Guitar Set-Ups and Intonation Explained
A correctly adjusted guitar is an important key to successful guitar playing. More often than not, however, one comes across instruments which have never been matched to the gauge or type of string, let alone the playing style of the owner.
It would be safe to assume that many players really don’t know what they are missing. In adjusting the guitar, the two main areas of concern are the correct action and correct scale accuracy (intonation).
The playing style of the guitarist is the deciding factor regarding all other adjustments to the guitar. The player who plays hard will have to content himself with a high action in order to play clearly without the strings buzzing on the frets.
In addition, the use of flat picks (in acoustical guitars) usually requires a higher action than finger picks or fingers alone. Finger Picking, on the other hand and flamenco playing require low action. Most of electric players can get away with very low action. A guitarist who plays several styles must compromise on his action or use several instruments.
