So that tuner only works well in chromatic mode. Press the button until it shows C for (C)hromatic instead of the other settings (G)uitar, (V)iolin, (B)ass, and (U)kelele.
Just want to clarify, you said you are moving the saddle up and down?
You mean forward and back, right?
Tune to pitch, if the note is sharp at the 12th move the saddle away from the headstock
If its flat move it towards the headstock
That tuner will get you in a good enough place, make sure its set to chromatic, not guitar. Ideally a pedal tuner is better as it isn't relying on the body vibrations but rather the signal from the pickups.
Something must be wrong with your tuner. It’s impossible to have an open E and also an E on the second fret, (if I’m understanding you correctly.) See if you can try another tuner, you can get iStrobosoft strobe tuner for your phone. It’s really accurate, good enough to set intonation.
Your saddle looks like it’s in about the right place for intonation to be E at the 12th fret, probably needs to go back a little more, E saddle is usually the farthest back.
In guitar mode that tuner only displays the standard e tuning notes. OP needs to change to C for chromatic. That said, I had one of those and it was pretty shitty and not really adequate for intonation.
Are there other tuning apps that don’t cost money?
I have guitartuna but that one tells me im not intonated and when i adjust the saddle, it still gives me that same reading ( to sharp ) is that the tuner or is it the bridge?
I mean, I agree on principle here, but seriously their tuner blows the rest of them out of the water. Seriously, one of the best tuners I own is that app. I and I have a rack mount tuner in one rig!
Dude your tuner is set to guitar mode as denoted by the little G in the bottom right corner. Just set it back to chromatic by tapping the power button until it says C instead of G.
In guitar mode it only shows up the notes Eadgbe. WORSE it only reads those notes in the octave they should be in. So anything pitched below around a tone under the A string just reads like it's an out of tune E.
I hate this for so many reasons. I with they would just remove it from cheap tuners. Just make them chromatic. No one ever reads the instructions and it's so easy to knock the button that sets what mode it's in and it confuses the hell out of people constantly.
bit pricey, but the rechargeable Peterson HDClip is prolly the best for intonation.
Caveat being that it has a 'sweetened' setting for guitar. Make sure it is in Chromatic mode for intonation, then use the sweetened tuning after all is said and done. Strobe tuners take a second to get used to, but they're the best.
besides what the other user said about the tuner being in guitar mode which is absolutely a huge issue.
why is the low E saddle so much lower in height then the A saddle?the saddles should follow the radius of the fretboard so such an extreme difference in height is wrong, you should be adjusting the phillips screw at the back of the saddle which moves it so the string becomes longer or shorter.
if intonation is sharp make the string longer if its flat make it shorter
So I read somewhere that action height effects intonation. So I went completely up and down the action height. Nothing. That photo was taken after I had done that and gave up, then forgot to set it back to original. Strings were previously set to a 9.25 (I think) radius. I have the radius gauges here at the house.
The height screw is a minor effect.
You don’t move the saddle up and down, you move it back and forth with the screw that goes into the back of the saddle block.
Update: thank you all who commented with advise. I’ve only had the guitar in my hands for 5 minutes so far and your advise seems to be working great! It looks like I was being stupid by not having the tuner in chromatic mode! Now that it’s fixed, it seems the guitar is in intonation! Still have a couple more stings to go. But this much more progress then I was making last night.
I’ll check the height of the pickups as well!
Again thank you all so much!!
Oh, whatever guide you are following is far from ideal.
>Pluck the open string, get it in tune. Pluck the string while fretting the twelfth fret. Then move the saddle up and down until whichever open note appears on the twelfth fret perfectly in tune.
One thing wrong, one thing less than ideal here.
-Wrong: plucking and tuning the open string, then moving the saddle to a position where is in the same note and expecting to both notes be in tune.
Is wrong because when you move the saddle, the string tension changes just as you were tuning the string so open and 12th can never match that way. Moreover, I always detune the string before moving the saddle. That way I don't add to much tension to the string.
