Guitar intonation adjustment involves testing the intonation of each string by comparing the fretted 12-fret octave with the harmonic produced at the same fret. If the 12th-fret note is slightly higher than an octave, your string is fretting sharp; if the 12th-fret note is slightly lower than an octave, the string is fretting flat. Acoustic guitars frequently sound a bit sharp. 5 Fix it. If the fretted note is sharp, the string needs to be lengthened; if the fretted note is flat, then the string needs to be shortened. Follow the steps below to intonate your guitar. Step 1: Put on new strings. How do you fix sharp intonation? Location. Simple intonation problems often can be corrected with basic adjustments. If the fretted 12th fret note is flat, it is preferable to adjust the screw clockwise. NYC. Put simply, a properly intonated guitar will be in tune relative to itself, across the whole fretboard. Fret the 12th fret on your bass string (low E in standard tuning). If the action is high, the string (whichever one) will play sharp due to it being stretched. To fine tune the intonation of the guitar while using a capo, tune the guitar with the capo on. These are intonation problems, A sign it's time to ask these 18 questions. You can try lowering the bridge and the nut slightly to see if this helps. If you pluck an open E on the sixth string, it . How do you measure action at 12th fret? 001 or . Tuning techniques and accuracy. Sharp intonation produces a higher, more piercing sound, while flat intonation produces a lower, more mellow sound. The rules for intonation are: If the pitch is sharp, increase the guitar string's length. On the B and G string, the 12 fret, harmonic, and open string are perfect pitch with each other. To start, try adjusting the saddle in the correct direction by 2/64", then tighten the attachment screw back down. June 4, 2022February 17, 2021 by Beginner Guitar HQ Staff. Tune to pitch and check the intonation. Open G chords especially sound really sour. Too High String Action If the fretted 12th fret note is flat, adjusting the screw clockwise will improve intonation. Go back to intonate one string at a time. 3. When tuning your guitar with the capo in place, you can add gentle pressure on all of the strings close to the bridge with your free hand. Quite often the tests above reveal a number of places where the guitar's intonation is less than perfect. What is Guitar Intonation? If it lines up on the saddle, intonation will be sharp, too far forward of the saddle, intonation will be flat. 1. Tech Director, dBm Pro Audio Services, New York. If the pitch is flat, decrease the guitar string's length. Intonation is the guitars' ability to stay in tune as the strings are played further up the neck. Does anyone know the cause of this and how I might fix it or have it fixed? With a light touch, play a 12th-fret harmonic and make sure it is in tune. Tune your guitar Step 2. Whenever you set intonation, the guitar strings should be brand new. The first step is to determine whether the bridge or the tailpiece is causing the problem. If the fretted 12th fret note is sharp, adjusting the screw clockwise will improve intonation. Intonation errors are around three cents as well. (electric guitars to be covered later) High Action: Eliminate this cause by changing the strings. How do you fix sharp intonation? In a nutshell, guitar intonation is a condition where the instrument is in tune with itself across it's full tonal range. Do three major bends on every string and retune. Most often the G string is the most troublesome, and most often it goes sharp from the 7th fret upwards. Make sure the whole guitar is in tune. Intonation is something that affects basses, guitars and almost any fretted instrument that has a bridge and strings, and can make a massive difference in the way your guitar sounds . Remember, play with a soft-to-medium attack for the most precise reading. The intonation does not correct itself until the fifth or sixth fret on all . 2. Bass intonation refers to the tuning of the strings on a bass guitar. Turning the screw anti-clockwise decreases the length of the guitar string. To play a natural harmonic on the 12th fret, lightly touch your guitar string directly above the 12th fret on the low E string as shown below: Don't push down on the string - only lightly touch it. NEW!! Is it all in your head? The strings can be tuned either sharp or flat, depending on the desired sound. If you are using a non-adjustable capo this is the only way to correct the intonation. The higher the string action affects guitar intonation because the more you must press down on the string to ensure it is pressed securely against the fret. When magnets are too close to the strings, they have the power to pull notes sharp. How To Set The Floating Bridge on a Archtop Guitar How to Setup Intonation on an Archtop Guitar for Proper Tuning High strings at the nut can cause sharp intonation and make playing in first position Alter the back angle. Always make sure that you push down in the center of the fret when you fret a string. 