Do you guys do Intonation yourself?

[stonely0]

hi guys how many of you here do intonation yourself? or do you guys send it to the guitar tech?

I tried it today and it all seems fine but i'm not sure i do it correctly... Initially i was thinking if i run into fret buzz problem after setting up my action i will send it into guitar shop for setup by tech but after setting up my desire action (low) i did not run into fret buzz problem so i proceed with the rest...

I use a plug in tuner instead of a wireless tuner becz i find it more reliable...

1) I set up my desired action and making sure that there are no fret buzz on every fret

2) tune all string (open string) to tune

3) then fret the 12th fret on every string and making adjustment on the saddle till i get it centre on the tuner on all string (that is 1E on open = to 1E on 12th, 2B on open = 2B on 12th so on...)

4) finally tune all open string again and re-check the tune on 12th fret to make sure all are in tune.

I'm using a Buzz Feiten nut and my guitar comes with Grover 18:1 machine head, i'm amaze that it's so simple to intonate this guitar compare to the last one i had own which is a nightmare. Mine is a Hardtail bridge by the way...

Am i doing it corectly?
Note:- i notice it's best doing intonation on a plug in tuner, a wireless tuner will give you crap reading on the 12th fred. Never never use a wireless to do intonation....

 

[Phil]

If you want to know if you're doing it correct, you got to understand what intonation is for first.

A properly intonated guitar will be in tune right up to the highest fret. So just check every note right up the the highest fret on every string.

If everything is spot on, then it's properly intonated.

When you set the intonation, you want the note on the 12th fret to be similar to the harmonic on the 12th fret. That's half of the equation that you're missing out.

I prefer to do the intonation myself, because I know how hard I fret the strings and I can take it from there.

The pitch of the note varies with fretting pressure. Just play any note normally and check the reading on your tuner.
Then fret it lightly or really hard, and look at how much different the reading is on the tuner.

Even the best guitar-tech can only make an intelligent approximation of how much pressure you use when you fret.

So sometimes, it's better to do it yourself.

 

[lazy3yed]

I supposed by "wireless", you actually mean a tuner with a builtin a mic?

Just to add :

I believe with a BF system, you'll need a tuner that supports the BF offsets or allow you to enter custom offsets. The offsets are different from those used for the standard tuning.

If your guitar has 24 frets, intonate to the 24th fret if you're using a normal (less accurate) tuner, as advised by Rich at IbanezRules. It'll be more accurate. Otherwise, get a more accurate tuner.

 

[kahuna]

Using the 12th fret harmonic is the same as playing open btw. Just saying.

 

[stonely0]

I supposed by "wireless", you actually mean a tuner with a builtin a mic?

Just to add :

I believe with a BF system, you'll need a tuner that supports the BF offsets or allow you to enter custom offsets. The offsets are different from those used for the standard tuning.

If your guitar has 24 frets, intonate to the 24th fret if you're using a normal (less accurate) tuner, as advised by Rich at IbanezRules. It'll be more accurate. Otherwise, get a more accurate tuner.

By wireless i mean a tuner that you clip to your headstock that detect the vibration from the open string. It also have a built in MIC option. I'm not sure what you call that but that kind of tuner give me haywire reading at 12 fret. I believe there may be better one out there but the one i use isn't reliable.

Yes for BF (Buzz Feitein) system there is currently only a model of tuner avail by Korg and the tuner allows a 12th fret tune. If you use that tuner it can be tune as per normal. Using other tuner you will need to tune in OFFSET manner as suggested by BF website. Meaning instead of tuning in open string BF system have to tune in selected fret and tune all to E

 

[leecs]

I can do it myself...

 

[jmb23]

i do intonation myself...
but one things for sure,a guitar can never have perfect intonation.any about intonation,i've heard about true temperament necks that have oddly shaped frets but near perfect intonation.

 

[widdly]

Do with new strings. Old strings are uneven in width so the intonation will be wacky.

 

[glblues]

as the saying goes:

"flat forward, sharp back"

 

[Whitestrat]

It depends... If it's a simple bridge system, I'll do it myself. if it's a Floyd Rose, I throw it to someone else simply because I'm too lazy to intonate a floyd.