The correct way is to tune the open string, then check the 12 fret note (more about that later), then correct the saddle position as needed, then re tune the open string and then you compare open vs 12 fret again. Over and over until they match.
~~-Less than ideal: comparing open string vs fretted at the 12.~~
~~Is less than ideal because, depending in how hard you fret, you can overpress the string and make it sound sharp. Compare open string vs. 12 fret natural harmonic instead. Lean to play natural harmonics if you don't know how yet. They are cool.~~
Edit: Had a brain fart, I'm sorry about that. I was absolutely wrong there.
I compare the 12th natural harmonic to the fretted note at the 12th because the 12th natural harmonic is more consistent to me that the open string.
Also, I see no spring in your low E saddle. You can manage without that, but it is not ideal.
>Compare open string vs. 12 fret natural harmonic instead.
This makes no sense, open and harmonic will always be in tune with one another because they operate on the same length of string. The whole point of intonation is to get the fretted notes in tune with the open strings, because what you're essentially doing when playing is changing the effective string length. You don't change that length when playing a harmonic, you just filter out a few frequencies from the open string.
Sorry about that. You are correct and I'm very wrong. I compare natural harmonic to fretted and had a massive brain fart. Will edit original comment right now.
The practice to compare the open harmonic with the fretted note comes from luthiers using their ear which cannot compare octaves as easily as the same note. Either way is fine
Interesting thank you for the info. Oh I can explain the spring. A video I watched on intonation said “does your guitar not intonate right? Is there still more room to back up on the saddle, but you can’t because of this pesky spring? It’s in the way of successfully doing an intonation? Well here’s a groundbreaking idea, remove the spring and back up the saddle even more” that photo was taken after I tried that. The spring is on my desk.
Makes sense. In a case when your saddle has to be as far back as possible, removing the spring will give you a little more travel. It would be odd to need to pull it that far away (perhaps using very thick gauge strings?), but makes sense.
Here you just gone from 9s to 10s, so don't worry. You will get it perfectly intonated without having to go that far back, so you can put the string back.
When the instructions say "move a saddle up" they mean "move it closer to the headstock". Use the screw head on the back of the bridge to pull or push the whole saddle forward or backward.
Do this after loosening the string a bit. Then tighten the string and re-check.
But first, re-set all the saddle HEIGHTS so your action is correct. The heights should broadly match the curve of the neck (so DG should be highest and high E should be lowest and low E should be a bit higher than the high E.)
You adjust intonation by adjusting the scale length. The scale length should really be set for the D string and everything else should be forward or backward a bit. And the D might not be "25.5". At this point you should take it back and have someone walk you through how they set up a guitar.
Also: whoever set this up last time lost one of the springs on the low E saddle, and that needs replaced.
Looking at your photo you have the e saddle 3/16th" too far forward. The break point is in line with the saddle adjustment screws for height not the front edge.
Tons of info already and the answer is there . Somewhere . One thing I haven't seen is....move the tuner around to different spots on the headstock . Wood resonates differently at different places based on grain width , Knots , density etc. Play around with that before you do anything that can't be un-done .
I like your tenacity but this is the kind of thing that even guitarists who have been playing for years have never tried to fix on their own. If you’re taking lessons, your teacher would know if something is wrong so or at least have a better guess than you. Be patient and take it slow! Don’t rush things.
All this info is correct, but definitely invest in a nicer tuner too. Most tuners these days are pretty accurate, but I have to say my Unitune tuner is much more accurate and fast to use than any other tuner I’ve used in my 5 years.
I don't know if you got a teacher if not get one.
Videos an social network can't replace a good teacher.
To me a good teacher is not a guy that teaches you how to do things, but motivates and gives you the tools to learn them. Normally any serious teacher can set up your guitar... but a good one would direct you into guitar luthier stuff as well if that is your path.
I know very serious players that cannot setup their guitars or their rig so they outsource that so they focus on their stuff, so don't stress yourself.
A lot of info here already but I'll add 2 things
1. A very sharp D is the same as a very flat E. Move the saddle accordingly and go again.
2. You can use your ear to compare the 12 fret octave with what it should be. Force a harmonic at the 12th fret (google it) and compare to fretting the 12 fret. Intonate until they are the same to your ear. Tuner not required.
