https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/moving-saddles-doesnt-change-intonation/ Guitar Noise Discussion Board en-US Fri, 05 Jun 2026 00:39:22 +0000 wpForo 60 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/moving-saddles-doesnt-change-intonation/#post-272588 Wed, 28 Nov 2007 17:23:56 +0000
That did it! I tried a different tuner with a finer scale and it worked. Thanks to all who offered their help! Good -- that was going to be my next suggestion. It's important to have the right tools for the job.

Another thing to consider: 12th fret and 12th fret harmonics do not always produce the best results for setting intonation -- especially if the nut is cut improperly -- a not-so-unusual problem even on new and expensive guitars. Given the availability of low cost, yet accurate and precise tuners, it's becoming more common for techs to set up intonation using fretted notes an octave apart ... e.g., 3rd and 15th or 5th and 17th fretted note pairs. To see if your "traditional" 12th harmonic method has done the job well, check the error between the 4th fretted note and the 16th. Check a few other octave pairs as well. If you find significant errors, the nut probably needs to be set up -- and you should consider using this newer method for intonation adjustment.]]> Guitar Repair and Maintenance gnease https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/moving-saddles-doesnt-change-intonation/#post-272588 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/moving-saddles-doesnt-change-intonation/#post-272575 Wed, 28 Nov 2007 15:23:03 +0000
That did it! I tried a different tuner with a finer scale and it worked. Thanks to all who offered their help!]]> Guitar Repair and Maintenance loki2469 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/moving-saddles-doesnt-change-intonation/#post-272575 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/moving-saddles-doesnt-change-intonation/#post-272528 Wed, 28 Nov 2007 01:55:25 +0000
Also, if I'm understanding correctly you're tuning the guitar based on the 12th fret harmonic. Try tuning just based on the open strings themselves and see what the result is, or try another tuner with a finer scale. I could see a cheap digital tuner being only programmed to calculate sharp/flat based on the basic concert pitch rather than other octaves.]]> Guitar Repair and Maintenance SpitfireM1 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/moving-saddles-doesnt-change-intonation/#post-272528 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/moving-saddles-doesnt-change-intonation/#post-272498 Tue, 27 Nov 2007 22:14:17 +0000 Guitar Repair and Maintenance loki2469 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/moving-saddles-doesnt-change-intonation/#post-272498 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/moving-saddles-doesnt-change-intonation/#post-272488 Tue, 27 Nov 2007 20:52:27 +0000
TUrned out that the neck adjustment I'd done had changed the tension enough to put more pressure on the bridge, and my trem was angling up, cancelling out the adjustment I made. Are you sure your bridge is fixed and not moving at all?

Cause it seems to me that if you're moving the saddle (changing the overall vibrating length of the string) something else must also be happening, or the intonation would have to change...


Best,
Ande]]> Guitar Repair and Maintenance Ande https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/moving-saddles-doesnt-change-intonation/#post-272488 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/moving-saddles-doesnt-change-intonation/#post-272454 Tue, 27 Nov 2007 15:30:14 +0000 Guitar Repair and Maintenance loki2469 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/moving-saddles-doesnt-change-intonation/#post-272454 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/moving-saddles-doesnt-change-intonation/#post-272382 Tue, 27 Nov 2007 02:37:04 +0000 Guitar Repair and Maintenance gnease https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/moving-saddles-doesnt-change-intonation/#post-272382 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/moving-saddles-doesnt-change-intonation/#post-272359 Mon, 26 Nov 2007 21:11:30 +0000 Guitar Repair and Maintenance loki2469 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/moving-saddles-doesnt-change-intonation/#post-272359 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/moving-saddles-doesnt-change-intonation/#post-272328 Mon, 26 Nov 2007 17:58:40 +0000 Guitar Repair and Maintenance gnease https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/moving-saddles-doesnt-change-intonation/#post-272328 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/moving-saddles-doesnt-change-intonation/#post-272321 Mon, 26 Nov 2007 16:42:00 +0000 Guitar Repair and Maintenance loki2469 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/moving-saddles-doesnt-change-intonation/#post-272321