Having issues intonating a guitar with a Gibraltar plus bridge.

[man-in-moon]

I just picked up a guitar with one of these bridges. I really like the design but for the life of me can not get it to intonate properly. Even with saddles backed up all the way it is still reading sharp. I have been trying for 2 days to set it. I have been using the Peterson istrobe app and Peterson adaptor with my ipad. From what I have read it is just as accurate as the pedal tuner.
I am getting frustrated with the guitar I have never had this much trouble intonating one. I can not afford to take it to a tech and really do not want to give up on it. As its a great guitar. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[AlexR]

Re: Having issues intonating a guitar with a Gibraltar plus bridge.

Measure the actual bridge position from the nut.....comparing it to something of the same scale length. This is to see whether the bridge is where you'd normally expect it to be for that scale length.

Look at things like the nut height and relief. These will affect how sharp fretting the string will pull the note.
If all things seem ok, try a different set of (new) strings, maybe of a different brand (just to make sure you also are eliminating a bad batch of your normal strings as a cause). I am assuming you are already using new strings.....old ones are completely useless for intonation.

 

[ehdwuld]

Re: Having issues intonating a guitar with a Gibraltar plus bridge.

The gibraltar is a hard tail right?
The strings should be divided in half at the 12th fret
Measure the length from nut to 12th fret
Then 12fret to bridge
The bridge side should be within the inch or so adjustment range of the bridge

You may have to move it a bit closer or further

*(Sent from my durned phone!)*

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Having issues intonating a guitar with a Gibraltar plus bridge.

Before you do anything crazy try another set of strings. Sometimes a set of dud strings is the issue.

What brand and gauge strings are you using??


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[man-in-moon]

Re: Having issues intonating a guitar with a Gibraltar plus bridge.

Thanks for the input guys so far all the measurements are coming out right. The guitar is an ibanez prestige can't remember the exact model. I have tried 2 sets of strings. A set of Ernie ball cobalts and a set of EB M-steels. Both are gauge 10-52. The only thing left is the nut. Which I need to have replaced anyway it's way too low for me.

 

[AlexR]

Re: Having issues intonating a guitar with a Gibraltar plus bridge.

And is it all strings too, or just some of them.....those hybrid string sets can often prove more tricky for narrow range intonation bridges

 

[man-in-moon]

Re: Having issues intonating a guitar with a Gibraltar plus bridge.

Yeah it's on all of them. I do not know a lot about these bridges never used one before. But from I read online they are supposed to have one of the widest adjustment ranges. It's a real nice guitar but I really expected more out of a mij j custom ibanez. I took it into gc to compare to a few other ibanez they had. You could tell it was better than most of what they had. But they had a new DT 520 destroyer that just blew it away.
It was louder acoustically and a lot more resonate. For what I have in the guitar I can not complain but i figured there would be a bigger difference.

 

[ehdwuld]

Re: Having issues intonating a guitar with a Gibraltar plus bridge.

do you have a picture of it?

something is off

can we see it?

 

[AlexR]

Re: Having issues intonating a guitar with a Gibraltar plus bridge.

Yeah it's on all of them. I do not know a lot about these bridges never used one before. But from I read online they are supposed to have one of the widest adjustment ranges. It's a real nice guitar but I really expected more out of a mij j custom ibanez. I took it into gc to compare to a few other ibanez they had. You could tell it was better than most of what they had. But they had a new DT 520 destroyer that just blew it away.
It was louder acoustically and a lot more resonate. For what I have in the guitar I can not complain but i figured there would be a bigger difference.

People have a lot of misconceptions about guitars, 'quality' and wood. Yes the wood makes for a great vs not so great guitar (and this will depend on your ears too, so great for one person could be bad for another), and no, there is no earthly way that looking at bits of wood on a pallet will tell you what the 'good' bits are.

 

[man-in-moon]

Re: Having issues intonating a guitar with a Gibraltar plus bridge.

These are the best pics I could get they are close ups of the bridge and one of the nut. The guitar is an RGA121vlf.

 

[man-in-moon]

Re: Having issues intonating a guitar with a Gibraltar plus bridge.

I have no idea why it flipped the pics

 

[AlexR]

Re: Having issues intonating a guitar with a Gibraltar plus bridge.

How much further back can the saddles go???

 

[man-in-moon]

Re: Having issues intonating a guitar with a Gibraltar plus bridge.

They will go back alittle further but that's it I had them backed all the way back and the low e was still reading 10 full cents sharp using the Peterson tuner app that I have.

 

[AlexR]

Re: Having issues intonating a guitar with a Gibraltar plus bridge.

Thats the fretted 12th is it??

I'm guessing the fretted notes from 12 to 1 just get sharper??

Are you a 'solid fretter of notes'?, or are you light touch

 

[man-in-moon]

Re: Having issues intonating a guitar with a Gibraltar plus bridge.

From the 1st-12th fret seems fine it's just from the 12th-24th. I have tried using a light touch and using more pressure same results. I did some more looking and found a few things were people talked about having different issues with these bridges. Most were due to the zinc saddles wearing. People reported replacing the saddles or whole bridge fixed a lot of problems.
The only down side is the bridge has been discontinued for awhile it seems and is very hard to find parts for unless you buy used. I guess it did not go over that well since I haven't seen many pics of an ibanez with one. It feels comfortable but is kind of an odd ball design a fixed bridge that does move a little and is routed out under it to feel more like a locking trem.

 

[kramersteen]

Re: Having issues intonating a guitar with a Gibraltar plus bridge.

Whats the ruler say about the scale?

 

[AlexR]

Re: Having issues intonating a guitar with a Gibraltar plus bridge.

Thats odd, its usually the lower ones that read sharp, and then the higher ones that read flat if you compensate to make the lower frets read true......or at least on all my guitars thats what seems to happen.

I'm wondering about the setup now, whether or not the neck is flatish in the lower fret area (12 and below) but then falls away after that - meaning that the high frets are needing a much bigger press down than you'd expect.

 

[man-in-moon]

Re: Having issues intonating a guitar with a Gibraltar plus bridge.

Thanks for all the input guys. I broke down and took it to the tech I use when I have to. He's real good and shoots straight plus he cuts me deals. He broke it down since he didn't have anything in the shop. So far we have found 3 issues he is trying to fix. First some of the saddles screws are not original. They aren't fully threaded that's what's keeping the saddles from going back as far as they should.
Second the bridge anchors are supposed to lean a little but these actually move back and fourth in the body. I called the guy I bought it from and let him talk to the tech. He informed us he had the guitar string with 12-54 strings tuned down half a step. And that he hadn't touched the guitar in 5-6 years. He put new strings on it tuned up and hung it on his wall. And it stayed there untouched for all those years.
Third thing the neck has a very slight twist in it. So far we can get it most of the way out but not completely