deeaa
May 9th, 2011, 02:00 PM
Any ideas, tips and tricks for intonation setting, guys?
I consider myself pretty good at adjusting intonation, and I'm pretty anal about getting it just right for me.
No matter how accurate a tuner or exact the guitar measurements, the guitar is an instrument that will NEVER be perfectly intonated, it's just the nature of the beast.
In fact, I don't like to 'go by numbers' with it at all; I think I can get a much better intonation working with ear than a tuner.
I have a few I've noticed myself:
1. Sometimes, even when the intonation is way off, it seems to be close. But when you get it out of the 'almost' sounding area, you may find the better spot is actually way elsewhere.
2. On most guitars, the low E saddle must be pushed about as far back as it goes, and in surprisingly many that's still not far enough.
3. On some cheaper guitars the 1st fret space is too long from factory (saddle too far front)
4. Often you get to great intonation quicker if you rough it with 1 grade thicker set pretty close, and then swap to thinner strings. Dunno why it's always easier to intonate to lighter strings than thicker.
6. It's always best to first intonate the guitar by tuner to 12th fret, and then intonate it to the 3rd fret, and then find a good compromise by ear. I go by how open E, open D and G&D string 'two string at same fret' power chord sound.
7. It's always best to do the adjustment acoustically, with your ear against the body to better hear the wood vibrate, if you want it to sound great with chords.
8. It's more important the open chords and first 6 frets are exact than higher up, as in leads you can always compensate by bending and pressing strings harder.
I consider myself pretty good at adjusting intonation, and I'm pretty anal about getting it just right for me.
No matter how accurate a tuner or exact the guitar measurements, the guitar is an instrument that will NEVER be perfectly intonated, it's just the nature of the beast.
In fact, I don't like to 'go by numbers' with it at all; I think I can get a much better intonation working with ear than a tuner.
I have a few I've noticed myself:
1. Sometimes, even when the intonation is way off, it seems to be close. But when you get it out of the 'almost' sounding area, you may find the better spot is actually way elsewhere.
2. On most guitars, the low E saddle must be pushed about as far back as it goes, and in surprisingly many that's still not far enough.
3. On some cheaper guitars the 1st fret space is too long from factory (saddle too far front)
4. Often you get to great intonation quicker if you rough it with 1 grade thicker set pretty close, and then swap to thinner strings. Dunno why it's always easier to intonate to lighter strings than thicker.
6. It's always best to first intonate the guitar by tuner to 12th fret, and then intonate it to the 3rd fret, and then find a good compromise by ear. I go by how open E, open D and G&D string 'two string at same fret' power chord sound.
7. It's always best to do the adjustment acoustically, with your ear against the body to better hear the wood vibrate, if you want it to sound great with chords.
8. It's more important the open chords and first 6 frets are exact than higher up, as in leads you can always compensate by bending and pressing strings harder.