DIY: How to Set Up and Intonate an Acoustic Guitar
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- Опубліковано 4 чер 2024
- www.premierguitar.com PG's Andy Ellis talks with guitar repairman and setup technician John LeVan of LeVan's Guitar Services in Nashville, TN, about how to properly set up and intonate a flattop acoustic guitar. This video is a complemenatry piece that goes along with an already existing print feature (complete with step-by-step instructions and photos) that is in Premier Guitar's April 2012 issue and can be read online, in its entirety, here - www.premierguitar.com/Magazine....
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Nice John. After teaching courses on Guitar Repair and Design for 22 years, up here in Canada; I can see why you have been so successful as a teacher. Well-paced lesson. Ignore the trolls ....
Good job ! Congrats . MMcC
My question is how long would it take him to do what he did in the video if he wasn't making a video? I understand why he made the video, but if he were alone working on this guitar, would it be 30-minutes setup...longer? Shorter? Seems very complicated and as much an art as it is a science!
Wow. I'm never going to attempt this. Shows how set-up techs are totally worth the money!
Thankfully saddles are cheap but it looks like a big hassle compared to tweaking screws on an electric guitar.
I worked on guitars for 17 years in a music shop and there is info on here I never knew. Checked the intonation on my 1974 Martin D-18 and it's sharp in exactly where this video said it would be: low E and B. Can't wait to fix this! I'll just bear in mind the advice I got from an old friend who did trim work in houses. He told me you have to have the mind of a turtle to do what he does. Some things just can't be rushed! John obviously has the mind of a turtle, and that's a good thing for working on instruments.
+knopflerado
That's scary!
John LeVan explaining the techniques and method used to first 'mark-out' then file the saddle by hand to make it possible to set the intonation. Now you can tune your acoustic guitar. Priceless. Best explanation of this important component of a guitar.
Great video and walk through. I've had John work on 4 of my guitars so far, and bar none, he's the best Guitar Tech I've ever met. Truly a student of his craft. For anyone who's local to Nashville, he's relocated his shop to Thompson Station. Great guy, and amazing expertise.
I assume you have never been in Joe Glaser's shop.
What a fantastic demonstration. Thank you for taking the time to share your knowledge.
This is Premier Guitar's best video. A must watch for any player who cares about their instrument.
Thanks for this! It's the best and most-thorough exposition on this subject I've ever seen. Also, Mr LeVan's clearly a natural teacher who's clearly mastered his craft to the point at which it's an art. Please continue to draw from his vast experience and knowledge in the future!
High action might mean your truss rod needs adjusting, or that the strings sit too high in the nut, or that the saddle is too high ... or a combination of all three. A professional tech can identify where the problem is and deal with it. Once the action is right and the guitar plays the way you want it, then you can intonate the saddle. Intonation is really the final step in the setup process. Hope this helps! -- PG staff
Thank you for taking the time to demonstrate this procedure. It was highly informative and will help me a great deal in setting-up both my acoustic guitars.
If that were my guitar, and having watched this video, I would be so super pleased with the attention to detail you have given it. And also, even though I am not interested in doing the work myself, I have learned a lot as when my guitars may need work and what needs to be done.
for those who's on metric system - 7/64 inches is 2,8 mm and 4/64 inches is 1,6 mm.
1/64 inch is 0,4 mm, 2/64 is 0,8 mm
Yes.... Good of you to mention it !! :)
Yes..thank you so very much... I was already about to panic.
Thank you for this, I have no idea how Americans deal with imperial!
Imperial: 6 83rds to the 22nd of a inch, what you want is 9 43rds to the 88th instead.
Metric: you want 2.2mm instead of 2.8
It's a pleasure to watch him work
Watched this a few years ago and I gotta say, that trick of pushing the string in fist to pull the pins works brilliantly! Never had to use any sort of tools to pull my pins and it keeps my bridge free from marring. Just started watching again as I need to adjust the action and possibly intonation now.
This is a cool video. I had no idea how much hand-working was involved in setting up my acoustic. It's always good to watch a pro who has done it for years.
I wish they would have showed "the fine tuning" of the saddle, on how to correct for intonation. If the fretted 12th is sharp, do what? If the the fretted 12th is flat, do what? That is an important step IMO.
There is only two choices ! I believe if the string is sharp you need to lenghthen the span , if it is flat you need to shorten the span !
