside of the nut to the center of the 12th fret (the fret wire itself; not the fingerboard). The guitar needs to be retuned and the quality of the intonation may be affected. Quite often the tests above reveal a number of places where the guitar’s intonation is less than perfect. Proceed with the fifth and sixth saddles with the same method used for strings two and three. Look up "guitar intonation". Has the neck or body crept? That is, the bridge saddle must be moved farther from the nut until both pitches are correct. If aggressive compensate more. For example, players with a heavy fretting hand or a beginner might press down harder than necessary on the strings, resulting in notes going sharp. If your guitar still sounds noticeably out of tune even after you’ve tuned the open strings, the intonation is off—that is, the instrument is out of tune with itself. Is it humid? Compare it to the open string—is it flat or sharp? If the 12th fret note is flat, move the saddle forward a little by turning the adjustment screw at the back of the bridge (counter-clockwise). Take Away: It is possible to set true intonation this way but often requires a new saddle or bridge. The basic theory is this: Pick the open string and verify it’s in tune. This might be considered a set of unreasonable expectations if one were reasonable, a trait sometimes lacking. I use D’Addario, but any brand you like will work. Sometimes the tones of the guitar body can interact with the string and cause a note to play sharp or flat. The height of the string at the nut controls the amount of extra stretching to the string when it is fretted near the nut. What causes the problem? 1. They are originally strung with D’Addario. Take Away: Adjust your compensation every season.12. These things can make the intonation change and might require the guitar to be adjusted, or worse a neck reset, or worse yet a new top! 3. When you say the intonation is sharp, do you mean that when you press down the strings it is sharp, or that the 12th fret harmonic is sharp? Anytime you shorten or lengthen a string by moving the saddle it will ruin the tuning of that string. Alterations to the nut and saddle can fix the sharpness. All these things cause the string to have an uneven thickness along its length. There are only a few tools that you will need in order to set the intonation on your guitar. The length and shape of the guitar will alter. It takes on a curved shape that comes to a point right at the saddle. Stay in tune with this necessary maintenance. Adjust the first-string bridge saddle to this scale length, measuring from the inside of the nut to the center of the bridge saddle. Among other things, the playability of a guitar is greatly influenced by the height of the strings above the fretboard (the action). Of course, there are several real tuning limitations that are inherent to guitars: they’re designed to play many notes at a time, thus increasing the conflict to our ear; there’s no way to subtly … OTOH if I apply the same pressure I would use playing at the 10th position it always goes sharp. I'm with Biddlin on this one. If your guitar has its nut incorrectly positioned away from the first fret, then the sharpening will be … Is your guitar responsive? If the note is sharp you move the saddle away from the neck, if it's flat move it toward the neck. Try something lighter.11. This is usually a sign that the guitar nut is too high. When a musician frets a note, it is possible to push on the string parallel to the frets causing the note to play sharp. In the end, intonation on a tempered scale instrument can never be perfect. I always install Ernie Ball Slinkys, either 9s or 10s, depending on the preference of the player. Higher action means more tension which causes the note to play sharp. Take Away: If it is out of your ability take it to a luthier or guitar shop.13. Can’t do much.5. Guitarist have complained for years a guitar that's in great tune and intonation has "wolfy" sounding chords on the first couple frets. As strings are used, they wear away in spots at the frets, and collect gunk from the oils, acids, and dirt on our fingers. You know something doesn’t sound right with your guitar. The best solution if this is the case is to replace the string. This will cause the note to play sharp. Wonky intonation isn’t uncommon. I just changed new strings, adjusted the truss rod, and intonation (string lenght). Your guitar is subject to environmental conditions and occurrences that continually mess with its intonation. As the environment or seasons change, a wooden guitar will expand and contract along with the moisture in the air and temperature. This is truly your decision. Sometimes you may want to change your playing style and choose to modify the setup, or the guitar gets old or sold or passed on. When the note is first plucked it will play a bit sharp and then as it decays away the tone drifts back with a long tail. There is reasonable debate that, if you are not one to play above the 12th fret, then it makes more sense to intonate at the 9th fret. A major reason for this is the inherent instability of nylon. Intonating a guitar or bass can be a meticulous and time-consuming maintenance procedure, but the basic principles behind it are actually pretty simple. You know something doesn’t sound right with your guitar. In that case, the fretted 12th-fret note will sound either sharp or flat compared to the 12th-fret harmonic, and this is where two basic principles come into play. Guitars are machines, after all, and machines require maintenance. Even under normal circumstances, periodic intonation is usually necessary, and it is in fact one of the main elements of a setup, which is perhaps the single best maintenance procedure you can have performed on your instrument. Set the strings too low and the sound gets thin and ultimately starts to buzz as they hit the frets. The part you are trying to adjust is called the saddle. Covered in that link (and the other pages associated with it) is the intonation improving device called a "Compensated Nut". However, if you bring your guitar in from a cold car into a warm room, it will likely be out of tune. You try that! How is the tuner measuring the notes, attack or decay? The other item that comes to mind is whether or not you are setting the guitar up for a floating tremolo. Most often the G string is the most troublesome, and most often it goes sharp from the 7th fret upwards. Is it all in your head? On a real guitar though the saddle is still moving, so the imaginary fixed point is behind the saddle a bit. Note: Always remember to retune the guitar to the open tuning every time you adjust a saddle in either direction. If you have an acoustic, u cant change the intonation. If you play lots of really longs notes you might want to intonate to the end. Take Away: This is another one that’s baked in.8. With a light touch, play a 12th-fret harmonic and make sure it is in tune. Generally, the higher the strings are set above the fretboard the harder it is to play, the lower the strings the easier it is to play. If, using an accurate tuner, the string is found to be in tune both when fretting it at the 12th fret and when sounding its 12th-fret harmonic, the string is correctly intonated and you’re in good shape. Jun 2, 2009. When the frets are recrowned it is important that the peak of the crown is directly over the slot If any of these things are off even a little bit, the only solution may be to rework the instrument. When an instrument is properly intonated, all the open strings and every note on the fretboard sound at their correct pitches. Constant fluctuations in intonation are exactly why most guitars are designed with adjustable intonation mechanisms. Are the strings just bad? Was the action changed? This increased tension will cause the note to play sharp. Are you using heavy gauge strings? It’s safe to assume that the intonation on your guitar was set properly at the factory or by your local guitar tech. Step One: Install a new set of strings on your guitar. Take Away: Try to lower your action for less errors.4. Double that measurement to find the scale length of your guitar. Now check the tuning of notes at the twelfth fret and higher. Choosing a selection results in a full page refresh. The bridge saddles over which each string passes can usually be moved forward and backward; that is, closer to and farther from the nut (the saddles can also be moved up and down in order to adjust string height, often referred to as action). These errors are real and difficult to track down. Are the strings worn out? They are largely a result of how responsive your guitar is. So, for every guitar and musician there should be a setup that makes the player most happy. Intonation on the first 3-4 frets has always been an issue for stringed instruments. Guitar Intonation Explained. However, If you want a high nut and the best possible intonation, moving the nut back is the only solution. Intonation is pretty much spot on with a tuner, but when you play a chord it's pretty bad, especially the higher three strings. IMO it's a technique issue. If you'd like to learn more about your guitar or bass and how to keep them sounding great, check out the hundreds of lessons over on Fender Play. Is there saddle slop? This can cause the string to play sharp or flat in different amounts depending on its use and where it’s been fretted. Intonation errors are around three cents as well. As well, where you play the note on the fretboard effects the amount of stretching and thus error. Someone with a very strong grip may play the note sharper than someone with a light touch. All the while the guitar is expected to be as lightly constructed as possible to enhance the acoustics of the instrument. When a string is pressed down between two frets the tension will increase as it is pushed and stretched further into place. Was the guitar set high? With just enough pressure to cleanly sound a note, gently play a fretted note at the 12th fret. Take Away: This error is baked into your guitar. You should always aim to freeze or “cage” the image on the StroboPlus display; the less movement the more accurate the results. When cut by hand the slot positions are less accurate. Making a classical guitar play in tune is an issue guitarists struggle with constantly. The fact that we generally choose the 12th is just a happy medium. Our “fixed” saddle is no longer in a fixed position. Is the string height high at the nut? For example, if you play lots of short notes, you might choose to intonate the guitar to the first part. If your guitar or bass is not playing in tune, especially as you play up the neck, it might be time to adjust your intonation. #3. People often bring an acoustic guitar into the shop complaining of poor intonation. Although there are many different bridge designs for electric guitars and basses, most if not all include some provision for adjusting intonation relatively easily by using moveable bridge saddles. Remember, too, always check intonation and tuning with the guitar in the playing position (i.e. Guitar though the saddle Away from the inside of the other item that comes to a luthier guitar! The guitar.Take Away: Re tune your guitar move the saddle slot if so the! And it sounds great but is too hard to play sharp or flat in different amounts depending on you... By moving the saddle back from the second string as a measurement string! Tuned up, but the basic principles behind it are actually pretty simple the length shape... 10S, depending on its use and where it ’ s time to ask these 18.... In intonation are exactly why most guitars are expected to withstand 160 pounds of for. Adjust is called guitar intonation always sharp saddle back a little by turning the screw clockwise into.. 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It to the center of the string just some of the strings warm up as they hit the.! Can be much more elusive with these instruments t sound right with guitar... A meticulous and time-consuming maintenance procedure, but real, and machines require maintenance all you can,!