has anyone been able to get perfectly tuned notes at the twelth fred on their LR's or Goldstars, mine seem to be a bit out either a tiny bit out sharp/flat no matter how many adjustments I tweak. Could my tuner be naff, it is a Korg GA30?
Intonation
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Dana
Well-known member
This was a question i thought about myself before.
I dont think it is possible to get perfect intonation on a guitar unless you press down on each string with the same pressure each time. I suppose if you used a capo on the 12th fret and tried to intonate it, you could probably get it pretty close. The capo giving you consistency each time you apply it to the twelth fret. But for me, every time i push down the string, i know it isnt with the same pressure as the last time no matter how hard i try(maybe a little more, maybe a little less). And i certainly dont press down as hard as a capo when i play.
I have a Seiko Tuner (your average $20 tuner), and when i intonate, i try to get it within +/- 4. Anything more, and my ears can sense it just starting to go a little sharp or flat.
I think the key is to get it close, knowing it wont be perfect. It's gonna be better than if you werent to intonate at all (and i'm sure we've heard how bad it sounds on a guitar that needed intonation real bad).
Dana
I dont think it is possible to get perfect intonation on a guitar unless you press down on each string with the same pressure each time. I suppose if you used a capo on the 12th fret and tried to intonate it, you could probably get it pretty close. The capo giving you consistency each time you apply it to the twelth fret. But for me, every time i push down the string, i know it isnt with the same pressure as the last time no matter how hard i try(maybe a little more, maybe a little less). And i certainly dont press down as hard as a capo when i play.
I have a Seiko Tuner (your average $20 tuner), and when i intonate, i try to get it within +/- 4. Anything more, and my ears can sense it just starting to go a little sharp or flat.
I think the key is to get it close, knowing it wont be perfect. It's gonna be better than if you werent to intonate at all (and i'm sure we've heard how bad it sounds on a guitar that needed intonation real bad).
Dana
Peter Mac
Well-known member
For perfect intonation, you need the Strobotuner...around US$200.
It can tune the the wing vibrations of a mosquito.
Any good quality chromatic tuner will give a reasonably precise harmonic intonation but your local luthier would have a Strobotuner to do the job 200%. It may be worth having them do the intonation first, then plug into your tuner and see where the needle sits and mark that spot for future intonation upgrades. Make sure they have a Strobotuner first though.
Remember that every time you change the Brand, guage or compound of your strings the intonation will be altered - as will new strings to old strings.
Peter Mac
It can tune the the wing vibrations of a mosquito.
Any good quality chromatic tuner will give a reasonably precise harmonic intonation but your local luthier would have a Strobotuner to do the job 200%. It may be worth having them do the intonation first, then plug into your tuner and see where the needle sits and mark that spot for future intonation upgrades. Make sure they have a Strobotuner first though.
Remember that every time you change the Brand, guage or compound of your strings the intonation will be altered - as will new strings to old strings.
Peter Mac
I think you'll find that because of the even tempered scale used on guitars you won't get perfect intonation.
Put simply: each string has a different mass therefore the frets should really be at slightly different positions for each string for the scales to be perfect.
This is true of all guitars, so all you can do is get it as close as you can.
Or you could try this:
http://www.earvana.com
I haven't tried one yet but it looks like a solution
GB :-?
Put simply: each string has a different mass therefore the frets should really be at slightly different positions for each string for the scales to be perfect.
This is true of all guitars, so all you can do is get it as close as you can.
Or you could try this:
http://www.earvana.com
I haven't tried one yet but it looks like a solution
GB :-?
Dana
Well-known member
Well i finally took the time to read up on that earvana mechanism and i find it very interesting. The only thing i dont like about it, is the holes going through the nut to the neck.
Has anyone on the board had any experience with one of these? Inquiring minds want to know. WHat are your fellings about it? Effective?
Dana
Has anyone on the board had any experience with one of these? Inquiring minds want to know. WHat are your fellings about it? Effective?
Dana
A
Anonymous
Guest
null
I suppose you know for correct intonation the "flageolet" (I?m Dutch,can?t think of the English word) you get picking the string with your finger loosely over the 12th fret and then quickly taking off your finger, should be equal to the fretted note in the 12th position. Check it with your tuner.
I had to reverse 3 of the bridge saddles of my 1992 Love Rock so that all of the bridge saddles are now "pointing" to the bridge PU. Most of the saddles are flat against the left side(seeing from above) of the bridge. I use D?Addario XL 010 strings. This gets the intonation sort of right. Old strings get out of tune and out of intonation.
With my Goldstar Sound strat i have had no intonation problems.
Best regards,
Freek the TokaiFreek
http://members.lycos.co.uk/tokaiguitars
I had to reverse 3 of the bridge saddles of my 1992 Love Rock so that all of the bridge saddles are now "pointing" to the bridge PU. Most of the saddles are flat against the left side(seeing from above) of the bridge. I use D?Addario XL 010 strings. This gets the intonation sort of right. Old strings get out of tune and out of intonation.
With my Goldstar Sound strat i have had no intonation problems.
Best regards,
Freek the TokaiFreek
http://members.lycos.co.uk/tokaiguitars
james
Well-known member
I guess you mean the 12th fret harmonic. I always thought that it should be exactly the same as the note fretted at the 12th, but after reading Dan Erlewine's 'Guitar Player Repair Guide' (or maybe it was his 'How To Make Your Electric Guitar Play Great'), apparently it isn't exactly, if you want to get really anal about it. If you're having intonation problems the Dan Erlewine books are well worth a read. He's also an advocate of Buzz Feiten's tuning system (www.buzzfeiten.com) which claims to sort out a lot of the problems inherent in tempered tuning.
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