Yep. That’s what you do with the saddle.
@@1allstarman If it's flat, you start over with a new saddle blank, I guess.
@@griffox I should have explained myself better as I was referring to whether or not the string sounded sharp at the 12th fret as compared to playing the same string in the open position . This is how most people
determine whether or not a guitar is intonated properly , although in reality there are other factors and this is not always the case as there could still be problems with "sharping" , or the string playing sharp when the same string is depressed at the first fret even if the note at the open nut and the depressed twelfth fret are the same ( only one octave higher at # 12 fret ) . So lets say we are talking about the B-string. If you tune the B string to a b note when it is open , and then get a sharper note ( more than an octave above the open position ) when you depress the string at the twelfth fret , ( providing of course your action is not too high ) then you would need to lengthen the string by beveling the nut side of the saddle away from the nut towards the bridge pins , in essence lengthening the string .If you look closely at the saddle of most guitars nowadays they come pre adjusted to get an idea what I mean .
@@1allstarman I get that. I know what intonation is on a guitar. And I understand how to fix a sharp note at the 12th fret. The question asked was what if it's flat. My point was that if you've taken too much off and the 12th fret is flat you need to shorten the string, but you can't add the amount you sanded off back. My comment about starting over was more of a joke.
That's some beautiful work you're doing there. Not sure everybody takes all the care that you put into the job..
He's really thorough, isn't he? But there are quite a few who go to all the same extremes, because it's the best way to ensure consistently-accurate results. Of course, it depends a lot on the instrument and it's intended use, and you may not need to be this exacting if your guitar's action is in rough shape and you just want to make it a bit better & save some bucks by doing it yourself. This video can be a handy reference for you, to gauge the extent the of the accuracy that your own needs call for.
This is one of the best videos Ive seen on the subject so far! Thanks for the clear explanations, good camera work and decent lighting! BTW~ Every Taylor I have encountered was not set up right, I wish you had strummed a few chords with her all dialed in, or maybe even a before/after, I suspect lowering the action might decrease volume, but correct intonation would really open the voice! Bravo!
Touché. You got me with that well thought out and articulate argument. Clearly you are an intellectual giant of the highest order.
Thanks, excellent tutorial! I am getting ready to make a few saddles from blanks for my guitars and this video is my guide. Appreciate the sharing of your expertise sir!
Excellent tutorial. Much in detail.
Thanks for your help! I have two acoustics that need my tender loving care and I will be working on them this week.
This guy is a true craftsman.
Well narrated and informative
I WANT THAT GIANT MAGNIFYING GLASS!!! Will definitely make this type of work easier.
Great video!! Especially shaping the saddle.I would have appreciated his giving us what measurements where he said "This is perfect and doesn't need anything" and left it at that. One more thing, when he gives his ideal measurements at the 12th fret, remember, this is NOT for every type of guitar or player. This is for a Taylor 914 (the last digit, 4, indicates a "Grand Concert", which is a nice compromise between a Concert and Dreadnaught. His measurements indicate to me this is probably for a fingerstyle player. Someone strumming rhythm on a Dreadnaught would definitely want higher action at the 12th fret. I actually like that little bit of buzz, but not everyone does. Most companies give a starting point for the important numbers, but then you must make changes to reflect your style. And you will often go back and forth between the nut and saddle!! So if you plan to bring the saddle down a lot, and you are also making a new nut, don't go too low, especially on those old Japanese imports that sound really good, but wind up needing a neck reset or the bridge lifts, and since the used epoxy, most of us live with a little high action rather than kill ourselves or our tech trying to get the damn thing off!! Thanks for the great video!!! John Levan also has a good setup book out from a few years ago, Guitar Setup, Maintenance, & Repair, (Mel Bay). Goes well with the Dan Erlewine book, The Guitar Player Repair Guide. If you have never done these things, grab some cheap yard sale guitars!!!! Broken or working....doesn't matter!! Especially for fret work....get anything to get used to doing it. I screwed up a really good guitar, snd had to have my repair guy fix what should have been a cheap job!!! (fretwork)....So if you have a GREAT guitar, don't jump into repair on that one!!!
thank you for this video! i'm only on 7 minutes, but i really like your explanations and clarity. i've just bought a second hand guitar from the '70s, and i like the build and sound, but the intonation is out and i want to lower the action by half. i never knew it was possible to affect the intonation! using this diy to set up my new baby the way i want it. many thanks for your efforts.
