Choosing a Temperament - clarification/question

[John McKone]

>        After that nothing affects the tuning of the guitar other than
>turning the pegs
>regardless of how the bridges are shaped.

This is not correct.

The bridge saddle of a quality guitar is shaped (or "intonated") to create
a precice speaking length of the open string.  In theory the length of the
string should be set so that the 12th fret bisects the open string exactly.
In practice, it is varied somewhat to compensate for the sharpening of
notes as the string is pressed to the fret.  A luthier  with a lot of
finesse will even take into consideration the style of the player when
doing this set up.  This proccess is acomplished by comparing the pitch of
the octave harmonic of an open string with the same pitch fretted at the
12th fret.

Look at a high quality quitar and you will see how the termination point at
the saddle varies from string to string

John McKone, RPT
St. louis Park, Minnesota
mckonejw@skypoint.com