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Electric Guitar Set-up Tips

Adjusting Intonation

If you have an adjustable bridge, the final step is to adjust the intonation.

Intonation refers to whether or not a note plays sharp or flat from it's intended sound. When you depress a string, you actually stretch it a bit beyond it's unfretted position. This generates a slight sharpness in pitch which is compensated for by adding a slight excess of string length.

To check intonation on a given string:

• Play the harmonic at the 12th fret, listen closely to the resultant pitch
• Now play the same note by fretting the note at the 12th fret. The two notes should match exactly if the intonation is correct.
• If the fretted note sounds sharp, then adjust the bridge saddle so that it moves back away from the fingerboard.
• If the fretted note sounds flat, then adjust the bridge saddle so that it moves towards the fretboard.

The adjustment is really dependent upon your skill, and the accuracy of your ear in determining the pitch between the two notes. Always make the adjustment to the saddle in small increments so you can fine tune the intonation. If you're unable to get the intonation accurate, bring it into a qualified repair-person to determine if you have other problems.

Note:
You can also use an accurate tuner to set your intonation rather than doing so by ear. This will typically yield more accurate results. It's best to use a tuner with an analog style needle display, or a strobe tuner which are highly accurate. Thanks to J. Grant Boling for this helpful hint.

One problem I've seen a number of times is where a guitars intonation is set properly, but notes fretted between the 1st and 5th fret sound sharp regardless. This is almost always due to the fact that the nut slots are cut too high. The additional distance required to push the string to the fret is causing the note to be sharp. Take the guitar in and have the nut regulated properly to resolve this problem.

Articles in this series:
Set-up Tips Introduction
Adjusting String Height
How To Adjust The Truss Rod
Adjusting Pickup Height
Adjusting Intonation

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