'My guitar tuner says my acoustic guitar is in tune… but it just doesn't sound it when I play' – if this feels familiar you've probably had intonation issues. And there could be a number of different culprits. The good news is they're all fixable, and the Gibson Gazette has honed in on how.
Intonation is when an instrument is able to achieve accurate pitch across the entire fretboard. Any note you play will be pitched accurately. When your instrument isn't intonated properly it may sound fine when you're using it with a guitar tuner playing open strings, but not when you start fretting notes. There could be a number of reasons for this.
You may have switched string gauges to a lighter or heavier set – and this can cause your neck relief to need adjusting via the truss rod. We talk about this in our electric guitar setup guide but this new Gibson Gazette feature hones in on acoustics with videos from Gibson Master Luthier Jim DeCola.
Jim covers other possible causes for acoustic guitar intonation issues, including nut adjustment and switching to a compensated saddle. Sometimes intonation issues can be caused by a combination of problems but all can be addressed with the help of Jim's step-by-step guides.
Check out the full feature at the Gibson Gazette.
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