* I posted this elsewhere, but thought it would be of more use on it's own.*

I didn't invent this, I read it in a 1970's Guitar Player interview with Johnny Smith.

If you use your tuner (or a tuning fork) for a reference note so you know you are in standard tuning, you can use this method to actually set the intonation by ear. This is hard to understand by reading it, and I don't know how to make it any clearer in print. But if you take it slow, and do it with a guitar in your hands so you can see it, it'll make sense. Do it with a guitar in your hands, not just trying to understand by reading.
If you play the open E string against the E note at the 5th fret of the B string, and then against the 17th fret E on the B string, you will have an idea of the intonation of the B string. If the B string is in tune at the 5th fret, but sharp or flat at the 17th fret, adjust the B string saddle accordingly. Understand what I mean? This will work all across the neck, just like if you are tuning the guitar at the 5th position, open string to fretted note. This is as close as you can get to tempered tuning on a guitar.
So I start with the open E against the E note at 5th and 17th frets on the B string, and adjust the B string saddle.
Then compare open B to G string 4th fret and 16th fret, and adjust the G string saddle.
Then open G to D string 5th and 17th, and adjust the D string saddle.
Open D to A string 5th and 17th, open A to E string 5th and 17th.
To check the high E string, play the open B string, and compare this note to the fretted 7th and 19th frets on the high E string, and adjust the high E saddle.
Whew! I'm dizzy after trying to describe it! I've been using this method for years, and it works great once you get the hang of it.

P.S.: Make sure your pickups aren't causing false tones on the lower wound strings by being too close to the strings. This is especially true of the neck pickup.

_________________
"There's an arse for every chair"

5 guitars
7 amps
4 dogs

whew! is right, i'm sticking to my tuner. intresting article though.

I have my intonation set by a tuner on my Strats,I'm going to check them by this method when I get home to see if they're close.I haven't trusted my ears,but forum member nikininja has mentioned several times to set it by ear.

I use a tuner also, and start out by this method:
open string = tuner.
12th fret harmonic = tuner (just to double check).
Fretted 12th fret = tuner (adjust bridge saddle accordingly).

Once I feel like I got all 6 strings tuned and properly intonated, I get really anal retentive, and start double checking fretted notes all up and down the neck:
5th fret = tuner.
7th fret = tuner.
12th fret = tuner.
15th fret = tuner.

I only ever intone my guitars by ear. No need for that mucking about with the 5th and 17th frets either. Simply reference the 12th fret harmonic to the 12th fret fretted. Once you're used to listening it's far more accurate than trusting a tuner, that mostly give such an erratic reading that they lose any usefulness, if they're accurate enough to measure properly.

Also I avoid the 4th/5th fret and harmonic methods of tuning guitars. The 3rd, 4th and 5th intervals of the tempered scale are problematic at best. Never mind the rough average guitars feature on their 4th and 5th intervals to the octave on the fretboard.

To tune the guitar by ear I go through a bit of a convoluted method, that is a little harder. But delivers better tuning accuracy for low end chords.

Open E to pitch (fork, tuner, instrument for reference)
Open High E to open Low E. It takes time to get used to tuning the two octave step up. However it soon becomes easier with practice.
14th fret D to high E
3rd fret B to harmonic D
Open G to 3rd fret High E
Open A to 2nd fret G.

Doing that to avoid all 4th/5th fret areas of the guitar I then play two chords that are basically a set of stacked octaves and 5ths.
O
2
2
4
5
5

Then

x
O
2
2
2
5

Make sure both of them sound right and the guitar is ready to go.

All that said, it's a bloody useless way to tune a guitar onstage or in a busy rehearsal area.

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No no and no

amen to that!



I use the 5/7 harmonics to tune. Intonation......with a tuner....but I'll try this harmonic method too......


for those who don't know how to tune by natural harmonics....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFfiozcLQ1w

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2002 mim Telecaster
Jimmie Vaughan Stratocaster
Mexican HSS Stratocaster
6 non-fender guitars
2 kids (not for sale)
1 wife (uh....no comment)

I use that method also. Doesn't hurt to check with a tuner afterwards, but I get it pretty accurate by ear. Using the harmonic was logical to me, it never even occurred to me to fret the ladies while setting intonation... may try it at some point though.

Nutter

Ain't nothing wrong with doing it by ear....

...PROVIDED YOU HAVE A GOOD EAR!

From what I hear at live performances, I wouldn't trust most guitarists to turn on a TV without screwing that up, much less set intonation by ear.

Absolutely! All I ever do onstage during a song is turn the key on the offending string, hoping to hit the mark. I've got a mute switch that sends the signal to the tuner IF there is time between tunes. I've gotten really lazy in my old age; I don't even carry an extra guitar in case of a broken string anymore. Although I haven't broken one in a long time...knock on Masonite.

_________________
"There's an arse for every chair"

5 guitars
7 amps
4 dogs

This makes me wonder about what it might be like in another 50 years or so.

guitarist - my guitar isn't auto-tuning itself the way it used to.

tech - back in the day we had these electronic things to check em with.

guitarist - my grandfather said he used to tune his by ear.

tech - yeah, I've heard some stories how things were in the old days too.

_________________
Being able to play and enjoy music is a gift that's often taken for granted.

Don't leave home without it!