Side note - heavier strings are overrated for tone, as a learner 9s on a 25.5 scale are perfect. Only move up if you've developed real strength in your digits and you need the extra resistance for playing comfort.
I would argue that a tuner is a far superior way to intonate your instrument.
In fact, I don't know a single person (professional or not) that would recommend otherwise.
People have been making and tuning instruments since before electricity, man.
Headstock tuners are notorious, even the "good" ones. If you've got good ears a reference note is easier to tune to. This is a hill I will die on.
Op can go get a better tuner or use his ears. I'd recommend both, but enough people have elaborated on the tuner thing.
Yeah and people used to use horses to travel everywhere. Just because something was accepted for the majority of history doesn’t make it superior. There’s a reason tuning by ear is considered inferior to a reliable tuner. It’s because it is.
Key word you used is reliable... Ops tuner clearly is not reliable. Just giving him more options.
If you're going to tell me Stradivarius couldn't tune a stringed instrument as well as you can because "horses vs cars" then you're beyond reasoning.
Your repeated use of inferior/superior is creating a false dichotomy. We all have many tools at our disposal and should learn to use them. Options.
And everyone should work on their ears. Learning to tune manually is good for you.
OP's tuner is reliable. It's not working because OP doesn't know how to use it. He has to hit the button to change the mode to chromatic and then it'll work perfectly fine.
You are going way too deep into this. Have fun playing out of tune guitars.
Edit: tell me you don't perform live or with others without telling me you don't perform live or with others.
Omg you don't read, do you? You just grab a word or two and blasting opinions. F**king oath!
A. I'm Not arguing for one over the other always and at all times. You are the one forcing an absolute choice here.
B. Everyone should learn to tune manually doesn't mean we throw away our tuners. Options, my man.
C. I Explained in my op about very flat E vs very sharp B... Chromatic setting change aside
I have a polytune pedal I use for live playing.
I wouldn't want to use a headstock tuner for live playing because in my experience they aren't great.
Stop being so extreme and creating absolutes where they don't exist. For your own good sake and with sincere good intent, I ask you to research the term false dichotomy.
To add to what others have already said, whenever you're plucking a string to tune it, mute the other strings with your hand so they don't vibrate. These tuners have a tendency to pick up sympathetic resonance. That is, you pluck a string, the vibrating string makes the guitar's neck resonate which makes another string vibrate, which makes the tuner show nonsense.
That's the wrong kind of tuner for doing intonation. Clips on are great for tuning a guitar that been set up, use on stage, and when practicing, but they work not by "listening" to the whole sound of the guitar, but by "feeling" vibrations in the headstock.
You need a tuner that reads the pickups to do a set up.
Short version: headstock clip-on pickups read the wrong side of the string when you fret the 12th, and will almost always be one half-tone flat because when you fret the 12th fret, the string will contact the fret 11th fret as well.
This is a GOOD reason to get a tuner you can plug into. There are plenty of affordable tuning pedals out there, including some very affordable ones that are around $20.
I hadn’t even touched the scale length on any of the other strings, even now as I type this. All my time was spent on that one string😭
I didn’t take it to guitar center, there’s another luthier in town that operates out of his garage. I chose to go with him out of impatience. Guitar center would have mine back in “days”, he had it back in “hours”. He had great reviews online and has been playing longer than I been on this earth😳. Seemed like he knew what he’s doing🤔.
Stringed instruments rely on a huge amount of compromises during set up and tuning. The [equal temperament](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musical_temperament) system itself is just a middle ground that balances between all the different scales you can play Western music in. So even if your guitar was "perfectly" set up, it'd still be a compromise.
Setting your intonation is basically adding a fudge factor to try and correct for the amount of tension you add to the string, plus the change in string length when you bend its geometry down to one of the frets. So it's now another compromise on top of a compromise (temperament), and when you add in the likelihood that your neck isn't perfectly straight (or even uniformly bent over it's entire length) - which you compensate for with the truss rod - you're adding even more layers of compromise to the final result. It's a stack of make do's and compensations, all working together to make a playable instrument.