3.1 #1 Replace your strings 3.2 #2 Change your playing technique 3.3 #3 Opt for different (heavier) gauge strings 3.4 #4 Lower your action 4 Final thoughts What does it mean when a guitar goes sharp? Play a 12th fret natural harmonic Step 3. How to Set Your Intonation: Using an electronic tuner, tune all the open strings to their correct pitches. 4. If the fretted octave note is sharp, you need to increase the scale length, which means moving the saddle further away from the nut. Step 2: Determine if the intonation of the string you wish to change is sharp or flat by chiming the string directly over the 12th and checking the tuning. . The first thing to check is the intonation of your guitar. Guitar intonation is the way that the instrument is in tune with itself, along the entire neck. Conversely, if the note is flat, the string needs . Your guitar's intonation must be correct, or it will never stay in tune. 11. 4. The truss rod is located in the neck and can be loosened or tightened to control it. So to properly check intonation, follow these steps: 1. higher action means more tension which causes the note to play sharp. Intonation continued. You do this by tightening or loosening the intonation screws at the back of the bridge. The way you adjust your guitar's intonation depends on what type of guitar you have. With musical instruments, intonation refers to pitch accuracythe extent to which the notes formed are in tune, versus being flat or sharp. It helps your guitar to avoid being flat and sharp. Depending on the type of saddles you have determines if you turn the adjustment screws for the each saddle clockwise or counterclockwise. Check the intonation: Step 1: Tune all the strings on your guitar to an electronic tuner with all the nut clamps released. Compensated saddles allow us. In order to understand guitar intonation, it's important to realize that the playing field we're working on is artificially level. To set the intonation of your bass guitar, you must lengthen or shorten the string by moving the string's saddle backward or forward. You can do that quickly and easily with the Roadie 3. If the twelfth fret is a little sharp, the string needs lengthened to flatten the pitch at the twelfth. Jim. (The adjustments to your guitar's action later on will help with this!) When the guitar is in tune, the harmony of notes creates the proper music. With just enough pressure to cleanly sound a note, gently play a fretted note at the 12th fret. When the screw is turned clockwise, the length of the guitar string decreases. Once that's done, depress the note at the 12th and compare with the harmonic. If your guitar still sounds noticeably out of tune even after you've tuned the open strings, the intonation is offthat is, the instrument is out of tune with itself. VIsit: http://buildyourownguitaronline.com/ - info: school@fruduaguitars.com Want more video like this? There are several free options you can download to most smartphones. However, if you've tried several tuning techniques and . There are four basic elements to an instrument setup affecting intonation - the neck bow, the nut height, the string height, and the saddle location. If the 12th fret is flat or sharp then this will determine how the Saddle will want to be configured. Beast of Bourbon. 3 How to fix sharp guitar intonation? When a player tunes a guitar using an electronic guitar tuner, they do so by plucking the open (unfretted) strings. Intonation is adjusted by increasing or decreasing the length of a guitar string. This is a more costly, time consuming method which may be required when good intonation can . Adjusting the Saddle A common technique people use to intonate is simply playing a harmonic on the 12th fret. Begin by plugging your guitar into the tuner and tuning its strings to their natural tuning (440 Hz for the 5th (A) string). The pitch rule tells us that a guitar will display a global tendency to more sharpness as the open-string pitch goes down, and the Eb string does in fact go sharp more than the Et string. 2. The reason is that as time goes by, there is drifting in the intonation. Can cheap strings affect intonation? 1. BCF48C63-FFD5-46BF-96B8-AA033FDD46F1.jpeg You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post. However, the tension rule and the string mass rule also come into play, and we see this especially when we compare the sharping behavior of the G and D strings. First things firstsee what you have. Humans can detect about a three cent error in a note. Besides, on a typical steel string guitar, there is no fix that will perfectly intonate all strings at all frets at all action heights and neck reliefs with all possible set of strings. What To Do If Your Intonation Is Sharp What To Do If Your Intonation Is Flat Guitar Specific Intonation Adjustment Now, depress the string at the 12th fret and compare the two pitches. >> Click to read more << Faulty Guitar Strings Not all guitar strings are created equal, and maybe you've bought a bad set. The intonation is out quite a bit on the G only and not on the other 5 strings. June 5, 2022 