Acoustic Intonation

[guang-han]

Hello everyone

 

I got a question about keeping an acoustic guitar's intonation in check.

It seems that the bridges on acoustics are set for this and theres no way to adjust them?

 

Well what about all the players that play in various tunings?

 

Whats the go?

 

Do people have to get their bridges or entire guitars custom made based on their alternative tunings

 

Thanks

 

Peace

[Freeman Keller]

Guang, unfortunately, intonation on every acoustic is a compromise. You get it as close as you can (or as close as your ears will tolerate) and pretty much live with it.

 

There have been a kinds of things tried - funky nuts, split saddles, adjustable saddles, curved frets, and so forth, but mostly we just try to compensate the saddle for the strings/scale lenght/tuning that we use the most and live with it.

 

If you play mostly in the first position you might not even need to compensate the saddle - look at all those Martins with the bridges in the wrong position (and all the 'grassers who couldn't care). If you play a lot way up the neck intonation might be a big deal.

 

When I make a saddle I try to get it within 5 cents of the harmonic in concert tuning. I switch tunings all the time and really don't have any problems with what I hear, but then I've got 61 year old ears .

 

If you want to read a facinating article on the theory of intonation (it is for a classical but the same equations apply to any guitar)

 

http://www.byersguitars.com/research/Intonation.pdf

[pipedwho]

I have a Takamine EF340 solid top that I bought new about 15 years ago. I was never really that happy with it. I mean, it sounded ok with some chords, but I could never tune it properly, especially the lower E string. It was always either flat or sharp, no matter what I did.

 

Anyway, about a year ago, I decided to sell that guitar and thought before I do that I'd better get it setup properly and a few frets replaced. There was a local guy that just got in a new plek machine, he was doing an introductory offer of AU$99 for a plek job. For only a bit extra, the saddle was intonated, the action was adjusted, the nut was recut, the frets were compensated, and the electronics readjusted.

 

Well, to cut a long story short, not only were the first five worn frets replaced with stainless steel, but that guitar now plays and sounds better than guitars 3 times its original price. No more tuning issues, no more 'bad' chords.

 

It is truly amazing how much difference intonation and setup can make.

[Burningleaves]

One thing that I found that helps dealing with intonation "quirks" is when possible I tune the guitar to the chords I am going to be using.

[guitarist21]

 

Originally posted by guang-han Do people have to get their bridges or entire guitars custom made based on their alternative tunings?

 

 

Basically... what Freeman said.

 

The changeable bridge concept came with Leo Fender's Strat. Before that, changes in intonation were made with sandpaper and bone, not screwdrivers and allen wrenches.

 

I'm with pipedwho here, a good set up can do wonders for a guitar. If you'e having intonation problems, get your guitar set up and tell the guy that you're having some intonation issues. Let him check it out and see if the basic set up doesn't help.

 

Ellen

[guang-han]

Yea this is kinda what i thought..

thanks for the help people,

 

anyone know a good way to tell if a guitar repairer will do a good thorough job on getting your guitar sounding great...i guess look for an actual luthier that also does repairs, perhaps

[nip]

If you are into DIY, you might try doing your own bridge saddle:

 

http://acapella.harmony-central.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1343252

[Guest Anonymous]

 

Originally posted by guang-han Hello everyone I got a question about keeping an acoustic guitar's intonation in check. It seems that the bridges on acoustics are set for this and theres no way to adjust them? Well what about all the players that play in various tunings? Whats the go? Do people have to get their bridges or entire guitars custom made based on their alternative tunings Thanks Peace

 

I once bought a Takamine ES somthing & it was actually one the most crisp, wonderful sounding guitars I ever had.

The damb thing had a serious intonation problem though, I went to a luth... money wasted! it was still way out. I orded a new bridge piece from Tak, did it myself, 6hrs later, shaving, shaping, measuring, I got it right on... except the b string, way out.

By that time I had enough & sold it to a guy at work!

Given maybe anouther hour or more I would have had the pefect set up!

 

Just like other guys say, don't be to fussy, if you can get the intonation close to good, go with it.

Set it up or have it set up to the current gauge of strings & enjoy!