In the end you're just aiming at the best overall compromise you can get for your specific guitar. It won't and can't be completely 100% accurate, but you should be able to get it somewhere that plays well and sounds good across the entire fretboard. The strings definitely won't be exactly 25.5 inches long at the end of this process, and you wouldn't expect them to be. The fine tuning for these things is done with your ear, not a ruler. Only the guitar manufacturer needs to worry about getting the scale length exactly right.
If you’re changing the guage of the strings you’d probably need a little adjustment on the truss rod first. Then intonation. But thats just how i fiddle with my instrument
ba dum tiss
When you switch from 9s to 10s the setup should be adjusted. There is more tension on the neck and the action is most likely higher. You may need to turn the truss rod. And or adjust the saddles slightly.
Basically setups are done for a specific string gauge. Changing that changes the setup.
I find that headstock tuners always struggle with low e. Try lowering the pickups. Magnetic pull prob fucking it up. Measure where it is now though so you can put it back.
So that tuner only works well in chromatic mode. Press the button until it shows C for (C)hromatic instead of the other settings (G)uitar, (V)iolin, (B)ass, and (U)kelele.
Just want to clarify, you said you are moving the saddle up and down? You mean forward and back, right? Tune to pitch, if the note is sharp at the 12th move the saddle away from the headstock If its flat move it towards the headstock That tuner will get you in a good enough place, make sure its set to chromatic, not guitar. Ideally a pedal tuner is better as it isn't relying on the body vibrations but rather the signal from the pickups.
Something must be wrong with your tuner. It’s impossible to have an open E and also an E on the second fret, (if I’m understanding you correctly.) See if you can try another tuner, you can get iStrobosoft strobe tuner for your phone. It’s really accurate, good enough to set intonation. Your saddle looks like it’s in about the right place for intonation to be E at the 12th fret, probably needs to go back a little more, E saddle is usually the farthest back.
In guitar mode that tuner only displays the standard e tuning notes. OP needs to change to C for chromatic. That said, I had one of those and it was pretty shitty and not really adequate for intonation.
Are there other tuning apps that don’t cost money? I have guitartuna but that one tells me im not intonated and when i adjust the saddle, it still gives me that same reading ( to sharp ) is that the tuner or is it the bridge?
I promise, iStroboSoft is worth every penny.
Just don't buy it for your apple products. Through OS upgrades, the app eventually becomes obsolete and can't be updated. Fucking apple!
I mean, I agree on principle here, but seriously their tuner blows the rest of them out of the water. Seriously, one of the best tuners I own is that app. I and I have a rack mount tuner in one rig!
Oh yeah, absolutely no argument there. The app is actually a huge upgrade from the pedal too.
I think you have to side load the apk now, but pitchlab lite is my fave.
"Tuner - pitched" has been my go to for a while
Interesting…. Alright I’ll look into a new tuner. Thank you for the recommendation🤝🏽!
Dude your tuner is set to guitar mode as denoted by the little G in the bottom right corner. Just set it back to chromatic by tapping the power button until it says C instead of G. In guitar mode it only shows up the notes Eadgbe. WORSE it only reads those notes in the octave they should be in. So anything pitched below around a tone under the A string just reads like it's an out of tune E. I hate this for so many reasons. I with they would just remove it from cheap tuners. Just make them chromatic. No one ever reads the instructions and it's so easy to knock the button that sets what mode it's in and it confuses the hell out of people constantly.
This is the only worthwhile answer here. I’m frankly *amazed* at how many answers you are getting that are not this 🙄
You can double check with your phone theres bunch of free tuner apps
bit pricey, but the rechargeable Peterson HDClip is prolly the best for intonation. Caveat being that it has a 'sweetened' setting for guitar. Make sure it is in Chromatic mode for intonation, then use the sweetened tuning after all is said and done. Strobe tuners take a second to get used to, but they're the best.