Finally, a thorough step-by-step guide to setup an acoustic guitar. Thanks for posting! For those who want to follow written instructions you can find it at in the April 2012 edition of Premier Guitar for free on their website. Click 'Digital Edition' and find the article "DIY: Setting Acoustic Intonation".
Andy, you're using a Ryobi Tec 4 power screwdriver! I have been telling other techs and luthiers about the Tec 4 for years. I had two on my benches for 3 years now. Best rechargeable, clutched string winder I've found. Kudos!
Bless you John. Outstanding tutorial.
Thank you for presenting that so well. Very Informative! Just wish they played that beautiful guitar in the end and got to hear how it sounds.
Wow this was a great informational video I learned so much! Thank you for making it. I wish the measurements of the other strings in between low and high E were called out just to give an idea of their height but besides that I loved this video. Awesome, awesome.
Thank you for a very well done and informative video !
This is one of the best videos on guitar setup. There are other videos out there by guys calling themselves luthiers, offering terrible advice on guitar setup.. They're idiots, not luthiers.
Yes it was a very clear and concise explanation. Well Done!
This is the very best and detailed video's i have ever seen on youtube, thank you very much ... i have a taylor and it is a very nice instrument, i did some of what u did when i bought it new, but i may have missed a few things that u included in this video ... thank you very much. ... Awesome video.
Excellent work and presentation !!!
I own 6 Greek bouzouki that was all special order hand made , each cost me about $ 3000 to $ 5000 dollars !!!
And I watch two luthiers how they build them up ....and I know and understand how they work on the instruments and how they work up to last detail...to give to the instruments all the PERSONAL CARE NEEDED !!!
Great video with good info--thanks!
This helped me out tremendously! Many Thanks!
Great skillset young man. For old eyes things move real fast but I have replay. Thank you soo very much...
This was super relaxing to watch.
At the end he mentions having to move intonation back a bit for several strings. But with the 12th fret action all ready at 4/64ths and 5/64ths, that will drop action lower and you risk lowering to the point of buzzing and or getting certain string heights too low at bridge. I am thinking luthiers might set up saddle height a bit high and intonation tiny bit sharp knowing they will sand down the saddle height from the bottom as last step to get right action height and that will correct the final fine tuning of intonation. Personally, I can live with a "flat" B string versus a "sharp" B string, they are both a problem, but sharp B string really bothers my ears. I think for us who do not do this everyday, we take it slow and keep the action a bit high knowing we can always go back to tweek it later, but once you take too much saddle away, you risk having to start from scratch all over again or have to shim it up to right height which is not my preference.
I made a saddle for my guitar using this instruction (mainly) and like the result. Excellent teaching technique. Very easy to accept and the right result. I'd like to have a book to keep on hand (I like hardcopy) covering acoustic set up written or edited by John. Do you have one?
Thank you! I've got a couple acoustic guitars that need these adjustments.
Same thing with what i've done with my father's guitar. Nice work!
This guy is great! Have a Martin that needs some love. Will Dig IN And spend the time now.
What a great video. So informative learning how you are really supposed to measure and gage a saddle. What type of radius gage are you using? I've never seen one like that and it really looks less cumbersome than having a bunch of steel ones. Some kind of machine shop one or??? Thank you for the video
good thing andy ellis was there. great job
Fantastic video. I just decided I'm going to have to do this myself. There is no way that anybody else is going to put in the proper time and care to do this right unless I'm paying them a fortune.
If you sand down the saddle on the treble side to lower the action, that affects multiple strings and could create intonation problems where you don't currently have them. If you only sand down the saddle below the top string, you'll throw the string radius out of whack -- one string will be lower than the rest, making it harder for your picking hand to adjust to string height, as you move back and forth across the fretboard. (String curvature should match your fretboard curvature.)
Very informative. I wish I had the tools.
Thank God I don’t know how out of whack my beloved guitars are😜 Ignorance truly is bliss🤣. But this is a great video. The guys a master! Thanks
Good video, thanks.
Very informative. Just curious, do you prefer to switch out the old parts with new? It seems you have better control over the result as opposed to using the existing material.
Great video! Learned a lot
wow great instructions. thank you very much.
