https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/intonation-fine-but-low-e-string-out-of-tune-when-fretted/ Guitar Noise Discussion Board en-US Thu, 04 Jun 2026 11:34:44 +0000 wpForo 60 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/intonation-fine-but-low-e-string-out-of-tune-when-fretted/#post-201529 Mon, 02 Oct 2006 04:20:40 +0000 What happens is the nut isn't cut deep enough or the string is hanging up in the slot. When that happens the string needs to stretch to reach the fretboard. When you stretch the string that miniscule amount it changes the string length. Once the string length is changed, intonation is off. The further away from the nut end you are, the less it stretches and the closer intonation gets to on. I don't hear it all that much on the first one or two frets because they all stretch a bit there. I find frets 3-5 are where it is most obvious. Thanks mate. That makes perfect sense now, and I can see now how it could explain my specific issue. :)]]> Guitar Repair and Maintenance Bennett https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/intonation-fine-but-low-e-string-out-of-tune-when-fretted/#post-201529 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/intonation-fine-but-low-e-string-out-of-tune-when-fretted/#post-201527 Mon, 02 Oct 2006 03:56:10 +0000
What happens is the nut isn't cut deep enough or the string is hanging up in the slot. When that happens the string needs to stretch to reach the fretboard. When you stretch the string that miniscule amount it changes the string length. Once the string length is changed, intonation is off. The further away from the nut end you are, the less it stretches and the closer intonation gets to on. I don't hear it all that much on the first one or two frets because they all stretch a bit there. I find frets 3-5 are where it is most obvious.]]> Guitar Repair and Maintenance Nick Torres https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/intonation-fine-but-low-e-string-out-of-tune-when-fretted/#post-201527 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/intonation-fine-but-low-e-string-out-of-tune-when-fretted/#post-201526 Mon, 02 Oct 2006 03:50:56 +0000
Check out this page by Frank Ford.

http://www.frets.com/FRETSPages/Musician/GenSetup/NutAction/nutaction.html Thanks Nick. Just had a quick look at that link but I'm having trouble understanding how it can cause my issue. Is it a case of my low E string sitting to high, or too low, as a result of some anomaly with the nut groove for that string? Or is it that I haven't worked the relatively new strings into place by using signifcant pressure around the first fret? :?

Nevertheless, I'll check out the tests from that link when I get home tonight.

Thanks again. :)]]> Guitar Repair and Maintenance Bennett https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/intonation-fine-but-low-e-string-out-of-tune-when-fretted/#post-201526 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/intonation-fine-but-low-e-string-out-of-tune-when-fretted/#post-201517 Mon, 02 Oct 2006 01:49:11 +0000
Check out this page by Frank Ford.

http://www.frets.com/FRETSPages/Musician/GenSetup/NutAction/nutaction.html]]> Guitar Repair and Maintenance Nick Torres https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/intonation-fine-but-low-e-string-out-of-tune-when-fretted/#post-201517 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/intonation-fine-but-low-e-string-out-of-tune-when-fretted/#post-201513 Mon, 02 Oct 2006 00:58:10 +0000
It's not all that obvious so I'll keep using this set for awhile longer then change 'em and see what results I get. :)]]> Guitar Repair and Maintenance Bennett https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/intonation-fine-but-low-e-string-out-of-tune-when-fretted/#post-201513 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/intonation-fine-but-low-e-string-out-of-tune-when-fretted/#post-201491 Sun, 01 Oct 2006 22:58:43 +0000
The pitch a string produces depends on the string length, tension, and mass. As strings age, they pick up more mass (oils from your fingers, dust from the air, added molecules of oxygen/sulpher as strings rust and corrode, etc.)

Since the old string is getting heavier, it's getting lower... and you increase the tension to bring it back to pitch.

But the problem is the mass is no longer equally distributed. There will be more mass on the peghead half of the string - because you're always touching the strings there. So when you fret a string, it's got less mass than it's supposed to at the 'x' fret... and it sounds sharp.

I'm betting a string change fixes the problem.]]> Guitar Repair and Maintenance NoteBoat https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/intonation-fine-but-low-e-string-out-of-tune-when-fretted/#post-201491 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/intonation-fine-but-low-e-string-out-of-tune-when-fretted/#post-201476 Sun, 01 Oct 2006 21:00:58 +0000 Guitar Repair and Maintenance Ricochet https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/intonation-fine-but-low-e-string-out-of-tune-when-fretted/#post-201476 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/intonation-fine-but-low-e-string-out-of-tune-when-fretted/#post-201444 Sun, 01 Oct 2006 15:19:41 +0000
As you get farther from the nut the amount of stretch downward to the fret decreases so the amount of out of whack intonation decreases.]]> Guitar Repair and Maintenance Nick Torres https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/intonation-fine-but-low-e-string-out-of-tune-when-fretted/#post-201444 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/intonation-fine-but-low-e-string-out-of-tune-when-fretted/#post-201420 Sun, 01 Oct 2006 05:48:33 +0000
I can certainly live with it. I reckon part of it is simply that my ear is developing, so I'm starting to notice little imperfections. Nevertheless, I'll carry on as is and monitor it over time ... maybe it's a sign I should buy another guitar. :P

Btw, can I ask what you mean by "equal temperament" and "Pythagorean tuning"? I'm trying to put what knowledge I have of Pythagorus into the context of guitar tuning, and failing miserably. :D]]> Guitar Repair and Maintenance Bennett https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/intonation-fine-but-low-e-string-out-of-tune-when-fretted/#post-201420 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/intonation-fine-but-low-e-string-out-of-tune-when-fretted/#post-201259 Fri, 29 Sep 2006 19:04:40 +0000
Best,


A :-)]]> Guitar Repair and Maintenance Alan Green https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/intonation-fine-but-low-e-string-out-of-tune-when-fretted/#post-201259