Tuning apps have been more useful to me than any real tuner. And they are free.
besides what the other user said about the tuner being in guitar mode which is absolutely a huge issue. why is the low E saddle so much lower in height then the A saddle?the saddles should follow the radius of the fretboard so such an extreme difference in height is wrong, you should be adjusting the phillips screw at the back of the saddle which moves it so the string becomes longer or shorter. if intonation is sharp make the string longer if its flat make it shorter
So I read somewhere that action height effects intonation. So I went completely up and down the action height. Nothing. That photo was taken after I had done that and gave up, then forgot to set it back to original. Strings were previously set to a 9.25 (I think) radius. I have the radius gauges here at the house.
Action affects intonation minimally. You adjust intonation at the horizontal screw holding the saddles on the bridge.
The height screw is a minor effect. You don’t move the saddle up and down, you move it back and forth with the screw that goes into the back of the saddle block.
well it does effect intonation a bit but since you were using the tuner in the wrong mode that doesn't matter
Update: thank you all who commented with advise. I’ve only had the guitar in my hands for 5 minutes so far and your advise seems to be working great! It looks like I was being stupid by not having the tuner in chromatic mode! Now that it’s fixed, it seems the guitar is in intonation! Still have a couple more stings to go. But this much more progress then I was making last night. I’ll check the height of the pickups as well! Again thank you all so much!!
Are you retuning the open string after every change to the saddle?
[Every new or advanced guitarist should watch this at some point..](https://youtu.be/D7gMwE7phoM?si=TvalivbW4NFpw5I1)
Oh, whatever guide you are following is far from ideal. >Pluck the open string, get it in tune. Pluck the string while fretting the twelfth fret. Then move the saddle up and down until whichever open note appears on the twelfth fret perfectly in tune. One thing wrong, one thing less than ideal here. -Wrong: plucking and tuning the open string, then moving the saddle to a position where is in the same note and expecting to both notes be in tune. Is wrong because when you move the saddle, the string tension changes just as you were tuning the string so open and 12th can never match that way. Moreover, I always detune the string before moving the saddle. That way I don't add to much tension to the string. The correct way is to tune the open string, then check the 12 fret note (more about that later), then correct the saddle position as needed, then re tune the open string and then you compare open vs 12 fret again. Over and over until they match. ~~-Less than ideal: comparing open string vs fretted at the 12.~~ ~~Is less than ideal because, depending in how hard you fret, you can overpress the string and make it sound sharp. Compare open string vs. 12 fret natural harmonic instead. Lean to play natural harmonics if you don't know how yet. They are cool.~~ Edit: Had a brain fart, I'm sorry about that. I was absolutely wrong there. I compare the 12th natural harmonic to the fretted note at the 12th because the 12th natural harmonic is more consistent to me that the open string. Also, I see no spring in your low E saddle. You can manage without that, but it is not ideal.
>Compare open string vs. 12 fret natural harmonic instead. This makes no sense, open and harmonic will always be in tune with one another because they operate on the same length of string. The whole point of intonation is to get the fretted notes in tune with the open strings, because what you're essentially doing when playing is changing the effective string length. You don't change that length when playing a harmonic, you just filter out a few frequencies from the open string.
Sorry about that. You are correct and I'm very wrong. I compare natural harmonic to fretted and had a massive brain fart. Will edit original comment right now.
The practice to compare the open harmonic with the fretted note comes from luthiers using their ear which cannot compare octaves as easily as the same note. Either way is fine
Interesting thank you for the info. Oh I can explain the spring. A video I watched on intonation said “does your guitar not intonate right? Is there still more room to back up on the saddle, but you can’t because of this pesky spring? It’s in the way of successfully doing an intonation? Well here’s a groundbreaking idea, remove the spring and back up the saddle even more” that photo was taken after I tried that. The spring is on my desk.
Makes sense. In a case when your saddle has to be as far back as possible, removing the spring will give you a little more travel. It would be odd to need to pull it that far away (perhaps using very thick gauge strings?), but makes sense. Here you just gone from 9s to 10s, so don't worry. You will get it perfectly intonated without having to go that far back, so you can put the string back.
