Setting Intonation on your Electric Guitar
General Information:
Any time you change the action on your guitar. i.e., string elevation relative to the fingerboard/tops of the frets, it will affect the intonation, because of the differing amount of string deflection needed to stop the string against the frets. Make sure your action is where you want it before attempting to adjust the intonation on your guitar
Step 1:
Assuming the string action is already set to your liking, tune the guitar using your electronic guitar tuner. During the entire intonation process, do not change the tuning of any but the string you’re working on.
Step 2:
Start with any string you like, and with the tuner on and the string in tune ‘open’, fret the string at the 12th fret. If the string is still in tune at the 12th fret, you’re good. Move on to the next string.
Step 3:
If the string fretted at the 12th fret is sharp, adjust the bridge saddle of (only) that string slightly father away from the nut. In other words, make the vibrating length of the open string a tiny bit ‘longer’. If the 12th-fretted note is flat, move the saddle toward the nut, very slightly.
Step 4:
Make very small adjustments to the bridge saddle at a time. Once you’ve moved the saddle (and locked it down, if your guitar provides for it), re-tune that open string, then check the tuning of the note at the 12th fret.
Repeat as necessary until the string, fretted at the 12th fret, gives you an exact octave above the open string, as shown by the tuner. In other words, if it’s the ‘A’ string you’re working on, you should also read an exact ‘A’ on the tuner at the 12th fret.
NOTE: It’s very important to re-tune the open string after each repositioning of the bridge saddle, before you check the note at the 12th fret. When you’re satisfied that the note played at the 12th fret of the string is exactly an octave above the pitch of the open string:
Step 5:
Move on to the next string. Repeat until you’ve covered all strings, then go back and recheck them all to make sure nothing has ‘drifted’ while you worked on the other strings.
If you customarily play way up on the neck, above the 12th fret, you may even want to check the intonation of a note fretted at the 16th fret. This note will be one octave and a fourth above the open string. Example: low ‘E’ open should read an exact ‘A’ at the 16th fret.
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