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To adjust the intonation on a guitar you need the following. ..
a electronic tuner
and a small philip screwdriver
when you tune a string say low E you play the note open and adjust tell it's in tune
then to intonate play the low E at the 12th fret
producing a Harmonic, view the tuner it will be sharp or flat,
turn the small philip screw on the bridge adjustment
it only takes a small turn one way or the other so go slow
once the string is tuned at the harmonic note check to see if it's in tune played open, keep tuning and adjusting tell the strings are in tune open and at the 12th fret on all six strings
once intonation is set properly the guitar will sound better
really hope that helps?
Most guitar makers will fit 3 springs to a tremelo unit but if you like a tighter feel then additional springs can be added, This may however mean that the action / setup will need to be adjusted as the extra tension may pull the unit back further increasing the string height.
If you are unsure about carrying out adjustments yourself take it to your local guitar store.
I would suspect the tremelo hardware is not returning to rest at the same point. Look for rubbing points and maybe lightly lube those... very sparingly.
Your Fender tuner is crystal controlled and if you set it for A440 Hz, it will be far more accurate than any computer program can generate. Most of these tuners have the ability to be set at different reference pitches. If your guitar intonation doesn't match at the 12th fret, then you have a guitar setup problem, not the tuner. The intonationation is set at the bridge if you have a bridge with individual adjustments.
Do NOT modify the guitar. Take it to a shop where they can set it up properly if you are having intonation or clearance problems. Also the quality of strings has a lot to do with changes in tuning. It is NOT uncommon for a guitar to require tuning during a half hour of playing. This is normal, especially if you are really driving it. Temperature affects the tuning drastically as well.
1. Intonation problems can be due to worn strings even if the guitar is set up properly. New Strings can fix this. This is the most common problem.
2. Also, changing string size may effect your set up too. Typically, new guitars come with lighter strings such as (9's) which the guitar is set up for. The positive is that 9's fret easily. The negative is that they bend too easily for some players who either slightly bend them when chording (accidentally), or press too hard on guitars with jumbo sized frets, which in turn bends the string toward the fret board causing detuning. To fix these items folks may suggest you get a heavier string like a (10), but the problem can often be solved by playing with a lighter hand, pressing only enough to make contact with the fret and not pressing the string all the way to the fretboard. Check your intonation using this light touch method and see if it's okay verses pressing the string all the way to the fretboard. If the intonation is okay with the light touch, the guitar intonation is set up properly. You may want to consider playing with a lighter hand or getting a guitar without jumbo frets such as Fender strats etc...
Putting a heavier string on a guitar set up for (9's) would likely cause the buzzing that wasn't there before. In this case you'd need the guitar and neck set up again to accomodate the 10's. So decide what size string you want and set the guitar up for that size.
These considerations are true for any electric guitars.
After consideration of all of the above, you still feel it's the guitar, I suggest you push for a replacement or perhaps credit toward another guitar.
That's the problem; you're using light gauge guitar strings. Chances are that if you are not used to playing strings that light, you're fretting hand will hit the strings with more force than is neccesary to fret them, thereby forcing them out of tune. You can solve this problem by adding more winds around the string post (three or more winds should do it), or you can switch to a heavier gauge of string.
If they're true locking tuners, they should have a notch on the back of the gear housing that you turn with a nickel to engage the locking mechanism once tuning has been established.
Also; check the intonation of the guitar itself on an electronic tuner. If it tunes right but sounds out of tune when played, this is an intonation issue, and can be solved by adjusting a small set screw that moves the individual saddle back and forth in the tune-o-matic style bridge. You can check this by tuning the string to the correct note, then playing the same string at the 12th fret and checking it against your tuner. If it rings in true, you're fine, if it comes up flat or sharp, every note on the fretboard is going to be off by that much, and you'll have to adjust accordingly (turn the screw to the right to add length and lower a sharp note, turn the screw to the left to subtract length and raise a flat note, if I remember right).
Hi there. Use guitar tuner. Pluck string in open position. Tune. Now pluck same string at 12th fret. If tuner says flat, adjust bridge for that string towards neck. Towards bridge if sharp. Repeat procedure until in tune at open and 12th fret. Go to next string and repeat procedure. Thanks Paul
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