Bass Guitar Tuning - A 'Note' On Intonation

You have tuned your bass properly and the open strings are perfectly in tune, but why does it sound slightly out of tune when you play certain notes on the fretboard? If the strings are not old or stretched, then it's probably time to adjust the intonation. This is a very important adjustment that you need to make so your bass is in tune everywhere on the fretboard. Many people either do not understand the importance of doing this, do not know how to do it, or they simply take for granted that it was done at the factory before sending the instrument off to the store.

Although it is true that most quality instruments are properly set up at the shop before leaving, it is not a bad idea to check and see if everything was properly set up on your instrument anyway. The intonation of your bass guitar is no exception. All you need to be able to do this is, of course, your bass, a screwdriver (Phillips no. 1 or 2 usually) and a good instrument tuner.

The best device you can use for this operation is, without a doubt, a true strobe tuner, but these precision tuners can cost up to $900, or more! Because not everybody has that kind of money lying around, you'll probably have to settle for a good quality analog or digital model.

Now, assuming that the truss rod and the string height have been properly adjusted beforehand and that the bridge of your bass guitar has a screw to move the saddle forward or back when tightened or loosened, you can now proceed with the intonation of your bass guitar by following these simple steps:

STEP 1
Plug the bass into the tuner (making sure it is set for bass tuning) and start at one end, tune the string as perfectly as you can to the note (low E on the 4th string, for example).

STEP 2
Now, play the note on the 12th fret of that same string and see if the tuner still reads the same note exactly (E in this example -although one octave higher).

STEP 3
If the tuner reads the exact same note, there is no need to do anything and you can move on to the next string. If the note produced there is slightly lower than the open string note, you need to turn the screw so that it moves the saddle towards the neck of the bass (1/4 or 1/2 turn to start). If the note produced is slightly higher than the open string note, the saddle needs to be moved away from the neck.

STEP 4
Re-tune the same string again and compare it to the note on the 12th fret again.

STEP 5
Repeat steps 3 & 4 until both notes are exactly the same, then move on to the next string.

After you've done the last string, go over them as many times as necessary until you have achieved the perfect intonation for your bass guitar.