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ive just full cleaned and polished my new firebird but cant get the intonation right!
ive been trying to do it for roughly an hour, adjusting the saddles and checking on the 12th fret.
it ALWAYS comes out as flat notes...
its my first tune o matic and my first attempt to try properly tuning a guitar.



is it the bow? stop bar height?
i wanna get the action as low as i can without a shitload of buzz.

I'm not familiar with firebirds but if the neck is removable you'll prolly have to shim it with some cardboard or summit to lower the string height and eliminate buzzing.

Once you pull the guitar up to full tune, I'm guessing you're fretting the 12th and noticing what the tuner says. Next, you're adjusting the saddle, but are you retuning after each adjustment? If not, there's your problem. Also, don't get impatient...intonating a guitar can't be done in any short period of time. In fact, it usually takes me a full 1/2 hour to intonate a guitar, and I'm really good at it.

Aug wrote:Once you pull the guitar up to full tune, I'm guessing you're fretting the 12th and noticing what the tuner says. Next, you're adjusting the saddle, but are you retuning after each adjustment? If not, there's your problem. Also, don't get impatient...intonating a guitar can't be done in any short period of time. In fact, it usually takes me a full 1/2 hour to intonate a guitar, and I'm really good at it.

do you know how to intonate a bronco? i don't see how it's possible without taking off the strings each time you wanna adjust the saddles.

bubbles_horwitz wrote:

Aug wrote:Once you pull the guitar up to full tune, I'm guessing you're fretting the 12th and noticing what the tuner says. Next, you're adjusting the saddle, but are you retuning after each adjustment? If not, there's your problem. Also, don't get impatient...intonating a guitar can't be done in any short period of time. In fact, it usually takes me a full 1/2 hour to intonate a guitar, and I'm really good at it.

do you know how to intonate a bronco? i don't see how it's possible without taking off the strings each time you wanna adjust the saddles.

of course! but, don't remove the strings...loosen the saddle screws just enough to be able to "tap" the saddle in either direction. If you don't get what I'm talking about, feel free to drop by the house, we'll shoot over to the shop and I'll show you.

Aug wrote:of course! but, don't remove the strings...loosen the saddle screws just enough to be able to "tap" the saddle in either direction. If you don't get what I'm talking about, feel free to drop by the house, we'll shoot over to the shop and I'll show you.

yeah, i think i get what you're saying. i'll try it out this weekend. if i can't get it, i might have to take you up on the offer.

Mark wrote: ive been trying to do it for roughly an hour, adjusting the saddles and checking on the 12th fret.
it ALWAYS comes out as flat notes...

So the saddles are all as far forward (towards the neck) as they can go?

Doog wrote:

Mark wrote: ive been trying to do it for roughly an hour, adjusting the saddles and checking on the 12th fret.
it ALWAYS comes out as flat notes...

So the saddles are all as far forward (towards the neck) as they can go?

yep. ive tried both as far forward and as far back.

Aug wrote:Once you pull the guitar up to full tune, I'm guessing you're fretting the 12th and noticing what the tuner says. Next, you're adjusting the saddle, but are you retuning after each adjustment? If not, there's your problem. Also, don't get impatient...intonating a guitar can't be done in any short period of time. In fact, it usually takes me a full 1/2 hour to intonate a guitar, and I'm really good at it.

Ive been retuning after i adjusted the saddle.

Mark wrote:

Doog wrote:

Mark wrote: ive been trying to do it for roughly an hour, adjusting the saddles and checking on the 12th fret.
it ALWAYS comes out as flat notes...

So the saddles are all as far forward (towards the neck) as they can go?

yep. ive tried both as far forward and as far back.

You aren't doing it right, then.

ive tried for a solid 2 hours now and i fucking give up.

im just gunna pay the guitar guy to set it up.

You are retuning the string to pitch after adjusting right?

The fact you're throwing that saddle fulling forwards and backwards means you don't know what you're doing. Is the string out because it's sharp at the 12th or flat?