I was surfing the net to find a description of how to move a saddle on my old Western guitar, that have never tuned properly. I recently made a bone saddle myself (the old one was worn out - the strings rattled like crazy because they had dug into the material). Still it didn't tune up well.
I found this site in swedish with a long article on "Why don't it tune up" that gave a fantastic explanation on tempered scales, how it developed and how it is a compromise. Great read (in swedish) for scandinavians. Go find some in english, it is out there!
There is another article on how to tune the guitar. "HA" I hear you thinking. But my old western never sounded better, and the tuner in my pocket studio have worked wonders on my electric guitars.
This guys method goes:
Stäm höga E-strängen och jämför den med:
5:e bandet på H-strängen,
9:e bandet på G-strängen,
14:e bandet på D-strängen,
7:e bandet på A-strängen (en oktav lägre)
5:e bands flageolett på låga E-strängen
In english that's:
- Tune the high/thin E-string as a starting point.
- Tune the B-string in the 5th fret to that open 1. string E
- Tune the G-string in the 9th fret to that open 1. string E
- The D-string goes to the same E in 14th fret
- The A-string is down one octave to that open 1. string E
in the 5th fret
- The low E is tunet to that open 1. string E via an overtone over the 5. fret (on the low E of course)
Then there's a method to fine tuning using just overtones, but watch out, because it is exactly the point of the tempered scale (that every guitars - according to this guy - is build for) THAT THE FRETS DOES NOT conform to the overtones, because the tempered scale is a compromise.
That was new to me!