How to adjust your Intonation - Fender Stratocaster

In this video I teach you how to adjust the intonation on your Fender Stratocaster.
Intonation is an adjustment that effectively changes the length of the string between the nut and the bridge. It is used to ensure that notes remain at the appropriate pitch as you play up and down the fretboard.
One way to check intonation is to play some open form chords beyond the 12th fret. If the open strings at the nut are in tune but the chords sound off then you have a problem that can easily be corrected.
You should check the intonation when you change string gauges and periodically throughout the year. Different size strings will almost certainly require an adjustment. Humidity and temperature can also affect this because wood and metal expand and contract with temperature and humidity changes.
The only thing you will need is a phillips screwdriver and a good tuner.
Before you do this adjustment it's important to make sure that the action and neck relief are properly set. Also, do this adjustment with the guitar in the playing position. If you lay the guitar down it will be enough to cause the guitar to go slightly out of tune because of gravity pulling on the headstock.
Finally, if you have just put new strings on you absolutely need to break them in first or this adjustment will be almost impossible to do.
Tune the open strings to pitch then compare the note on the the tuner to the fretted note at the 12th fret. If the fretted note is sharp that means that the string is too short and you must lengthen it by moving the saddle away from the nut. If the note is flat it means that the string is too long and you must move the saddle towards the nut to shorten the string and raise the pitch.
Once you have determined whether or not the note is sharp or flat, detune the string to take some pressure off, turn the saddle screw a few turns, tune the string to pitch and check again. Continue this process until the both the fretted note at the 12th fret and the open note are tuned the same.
When you're all done play some open chords at the 12th fret and listen closely. They should sound nice with all off the strings being in tune with each other.
That's it! The more you do this the easier it gets.
Consider Supporting The Channel By Getting Your Merch - Here's the Link and THANK YOU! lucas-crossley-guitar.creator...
If this helped you please consider supporting my channel by subscribing. You can visit my Patreon page to make a donation as well.
Thank you!
JOIN MY MAILING LIST
Tips, Tricks, Lessons and much more delivered right to your inbox
Chances to win products only offered through our email list!
www.lucascrossley.com
PATREON - / lucascrossleyguitar
KZbin - / lucascrossleyguitar
FACEBOOK / lucascrossleyguitar
INSTAGRAM / lucascrossleyguitar
TWITTER - / lcrossleyguitar

[@LucasCrossleyGuitar]

Consider Supporting The Channel By Getting Your Merch - Here's the Link and THANK YOU! lucas-crossley-guitar.creator-spring.com/

[@magnolianight2537]

Years later, still helping. Thank you.

[@LucasCrossleyGuitar]

Glad to hear that! Thank you 🙏

[@kingjoemom]

Thanks for making this video! You did an excellent job explaining things.

[@LucasCrossleyGuitar]

Thank you very much Andrew! I'm glad it helped. Cheers!!

[@gianvelasco88]

Thank you. Very informative! 🙂

[@LucasCrossleyGuitar]

I'm glad it was helpful. Thank you for your kind comment! Cheers

[@zeekmx1970]

I think you covered all the bases on this. It does get easier if it's something you do often. Ibanez and Jackson bridges are a breeze to intonate. Jackson JS32 neck is a touch flatter than Ibanez RG42 Wizard II neck.

[@Fogertian]

Hi ! What about the turns of the string around the (short vintage) posts ... up in last 2 strings ( Low E and A ) ? .... I let the turns up in the post to alleviate tension ( better angle ) and keep things in tune all the fretboard ... and tune at 7 fret ( before I tune with open strings ... AND make wide bends to go to next step ) all strings ( B, E, A, D, F#, B ) to avoid sour Am, E Maj, C Maj chords. Let's say everything is in perfect "out of tune"/in tune ... fraction-wise speaking .... the same way specialized piano tuners do ... tension-gauge-length formula applies the same for electric/acoustic guitar too!

[@whiteymanngogh4489]

Hey you actually mentioned scale length, BRAVO! So set the low E saddle at 25.5" to start?

[@michaelcoward8361]

Excellent video on a common problem

[@LucasCrossleyGuitar]

Thank you Michael! Merry Christmas!!

[@Cadoogan]

I recommend to check the intonation with the bridge pickup selected because it's closest to the bridge and will pick up the pitch a bit more accurate than the other pickups.

[@octoowen1234]

not how it works bud

[@ainollonia298]

why mine is on the same pitch of harmonic, open and pressed 12 fret but still when when you do full bend its flat instead of getting the wholestep note?