Great tutorial
Not sure why you'd measure the action at the 12th fret with a capo on? If you're concerned about the nut affecting the action (and he's not on this guitar), then adjust the nut height first. His action measurements needed to have 1/128th to 1/64th added to the action at the 12th fret.
I was really hoping to see the fine-tuning part of the intonation process, which they kinda left off at the end. Is there any more material on this? I know the article looks thorough, but actually seeing it would help a great deal.
If you have a a Chinese guitar copy or any cheap guitar and you want to set up the intonation a 1st step as a rough in is to measure from the Nut to the 12 fret for example say its 12.5 inch. Then measure 12.5 to your NEW BLANK NUT an MARK IT Right there. I have done tons of intonations this way and it usually is pretty on the mark fora start. Then you can fine tune it with the strings at tension. Note use NEW strings guys. If you are setting up a guitar I find it best to use what you are going to put on the guitar. This goes for Acoustic, Electric, Bass, Cello, Violin. John LeVan is amazing and his video here is exceptional. I just wanted to add a few extra points to help you ROUGH IN with accuracy. Cheers Patrick
+Patrick Boshell
"Then measure 12.5 to your NEW BLANK NUT"
I believe you meant NEW BLANK SADDLE didn't you?
I have a Mitchell MD100, I managed to get the knut, action, and neck adjusted, but the D is still flat, I tried sanding off the back of the bridge some, so far no luck. I did manage to get the G in perfect intonation doing the same thing.
This guy knows his stuff! I'd like to pick his brain.
I have a dirt cheap acoustic I bought to mess around with (like 3/8" at the 12th fret...took the strings off (they were junk) pulled the bridge out and using a diamond sharpening plate, used it to file down the bottom of the bridge a good bit, pretty close to where it should be now and a lot easier to play, not killing my fingers after 5 minutes due the previous pressure needed to get a note out of it. Also sounds a lot better than it did.
Might yet take a little more off it yet, but for the moment its a decent improvement and the video gave me enough of an idea of what to do.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained, and the bridge parts seem to be a wear item, so if you take too much off...start over. How do you think the setup techs learned? often just trial, error and lots and lots of practice
I liked it. He may have assumed we knew the last (omitted bit) about where to file on the saddle to correct intonation issues. If the string is # when plucked and fretted at the 12th fret the distance between the 12th fret and the saddle needs to be longer (lowers the pitch) therefore file the neck side of the saddle under that string to move the intonation ridge back. Easier if you take the strings of first lol.
absolutely brilliant, but how does it sound?
tedious process to do it right, thanks for sharing the correct way. the reality to us laymen is that this takes hours accomplish- be patient and do it right
perfect!! he knows what he is doing!
What a craftsman. Look at those hands!
where can i get info about shaping the saddle? that was really cool and i want to learn more about how to determine the intonation points on the saddle. what about the nut do you ever have to carve the grooves there as well? i have always noticed that the nut has groove marks from the strings.
awesome video thanks
Just got a GPCPA1 Martin and I am enamoured with how gorgeous it sounds unplugged/plugged --- however it is a bit stiff! I am taking it to the tech, and look forward to being taught a thing or two about properly setting up an instrument. I've always played on oldies or junkers, this is my first really fantastic instrument--- Any suggestions on what I should address with him that might alleviate the "stiffness" in the strings? I play with 11s or 12s Lifespan Martins..
Really, thank you for this!
Ice truck killer from dexter.
***** Thinking the EXACT same thing haha. Glad I'm not the only one.
***** I couldn't place him, I just knew I recognised him, especially his voice...thanks Anthony !!
I knew this guy reminded me of someone but didn't know who. Now i know it HAHAH xD
thank you those little tips from your experience shows .fr Las Vegas
I was having a nightmare with intonation on all my acoustics. Sanding down the bridge height bit by bit and testing both Es finally fixed it. I never would have thought height affected intonation as on electric guitars intonation is corrected by moving the bridge pieces backwards or forwards. Acoustics should come with instructions on how to adjust intonation.
Brilliant!
Hi. I'd like to change plastic for bone bridge. Also want to use 10's rather than 12's strings so intonation will change. Please tell me (approximately) if the 12th fret to saddle dimension will have to increase or decrease to suit lighter strings (assuming intonation was already correct). I understand that lighter strings will also cause the neck to bend back a little so I may have to back off the truss rod to suit. This would be the first step I assume. Made new bone nut already. Great video!!
