Fender Strat - Out of Tune! HELP

[tonyA]

I have a Fender Strat (Mexican made) that could not be tuned right. I have two chromatic tuners and it tunes right with them, however, whenever you go to a different fret or even play a A major chord, it is out of tune. The metal bridge at the back is set the same way as my Fender Squire Strat is. The guitar neck is strait. I replaced the strings with new ones - same result, still out of tune. What seems to be the problem. Any ideas how I could fix this? Is this fixable at all? Do I need to but a new neck?

Guitar condition: Does not look like it was dropped. The neck is straight. Alder body, maple neck.

HELP!

[matty_boy]

Sounds like your intonation is out. See if you get the same note at the twelfth fret that you get at the twelfth fret harmonic. Use a tuner for this. If they are not the same, let us know, and we can help you.

Matty

[Kelby]

It sounds like an intonation problem, which means that the sadlles on the bridge need to be moved backwards or forwards.

To correct intonation, first make sure each string is in tune when open. Once the open string is accurately tuned, fret that string at the 12th fret. If that note is sharp when played at the 12th fret, you need to move the saddle on that string further away from the neck. If the note is flat, you need to move the saddle closer to the neck. A little adjustment goes a long way. Once you have adjusted the saddle, retune the string when open, play it again at the 12th fret, and continue to adjust until it is in tone both when open and when played at the 12th fret. Repeat on the other strings.

If it is not intonation, it could be that your action is so high that fretting the string moves it enough to take it out of pitch.

You may want to pick up the Guitar Player Repair Guide by Dan Erlewine. It's an excellent guide to guitar setups.

[David Lo Pan]

Try this link:

http://www.chrisbsmusic.com/howtosetupgu.html

I recently bought a used mexican fat strat as a project guitar. I got it quite cheap, and figured out why: It sounded horrible when you played it, even though it was 'in tune'. Spent about an hour futzing with the truss rod, saddles, and tuners (no chromatic tuner so I had to do it by ear). After I got done the sound of it unplugged came alive. It's even better than I recall my American Standard strat ever being.

[Light]

Originally posted by Kelby
It sounds like an intonation problem, which means that the sadlles on the bridge need to be moved backwards or forwards.

To correct intonation, first make sure each string is in tune when open. Once the open string is accurately tuned, fret that string at the 12th fret. If that note is sharp when played at the 12th fret, you need to move the saddle on that string further away from the neck. If the note is flat, you need to move the saddle closer to the neck. A little adjustment goes a long way. Once you have adjusted the saddle, retune the string when open, play it again at the 12th fret, and continue to adjust until it is in tone both when open and when played at the 12th fret. Repeat on the other strings.

You may want to pick up the Guitar Player Repair Guide by Dan Erlewine. It's an excellent guide to guitar setups.

This is not quite right. You tune the open string, and then compare the 12th fret harmonic to the twelfth fret fretted note. The other issue is you will never get this accurate with a digital tuner, as they are not accurate enough. A digital tuner is usually only accurate to within two or three cents. In order to get intonation right, you must be within less than 1/2 a cent. The only tuners accurate enough for intonation are strobe tuners, which are quite expensive. The best thing to do is to spend the 60 bucks to get the set up done right at a good repair shop. Aside from having all of the right tools, we have the experience. My shop does over 2000 guitars a year, and almost all of them require set ups. That's about 500 set ups a year for each of our employees, which gives us a level of skill you can not get any other way. Get it done right.

Dan’s book is excellent though. He is a good guy who comes up with some great tools for the trade.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi

[Kelby]

Originally posted by Light
This is not quite right. You tune the open string, and then compare the 12th fret harmonic to the twelfth fret fretted note.

I have always wondered about this. Why does the 12th fret harmonic give you a different result than you can get just playing the open string? While one is a harmonic, I would have guessed that the harmonic frequency at the 12th fret would be a multiple of the open frequency.

[Lt. Bob]

Yeah....I don't really agree with that. Either one will work. If the note at the 12th fret is in tune and the open note is in tune then that should be acceptable.......you can use the harmonic if you wish but that's mainly for doing it by ear since those two notes are easier to compare than the octave is if you're earballing it. But with a tuner, either way should be fine.
Also.......for practical purposes a meter guitar tuner, while not as accurate as a strobe, is close enough.......however, if you have frets out of place, then it's gonna be out of tune no matter what you do.
I'm a piano tuner BTW.

[King Elvis]

No
I agree with the 12th frettted and harmonic thing. I redid the intonation on 3 of my guitars, when I played an open string and then fretted at the 12th on my chromatic they showed in tune. Yet playing chords at different positions on the neck told a different story. So, I did the method of 12th fret harmonic and 12th fret fretted note and yup they didnt match up. I set the intonation based on getting the 12th fret harmonic and the 12th fretted note and the guitars play much better now.

[Kelly5150]

I've always done it with the 12th fret harmonic, thats the way I was taught....

[Light]

Originally posted by Kelby
I have always wondered about this. Why does the 12th fret harmonic give you a different result than you can get just playing the open string? While one is a harmonic, I would have guessed that the harmonic frequency at the 12th fret would be a multiple of the open frequency.

It is an issue of physics. What you need to remember is that we are working with the harmonic overtone series, which is not perfect. An octave is "perfect", but our ears tend to be conditioned for a "stretched" temperament, as this is what is used for keyboard instruments these days. As things get higher, you need to stretch the intervals. Additionally, we can intonate the guitar to be better in different parts of the neck by using different harmonic/fretted note combinations.

It is also easier to see if it is right on the strobe tuner if you are comparing the same note.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi