Skip to main content

7 Steps to Setting Up Your Guitar

 guitar-intonation-setup-fi-700x366

In this tutorial I will explain step-by-step how to set up your guitar to get perfect intonation. Having your guitar "in tune" is a perfect goal for any luthier or the guitarist himself. Poor intonation can be heard whenever we play a chord or play solo on high frets. But you can tune your guitar to achieve a more powerful sound than ever.

If the neck is dead straight, and you have no buzzing, and you like the way it feels, it's pretty safe to assume that your truss rod is adjusted just right. Even if you have a little buzzing, if you don't hear it when it's plugged in - assuming that it's an electric, of course - then you can leave it. Not all buzzes will be heard through the amp.

If it does buzz when plugged in, it doesn't necessarily mean that the truss rod requires adjustment. You might find your problem is solved by raising the bridge or bridge saddles.

The truss rod is essentially a long metal rod that is inserted into the neck of the guitar and fixed. Tightening or loosening it flexes the neck and allows curvature to be applied to the neck, altering its characteristics and, hence, its playability.

You may adjust the truss rod using Allen keys. If your guitar neck looks back-bowed then slowly tighten your truss rod by turning the truss rod clockwise with Allen keys. If it looks relief bowed, then adjust your truss rod by turning the Allen keys counterclockwise.

Remove of your old strings and use new strings in order to maximize your guitar intonation. For the standard EADGBE tuning you can use string gauge from 0.9 - 0.11. Remember, "the lighter the string, the weaker the tone".

Warning: Do not use string gauge 0.13 if your guitar used standard tuning (EADGBE ). This will damage your guitar neck, and isn't comfortable to play.

How do you know your guitar's intonation is good? Pluck one of your strings (e.g. the sixth string, low E) unfretted, then press the twelfth fret and pluck it again. If the note shows E on your chromatic tuner display, then your guitar's intonation is OK.

But if the note is sharp, the bridge saddle needs to be moved back towards the tailpiece. If it is flat, the bridge saddle needs to be moved the opposite way - forward toward the pickups.

It's best to just make small turns, as a little turn can make a lot of difference. After every adjustment to the position of the bridge saddle, retune the string to pitch and compare the twelfth fret note with the harmonic. Repeat for all the strings until the intonation its correct.

Read More: https://music.tutsplus.com/tutorials/7-steps-to-setting-up-your-guitar--audio-5284#comment-4630924724

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How To Clean And Maintain Your Electric Guitar Fretboard

  Finished and Unfinished Fretboards  The guitar community is torn in a debate about whether the material of a fretboard makes any difference. Some believe that a rosewood fretboard is markedly different from ebony, while others say there’s hardly any difference. But when it comes to cleaning, you will need to be cautious. Primarily, the focus is on fretboard cleaning, but other  guitar parts   are involved, like the neck and tuning pegs. And if your electric guitar has a fretboard that uses unfinished wood, things are tricky, demanding extreme caution. So, it’s recommended to oil unfinished fretboards for obvious reasons. When you leave wood for a long time, it turns hard, thereby making it difficult for the truss rod-neck adjustment.  Unoiled fretboards can also crack in places that look bad and hamper your guitar play. How To Start Cleaning Your FretBoard  For maple fretboards, you don’t have to spend time oiling. Typically, they are pre-hydrat...
Post a Comment
Read more

5 Gibson Guitars You Should Go For

  Gibson SG is a model that was introduced in the year 1961. The splendid feature of this guitar is that it is lightweight. You can easily find the  vintage Gibson guitar parts  very easily for this one. It is made of mahogany wood which is quite durable and strong. It has a small and extra-thin neck that can be played by anyone. This increases the playability of the guitar in a big way. It is also cheaper than the previous Gibson models. The versatile design makes it repairable and   parts for Gibson guitars   are easily available. It also produces sounds that are fully balanced. However the joint on the neck is slightly weak that can affect sound quality. It can break easily and is fragile due to its super thin nature. The Les Paul model is the model that was released before the SG or Solid Guitar. This Ultima model from Les Paul is a little expensive and is a total vintage collection. These look classy, luxurious and has explicitly handcrafted features. It ha...
Post a Comment
Read more

How To Setup Gibson Les Paul Bridge – Installation Guide

  The Gibson Les Paul is a classic electric guitar that has been a favorite of guitarists for generations. One of the most important components of the Les Paul is the bridge, which plays a crucial role in determining the guitar’s sound and playability. Here, we’ll be discussing a step-by-step guide on how to set up a Gibson Les Paul bridge, with a focus on the Tune-O-Matic bridge and its components, such as the guitar bridge saddles and  guitar tailpiece . Before we get started, it’s important to have a basic understanding of the parts of a  guitar bridge . The bridge is part of the guitar that holds the strings in place and allows for adjustments in string height and intonation. The Les Paul bridge, also known as the  Tune-O-Matic bridge , is a popular choice for many guitarists due to its high level of adjustability and ability to improve the guitar’s intonation. Step 1: Remove the old strings. Before installing the new bridge, you’ll need to remove the old strings...
Post a Comment
Read more