Gibson Les Paul: Electric Guitar Setup : How to Set the Intonation on a Les Paul Guitar

[middyacdc]

Your bar with all of the set screws on it is backwards to mine and I have an epiphone sg 400.

[prote101]

thankyoou

[TheMechanicalRomance]

@timothyga01, that's stupid. I have a Les Paul and I dnt know this. I'm only 14 though. You can't expect everyone to know this. No offense, mate.

[ncboy65]

you look like alex lifeson..........

[ncboy65]

great video my friend thank you from Bryant Taylor of North Carolina.

[yappertrap]

i will never buy a maballine product,,,well done.

[1954telecaster]

it would help if the guy wasn't stoned out of his mind while doing this.

[DandTprAnkZ]

what if the saddle, no matter how far it goes, it's still flat on the 12th fret.

[90fourninety]

@DandTprAnkZ Use different gauge strings.

[3r1ck901]

I have a question do u actually press the 12 frett or u just make a harmonic? Plz Help cus my guitar wouldnt make any buzz but since i moved the freaking saddles now it makes buzzes

[salvador4866]

stratocauster!!! les guste o no

[StanO224]

Shouldn't the string be slackened before turning the screw?

There would simply be less friction.

[mrflip321go]

my problem is the set screw just stops turning and my b string is sharp

[vecernicek2]

@mrflip321go Reverse the bridge saddle

[DanielAndriani10]

so my les paul is perfectly tuned but when i play around the 12th fret its out of wack.

i thought it would be the intonation (still think it is) but when adjust the distance on the strings nothing happens ( doesnt even make my normal string go out of tune)

what da fuck do i do ?

[timothyga01]

If you have a gibson les paul and don't know this; You don't deserve it so basic. Clicked on wrong video

[JulesVermeij]

I suppose ''sharp'' means higher and ''flat'' means lower, right?

[ACDCWaters]

ya thanks ,my guitar sounds awsome and chords match now lol

[guitarlordification]

that is a nice guitar

[userboy6]

yes that's exactly what i have, a boss TU-2, but, and i can't emphasize this enough, i'm a novice with very little money to spend on set-ups and i want to learn to do this myself!

[guitarslf132]

yh i do have an epiphone but i have to play for about 10 minits for the strings to set in but cheers for all the help guys!

[userboy6]

i just wish i was in the room with this guy when he does this to his guitar so i can see exactly what he does and ask questions, i tried doing mine and i'm not sure about the results.

[userboy6]

i just wish i was in the room with this guy when he does this to his guitar so i can see exactly what he does and ask questions, i tried doing mine and i'm not sure about the results.

[madamkirk]

@userboy6 Do you have an electronic tuner plugged in? The boss TU 2 makes this easy

[brucec43]

Thanks, I've played for 35 years on/off and never knew how to set up a guitar properly.

[mel577]

This is not a GIBSON Les Paul. It's the cheap Chinese copy.

[powertotehchord]

@mel577 ummm who gives a shit?

[mrnikko419]

@mel577 It doesn't look like a cheap Chinese copy to me. What makes you think that?

[tangypasta]

omg ur pupil on ur left eye is black!

[IluminousBlack1]

Why did u stick a tuner on it??? Im no expert but thats probably bad for resale value.

[a7xzeppelin95]

@IluminousBlack1 your an idiot, its removable dumbass. it clips on

[pilotoatomico]

@IluminousBlack1 lol hahahahaa

[sanderdebboer]

wich way do i have to turn my screw if the note on the 12th fret on the high e strin is much lower than the harmonic on the 12th fret?

plz help me

[codyjt5150]

having issues, I tried screwing the back of my Les Paul studio to adjust the saddle to set the intonation, but it did nothing. What do I need to do to set it.

HELP!!!

[Gibsonsru]

Любые музыкальные инструменты новые и б.у. В наличие и под заказ. Почти все бренды. Большой выбор и гибкие цены. Звуковое, световое, DJ и студийное оборудование лучших мировых производителей. Акции и распродажи. Ремонт и тех. обслуживание. Подробнее на gibsons.ru

[NiklausMetal]

@Gibsonsru

I totally understand what you're saying brother, thanks a lot.

[SIRONEDRAGON]

very cool

[scottkeirs]

thanks dude, that was heaps helpful, took me ages to find someone that could explain this so I can understand.