by Joe Nevin If the fretted 12th fret note is sharp, adjusting the screw clockwise will improve intonation. The Equation is: High Nut + Low Tension = Intonation Problems. Solving Intonation Problems will give you some help dealing with the trickier issues you might come across. Sometimes strings at the higher frets will feel a bit "slippery" when you finger them. If the fretted 12th fret note is flat, adjusting the screw clockwise will improve intonation. So, two or three days after replacing the strings tune the open strings to pitch and check the tuning at the twelfth fret and beyond. If you've never adjusted the guitar's intonation, your saddle might be more difficult to move. Locate the Intonation Screw 8. It may be sharp or flat - the most common fault is sharp I have found. Compare pitches Play the lowest open string, or, for a more accurate reading, play the 12th fret harmonic. Repeat until stable and in tune across all strings. Play a 12th fret note Step 4. The guitar pictures intonate's as perfectly as possible. Causes of Poor Intonation : Incorrect positioning of the bridge or saddle: This causes the strings to be either too long causing intonation to be flat or too short causing it to play sharp.On an acoustic guitar this can be caused by the saddles crown or the actual position of the saddles slot. If you are sharp (too high) or flat (too low) your intonations are off and an adjustment will need to be made. It's been tuned up, but fretted notes are still sharp. If the fretted 12th fret note is sharp, you should be able . So, an 'E' played on the open 6th string will be perfectly in tune with an 'E' played on the 12th fret of the 1st string or the 5th fret of the B String. The trouble is that this then can cause fret buzz, especially if your frets are not level, so you may need to spend a bit of time lowering the offending frets. Notice that the 6th and unwound third are less sharp starting at the 1st fret, so the difference between open and fretted notes are less noticeable. For instruments in need of extra fine tuning the shape of the compensated crown may need to be filed by hand, adjusting the length for each string individually. . If you're sharp at every fret on the high E string with all other strings intonating ok, go back to the beginning (do the basic setup steps). Repeat if necessary. Solution 4: Place your finger in the middle of the fret Another technique-based factor that can cause sharp intonation is playing at fret at the incorrect position. You'll notice one of three things: 1) All notes will be flat. Setting Guitar Intonation You know something doesn't sound right with your guitar. Lower the nut. For instance, every 12 frets a note repeats itself. Check for the pole pieces of your . . Solving Intonation Problems is a free download. And was mentioned above, the head of the adjusting screw should be flush with the bridge. Setting Intonation. 1. Thus, acceptable intonation is a matter of tolerance. If any of the notes played at the 12th fret are sharp or flat then it's time to make a guitar intonation adjustment. When the guitar is in tune according to the tuner, we'll check that the harmonic note played at the 12th fret is in tune for each string. Fret at the 12th fret and pick this note. Retune and test the intonation. Tune the guitar to pitch and do the following, in order. The easiest way to check your guitar's intonation is to compare the pitch of the fretted 12th fret note to a 12th fret natural harmonic. Starting with the top E, play the open string then fret the string at the 12th fret, play it again and check your tuner. Method 2Setting an Electric Guitar's Intonation. Yes, string gauge DOES affect intonation. I've written a new book to accompany this series of posts on intonation. All strings are around a quarter step sharp at the first fret. In this article, I will guide you on how often you should intonate your guitar and the cost of it. 3) All notes will be roughly in tune with some strings sharp while others are flat. Detune the string then loosen the screw while holding the saddle in place. With the tuner, measure whether the note is sharp or flat. Wonky intonation isn't uncommon. which means i have about perfect intonation. Also, the notes above fret 12 are less flat. Once you're satisfied that the open string is in tune, try fretting it and see how things look. . Put the neck back together, tune the guitar. At the third fret (a G), it is noticeably sharp. Repeat this process for all of your strings. This effect is often slight rather than dramatic, but even slight intonation imbalances are noticeable enough to be annoying and demand adjustment. This decreases a little as the notes move up the fretboard. 