Bass guitar intonation problems

1. How do you fix the intonation on a bass guitar?
2. What causes intonation problems?
3. How do you fix intonation problems?

How do you fix the intonation on a bass guitar?

To set the intonation of your bass guitar, you must lengthen or shorten the string by moving the string's saddle backward or forward. You do this by tightening or loosening the intonation screws at the back of the bridge.

What causes intonation problems?

Your frets are excessively worn, flat, dented, etc.

If the tops of your frets are too flat, dented, or you just had crappy fretwork done by a bad guitar tech, you can have trouble setting intonation. If this is the case, you'll probably have other issues too, such as fret buzz or notes fretting out.

How do you fix intonation problems?

If the fretted 12th fret note is sharp, adjusting the screw clockwise will improve intonation. Turning the screw anti-clockwise decreases the length of the guitar string. If the fretted 12th fret note is flat, adjusting the screw clockwise will improve intonation. Only make small adjustments to the saddle at a time.