[Hooray4drums]

Do you chime the 12th or actually press down on the fret?

[Satch21Freak]

@Hooray4drums you can do it either way! the harmonic is harder to sound but gets the inotation closer

[MrWer1138]

thank you for this vid,it saved me 25 bucks! ,\m/

[hemantfloyd1]

thanks man!!!!!

[HaloBuf]

Anyone know what kind of tuner he is using?

[M3Z4C]

it's kind of tuner which is based on vibrations that move through your guitar, it won't work unless it touches the guitar...but I don't know which model exactly he uses in this video...

[HaloBuf]

I figured out that it is a Sabine AX-3000. But thank you for your reply.

[mro2112]

i have a les paul custom. which direction should the screws be facing. toward the neck or toward the lower bout? i've seen both. good vid bro.

[guitarslf132]

once you have set the intonation should you ever have 2 change it again.

it doesnt matter where u put the saddles on my guitar when it has new strings the intonation is perfect.but after about a week hte high strings go flat and if you move the saddles right to the top and rite to the bottom it doesnt make a difference>

HELP

[lumaric01]

@guitarslf132 What strings do you use? And do you allow the strings to stretch before finishing your job?

[RamiroS77]

@guitarslf132 maybe your neck is not ok, you will need to check the truss rod again... specialy if you change sting gauge / brand the tension may be different.

[LordReafir]

@guitarslf132 change you brige its gone bad

[NiklausMetal]

@guitarslf132

You're talking about a Les Paul right?

[mrnikko419]

@guitarslf132 It shouldn't become un-intonated that quickly, but yes. Guitars do need to be re-intonated every so often. Also, you usually have to re-intonate again if you change string size too.

As for moving the saddle all the way across and it not doing anything, well it sounds like you just have a lower quality guitar (Epiphone?). There's not much you can do about that, but as long as the string is pretty much intonated you should notice the difference. You could try a better bridge.

[ALEXCHASE750]

@guitarslf132 Your prob using 9s, they stretch soo easily, throw on a pair of 10s, you can hammer em for atleast a couple months before the E starts to go flat, same thing used to happen to me

[guitarslf132]

@ALEXCHASE750 11s actually :L... its just that they do that for some reason after sometimes even a few weeks... dunno

[GuitaristEliKing]

@guitarslf132 Dude i had the same problem and i realized why. so it's like that - New strings will always have a perfect intonation. what you have to do is to tune the intonation for the old strings and then you solved the problem to the next few months! goodluck man ;)

[AlexDeMars123]

My e string says its flat even though i moved the saddle all the way towards the neck. When I tried moving it the other way it thought I was playing an Eb, what should I do?

[AlexMalishev]

try using new E string.

[AlexMalishev]

it sounds strange but it realy goes flat after being used for couple of months.

[bonk2II]

@AlexDeMars123 i got the same problem... :(

[MarkAL95]

Aren't the bridge's screws supposed to be towards the stop bar and not towards the neck?

[TadMoody]

No. The strings angle down in front of the set screws that way, so they block access to the set screws.

[jujucaster64]

it would have been cool to make it into part1, part2,etc...

[belrocksg]

how can i take my saddle and turn it, as in make it point in the opposite direction, the flat end is pointing towards my neck, i want to turn some around so the flat end of the saddle is pointing towards the stop bar

[FloroSapien]

Is the Gibson bridge the same as a pre lawsuit ESP copy Explorer?

[pmonag123]

on my guitar the strings only last a week on it, the frist string tat always breaks is the d string, it breaks at the saddle, am not sure if its the height of the saddle, bridge or if its the intonation, need help on tis, anyone got advice.

[causticapocolypse]

you might have a burr in your saddle, see if you can sand it out.

[budgetman85]

hey there im trying to find out what my grandfarthers les paul would be worht he brought it when he was 16 he's now 90 if you have any idea would be good thanks

[FMCmakesmesmart]

Well, it depends what kind of Les Paul it is. And also what condition it is in. Your best bet would be to take it to a professional and they will more than likely know the exact value of the guitar. Especially since they will know the model, year it was made, condition, and see if the guitar has been tampered with. Like changed parts could depreciate the value of the guitar.

