Does tuning down and using a capo change intonation?

[StrumFu]

So what we are talking about here is the normal amount of intonation inconsistency that one would have with normal playing? So why would intonating the saddle in a different tuning change anything? Wouldn't you need to have the capo in place while intonating to see a change? Then anything without the capo right there would be out of intonation right

My original reply was wondering why a drop tuning would change intonation while open. A couple people said they get intonated in a lower tuning, not when they were capoed. But maybe they meant intonating with a capo in place and I misunderstood.

[Yrksman]

Originally Posted by EoE

the question is , will it change enough to bother you? people like Neil young that is one pitchy dude...bob Dylan admits he can not sing.. very few vocalist are dead on pitch and none are dead on 100% of the time. so yes it will but will you or most people notice?

Very good point, I play various tunings on all my guitars and curse sometimes when I can't get the tuning quite right. But I've never really considered it enough of a problem to have the intonation changed, unless the intonation was out in the first place.

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by StrumFu

So what we are talking about here is the normal amount of intonation inconsistency that one would have with normal playing? So why would intonating the saddle in a different tuning change anything? Wouldn't you need to have the capo in place while intonating to see a change? Then anything without the capo right there would be out of intonation right

Hi SF…

I don't know why, but it does.

And the amount of intonation discrepancy matters more or less with the person playing/tuning's ears.

[StrumFu]

Originally Posted by ljguitar

Hi SF…

I don't know why, but it does.

And the amount of intonation discrepancy matters more or less with the person playing/tuning's ears.

lj...Thanks for the reply. Always great to hear about other peoples experiences. I would never have thought that would make a difference. Agreed a persons touch or playing style seems to make a big difference.

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by StrumFu

lj...Thanks for the reply. Always great to hear about other peoples experiences. I would never have thought that would make a difference. Agreed a persons touch or playing style seems to make a big difference.

Hi SF…

When a string vibrates, it initially travels further and is thus sharper than when it settles to it's sustaining volume. The heavier the string, the longer it travels before settling, and the less tension a string presents (like a 6th string tuned down to D or C) is easier to over press and actually bend notes slightly sharp.

For me the more energy in the song, my tendency is to add just a little fretting pressure.

The higher the action, the more you sharpen a string just depressing it to the fret wire. So intonating low strings, and playing it involves compromise. Even on my well intonated/compensated guitars, I usually end up tuning the low string to D and then flattening it a couple cents so it compensates for my touch/press.

This difference is really exacerbated on guitars with high action (think bluegrass lead players). It's a compromise to get the open strings and the fretted notes intonated well, because just depressing the string to the fret when the action is raised to avoid buzzing, coupled with the added intensity of some players, tends to bend strings sharp.

Highly responsive guitars with a lot of sustain, and a playing style which features sustain, presents a different set of challenges for me than a guitar which has a quick decay (lack of sustain). I'm a full time finger styler who likes low action, and guitars which are highly responsive, very resonant, with high levels of useful sustain.

And my guitars are in Dropped D about half the time (because I play in keys of D, Bm, G, Em, and A while tuned to Dropped D).

Hope this contributes to the thread…