{"id":1729318,"date":"2017-04-10T14:09:58","date_gmt":"2017-04-10T14:09:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/?post_type=articles&#038;p=1729318"},"modified":"2022-07-08T15:04:46","modified_gmt":"2022-07-08T15:04:46","slug":"guitar-setup-part-3-intonation","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/articles\/guitar-setup-part-3-intonation\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Set Up Your Electric Guitar Part 3: Intonation"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n<p>In <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/articles\/guitar-setup-part-1-adjusting-the-truss-rod-2\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"part 1 (opens in a new tab)\">part 1<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/articles\/guitar-setup-part-2-setting-action\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"part 2 (opens in a new tab)\">part 2<\/a> of this series, you learned about adjusting the truss rod and string height of your guitar to maximize the comfort and playability of your guitar. In the third and final part of this series, we will set your guitar\u2019s intonation to play in tune across the fretboard.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>The opening section of this article will explain what intonation is, why it is crucial, and when you would need to adjust the intonation. In the second section, we will walk you through what steps need to be taken to intonate your guitar properly.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<ol>\r\n<li><a href=\"#Guitar-intonation-explained\"><strong>Guitar intonation explained<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"#How-to-intonate-your-electric-guitar\"><strong>How to intonate your electric guitar<\/strong><\/a>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li><a href=\"#Compare-pitches\"><strong>Compare pitches<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><a href=\"#Adjust-the-string-length\"><strong>Adjust the string length<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\r\n<li><strong><a href=\"#Repeat-the-process-for-every-string\">Repeat the process for every string<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 id=\"Guitar-intonation-explained\" class=\"wp-block-cgb-block-customheader blackHeader alignLeft noUnderline customh2 swheader\">Guitar intonation explained<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>If your guitar or bass is not playing in tune, especially as you play up the neck, it might be time to adjust your intonation. An excellent way to check that is to play an open string and then play the same string at the 12th fret. If the note at the 12th fret is out of tune (more than a few <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/insync\/cent\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">cents<\/a> off) from the open note, you probably need to adjust your intonation.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>When intonation is set, the string length is adjusted by moving the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/insync\/saddle\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">saddle<\/a> closer or farther from the bridge. A properly intonated guitar will improve the pitch accuracy over the entire fretboard.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h4 id=\"Changing-string-gauge-can-affect-intonation\" class=\"wp-block-cgb-block-customheader blackHeader alignLeft underline customh4 swheader\">Changing string gauge can affect intonation<\/h4>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Your guitar\u2019s intonation will likely need to be fine-tuned whenever you replace your strings. If you change string gauges, the intonation will almost certainly need to be reset because the core of your new strings will have a different diameter. Intonation can help compensate for differences in string core sizes.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/lh5.googleusercontent.com\/q9fFGR-pzCYUQTKe05isIeNvv6T6DT7ycl5AaLAfGunHpEPE2TeDGPGf4-NLl1xyGPCqr9Zs9jOGMKndKuoeJKUeDPlfZjy--SQylB7hI7W-EBuGrPD9n0CoOEaNFXBc34vbbc9W\"><img src=\"https:\/\/lh5.googleusercontent.com\/q9fFGR-pzCYUQTKe05isIeNvv6T6DT7ycl5AaLAfGunHpEPE2TeDGPGf4-NLl1xyGPCqr9Zs9jOGMKndKuoeJKUeDPlfZjy--SQylB7hI7W-EBuGrPD9n0CoOEaNFXBc34vbbc9W\" alt=\"Guitar tech holding guitar in playing position while adjusting intonation\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><em>For an accurate reading, hold the guitar in the playing position when checking pitch.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 id=\"How-to-intonate-your-electric-guitar\" class=\"wp-block-cgb-block-customheader blackHeader alignLeft noUnderline customh2 swheader\">How to intonate your electric guitar<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Now that you know what adjusting intonation accomplishes and when action needs to be taken, it\u2019s time to adjust it. To do this, you need to compare the pitches of an open string and that string\u2019s twelfth fret. Depending on whether it is sharp or flat, you will move the saddle forward or backward to fine-tune the string length. After you\u2019ve done this for all six strings, your guitar will be fully intonated and ready to play! Follow the steps below to intonate your guitar.