How to set the intonation of your guitar

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Intonation Tips

To set the intonation of your guitar,
This is what you will need:

1. A guitar.

2. A screwdriver. Usually Phillips for Strat-type guitars, and flat edged for Les Paul-type guitars. Check your bridge.

3.An electronic tuner of any variety preferably chromatic.

4.A cord. (Unless your tuner has a *very* sensitive microphone)

5.A pick, if you generally use one.

It is a good idea to get it roughly in tune before beginning.

STEPS to set the intonation of your guitar:

1. Choose a string, and play the 12th fret harmonic. Using the tuner, bring this harmonic into tune. Get it absolutely as close as you can.

Tuning Tip: when tuning down, always tune down PAST the correct pitch and then bring the note UP to the correct tune.

2. Now, with an eye on the tuner, fret the string at the 12th fret and play it again. It is important that you do not bend the string slightly to either side as you press it to the fingerboard. Try not to apply any more pressure to the string than is necessary for a clean tone.

3. If the tuner shows that this fretted note is perfectly in tune, then the note is equal in pitch to the 12th fret harmonic, thus -- correct intonation! Move on to the next string.

4. If the tuner shows the note to be sharp (that is, the pitch is too high), it means that the string is too short. Correct this by turning the screw in the corresponding saddle CLOCKWISE. Over time, you will get a feel for the right amount to turn the screw each time, but there is always a large amount of trial-and-error. Start off with a quarter turn, and see what that does. In any case, START AGAIN FROM STEP 1.

5. If, however, the fretted note is slightly flat (that is, the pitch is too low), the string is too long and you should turn the screw COUNTER-CLOCKWISE. Again, try a quarter turn for starters until you get the feel for it. GO BACK TO STEP 1, and continue until the harmonic and fretted note are both perfectly in tune.

WARNING: You CANNOT simply tune the harmonic, then turn the screw until the fretted note is in tune. Moving the saddle changes the tune of the string, so you must tune the harmonic all over again before trying the fret again.

6. When you have finished all six strings, check out the result! Make sure you are in tune first, of course, then play a few chords up and down the neck (especially "up" the neck). If you have followed the procedure correctly, the problem (if there was one) should be taken care of. If it is still not alright, then it could be that __________. (I have no idea what it could be. Someone help me out here, ok?)

That's all there is to it! At least, ummm, as far as I know! If you suspect that your intonation needs a lot of adjustment, don't be surprised if the whole process takes almost an hour. If you are just doing a regular check, though, I would be surprised if it took more than ten minutes.

Experiment and let me know any helpful hints you discover!

Guitar Accessory Reviews Home >> Guitar Tuner >> Intonation >>Setting the Intonation