Guitar Setup Guide

How to Set Guitar Intonation Without Chasing Your Tail

Intonation is the adjustment that helps fretted notes agree with the scale established by the open string.

Visual guide for this guitar setup check

What to check first

Do the basic setup first. Tune the open string accurately, then compare it with the lightly fretted 12th-fret note. If the fretted note is sharp, lengthen the string by moving the saddle away from the nut. If it is flat, shorten the string by moving the saddle toward the nut.

What the result tells you

Retune after every saddle adjustment. If the saddle runs out of travel, stop and diagnose rather than forcing hardware.

Bridge and saddle diagram for tuning and intonation checks
Setup Guy rule: Measure first. Change one thing at a time. Retune and re-check after every meaningful adjustment.

Diagnose My Guitar

DORecord the baseline

Write down the current measurement before changing anything.

CAREFULChange one variable

Small, reversible adjustments are easier to understand and undo.

STOPDo not force it

Stuck, stripped, lifted or structural parts are not routine setup territory.

Bench questions

Do I need to chase a factory number exactly?

No. Factory specs are useful baselines, but playing attack, string gauge, fret condition, radius and preference affect the setup that actually works.

Should I change more than one thing at once?

No. Make one measured change, retune, and test again so you know what caused the result.

When should I stop?

Stop if an adjustment is stuck, requires unusual force, hardware is stripped, a fret is visibly lifting, or the problem looks structural rather than setup-related.

Related setup guide

Electric Guitar Setup Guide gives you the broader context for this problem.

Where to go next

If this check does not explain the symptom, don’t compensate by randomly changing another adjustment. Go back through the symptom diagnostician and follow the next branch.

Tell Me What It’s Doing