Hi Great video, great job! btw..one question.. Whats the device you adjust the intonation with?
great, thanks for sharing
Awesome thanks!
Nice video. Keep up the good work. I have similar videos that I broke up into smaller segments. have a great day!
A very thorough explanation. For the DIY'ers Taylor sells compensated saddles and you just have to adjust the height. I'm guessing that in the near future they'll simply scan your saddle and string height and a CNC machine will carve the perfect saddle. Of course, by then, guitarists will be replaced by robots.
I need to ask a question. There was a mistake while setting up my guitar. A misunderstanding leading to it being set up for a whole step down instead of just half a step. Now if I play tuned half a step down, there is string buzz if I fret above the second fret and also sound between the fretted fret and the nut! Will it be enough to give the truss rod some adjustment or will there need to be other things I will have to do? Please help me!
so, where do I find a tech that's good enough to know all of these various aspects and tools? do the typical Sam Ash and Guitar Center techs have the ability/skills to do this good of a setup?
What about the break angle between the shorter saddle and where the strings contact the string pins, what’s the shallowest that break angle can be?
Never knew making a saddle was so complicated. I know a lot more now
Someone please explain 664th of an inch in mm? How much is it in non retarded measurement system?
+Aniket Kapse FYI it is 6/64th's or if you were to take the inch and divide it up into 64 parts. In mm it would be equivalent to 2.381 mm. You can also use Google and just enter without quotes "6/64 to mm".
+Torpid69 Strange to use 6/64ths and not 3/32nds!!
+Lowdenjim Totally agree but they are the same measurement and you asked about 6/64ths :)
+tampicokid But seriously, how good is this guys vision?!?! ...to be able to read 6/64th of an inch on that ruler haha. I think it would be easier to report it in millimeters
Hey don't make fun of the American system. Why go metrc? JK. Yeah that measurement is absolutely retarded.
if the saddle is filed to a point, and you file more to move that point to change the intonation, aren't you then lowering that one strings action? thanks for the video.
He said to leave enough to go back or forward a little. Im assuming he left a flat top on the nut
@HOGFBass 2.75mm sounds fine to me! You can express it as 2750 micrometres if you want to use whole numbers.
Excuse me if this was already addressed. Carving angles for points of contact in the saddle. Why is that done? Why wouldn't all string be the same for intonation? Thanks!
I have a question. if i need to pull the saddle back to fix a sharp problem would lowering the bridge have the same effect as pulling the bridge back? My action is just a little too high and it is sharp on my top string so if i can sand that side of the bridge lower and it fixes my sharp problem too that would be great.
I see this video was 11 years ago. I don’t know if you’re still doing this if you can do a video on replacing the binding on a guild guitar. Thank you your explanation of everything was excellent. 👍🎻🪕🤠
Just awesome! Helped me to understand a lot about guitars. Especially acoustics. Also made me realize what a piece of junk I've been playing! hehe I thought Takamine was a pretty good guitar until I watched this. It will help it a lot to set it up but it's never going to stay set up. Top is too weak. Might as well enjoy it while it's playing pretty decent. Plus I'm going to tune it down a half or whole step and use a kapo to play standard tuning. Gotta take a little pressure off that bridge
Good tutorial. Why is there no final demo of intonation?
I usually mark a line where the strings take-off (contact point), so I know not to file that mark off... helps from taking too much off the saddle
Thanks for the tips really helped me with the bad vibes i want to end up to focus my depression on something useful and maybe fun like playing the guitar instead of downing liters of alcohol
Super helpful and strangely soothing. Although, you should have given us a riff or two on the finished product!
Really great. Wish all luthiers would be so accurate
@GalaxyHorse I call it standard, because when I was growing up, inches, miles, yards, etc. were the "standard" units of measure. I did not know it was called Imperial, thank you for the correction.
Informative video, I wish it used a guitar that was in less than perfect condition though.
Good stuff to learn before I even learn to play the guitar lol.
This guys knows his shit. Well done
great , thank you
Thanks for the info bro, that was really helpful.
One question, don't you think new guitars should already come with an ideal setup from the factory? I mean especially the guitars that cost more than a thousand dollars, should'nt the factory take good care about it?