[TheHabit00]

the internet must really kill lots of business for luthiers

[NiklausMetal]

@TheHabit00

And rightfully so. It's fun to learn how to work on guitars. I've gotten ripped off each and every time taking I've taken my guitar into a shop. I've never had a good experience getting a set-up from a "pro". Through learning with videos like this, I've been able to care for my basses and guitars myself. Even if you disagree with some of this guys tips or instructions, atleast you can get an idea of what to do for yourself.

[MetalMike767]

So....for setting all the strings it's going to be matched at the 12th fret on the high E string correct?

[iwantagoodnameplease]

no. each string matches it's own 12th fret....

[FairSlash]

each strong should match its own 12th fret liek the a string open should match the a string 12th fret and the g string open should match the g-strings 12th fret =P

[hendrixgroupie23]

noooo thats not right a single string cant match its own tone with 2 different frets, if u play an open high E string and u play the B string on the 5th fret then it should sound the same if its tuned standard

[FairSlash]

yes but if the string u play the 5th fret on hasnt been tested with its won 12th fret then that 5th fret isnt tuned properly ;)

[hendrixgroupie23]

Tóuche haha :)) i didnt think of that X)

[FairSlash]

heh =P people make mistakes ;P

^^ so when tuning the guitar from the bridge pickup place then u need to check oit with the 12th fret and when u wanna tune the guitar normally ur speech is true =) ^^

btw check out my channel n my guitar covers ^^

[BTSHIT]

Yo, bro. This is intonation, not tuning.

[warheart20]

No m8, this is INTONATION...

[Rowlhion]

i just got started... where is the neck and where is the bridge?

[mafuhungy]

i have my saddle as close to the neck as it can get but my string is still a half tone flat!! can anyone help? les paul like this

[msuman91]

well if you havethe right kinda bridge .. is it a gibson or epiphone???

[marcusmarkmus]

okay, big question:

I have a perfectly set up les paul, i standard tuning.

Im gonna tune it flat, (Eb,Ab,Db etc.)

when i do so, how will that affect the setup? what else should i fix?

[Shelbones01]

did you ever find this out?... i usually just leave mine flat (GN'R fan)

[FairSlash]

:o iv watched many of ur covers n stuff ur really awesome! (Shelbones)

[Shelbones01]

thx man... means a lot =D

[sfischermilford]

nothing your fine

[FairSlash]

well then u tune the Eb string to Eb and then u pick the 12th fret on the same string and see if it is Eb too and the same goes with the other strings.. make sure they are exactly tuned then u'll get the perfect sound =)

[tommmmmmas]

zzz

what a boring american show this is..

^^

[infraprods]

Thanks..I learned something!

[theangryguitarist]

Valuable information... thanks.

[latinrockfusionfreak]

What is a flat string and a sharp string? I understand sharp as the one that is going up in the tuning scale, and flat as the lower one. Am I correct?

[jammona]

its not about strings but notes

like C flat sounds the same as B

and E sharp sounds like F

or C sharp like D flat

[DuDe1040]

thats right...if you are sharp you got to release the tension of string if flat tighten up a bit..

[TheLivingDeadOne]

is your bridge on reversed? My les paul has the set screws facing the rear of the guitar

[GUITARandHOCKEY94]

haha i was thinking the same thing, cuz on my sg they are facing the back and my intonation sucks, so im gonna turn it around

[soulreaper979]

you can also do the 12th frett harmonic and it should be the smae pitch is 12 fret being played

[brandoclarkopolo]

@soulreaper979 You CAN do that, but this method does not take into account that you are bending the string to the fretboard (when playing normally) around the 12th fret. If you want it to intonate better and you are playing above the 12 fret consider actually fretting the note to give the tuner a more honest sample of the guitar at that point on the neck. I used to do it your way until I started studying up on tuning and intonation. Good luck!

[AnVainAttempt]

i need seriouse help. i have a michael kelly les paul and i just broke top E string by false tuning. BUT my strings come from within the guitar and there is not an visible way of getting strings in. i was wonderin if u had any advice? thanks :]

[AnVainAttempt]

sorry people. i opend my eeyes and realised on back of guitar there are the holes sorry :/

[MaryMcContrary]

Thanks for posting this. Very helpful.

[potofgrass]

on my les paul the g string is tuned right, but on the 12th fret its sharp so i was going to lengthen the string like in the video, but its already as long as it will go, what do i do?