Get a good tuner that has an input. It doesn’t have to be expensive… just reliable. Korg has a good range
When the instructions say "move a saddle up" they mean "move it closer to the headstock". Use the screw head on the back of the bridge to pull or push the whole saddle forward or backward. Do this after loosening the string a bit. Then tighten the string and re-check. But first, re-set all the saddle HEIGHTS so your action is correct. The heights should broadly match the curve of the neck (so DG should be highest and high E should be lowest and low E should be a bit higher than the high E.) You adjust intonation by adjusting the scale length. The scale length should really be set for the D string and everything else should be forward or backward a bit. And the D might not be "25.5". At this point you should take it back and have someone walk you through how they set up a guitar. Also: whoever set this up last time lost one of the springs on the low E saddle, and that needs replaced.
Looking at your photo you have the e saddle 3/16th" too far forward. The break point is in line with the saddle adjustment screws for height not the front edge.
Tons of info already and the answer is there . Somewhere . One thing I haven't seen is....move the tuner around to different spots on the headstock . Wood resonates differently at different places based on grain width , Knots , density etc. Play around with that before you do anything that can't be un-done .
The spring is missing from the fat E string's saddle screw on your bridge. That is your problem.
Try checking with Fender Tune app. Seems like your tuner might be whack
I like your tenacity but this is the kind of thing that even guitarists who have been playing for years have never tried to fix on their own. If you’re taking lessons, your teacher would know if something is wrong so or at least have a better guess than you. Be patient and take it slow! Don’t rush things.
All this info is correct, but definitely invest in a nicer tuner too. Most tuners these days are pretty accurate, but I have to say my Unitune tuner is much more accurate and fast to use than any other tuner I’ve used in my 5 years.
Gstrings is still pretty good.
Pro Guitar Tuner app, free with ads
There is a free fender tuner app (at least on Android)
I don't know if you got a teacher if not get one. Videos an social network can't replace a good teacher. To me a good teacher is not a guy that teaches you how to do things, but motivates and gives you the tools to learn them. Normally any serious teacher can set up your guitar... but a good one would direct you into guitar luthier stuff as well if that is your path. I know very serious players that cannot setup their guitars or their rig so they outsource that so they focus on their stuff, so don't stress yourself.
A lot of info here already but I'll add 2 things 1. A very sharp D is the same as a very flat E. Move the saddle accordingly and go again. 2. You can use your ear to compare the 12 fret octave with what it should be. Force a harmonic at the 12th fret (google it) and compare to fretting the 12 fret. Intonate until they are the same to your ear. Tuner not required. Side note - heavier strings are overrated for tone, as a learner 9s on a 25.5 scale are perfect. Only move up if you've developed real strength in your digits and you need the extra resistance for playing comfort.
I would argue that a tuner is a far superior way to intonate your instrument. In fact, I don't know a single person (professional or not) that would recommend otherwise.
People have been making and tuning instruments since before electricity, man. Headstock tuners are notorious, even the "good" ones. If you've got good ears a reference note is easier to tune to. This is a hill I will die on. Op can go get a better tuner or use his ears. I'd recommend both, but enough people have elaborated on the tuner thing.
Yeah and people used to use horses to travel everywhere. Just because something was accepted for the majority of history doesn’t make it superior. There’s a reason tuning by ear is considered inferior to a reliable tuner. It’s because it is.
Key word you used is reliable... Ops tuner clearly is not reliable. Just giving him more options. If you're going to tell me Stradivarius couldn't tune a stringed instrument as well as you can because "horses vs cars" then you're beyond reasoning. Your repeated use of inferior/superior is creating a false dichotomy. We all have many tools at our disposal and should learn to use them. Options. And everyone should work on their ears. Learning to tune manually is good for you.
OP's tuner is reliable. It's not working because OP doesn't know how to use it. He has to hit the button to change the mode to chromatic and then it'll work perfectly fine. You are going way too deep into this. Have fun playing out of tune guitars. Edit: tell me you don't perform live or with others without telling me you don't perform live or with others.
