The following is a preliminary attempt at answering, once and for all, the
frequent intonation-related questions that net-readers have. You might
realize that it's very wordy -- it's supposed to be that way. The idea is
to leave no question unanswered and make the information understandable
even to beginners. PLEASE take a minute (ok.. hour) to read it and E-MAIL
me if you can make any corrections, suggestions, additions, deletions, or
if you have more questions to add.
Thanks in advance!
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| |
| rec.music.makers.guitar - alt.guitar |
| Frequently Asked Questions About Guitar Intonation |
| |
| authored by Kevin Bourrillion |
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[Edited 1/14/96, Scott Lehman]
"Why is it that I can tune my guitar for hours, even
with an electronic tuner, but when I play a chord it
sounds out of whack?"
Face it. You, yes YOU, have an intonation problem. Properly speaking, your
*guitar* has an intonation problem, but as we all know -- your guitar's
problems very quickly become your own. And as we also know, the first step
towards recovery is to admit that you have a problem!
For those of you for whom this *is* true, I have collected my knowledge in
this FAQ. I am far from a guitar wizard, but in this file I will try to
give you all the information I have, and hope that more experienced others
will chime in and add their suggestions. No sources were consulted for
this -- it is entirely dependent on the wisdom of the netizens.
With that in mind, here's some questions that you have undoubtedly seen on
rec.music.makers.guitar or alt.guitar, along with some you may not have,
owing to the fact that I just now made them up.*
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Q: What exactly IS intonation?
A: Intonation refers to the need for each string to be a slightly
different length in order for the proper pitch to be produced at each fret.
(This is my definition, if you have a better one, let me know.)
The intonation of a guitar is correct when each string is the exact length
it needs to be. The adjustment of this length is made possible by
individual saddles, one for each string, which are mounted on the bridge
with a screw. This way, one can turn the screw and the saddle will move
forward or backward, effectively lengthening or shortening the vibrating
length of the string. If your guitar does not have these adjustable
saddles, you may as well skip the rest of this document.
Regardless of intonation, if the string as a whole is at the correct pitch,
all harmonics will sound correctly because they are, by definition, exact
multiples of the frequency of the entire string. It is the tones produced
by fretting the string that will be incorrect. So, if you would like to
learn to play "Crazy Train" using all harmonics, go for it. For the rest
of us who are securely grounded in reality, however, read on.
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Q: Why in the world would each string have to be a different length? That
doesn't make any sense at all!
A: You're right, it doesn't, and that is why I have absolutely no idea what
the answer to this question is. Someone, please help!
[I believe there are two reasons why the strings must different lengths.
One, is that the strings must stretch slightly when you push it down to the
fretboard. This stretching increases the tension, and because the strings
are of different gauges, each string is affected a little differently.
The other reason has to do with the stiffness of the strings. When you fret
a string, you are changing the angle of the string where it meets the bridge.
Due to string stiffness, the effective length of the string will be slightly
less than the physical length. The stiffness of the string varies with the
gauge, so each string requires a different amount of compensation. If the
strings were perfectly flexible, the effective length would always equal the
physical length. (Perhaps nylon strings are not as stiff as steel, so that the
individual saddle adjustments are not needed with nylon string guitars) - ed.]
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Q: When should I adjust my guitar's intonation?
A: The intonation of your guitar will most certainly need attention if:
1. It has not been adjusted in over a year.
2. You have switched to strings of a heavier or lighter gauge.
3. You have adjusted the truss rod. (NOTE: Tightening or
loosening the truss rod screws up your intonation, but it does
so slowly over a period of 24 hours or so. Trying to set the
intonation during that time is useless. I know.)
4. Your little brother has become experimental with one of your
dad's screwdrivers.
5. You are experiencing various intonation-related symptoms. If
tuning by harmonics gives you a different result than tuning by
frets, if a barre chord sounds fine in the lower positions but
sounds progressively worse as you slide it up the neck, or if you
can't get ANY chord to sound right, you may need to adjust your
intonation.
Other than that, I recommend adjusting it every time you change the
strings. This might seem like a lot, but if none of the above applies to
you then the whole process should not take very long at all. (You would
be well advised to stretch your strings out before starting the process,
because brand new strings have the ability to detune themselves at an
incredible rate.)
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Q: I'm an idiot. Can I really set my guitar's intonation myself, or
should I have a professional do it?
A: Unlike more complicated procedures, setting your intonation gives you
absolutely no risk of doing any kind of permanent damage to your guitar,
unless you prefer to do it one-handed while on the roof of your house.
Also, it's much simpler than the size of this file would have you think.
The advantages of having a skilled technician do it are 1) he most likely
will have the equipment to get it far more precise than you could at home,
and 2) while he had your guitar, he might be able to tell you if it had
any other, more serious problems.
The disadvantages are a bit more numerous than the advantages, I think.
1. It costs money. Usually under $10, but money just the same.
2. You may have to part with your instrument for a few hours
or (GASP) a night.
3. How perfect does it really have to be anyway?
4. If you are really broke, see advantage #2.
5. It implies having transportation to a music store.
6. It implies living in a town where there IS a music store.
7. Others will see what a piece of crap instrument you play.
("But it was the nicest one in the whole Sears catalog!")
When you add it all up, my advice would be: "Be a man/woman and do it
your own damn self."
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Q: This is all very informative, but HOW DO I DO IT?
A: Ahh, finally -- the big question!
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| |
| HOW TO SET THE INTONATION ON YOUR ELECTRIC GUITAR |
|_____________________________________________________|
What you will need:
- A screwdriver. Usually Phillips for Strat-type guitars, and flat
edged for Les Paul-type guitars. Check your bridge.
- An electronic tuner of any variety. (The "working" variety is
strongly preferred.)
- A cord. (Unless your tuner has a *very* sensitive microphone)
- A pick, if you generally use one.
- A guitar. This is perhaps the most important of the five.
It is a good idea to get it roughly in tune before beginning.
STEPS
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.
Remember, 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!
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And that's all she(he) wrote! Please feel free to mail me and comment on
anything you have read. And remember, just because I have posted this
FAQ does not mean that I think I have god-like knowledge of this subject.
I was just willing to put forth the time to do it, that's all.
Special thanks to the following people for their help:
(this is where your name would go...)
Good luck and happy intonating! (is that a word?)
--
Kevin Bourrillion
kevin@.bradley.edu