Intonating a Music Man Floyd?
- Thread starter Agileguy_101
- Start date
Rockstar216
New member
Re: Intonating a Music Man Floyd?
The old fashion way. You slack the string move the saddle and pray to god you get it right the first time.
The old fashion way. You slack the string move the saddle and pray to god you get it right the first time.
XSSIVE
OCDologist
Re: Intonating a Music Man Floyd?
He speaks the truth haha. Check if it's sharp or flat, loosen the string a bunch, unlock the saddle, move it forward or back (whatever is needed), tighten the saddle back down, tune back up and check again....and again if needed and again etc.
A powered string winder makes it go way faster like one of the Ernie Ball units or a cordless drill attachment one.
He speaks the truth haha. Check if it's sharp or flat, loosen the string a bunch, unlock the saddle, move it forward or back (whatever is needed), tighten the saddle back down, tune back up and check again....and again if needed and again etc.
A powered string winder makes it go way faster like one of the Ernie Ball units or a cordless drill attachment one.
Agileguy_101
Master of his Domain
Re: Intonating a Music Man Floyd?
Holy crap that sounds like so much fun guys
Holy crap that sounds like so much fun guys
Agileguy_101
Master of his Domain
Re: Intonating a Music Man Floyd?
Question - when checking for intonation does it matter whether you fret at the 12th or just hit the harmonic? I was always told the harmonic but I'm getting different results between fretted and harmonic.
Question - when checking for intonation does it matter whether you fret at the 12th or just hit the harmonic? I was always told the harmonic but I'm getting different results between fretted and harmonic.
Agileguy_101
Master of his Domain
Re: Intonating a Music Man Floyd?
Wow, this is actually pretty easy. Much better than spending $20 on a tool that will save me maybe 10 minutes of work (work that I don't even much mind)
Wow, this is actually pretty easy. Much better than spending $20 on a tool that will save me maybe 10 minutes of work (work that I don't even much mind)
CTN
The Drama Dude
Re: Intonating a Music Man Floyd?
you actually have to compare the 12th fret harmonic to the 12 fret fretted note.
If the fretted note is flat, move the bridge saddle closer to the neck. If it’s sharp, move the saddle further from the neck. You want the fretted note to be the same as the harmonic.
but each time you move the saddle, make sure to tune up with a tuner. Intonation position of the saddle is specifically relative to the string gauge/tension and tuning. So when your tuning changes after adjusting the saddle, you need to retune, check the harmonic vs. fretted notes, and adjust again, repeating until they match.
The nice thing about floyds is that their setup in terms of string/spring tension is also specific to string gauge and tuning, so if you set up everything once, any time you change strings, as long as you're using the same brand/gauges/tuning, you most likely won't need to change anything in the setup.
If you are changing brands/gauges/tuning though, be prepared for pain in your ass.
you actually have to compare the 12th fret harmonic to the 12 fret fretted note.
If the fretted note is flat, move the bridge saddle closer to the neck. If it’s sharp, move the saddle further from the neck. You want the fretted note to be the same as the harmonic.
but each time you move the saddle, make sure to tune up with a tuner. Intonation position of the saddle is specifically relative to the string gauge/tension and tuning. So when your tuning changes after adjusting the saddle, you need to retune, check the harmonic vs. fretted notes, and adjust again, repeating until they match.
The nice thing about floyds is that their setup in terms of string/spring tension is also specific to string gauge and tuning, so if you set up everything once, any time you change strings, as long as you're using the same brand/gauges/tuning, you most likely won't need to change anything in the setup.
If you are changing brands/gauges/tuning though, be prepared for pain in your ass.
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Agileguy_101
Master of his Domain
Re: Intonating a Music Man Floyd?
That makes more sense than my method. Thanks Ryan.
That makes more sense than my method. Thanks Ryan.
Agileguy_101
Master of his Domain
Re: Intonating a Music Man Floyd?
Oh man my guitar sounds so much better now, and it really wasn't that hard to do. I get why people complain about Floyds - it's more work - but it's really not that much more work. An extra two to five minutes tops to restring and an extra 20 minutes to intonate (but locking saddles remove the possibility of having to do it even semi-regularly) are perfectly acceptable trade offs for the tuning stability and wonderful feel under the hand a Floyd offers.
Floyds rule
Oh man my guitar sounds so much better now, and it really wasn't that hard to do. I get why people complain about Floyds - it's more work - but it's really not that much more work. An extra two to five minutes tops to restring and an extra 20 minutes to intonate (but locking saddles remove the possibility of having to do it even semi-regularly) are perfectly acceptable trade offs for the tuning stability and wonderful feel under the hand a Floyd offers.
Floyds rule
CTN
The Drama Dude
Re: Intonating a Music Man Floyd?
meh.
Good for tuning stability. I don't like how they move and change tunings of strings when I do those big bluesy bends where you fret and bend one string, fret one or two others and play them all in quick succession. I use them a lot, and floyds always throw off the tuning of those non-bending strings.