3. First you'll want to tune your guitar so the harmonic note played at the 12th fret is perfectly in tune for each string. Then, carefully press the string down to the 12th fret and check . If the fretted 12th fret note is sharp, adjusting the screw clockwisewill improve intonation. Why does my guitar always go sharp? If the 12th fret note is sharp, move the saddle back a little by turning the screw clockwise. If your intonation is out, you will notice the 12th fret note is off. You can deal with one or two stubborn strings by lowering the pickups a bit. Method 3 Adjusting the Saddle Download Article 1 Check saddle height. Make the neck holes in the body oblong so the neck distance can be shifted. Using the tuner, compare the difference in pitch between the two notes; is the fretted note sharp or flat compared to the harmonic? The above diagram illustrates the intonation improvement and shows the problems still remaining after moving the nut forward. String Action. Click here to support my channel https://goo. This will help with tuning and avoid your strings going sharp. In that case, you'll need to adjust the intonation of your guitar if you want the strings to be in tune all the way up the neck. Expert Answers: Guitar Intonation Explained If the note at the 12th fret is out of tune (more than a few cents off) from the open note, you probably need to adjust your intonation. Measurements or no, if you're not hearing it -- and disliking it -- then it is not sharp to you. All of this will affect their intonation. Jul 11, 2006. If the guitar is incorrectly tuned, then it will be out of tune! There are thousands of exceptions and this is not meant . It's in tune open and harmonic at the 12th but then a good deal sharp fretted at the 12th. A sharp pitch is higher than the harmonic, and increasing the length lowers the pitch. For example, the low E (sixth sting) is a perfect E when played open. Adjust the saddles. The first three affect how much the string stretches when pressed against the fret or fingerboard and these are adjusted before the saddle location. You can correct a string's intonation by moving the saddle away from the nut if the string frets sharp and toward the nut if the string frets flat. Loosen the strings to give the saddle freedom of movement. Your Guitar Intonation Is Wrong. 6. If there's a discrepancy, you'll need to move the saddle back or forward to compensate. A sharp 12th fret note is interpreted in two different ways. After you tune a string up to pitch, do some major bends again around the 10th fret on that string. Over time, the strings on your bass guitar can get damaged, lose their tension from continuous stretching, and become covered with built up grime and dirt. Lower the bridge or saddle. The technician is trying to get everything right so that they can adjust the acoustic guitar. If it isn't, loosen the string and push the head of the screw flush and then make adjustments. In the middle of the string, there's PLENTY of flexibility. Tune your guitar with a digital chromatic tuner. It's easier to dial in the intonation now that the extra variables are out of the way. Repeat the steps for every string . Tune your guitar/bass strings up to pitch. Loosen the neck screws a little to let the strings shift the neck as far towards the bridge as possible, re-tighten and re-tune. If the fretted 12th fret note is sharp, it is recommended that you adjust the screw clockwise to improve intonation. 7. The saddle is the part of your guitar that's below the pickups, on the opposite side of your headstock. How do you fix sharp intonation? Here are some common causes of poor intonation. Loosen Your Strings While Adjusting Intonation Protect Your Guitar Assess Your Action Height Use a Good Tuner Replace Strings Regularly How To Check Intonation in Your Own Guitar Step 1. Ibanez Josh Smith Signature FLATV1 Electric Guitar - Black Sweetwater Sound $2799.00 Gibson Les Paul Standard '60S Electric Guitar Bourbon Burst Guitar Center $1099.00 Esp Ltd Deluxe Ec-1000 Electric Guitar Black Musician's Friend $1299.00 Schecter C-1 Rob Scallon Electric Guitar - Satin Dark Roast Sweetwater Sound $2799.00 1. To increase the string's length, move the saddle backward toward the bridge. Turning the screw anti-clockwise decreases the length of the guitar string. The 'E' at the 12th fret is an octave higher, and if it is perfectly in tune then that string is properly . Once loosened, the saddle should move freely. On both of these guitars the open strings are intonated using my usual method of matching open string pitch with the 12 fret harmonic but the 3rd fret of the low E comes up noticeably sharp. Repeat this step until the pitch is correct and then move on to the next string. Solving Intonation Problems. If the nut is high, you need to apply more pressure to fret the string near the nut, due to reduced flexibility. The first step in setting the intonation on your bass guitar is getting rid of your old strings. Intonation is checked initially by comparing the 12th fret harmonic to the 12th fretted note. It is important to play the strings in a little before making final intonation adjustments at the saddle. Tune the 12th fret note to the same note as the open string was tuned to. For example, If the 12th fret harmonic is sharp then you will move the saddle backwards towards the bridge. How do you fix a flat intonation on an acoustic guitar? Measuring to alter the individual string length and adjust intonation.