9/22/2012

Need For Fixing Intonation In Some Guitars

By Patrice McCoy


People all over the world are inspired by music. The quality of the music depends on the instrument and one would need information on fixing intonation when faced with the problem of distorted sound. People who are listening without any real involvement would not know that the music is not perfect. Let us find out what one should do when one has problem.

It is difficult to say what is going wrong when you hear distortions; it could be due a variety of reasons. Dirt in the nut or on the fret board and damaged strings could be one culprit. Damage to the frets may also cause serious disturbances. The neck bow that comes with time and bad weather could be another reason.

The first and only indication that one would require to know that the instrument is out of gear is when it plays one D chord perfectly and then goes out of tune for the next F chord. So how does it happen? The guitar is perfectly tuned and so the next thing one should check for is the intonation. This is done in the same way one does the tuning only you check the higher harmonics of the note.

Dirt also plays an important role in outputting the correct pitch. Presence of dirt on the tuning nut or the bridge could dampen the vibration and make the note sound flat. If the fret were damaged then the certain notes alone would sound off making the chord sound hideous. If the instrument is old then the neck itself could be having a bow and that cannot be remedied as easily.

Problems caused through improper bow orientation are almost uncorrectable. One could try to have better luck adjusting get truss rod and the bridge distance. The bow becomes distorted when left exposed to the elements. Bridge adjustments are easier to fix and simple if one knows what one is doing. Similarly, a Fender bridge is different from a Gibson bridge.

The first thing one could do is to replace the strings altogether with a new set. Sometimes it may happen that the new set remedies the problem altogether. Intonation now is easier to correct. Clean the guitar out thoroughly from stem to stern before you set sail again. The process is the same as that you would normally use when you are setting the tuning for the instrument.

Make the distance between the 12 fret and the bridge to be in a proper ratio. The bridge must be at twice the distance. Again, check the tuning to see that there are no distortions. Play at least for 10 minutes before you check the tuning again. The procedure is the same since we are only checking the tone and that is done in an identical manner.

With proper maintenance and care, the guitar should be a source of pleasure to you for a long time to come. Follow simple preventive measures and allow for a lot of care, since there are many things that need being taken care of. Fixing intonation is one of them though it may need to be done only occasionally. Music from your instrument should become one exquisite experience instead of being a harrowing one.




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