Any geetar players here?

[volospian]

I've been learning guitar for a few months now, and have just bought a new guitar which could do with the intonation sorting. I could just take it to the shop, but I'd rather do it myself as it doesn't sound very troublesome... famous last words.

Any advice, do's don'ts etc.?

[Garp]

If the intonation is out I'd take it to the shop for work, it's not the easiest of things to fix :)

I have been known to play the geetar on occasion..

[volospian]

I dunno, I'd like to learn how to do this sort of stuff myself. I'll probably give it a go, mess it up and then take it to the shop with a sheepish expression on my face, lol:)

[Justsomebloke]

I'd find somebody that builds guitars local, Not a shop, A Local hippy type dude that builds his own, Maybe a college hippy type, Dunno you'll have to work that out yourself. Anyway, Find said Hippy Dude, Ply him with Green stuff & hang with him learning his skillz. All these types are mellow types & are happy to share there skillz if you share the green stuff or Real Ale, (whatever there poison is) A week or two with said Hippy type will set you up for life & cost you next to nowt.

[Chuckles]

Having shagged one before, I would definitely recommend getting a guitar tech to do it!

[Briggykins]

I fixed my intonation by changing the strings :) Apparently they change shape over time which affects the pitch.
I spoke to a guy in a guitar shop in Exeter (Manson's), who said changing the intonation by adjusting the bridge is easy enough to do at home. However, I never had to do it because of the strings so I can't say how easy it actually it is for a newbie like meself.

[volospian]

I'd find somebody that builds guitars local, Not a shop, A Local hippy type dude that builds his own, Maybe a college hippy type, Dunno you'll have to work that out yourself. Anyway, Find said Hippy Dude, Ply him with Green stuff & hang with him learning his skillz. All these types are mellow types & are happy to share there skillz if you share the green stuff or Real Ale, (whatever there poison is) A week or two with said Hippy type will set you up for life & cost you next to nowt.

Annoyingly one of my best mates knows exactly how to do it, but told me to take it to the shop. I think he's worried I may blame him if something goes wrong.

It's only really adjusting 6 screws at the back of the bridge/trem... how hard can it be? (although that's a slightly rhetorical question, by the look of Chuckles' answer... ;))

[Justsomebloke]

The problem is not that it is hard as it is piss easy, The problem is it is to easy to get in a Mess, It takes a Seasoned ear. ;)

[volospian]

Won't an electronic tuner help...?

Actually, I have just checked it on a tuner, and it's not really very bad at all. I think Rich was just picking holes in my new geetar. It's not as if I'm good enough to really notice the issue at the moment anyway, lol

[Briggykins]

Well the problem with intonation is the note is fine on open strings (ie the ones most tuners check) but as you go further up the the fretboard the notes start becoming out of tune. You could use a tuner to check an octave up by fretting the 12th fret, but I'm not sure how well that will work.

[volospian]

Well the problem with intonation is the note is fine on open strings (ie the ones most tuners check) but as you go further up the the fretboard the notes start becoming out of tune. You could use a tuner to check an octave up by fretting the 12th fret, but I'm not sure how well that will work.

Yeah, that's what I have done. That's what all the sites I have seen have said as well. It is out a little bit, but not enough to make it sound awful, just not quite perfect. It doesn't bother me at the moment anyway as anything I play sounds godawful as I've only been learning for about 3 months or so :D

I'm still in that "stick tongue out of side of mouth and place each finger in the chord position, before resuming strumming" phase, lol

[SidewinderINC]

Well the problem with intonation is the note is fine on open strings (ie the ones most tuners check) but as you go further up the the fretboard the notes start becoming out of tune. You could use a tuner to check an octave up by fretting the 12th fret, but I'm not sure how well that will work.

That's the idea of setting the intonation, always check an octave (and if possible, 2 octaves up)

It's easy to do, and if you learn how to do it, you'll be set.

by the way you've said bridge/trem I assume it's an electric guitar. is it hardtail or trem? if it's trem it's a lot harder to intonate as changing one will change the tuning of the other strings and that's an arse :p

[volospian]

It's a PRS trem

[Justsomebloke]

Here is my help then, Take it or leave it I am old now so what do I know, :p

Start with the Trem, Lock that ****** down so it don't move, Yes I know Trems are flash blardy blah but **** that do as you are told ;D Basically you are Nub & your ear isn't there yet & until it is you are not ready for a trem, Simple as. Even my fully locked headed Floyd rose needed a good ear to tweak AS you played, Yes As you actually played the damn thing you would knock it about to get your tuning back ;D Kin thing on it's own cost more than most guitars an all :angry:
Once you have your guitar locked down & in tune & in a state where you can bash it about without it losing tune then we can begin. :cool:
Get yourself a small amp, Yes big amps are cool but they are useless for getting Decent overdrive at a volume that is acceptable for your neighbours ;)
Get yourself an overdrive pedal :evil:
Then you want your amp at about 3-5 main volume but your Pre amp at 11+ :evil:
Then crank a little overdrive through your pedal as well so that just blowing on the strings makes a sound like an aircraft/jet/roar whatever sound you can get that sustains & you like basically.
Then learn maybe half a dozen Power chords.
Then think of a rythm & just play.

I've taught people to get a guitar to sound kicking in less than a week with power chords.
Secret is getting the overdrive/sustain/sound right & Really letting go.

There JSB's easy guide to rock Godness ;D;D;D

Doubt me & Fail !!! :p

[volospian]

lol, don't worry about the rock side of it. I can get what you describe with what I have (PRS SE Custom 22 and a Marshal MG50DFX). I don't have to worry about neighbours. I'm in a detached house and they are all a good bunch. If they can put up with the sound of a TVR Cerbera with straight through sports pipes firing up at 7:15am every week day for over a year, they can put up with me making "pig in labour" noises at 50 watts for a couple of hours, lol:D. (I remember leaving the car idling on the drive once while I went to speak the the missus while she was in the bathroom, and I could feel the bathroom floor vibrating with the sound of the engine, lol:D:D)


I don't use the trem much anyway. I know that making it sound anything other than Hank Marvin is a bit of an artform in itself, and besides, I prefer to use my fingers for vibrato and bend at the moment. Occaionally I use it, without the bar, just to add a bit of "swell" at the end of a long sustain.