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Permalink Reply by Outhouse Instruments on June 11, 2010 at 10:19pm

Start off by setting the saddle where it should be according to your scale length. Then tune. Now play a string at the 12th fret. Move the bridge until you are in tune. Play the open string, tune, play at the 12th, slip bridge to tune.
All strings should play the same note open that it does at the 12 th fret.
Do this for all strings. You may or may not end up with an angled bridge/saddle.
You may or may not get all strings perfect.

This is called intonating.


Matt

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Permalink Reply by Ben on June 12, 2010 at 12:43am

Matt's on the money. I like to use the harmonic at the 12th fret. Lightly place your finger on the string (but not pushing it down and play). You should get a bell-like ringing tone called the harmonic. You may need to move your finger up or down the string a bit to get the best tone. This pitch will be the exact same as your 12th fret should be. Adjust your bridge accordingly. Or you could use an electronic tuner to match the pitch.

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Permalink Reply by MichaelS Country Boy Guitars on July 24, 2010 at 2:38am

Nice tip Ben, I use Matts method but if you don't have a tuner handy. Plus its really cool, to me anyway, to get a harmonic to ring out. ( still a guitar novice, like a kid in a toy store simple things thrill me.)

Ben said:

Matt's on the money. I like to use the harmonic at the 12th fret. Lightly place your finger on the string (but not pushing it down and play). You should get a bell-like ringing tone called the harmonic. You may need to move your finger up or down the string a bit to get the best tone. This pitch will be the exact same as your 12th fret should be. Adjust your bridge accordingly. Or you could use an electronic tuner to match the pitch.

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Permalink Reply by Salty Sea Empire on July 24, 2010 at 8:37am

super helpful i really appreciate it. worked like a charm

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Permalink Reply by Roadkill a.k.a. John Maw on November 1, 2010 at 11:56pm

Sorry to revive an old thread, but do you make the notches in the bridge/saddle a little wider to compensate for any change in angle?

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Permalink Reply by Salty Sea Empire on November 6, 2010 at 6:19am

i'm not really sure what you mean by putting notches in the saddle. the only place i ever really go out of my way to put notches is on the nut. could you maybe rephrase your question?


John H. Maw said:

Sorry to revive an old thread, but do you make the notches in the bridge/saddle a little wider to compensate for any change in angle?

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