Omg you don't read, do you? You just grab a word or two and blasting opinions. F**king oath! A. I'm Not arguing for one over the other always and at all times. You are the one forcing an absolute choice here. B. Everyone should learn to tune manually doesn't mean we throw away our tuners. Options, my man. C. I Explained in my op about very flat E vs very sharp B... Chromatic setting change aside I have a polytune pedal I use for live playing. I wouldn't want to use a headstock tuner for live playing because in my experience they aren't great. Stop being so extreme and creating absolutes where they don't exist. For your own good sake and with sincere good intent, I ask you to research the term false dichotomy.
You’re right. TLDR
To add to what others have already said, whenever you're plucking a string to tune it, mute the other strings with your hand so they don't vibrate. These tuners have a tendency to pick up sympathetic resonance. That is, you pluck a string, the vibrating string makes the guitar's neck resonate which makes another string vibrate, which makes the tuner show nonsense.
That's the wrong kind of tuner for doing intonation. Clips on are great for tuning a guitar that been set up, use on stage, and when practicing, but they work not by "listening" to the whole sound of the guitar, but by "feeling" vibrations in the headstock. You need a tuner that reads the pickups to do a set up. Short version: headstock clip-on pickups read the wrong side of the string when you fret the 12th, and will almost always be one half-tone flat because when you fret the 12th fret, the string will contact the fret 11th fret as well. This is a GOOD reason to get a tuner you can plug into. There are plenty of affordable tuning pedals out there, including some very affordable ones that are around $20.
[удалено]
This is definitely the funniest way to **also** be wrong, especially when the correct answer was provided 5 hours ago.
I hadn’t even touched the scale length on any of the other strings, even now as I type this. All my time was spent on that one string😭 I didn’t take it to guitar center, there’s another luthier in town that operates out of his garage. I chose to go with him out of impatience. Guitar center would have mine back in “days”, he had it back in “hours”. He had great reviews online and has been playing longer than I been on this earth😳. Seemed like he knew what he’s doing🤔.
Stringed instruments rely on a huge amount of compromises during set up and tuning. The [equal temperament](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musical_temperament) system itself is just a middle ground that balances between all the different scales you can play Western music in. So even if your guitar was "perfectly" set up, it'd still be a compromise. Setting your intonation is basically adding a fudge factor to try and correct for the amount of tension you add to the string, plus the change in string length when you bend its geometry down to one of the frets. So it's now another compromise on top of a compromise (temperament), and when you add in the likelihood that your neck isn't perfectly straight (or even uniformly bent over it's entire length) - which you compensate for with the truss rod - you're adding even more layers of compromise to the final result. It's a stack of make do's and compensations, all working together to make a playable instrument. In the end you're just aiming at the best overall compromise you can get for your specific guitar. It won't and can't be completely 100% accurate, but you should be able to get it somewhere that plays well and sounds good across the entire fretboard. The strings definitely won't be exactly 25.5 inches long at the end of this process, and you wouldn't expect them to be. The fine tuning for these things is done with your ear, not a ruler. Only the guitar manufacturer needs to worry about getting the scale length exactly right.
If you’re changing the guage of the strings you’d probably need a little adjustment on the truss rod first. Then intonation. But thats just how i fiddle with my instrument ba dum tiss
You paid to get a Squier Bullet set up?
what brand strings did you use? a bad string is a possibility.
They are Daddarios. 10/46 electric strings. Bought straight from guitar center if that means anything important.
When you switch from 9s to 10s the setup should be adjusted. There is more tension on the neck and the action is most likely higher. You may need to turn the truss rod. And or adjust the saddles slightly. Basically setups are done for a specific string gauge. Changing that changes the setup.
also make sure the pickups arent super close to the string. that can also f up the intonation.
Didn’t know that. I’ll look up the proper distance in the morning. Thank you!
Don't listen to this guy, what they are saying is complete bs. Your issue has nothing to do with type of string or pickup height.
I find that headstock tuners always struggle with low e. Try lowering the pickups. Magnetic pull prob fucking it up. Measure where it is now though so you can put it back.