That plus the royal pain in the ass in terms of set up (I change tunings and string gauges like I change my underwear), coupled with the fact that I don't really use trems much anyway means that owning a floyd is kinda pointless for me.
But I will happily take people's money to set up their floyds. HAH!
meh.
Good for tuning stability. I don't like how they move and change tunings of strings when I do those big bluesy bends where you fret and bend one string, fret one or two others and play them all in quick succession. I use them a lot, and floyds always throw off the tuning of those non-bending strings.
That plus the royal pain in the ass in terms of set up (I change tunings and string gauges like I change my underwear), coupled with the fact that I don't really use trems much anyway means that owning a floyd is kinda pointless for me.
But I will happily take people's money to set up their floyds. HAH!
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Rockstar216
New member
Re: Intonating a Music Man Floyd?
Welcome to the club.
Also for intonation the way I do it is to make sure the 12 fret harmonic and fretted note along with the A note on each string is in tune. If you can get A note on each string intoned along with the 12th fretted note intoned I find it makes every note on the fret board come in tune.
Oh man my guitar sounds so much better now, and it really wasn't that hard to do. I get why people complain about Floyds - it's more work - but it's really not that much more work. An extra two to five minutes tops to restring and an extra 20 minutes to intonate (but locking saddles remove the possibility of having to do it even semi-regularly) are perfectly acceptable trade offs for the tuning stability and wonderful feel under the hand a Floyd offers.
Floyds rule
Welcome to the club.
Also for intonation the way I do it is to make sure the 12 fret harmonic and fretted note along with the A note on each string is in tune. If you can get A note on each string intoned along with the 12th fretted note intoned I find it makes every note on the fret board come in tune.
Rockstar216
New member
CTN
The Drama Dude
Re: Intonating a Music Man Floyd?
better yet, I will try no trem springs!
I don't really have any desire to own any guitars with trems anymore.
better yet, I will try no trem springs!
I don't really have any desire to own any guitars with trems anymore.
Agileguy_101
Master of his Domain
Re: Intonating a Music Man Floyd?
I don't use the vibrato that much, but it's nice to have it there on occasion. I have enough guitars for all the tunings I need, and I don't really change gauges once I find what works for that guitar, so that's not much of an issue for me either. I feel you on the bridge not reacting to bends like a hardtail, but I fixed that by tightening the claw screws to the point that bending even two steps up won't move the bridge. On my other (floating bridge) guitars I just get around it with technique changes, but it does mean that I can't quite do the same type of playing as on a hardtail. Oh well, no biggie.
I don't use the vibrato that much, but it's nice to have it there on occasion. I have enough guitars for all the tunings I need, and I don't really change gauges once I find what works for that guitar, so that's not much of an issue for me either. I feel you on the bridge not reacting to bends like a hardtail, but I fixed that by tightening the claw screws to the point that bending even two steps up won't move the bridge. On my other (floating bridge) guitars I just get around it with technique changes, but it does mean that I can't quite do the same type of playing as on a hardtail. Oh well, no biggie.
King IzzO)))
Ultimate Kitten Puncher
Re: Intonating a Music Man Floyd?
Nah, it's a total ****ter. On the new Ibanez trems, all those stupid washers are impossible to keep in place it seems. I've killed a set of strings before just doing an intonation job too, just sayin'. Good thing is that once it's done it's usually set pretty well for minor string gauge changes, unlike a TOM can be.
Nah, it's a total ****ter. On the new Ibanez trems, all those stupid washers are impossible to keep in place it seems. I've killed a set of strings before just doing an intonation job too, just sayin'. Good thing is that once it's done it's usually set pretty well for minor string gauge changes, unlike a TOM can be.
King IzzO)))
Ultimate Kitten Puncher
Re: Intonating a Music Man Floyd?
CTN, this is what you need:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Goeldo-Gold...Accessories&hash=item20dfe88776#ht_2115wt_998
CTN, this is what you need:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Goeldo-Gold...Accessories&hash=item20dfe88776#ht_2115wt_998
XSSIVE
OCDologist
Re: Intonating a Music Man Floyd?
Wise move. That's one of my "secret" non-recessed Floyd set-up tricks. I take the G string around the 17th fret or so and bend it 'til it touches the A string then tighten the claw 'til the base of the Floyd is touching the body and that giant bend doesn't move it at all. Then the bar will be nice and loose for dives yet big bends won't move the trem causing things to go out of tune. Most people just tighten the claw all the way on a non-recessed Floyd but that's overkill and it just makes the bar stiff.
This is another reason I love non-recessed Floyds over floaters.
Wise move. That's one of my "secret" non-recessed Floyd set-up tricks. I take the G string around the 17th fret or so and bend it 'til it touches the A string then tighten the claw 'til the base of the Floyd is touching the body and that giant bend doesn't move it at all. Then the bar will be nice and loose for dives yet big bends won't move the trem causing things to go out of tune. Most people just tighten the claw all the way on a non-recessed Floyd but that's overkill and it just makes the bar stiff.
This is another reason I love non-recessed Floyds over floaters.
