The Problem - Your guitar doesn't play in tune
Tune an E chord at the first fret so it sounds in tune with itself. Now play the A and D chords and at least one or two notes are sharp or flat. No matter how carefully you tune your guitar, you can't compensate for this 'brick wall' in intonation. So you play around the bad notes or avoid certain notes and chords altogether. Besides cramping your technique, it's a constant annoyance when performing or recording.
The Reason - Standard intonation is not pleasing to the ear
Guitars are designed and built using a standard formula for intonation and nut placement. Each string is intonated only to itself resulting in an attempt to create perfect, mathematical intervals. Piano tuners abandoned the use of perfect mathematical intervals over 400 years ago because it simply is not pleasing to the ear. Instead, piano strings are 'stretch tuned' so that the intonation is pleasing anywhere on the keyboard. The resulting 'tempered' tuning is superbly musical, and most important, in tune with the ear at all intervals. A properly tuned piano provides the absolute pitch reference for all instruments.
The Solution - The Buzz Feiten Tuning System
Inspired by the piano's tempered tuning, the Buzz Feiten Tuning System is a revolutionary intonation model for guitar that intonates each string not only to itself, but also to every other string. Furthermore, to eliminate sharpness in the first three frets, the nut is moved a prescribed distance closer to the bridge. The result - play any note, any chord, anywhere on the neck and you'll be in tune. And, it doesn't change the way your guitar looks or plays.

The Buzz Feiten Tuning System® Authorized Retrofit involves two steps:
Step 1: Install Shelf Nut - The nut is moved closer to the first fret to eliminate sharpness at the first three frets caused by end tension. Your Authorized Retrofitter removes the original nut and installs our Shelf Nut according to our patented formula for your guitar based on its scale length, fret width and string gaug. This step employs our exclusive Shelf Nut branded with our lightning-bolt logo for authenticity. Installation of this part is non invasive - your guitar is not changed at all. And our Shelf Nut is machined from only the finest, natural bone for the absolute best in tonal transfer. And every Authorized Retrofit comes with a Serial Numbered Buzz Feiten Tuning System Guitar Decal for verification.

Shelf Nut Installed on Guitar:

Step 2: Intonation - Your guitar is intonated according to our patented pitch
offset formulas using the Korg DT-7 Tuner in Buzz Feiten Tuning System mode. This step is performed by adjusting the bridge saddles until each string is properly intonated according to our pitch offset formulas. These slight, but exacting adjustments, when combined with our Shelf Nut bring your guitar into proper, balanced intonation across the entire fingerboard of your guitar. Your guitar's original bridge is used so there is no alteration in its look, feel or tone. Several models of Peterson Tuners have also begun to employ the Buzz Feiten Tuning System and may also be used by your Authorized Retrofitter when retrofitting your guitar.

 

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