BTW, the Ibanez ZR is a breeze to intonate.

 

[KayCee]

12 fret fretted and 12 fret harmonic is not the same. Good approximation no doubt. For a more scientific look at tuning the guitar, here's a good link: http://www.guyguitars.com/eng/handbook/Tuning/tuning.html which explains why the 5/7 harmonics method will not tune your guitar accurately

The guitar is an equal tempered instrument. The way to check intonation would be the notes on the open strings, i.e E A D, G B E. If they sound in tune all over the fingerboard, you will have a very good intonation in all keys. If there are certain keys you favour, the intonation maybe skewed to that, however this is very hard to adjust even for a seasoned piano tuner to do it.

Some builders have even come out with this: http://www.truetemperament.com/site/index.php In this case, notes are tuned individually very much like a piano. Most of the time for me, tune the open G so that the open string is dead on G but the 12 fret is very slightly sharp. After you get this, you can flatten the open G by a few cents and the E, A, and even D chords should sweeter, ymmv.

enjoy the links,

KC

 

[lazy3yed]

Oh, the clip-on type are called piezo tuners.

If you're looking for a more accurate strobe tuner, I'd recommend the Turbo Tuner from Sonic Research. No BF offsets (maybe in the future), tho, but allows for manual offsets.

 

[KeDraiv]

as the saying goes:

"flat forward, sharp back"

where's forward and where's back ah?
i always get confused with that

 

[eieio]

from a logic point of view, forward is away from bridge
back should be move back to bridge, correct me if im wrong hehe

true temperament, the more i look the more my eyes go like wobbly
been curious abt those.. are they meant only for the pros? look like only the pros can afford them
very interesting concept, make the guitar look nicer too else give the man couple of jugs & they'll look more straight..

:mrgreen:

 

[stonely0]

from a logic point of view, forward is away from bridge
back should be move back to bridge, correct me if im wrong hehe

Ha ha there is no right no wrong too... some use forward for bridge and backward for neck... like wise for screwing of saddle direction there are both clockwise/counter clockwise for both too... they are not fix they actually depend on the saddle direction of your guitar some brand comes with the screw on the other side so the best way to refer to is Neck or bridge instead of direction.

true temperament, the more i look the more my eyes go like wobbly been curious abt those.. are they meant only for the pros? look like only the pros can afford them very interesting concept, make the guitar look nicer too else give the man couple of jugs & they'll look more straight..
:mrgreen:

Agree i read it up lastnight too. interesting read and yes alot of deep stuff but its good to know. Did learn a few things from the link too thanks to the poster who hyperlink it.

 

[eieio]

yup i was imagining strat/tele bridge
for les paul bridge saddles located in middle lol
so direction towards & away from neck should be a more understandable term
i wonder when the tom bridge was invented, the screws direction away or to neck?.. hehe

as for the start open g tune, can be use for both electric & acoustic?
i get some sweet tones from different positions on my strat, while other positions sound kind of flat..

why is that so?

 

[AzNjT]

It also depends on the make and construction quality of your guitar.

I mean, if its a Quality Built and well constructed guitar then yes, you should fiddle and set it up to get its full potential

but if its a crappy guitar or wasn't well made, with frets popping out, uneven, neck curve. Worn frets. misalignment... it really depends....

 

[stonely0]

It also depends on the make and construction quality of your guitar.

I mean, if its a Quality Built and well constructed guitar then yes, you should fiddle and set it up to get its full potential

but if its a crappy guitar or wasn't well made, with frets popping out, uneven, neck curve. Worn frets. misalignment... it really depends....

Totally agree. but the question is how good does it consider a good guitar? Personally i feel that the price of the guitar determine the quality... I couldn't agree that a $2000 guitar will play the same as a $150 copy or a $500 jump start pack. Yes it all depend on the player and not the guitar but tone wise i can swear that there is a difference... and yes there are a few superior mid range out there that have quality built but they are fast becoming a rare sight.

So save up get a better axe for that special occasional admiration and playing and then get one mid range one for practice, experiment and thrash