If you are a guitar player that plays their chords or notes close to the nut or tuning peg end of the neck then guitar intonation setup may not be much of an issue to you. Once the instrument has been tuned most of the notes and chords played in this position will probably sound fine. More advanced players however will probably want to make use of the whole guitar neck for chord positions and shredders will definitely be playing notes at all fret positions. For theses people the correct set up is a must.
When the notes played up the neck sound out of pitch, flat or sharp compared to those played lower then the instruments intonation will need adjustment. This is usually tested for by playing each string in its open state and comparing this note with the octave played on the same string but fingered on fret twelve. As each string is played then the adjustment is made so that each octave note is at the same pitch as the open stringed note.
This adjustment is most commonly achieved by altering the length of the string between its two pivot points. These are the nut and the bridge with the bridge being most commonly the point that is altered by moving it toward or away from the nut. This is not easy on an acoustic instrument as the bridge is usually fixed so that it may need to be reshaped or replaced completely and so is normally a job for an expert. Most electric guitars however have adjustable bridges and can be altered by using a screwdriver or Allen key.
The playability of an instrument will largely depend on the players musical style and preference. A traditional classical guitar will generally have little adjustment as the style of music played is dictated by the type of instrument. A steel stringed acoustic may have a wider range of adjustment but the style or method of playing it is restricted by its physical dimensions and construction.
Altering the string length can result in some string height adjustment. Consequently there are usually string height adjustment screws at the bridge to compensate for this. Major string height adjustment for playing style or string ping (where pressing down on a fret may cause the string to catch on another fret) may only be achieved by altering the tension of the neck.
The electric instrument usually has a additional string height adjustment option at the bridge. The classical guitar being the more traditional acoustic normally has a fixed neck so that string height adjustment is made by adding or subtracting height at the nut or the bridge.Once this has been done a guitar intonation setup is usually required.
After any string height change it is usually necessary to check the intonation as this has probably been altered. On some cheaper instruments it is not always possible to get the required string height and perfect pitch. Consequently a trade off between these two attributes often some has to be reached.
Guitar intonation setup on an acoustic guitar is usually best left to an experienced technician. This is because of the fixed bridge arrangement. String height adjustment and subsequent pitch adjustment could with some patience and the correct tools be carried out on most electric instruments by a motivated owner.
When the notes played up the neck sound out of pitch, flat or sharp compared to those played lower then the instruments intonation will need adjustment. This is usually tested for by playing each string in its open state and comparing this note with the octave played on the same string but fingered on fret twelve. As each string is played then the adjustment is made so that each octave note is at the same pitch as the open stringed note.
This adjustment is most commonly achieved by altering the length of the string between its two pivot points. These are the nut and the bridge with the bridge being most commonly the point that is altered by moving it toward or away from the nut. This is not easy on an acoustic instrument as the bridge is usually fixed so that it may need to be reshaped or replaced completely and so is normally a job for an expert. Most electric guitars however have adjustable bridges and can be altered by using a screwdriver or Allen key.
The playability of an instrument will largely depend on the players musical style and preference. A traditional classical guitar will generally have little adjustment as the style of music played is dictated by the type of instrument. A steel stringed acoustic may have a wider range of adjustment but the style or method of playing it is restricted by its physical dimensions and construction.
Altering the string length can result in some string height adjustment. Consequently there are usually string height adjustment screws at the bridge to compensate for this. Major string height adjustment for playing style or string ping (where pressing down on a fret may cause the string to catch on another fret) may only be achieved by altering the tension of the neck.
The electric instrument usually has a additional string height adjustment option at the bridge. The classical guitar being the more traditional acoustic normally has a fixed neck so that string height adjustment is made by adding or subtracting height at the nut or the bridge.Once this has been done a guitar intonation setup is usually required.
After any string height change it is usually necessary to check the intonation as this has probably been altered. On some cheaper instruments it is not always possible to get the required string height and perfect pitch. Consequently a trade off between these two attributes often some has to be reached.
Guitar intonation setup on an acoustic guitar is usually best left to an experienced technician. This is because of the fixed bridge arrangement. String height adjustment and subsequent pitch adjustment could with some patience and the correct tools be carried out on most electric instruments by a motivated owner.
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