[cybervisionstar]

I read that you need or could try to tae the saddle out and turn it around not all are facing the same way. don't worry about bending the thin string that holds them in place it does not affect the sound it only eeps the pieces from falling out when it's not being held on by the strings.

[necrojerky]

I FINALLY found out why some of the bridges are reversed and some of the saddles on them have been turned aound.

The bridge position depends on who assembled it and how they are used to installing the bridge as it makes NO difference in the guitars functionality.

The beveled saddles somtimes get turned around to allow for an additional few millimeters of intonation adjustment when needed to properly set-up the guitar.

I asked a local luthier with 30 years experience in Fenders & Gibsons.

[theinck]

why is your brige on backwards??????wtf

[necrojerky]

Look at any tune-o-matic / Gibson style bridge. That's the way they are supposed to be installed. If the screws were facing the tailpiece, inserting a screwdriver would be virtually impossible.

[theinck]

i own an sg standard. and the screws are facing the tailpiece, and i can adjust them easier. do you know why he flips the small things on the bridge? they are hard to flip around.

[necrojerky]

All the guitars I've seen & own have them facing the neck. I have seen some people change all of their strings at once and the bridge will fall off and they'll put it back on with the screws facing the opposite way.

As far as the "small things" on the bridge, I assume you mean the saddles. They are usually made with the 3 for the thicker strings bevelled back away from the neck and the other 3 are generally bevelled towards the neck. I can't actually say why but most are installed that way.

[rob062388]

My bridge has the screws facing the tailpiece and all of my saddles go in one direction. I just bought it that way. Is there any difference in how the guitar sounds?

[necrojerky]

I was looking around at the stuff in the local Guitar Ceneter today and there are a few types of guitars with the screws facing the tail. I guess it depends who assembles them. I can't imagine it could possibly make any difference in the sound. I have an Ibanez Artcore and the saddles all have roller bearings where the strings make contact with the bridge and it sounds incredible. I just assume the guitar guys know what they are doing when they design them.

[guth4n17]

In which way does he turn the screw?

[theinck]

good question, because his bridge is on backwards aswell

[guitarworld08]

Nice guitar!

And, melodyboys com*cn can help you to get this guitar at a rather cheaper price

[BoomBoxJakey]

looks dangerous

[inkey2]

From A guitar tech: glad to see this guy sets intonation while holding the guitar in the playing position. I was amazed to see how many so called guitar techs set intonation with the guitar flat on a table with the head stock touching. Not a good idea.

[SnysterGates]

does this work if your Les Paul is an Epi? or does it not matter?? someone please respond, thank you

[glurm]

It works on any guitar you have.

[randyrhoads6]

this guy is good, these videos are really helpful, it made my explorer sound a hell of a lot better

[valvano8u0]

Cool!

I can also make a costumize guitar like this one with your name or favor football team!

guitarvillage com cn

[fretboarder]

dont you have to losen the string a bit whilst turning the screw??

[theonlycook]

bored!

[jjbennett123]

This guys a numpty, its the harmonic on the 12th against the 12th fret!

[FidoCJ]

Actually there are some luthiers who prefer to compare the open note and the 12th fret note. I agree that the harmonic usually gives me the most accurate adjustments, but it can be checked both ways.

[cascarobeli]

Tunning with the harmonic on the 12th fret position assures you that all harmonics will be there ...

[caprisierra24v]

BILLYDUH!!

[ack1014]

what if my string is still sharp or flat after moving the saddle all the way?

My truss rod doesn't need adjustment from what i can see, so I dont think thats the problem.

[letdownjohnny]

Yeah I've got the same issue and doesn't appear to be truss rod either.

[PrecisionBassist]

adjust the neck, it isn't straight.

[hatooku]

you have to "flip" the bridge thing. its in one of youtube's video

[Joryba]

con u pop a sting doin this??

[thepossessor]

no you should be fine just be careful

[helomechjmc]

Step 4! I found there were alternate methods using twelfth fret Chime to help set it (for those of us without electronic tuners). I do need to get one though. Took a while to get an ear for it but the chime method worked well enough to convince my own ear. Only two of my strings needed adjustment from factory. Low E, and B.

[PageIommiAwesome]

its so much easier than i thought it was. thanks for enlightening me!