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h3 id=\"Compare-pitches\" class=\"wp-block-cgb-block-customheader darkBlueHeader alignLeft underline customh3 swheader\">Compare pitches<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Play the lowest open string, or, for a more accurate reading, play the 12th fret <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/insync\/harmonic\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">harmonic<\/a>. Now, depress the string at the 12th fret and compare the two pitches.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Remember, play with a soft-to-medium attack for the most precise reading. If both notes are perfectly in tune on all strings, then you lucked out and are done! The more likely case is that the two notes are slightly sharp or flat. To correct this, you\u2019ll need to adjust the saddle.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h3 id=\"Adjust-the-string-length\" class=\"wp-block-cgb-block-customheader darkBlueHeader alignLeft underline customh3 swheader\">Adjust the string length<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Now that you\u2019ve compared pitches, the next step is to make the changes to get the string perfectly in tune. This is accomplished by using a flathead screwdriver to adjust the string length.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>If the fretted note is flat, adjust the saddle (towards the neck). If the fretted note is sharp, adjust the saddle back (towards the bridge). A good trick to remember which way to adjust can be memorized by this phrase:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h4 id=\"Flat-forward-sharp-back\" class=\"wp-block-cgb-block-customheader blackHeader alignLeft underline customh4 swheader\">Flat forward, sharp back<\/h4>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color: #ffcfd3;\"><strong>DON\u2019T STRIP THE SCREWHEADS! <\/strong>Be careful when adjusting the intonation screws, as you can easily strip the heads. If you\u2019re having difficulty moving the saddle, you may want to loosen the string tension.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>When doing this, make minor, 1\/4 turn adjustments until you have a good idea of how much the saddle must move to affect the tuner. If the intonation is too far out, it may take several complete rotations before you reach the precise saddle location.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/media\/2021\/11\/Adjust-string-length.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"262\" class=\"wp-image-1771302\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/media\/2021\/11\/Adjust-string-length-1024x262.jpg\" alt=\"Adjust string length\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/media\/2021\/11\/Adjust-string-length-1024x262.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/media\/2021\/11\/Adjust-string-length-300x77.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/media\/2021\/11\/Adjust-string-length-768x196.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/media\/2021\/11\/Adjust-string-length.jpg 1361w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h3 id=\"Repeat-the-process-for-every-string\" class=\"wp-block-cgb-block-customheader darkBlueHeader alignLeft underline customh3 swheader\">Repeat the process for every string<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>You\u2019ll now want to re-tune the guitar to pitch and check your adjustments against the tuner. If the pitch at the 12th fret doesn\u2019t match the open string, you\u2019ll want to repeat the process above. This will need to be done for everything string. While this process can be insanely tedious, the results make it all worth it! Your guitar will play exactly how you want it, and you can fall in love with your guitar\u2019s sound once again.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-spacer\" style=\"height: 20px;\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\u00a0<\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h4 id=\"That-s-a-wrap\" class=\"wp-block-cgb-block-customheader blackHeader alignLeft underline customh4 swheader\">That&#8217;s a wrap!<\/h4>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Now that the art of electric guitar setup has been demystified, get out there and start setting up your friends and bandmates guitars. Practice makes perfect! Who knows, maybe you have a future as a touring Guitar Tech.<\/p>\r\n","protected":false},"featured_media":1754880,"template":"","categories":[2],"tags":[54242,118696,57809,54261,117191,56884,81248,117553,56881,81250,56883,55939,117193,58294,54454,71445],"storecat":[142860,143072,143165],"itemids":[],"manufacturers":[202712],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v17.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"\ud83c\udfb8 In this article, we will set your guitar&#039;s intonation so that all the notes are the correct pitches up and down the fretboard. \ud83c\udfb8\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sweetwater.com\/sweetcare\/articles\/guitar-setup-part-3-intonation\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How To Set Up Your Electric Guitar Part 3: Intonation - 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