Have you ever tuned your guitar and then played some notes high up on the neck just to find that they did not sound like they were in tune. This is probably because the intonation on your guitar was a little bit off. In this lesson, you are going to learn how to set the intonation on your guitar. Setting the intonation on your guitar is something that is really nice to know how to do for yourself. If you don’t want to bother with learning this, it will probably cost you around $30 dollars to have a pro do it for you. Setting the intonation on a guitar basically involves moving the saddles forward or backwards until all of the notes all of the way up the fret board play as in tune as possible.
There are only a few tools that you will need in order to set the intonation on your guitar. A good tuner and a screwdriver are generally all that you need. If you have a Floyd Rose tremolo, you might need some allen wrenches. Before we start learning how to set the intonation make sure that the guitar is in tune and there is no pressure in the guitar neck.
There are a lot of different kinds of guitars out there with different types of bridges. Many of these bridges have different ways of adjusting the intonation, but the basic principle is still the same. If your guitar looks different from the one in this video, don’t let that throw you off. Just inspect your guitar to see how to adjust the bridge saddles forward and backwards. Watch the lesson on the basic parts of the guitar if you are unsure about the names of these parts.
Let’s start out with the high E string. Make sure that the string is in tune. Once it is in tune, fret the 12th fret on the high E string and see if that note is tune. If it is, great! That means that your intonation for the high E string is good. If the note on the 12th fret is flat, that would mean that the saddle for that string needs to be moved forward toward the headstock. If the note on the 12th fret is sharp, that would mean that the saddle for that string needs to be moved back away from the headstock. Watch this lesson to learn about the strings of the guitar.
After you adjust the saddle accordingly, tune the string back up. Now check the tuning at the 12th fret again. Keep adjusting the saddle until both the open string and the note on the 12th fret of that string are both in tune.
Usually small adjustments go a long way when you are setting your intonation. Take your time when you are setting your intonation and make sure that you get it as spot on as possible. If your guitar plays in tune all the way up the fretboard, your audience will appreciate it and you will sound more like a professional guitar player.