Do you set intonation with guitar laying flat or in playing position ?

Telejester

So many yt videos ive watched where intonation is set with a guitar laying flat. I set mine with my st300 sonic research turbo tuner and ive always done it with guitar in playing position, what way do you do it ?

rico

Playing position! 

WezV

Playing position for final adjustment

Maynehead

Playing position is the obvious and safest answer, but I don’t think there’s an appreciable difference

richardhomer

Playing position is the only right answer!

If you lie the guitar flat (with or without the neck supported) gravity will slightly alter the relief, which will mean your intonation settings will be ‘out’ when the guitar is in the playing position.

Chalky

Well by the logic expressed so far, the intonation on this Tele in front of me should change when I play it normal and then lay it on my lap and play it like a lap steel. I can't get any difference to register on my polytune.

BoopDeWoop

It doesn't really matter. Intonation is such a compromise across the whole neck it becomes moot if you're perfect on the 12th fret but sounds like a dog on a different fret.

richardhomer

Chalky said:

Well by the logic expressed so far, the intonation on this Tele in front of me should change when I play it normal and then lay it on my lap and play it like a lap steel. I can't get any difference to register on my polytune.

Try it with an SG or a PRS Custom 24 and you definitely would....

usedtobe

I set it in the position it’s going to be in when I’m playing it. Seems blindingly obvious, unless I’m missing something....

digitalscream

richardhomer said:

Playing position is the only right answer!

If you lie the guitar flat (with or without the neck supported) gravity will slightly alter the relief, which will mean your intonation settings will be ‘out’ when the guitar is in the playing position.

If your guitar is so flimsy that this will have any measurable effect, you should probably avoid even touching it for fear that it'd affect the intonation.

The fact is that variations in your finger pressure will have orders of magnitude more of an effect (y'know, an actually measurable one) than gravity, if the guitar construction is worth anything.

Alterlifeson

Seems like I'm the only one who does it with the guitar on the workbench, just seems easier to me. Never even thought there might be a different way.

ICBM

digitalscream said:

richardhomer said:

Playing position is the only right answer!

If you lie the guitar flat (with or without the neck supported) gravity will slightly alter the relief, which will mean your intonation settings will be ‘out’ when the guitar is in the playing position.

If your guitar is so flimsy that this will have any measurable effect, you should probably avoid even touching it for fear that it'd affect the intonation.

The fact is that variations in your finger pressure will have orders of magnitude more of an effect (y'know, an actually measurable one) than gravity, if the guitar construction is worth anything.

It's quite easy to hear with some guitars - things like Gibson SGs with long mahogany necks mostly. You can easily see the action change quite drastically when you lie the guitar down, and that does affect the intonation.

Yes, the variations due to finger pressure are larger, but surely the point is to try to set the guitar up so that it will play properly in tune when the other variables are taken out... that's got to be the baseline, or you might as well not bother setting the intonation accurately at all.

Maynehead

This is all assuming people lie their guitars down with the neck or body unsupported.

When I lie it down on my work table I have a cushion under the body and a support under the neck. With the weight distributed evenly there is no appreciable difference.

Clarky

playing position..

digitalscream

ICBM said:

digitalscream said:

richardhomer said:

Playing position is the only right answer!

If you lie the guitar flat (with or without the neck supported) gravity will slightly alter the relief, which will mean your intonation settings will be ‘out’ when the guitar is in the playing position.

If your guitar is so flimsy that this will have any measurable effect, you should probably avoid even touching it for fear that it'd affect the intonation.

The fact is that variations in your finger pressure will have orders of magnitude more of an effect (y'know, an actually measurable one) than gravity, if the guitar construction is worth anything.

It's quite easy to hear with some guitars - things like Gibson SGs with long mahogany necks mostly. You can easily see the action change quite drastically when you lie the guitar down, and that does affect the intonation.

Yes, the variations due to finger pressure are larger, but surely the point is to try to set the guitar up so that it will play properly in tune when the other variables are taken out... that's got to be the baseline, or you might as well not bother setting the intonation accurately at all.

That strikes me as evidence of pretty terrible (and unstable) guitar design. Exactly the kind of guitar I tend to avoid buying, in fact

guitars4you

lie a guitar flat and especially with any neck rest, then tune it up - now lift the guitar up and play it and the tuning will have changed - lots of comments above to support that

richardhomer

ICBM said:
It's quite easy to hear with some guitars - things like Gibson SGs with long mahogany necks mostly. You can easily see the action change quite drastically when you lie the guitar down, and that does affect the intonation.

Yes, the variations due to finger pressure are larger, but surely the point is to try to set the guitar up so that it will play properly in tune when the other variables are taken out... that's got to be the baseline, or you might as well not bother setting the intonation accurately at all.

Townsend used to use the ‘bendiness’ of SGs to add vibrato to chords....

Telejester

The A note , g string 2nd fret is the classic ropey note, I intonate my tele very thoroughly indeed, but when tuning up I always run the G string a little flat in a sweetened tuning kind of way.

It always surprises me watching somebody advise about intonation as their guitar lies flat with an unsupported neck, I imagine their A major chord at the 2nd fret sounding drrrrrrrrnnnnnnghhh

grungebob

I’ve a custom 24 with small neck heel and can’t perceive a difference flat or standing, but I assume most people like me would adjust the intonation with the guitar laid flat then pick it up to play it to check for any further adjustments needed?

ICBM

digitalscream said:

ICBM said:

It's quite easy to hear with some guitars - things like Gibson SGs with long mahogany necks mostly. You can easily see the action change quite drastically when you lie the guitar down, and that does affect the intonation.

That strikes me as evidence of pretty terrible (and unstable) guitar design. Exactly the kind of guitar I tend to avoid buying, in fact

I don’t really disagree, although I have to set them up too!

Actually it’s not a real problem if you’re aware of it, and as said above a flexible neck does have musical uses.

stratman3142

I've always done it in playing position but not thought about it before.
Even if there were a slight change in pitch, would that be enough to have a significant effect where the bridge saddles need to be?