Intonation help PLEASE!

Bfeeney

Bfeeney

Active member
So I'm trying to intonate my guitars today and I'm starting with the LTD M-50 since I didn't do major modifications changing the style of bridge on it, just changed the saddles to Graph-Tech's. I know that you're open notes should be in tune and when you fret it at the 12th it also should be in tune. Sounds 1st grade simple, but it seems like I'm chasing my tail. I'll use the low E to help explain the situation but it is the same for all. I first tune the string open and get it balls-on, then when I fret the 12th it is almost a Db. I then move the saddle so it is at E. When I retune open it is low so I bring it back up. Then when I fret the 12th again it is at the same spot, almost Db, So I move the saddle again. I do these steps over and over and I never get the two notes to be the same and I'm running out of threads on the saddle screw. I want to learn how to set up my own guitars so I don't have to rely on someone charging $80 for all of them. Can someone tell me what I'm doing wrong?
 
Re: Intonation help PLEASE!

Ok...hit the string open, tune it until it's in tune then fret it at the 12th fret. If it is sharp or flat, move the saddle a little bit then retune the string until the open note is in tune again then fret it at the 12th fret again and see how it changed. If it's still off move the saddle a little more then retune it again until it's in tune open.

Is that what you're doing??
 
Re: Intonation help PLEASE!

That's what I'm doing but every time I fret the 12th it is still really high, I'm running out of threads on the saddle screw
 
Re: Intonation help PLEASE!

Bfeeney said:
That's what I'm doing but every time I fret the 12th it is still really high, I'm running out of threads on the saddle screw
Click to expand...

After you tweak the saddle are you retuning the open string??

The way you posted the first time made it sound like you were just going back and fourth...
 
Re: Intonation help PLEASE!

Bfeeney said:
So I'm trying to intonate my guitars today and I'm starting with the LTD M-50 since I didn't do major modifications changing the style of bridge on it, just changed the saddles to Graph-Tech's. I know that you're open notes should be in tune and when you fret it at the 12th it also should be in tune. Sounds 1st grade simple, but it seems like I'm chasing my tail. I'll use the low E to help explain the situation but it is the same for all. I first tune the string open and get it balls-on, then when I fret the 12th it is almost a Db. I then move the saddle so it is at E. When I retune open it is low so I bring it back up. Then when I fret the 12th again it is at the same spot, almost Db, So I move the saddle again. I do these steps over and over and I never get the two notes to be the same and I'm running out of threads on the saddle screw. I want to learn how to set up my own guitars so I don't have to rely on someone charging $80 for all of them. Can someone tell me what I'm doing wrong?
Click to expand...

I think thats what he is doing.

Ive had instances where i cant get it absolutely dead on, but thats pretty normal. Not being able to shift it from a Db though, thats a little strange.

EDIT: i missread. Do what the TGWIF said. After you move the saddle, retune to open E, not the fretted.
 
Re: Intonation help PLEASE!

If you are going through all the steps correctly and are having that many issues the next step is to try a different string...if you are using hex core strings it's rare but you can get a bad string.

If you are using round core strings and didn't string it correctly the windings could be loose and that can cause that issue...
 
Re: Intonation help PLEASE!

90% of the time I use Ernie Ball 10-46 but I was on a budget a while ago so I got some GFS strings and had the same result with them too.
 
Re: Intonation help PLEASE!

If you are trying to intonate correctly and have tried a different set of strings then there is a big issue OR something VERY small that we are all missing...
 
Re: Intonation help PLEASE!

First things first, back the pickups off until they are at least a quarter inch away from the strings when they are stopped at the highest fret. Magnetic weighting is the single biggest cause of problems when players are doing their own intonation.

A propos of something else, if you use the technique published almost everywhere, you will end up with your intonation being flat in the higher register of the fingerboard. I explain the reasoning behind this here http://www.edgeguitarservices.co.uk/Tempering/

If all else fails you might also want to check the the bridge is in the correct place. To do this you need a special Luthiery tool called a Big Long Ruler... Never assume that the maker has got it right. I've seen plenty of Jacksons, ESPs and Gibsons with bridges that are simply not correctly located.

I presume you are winding the saddle forward when you find it flat at the 12th? It's just that you said it's almost Dflat and then at another point you said that after checking it was still too high; D flat is lower in pitch than E so if you are sounding flat at the 13th you need to be shortening the sounding length. D flat is a hell of a gap - it's three semitones! Are you sure you've got that right? I don't see how it's even possible. E flat maybe...
 
Re: Intonation help PLEASE!



bear with me on the video, it's hard to record and do the tweaking with only 2 hands.
 
Re: Intonation help PLEASE!

This is happening to me on an Epiphone Lucille... the note always reads sharp no matter how much I put the saddle back. i seriously thought to myself "well.. its an Epiphone" and didn't think much of it.
 
Re: Intonation help PLEASE!

astrozombie said:
This is happening to me on an Epiphone Lucille... the note always reads sharp no matter how much I put the saddle back. i seriously thought to myself "well.. its an Epiphone" and didn't think much of it.
Click to expand...

Yeah, that's what happens when you buy inexpensive guitars. They may be able to sound as nice as more expensive guitars but issues like these are far more common. What can you do about it? (Besides buying quality guitars in the first place)
 
Re: Intonation help PLEASE!

Agileguy_101 said:
Yeah, that's what happens when you buy inexpensive guitars. They may be able to sound as nice as more expensive guitars but issues like these are far more common. What can you do about it? (Besides buying quality guitars in the first place)
Click to expand...

Actually, you are more likely to find issues such as these on a Gibson than an Epiphone
 
Re: Intonation help PLEASE!

So should I use a 12th fret harmonic rather than a note so I don't stretch the string and pull the note sharp?
 
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