Sunday, 2 September 2012

A Few Tips For Guitar Intonation Setup

By Casandra Cotton


Guitar intonation setup is not an easy task to do, especially for beginners. There are so many things to consider and, believe it or not, it can also be dangerous. You could end up breaking a string which can cause a whiplash. It takes a lot of practice to master so be very careful as you could also cause more damage than fixing. Here are a few things to consider as you start.

A higher action or more distance from the string to the fret will produce a sharper than flat sound. This is so because the cords are stretched farther. The problem you will encounter here is a difficulty in getting in tune, sometimes you have it, the next time you do not. What you need to do is to set up your instrument all over again to get just the right height and make sure you have the desired length.

Excessive neck arch is something you have to worry about. This only happens when you tighten the cord too much. This creates great pressure that will cause the neck to bend. Another bad effect this makes is the increased distance in the fret and string. It actually causes so many problems as it may loosen the wood work. To remedy this, you should make adjustments in your tie up bar.

Looking at the saddle, you will know if it is good once it is just placed on the guitars bridge. If it is appearing to be bending forward, it only means it is loose. This will make for a shorter string producing a sharper than usual sound. If you have this problem, it is very unfortunate but you have to change the entire thing to have the right measurement.

The saddle crown is up after that. The usual troubles here are profound indentations. What this creates is an alteration in the measurement lengthwise of the cord making it virtually unworkable to get the right tune. This situation leaves you with only two options. You either re-surface it or total overhaul of the saddle.

Another common problem every guitar owner experiences is a worn out fret. Overtime, continuous rubbing of the string will thin it out. It will no doubt affect the inflection as it modifies the cord length and height. A damage fret can be remedied but for cases with acute damage, you have no more alternatives but to replace it.

Fret height was mentioned earlier as a result of some issues. String quality and gauge is a very important aspect when it comes to guitars. Always go for well known brands as they have been tested and proven. Cheap ones may save you some money but they have been an on-going issue when it comes to intonation.

You now have a general idea of the details of a guitar. As you see, it is much more than just strings involved. Guitar intonation setup is undeniably easier said than done but it is not impossible. Take time to ask suggestions from specialists. Starting out is hard but as the days go on, you will get more comfortable with it.




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