[@gnutsegnuhkar7792]

what to do if the saddle already hits the saddle and still it's not intonated? put a shim at the heel to increase string length?

[@carsonhughes8672]

I have this problem on low e string it maxes on Eb i cant intonate it further to E😓😓😓

[@moojeni]

I bought my first electric guitar a week ago, a Squier Affinity Stratocaster. I tuned it and it stays in tune just fine, but when I'm playing a song (fingerstyle) I clearly hear that it plays out of tune. Should I check the intonation first or maybe I have to adjust the truss rod? What do you recommend?

[@LucasCrossleyGuitar]

I would check the into intonation for sure. Ima quick way is to tune the guitar. Play an open position chords like G A E D etc and play the same chord shape starting past the 12th fret. I show it in the video.

[@DennisCharretteakaDenChea]

I find the G string (non Wound) on many "Strat's a pain to keep in tune. Is this common. Wound string not that much at all. Personally non wound.

[@LucasCrossleyGuitar]

Sorry pal. I do t have this problem on strata and teles. Les Paul, yes.

[@joshfarrar1736]

What should I do if when the open B string is in tune, the 12th fret is flat but the 1st fret is sharp?

[@LucasCrossleyGuitar]

How high is the nut? Is the string really high off the fret board at the first fret?

[@Herman138]

Hi,my string A no matter in what position are,always show on tuner proper results on harmonic,but when I press the Finger on #12 fret is soo Sharp, and is no more room to push back saddle anymore because the spring is overtight.

[@LucasCrossleyGuitar]

Can you use a shorter spring?

[@MrBrockley3]

loosen the string and move the saddle forward a bit to give you room to move it back, always works for me

[@MarleyWigston]

Curious about the larger strings comment. It doesn't seem that circumference of the stings would change intonation (or be the factor). If you have a half inch pipe resting on two bars 25 inches apart putting on a three quarter pipe would still be 25 inches apart (from the contact points). I thought it would be more that the thicker strings have more tension so their pitch changes more drastically when bent toward the frets which in turn changes intonation. It also produces more strain on the neck, taking out more of the flatness of the neck and therefore increasing the distance between the string and finger board which alters intonation. But I'm just going on feel here. Also important to change the intonation when increasing or decreasing the action on the guitar. I find it important to do that a couple times a year as the wood gains and loses moisture in countries that have drastic temperature changes between summer and winter.

[@LucasCrossleyGuitar]

Hey Mark. Great question. Have a look at the description. One way that intonation is done is by setting the length of the low E by measuring the length of the string from the inside of the nut to where the string "breaks over the saddle and moving the saddle until the string is at 25.5" (in this case). The subsequent strings are set by the circumference of that specific string so if your A was a 32 you would move the saddle by .032" that to me indicates that the circumference of the string would affect the length. What you have to remember is that unlike a half inch pipe resting 25" apart it's not a straight line because of the break angle of the string over the saddle. That angle is where you need to measure from and it will change by the circumference of the new string. I think lol!

[@MarleyWigston]

I always understood it as the more tension a string has, the more drastic the pitch change when the string is bent to the fret. But I could be wrong. It’s happened before, it’ll happen again. 😃

[@hellothere_24]

Do I have to check the intonation every time I install new strings?

[@LucasCrossleyGuitar]

No I don’t think that’s necessary. It’s not a bad idea to check it from time to time though.

[@dipjyoti_guitar]

Will there be change in the action of the strings while intonating a strat with a floating bridge?

[@LucasCrossleyGuitar]

I have an S style guitar with a 2 point trem and it’s set to float. I think it could make a minor change but it would be pretty subtle. I doubt you would notice. I like the two point trem though because you can radius the saddles to match the fretboard then just raise and lower the bridge as you need.

[@dipjyoti_guitar]

@@LucasCrossleyGuitar well I checked again and found that the action has raised a little. After that I lowered all the saddles but could not get below 1.25mm on the low e at 12th fret. And accordingly matched the remaining with the radius of the fingerboard.

[@kimf.3262]

What if the saddles won’t move.. what problem is this?

[@LucasCrossleyGuitar]

Hey BLM, Try to loosen the string before moving the saddle. Which direction do you need to move it? Towards the bridge or towards the nut?

[@LucasCrossleyGuitar]

Want to install new pickups but don't know how to solder? Click here kzbin.info/www/bejne/iny6eauDoM2IhsU

[@thesoundpurist]

My guitar is buzz feiten?!?

[@herysuperb667]

Muhongg

[@herysuperb667]

Buhungggg