Note: adjusting the intonation of an acoustic guitar usually requires careful filing of the saddle and is best left to professional guitar techs. Intonating a guitar puts it in tune with itself by slightly shortening or lengthening each string , which is done using the adjustable string-length mechanisms found at the bridge . Constant fluctuations in intonation are exactly why most guitars are designed with adjustable intonation mechanisms. Intonation is another extremely important factor. An acoustic with poor intonation will always sound out of tune. The fact that the saddle is installed at a slight angle (increasing string length from 1st to 6th) string is a nod towards some string compensation. Compensating to correct the intonation: Part I This page is dedicated to working with intonation on acoustic guitars, but the information here is applicable to other fretted string instruments. Much of my own understanding of intonation has evolved from long … You’ll only need a few basic tools to do the job: a screwdriver, flat- or cross-head, depending on your guitar; the necessary tools to set string height, such as an Allen key; and a sensitive guitar tuner, preferably a strobe tuner if you have one. Back in the day, it was rare to find an acoustic 12-string with a compensated bridge saddle. Compare each open string the harmonic at the twelfth fret. Causes of Poor Intonation : Incorrect positioning of the bridge or saddle: This causes the strings to be either too long causing intonation to be flat or too short causing it to play sharp.On an acoustic guitar this can be caused by the saddles crown or the actual position of the saddles slot. Acoustic guitars offer a bit more of a challenge than most electrics though. PG's Andy Ellis talks with guitar repairman and setup technician John LeVan of LeVan's Guitar Services in Nashville, TN, about how to properly set up and intonate a flattop acoustic guitar. Acoustic guitars are different and don’t give you an easy way to adjust the intonation. (electric guitars to be covered later) High Action: An acoustic guitar generally has a fixed saddle (of bone or whatever). To test the intonation of a guitar, use a tuner-app. In the above photo, you can see that there is no way to adjust the position of the bridge saddle. While tuner apps aren’t highly accurate, there sufficient enough to conduct this test. In fact for many players, the slightly out-of-tune jangle was a big part of a 12-string’s aural mystique. Intonating a flattop’s bridge saddle is tricky, and that’s especially true when it comes to vintage 12-string guitars. You can buy a ‘compensated’ acoustic saddle as shown below that offers some slight adjustment for intonation across each string.

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