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Lame intonation problem
Posted: Sun Nov 08, 2009 4:10 pm
by izodiak
Well I have this stupid problem..
I am trying to set up my stratocaster for a while..
When I got the string height good..And straightened the intonation on the highest five strings, and then I got to the 6th E string (fattest) and its just bullocks, pressing on the first fret is off tune, going higher it gets crazier..
Where could be the problem ? This is quite strange.. (maybe I have got the saddles uneven, or I dont know, any advieces ?)
Posted: Sun Nov 08, 2009 7:16 pm
by Doog
I take it you're using an electronic tuner to set the intonation?
Could you take a photo of the bridge as it is currently?
Posted: Sun Nov 08, 2009 8:59 pm
by chisa
nut too high
Posted: Sun Nov 08, 2009 9:04 pm
by izodiak
Didnt know what to actually make, so I made a bunch.
something like this.. I made a picture of the 'nut'..

(the focus is not too good)
hope this will do ?
and Yes, I use a electric tuner (a korg)..
I made this adjustment, I loosened, the middle four screws at the bridge..
Posted: Sun Nov 08, 2009 9:22 pm
by Doog
Does it intonate properly at the 12th fret, ignoring the lower fret problems? And did it just start doing this after you started adjusting stuff? Did you adjust anything else? Do you have a spare thick E to try out?
Try lowering all of the pickups- that bridge pickup looks awful close to the thick E. The pickup's magnetic field can sometimes fuck things up.
Posted: Sun Nov 08, 2009 9:25 pm
by izodiak
well at the twelfth fret it goes (dont know how its called in english buuut) # quite drastically..
maybe its too high, but the other strings are fine..
ok, will try to lower the pup's. mhm.
Posted: Sun Nov 08, 2009 9:27 pm
by Doog
If it showing sharp, the saddle needs to go further back- you might wanna try taking the screw off of the thick E saddle to allow the saddle back further. This is a pretty common mod needed when using heavier strings.
Posted: Sun Nov 08, 2009 9:32 pm
by izodiak
Taking the 'screw off' it means.. like having to make is shorter ?
ok, will try it all..
nice advices.. thaaanks.
(I always come up with n00ub questions, but yees.)
*before my 'mods' it was totally shit.
the strings were super high, intonation off the limits, and yea.
dont understand what they do in those guitar shops.
Posted: Sun Nov 08, 2009 10:42 pm
by aen
It might be just the gross gold bridge throwing everything off with it's ugliness.

Posted: Mon Nov 09, 2009 10:06 am
by izodiak
yup, hate the styling of the bridge...
looks much nicer without gould
Posted: Mon Nov 09, 2009 1:55 pm
by chisa
can you tell us what you are actually doing to check the intonation?
Posted: Mon Nov 09, 2009 2:06 pm
by Dave
If the 12th is going sharp then it sounds like nothing out of the ordinary - use the tuner to get the 12th spot on, and flip back to normal tuning and get the open spot on - keep going back and forwards until the two match. If that doesn't sort it out without going into all the details take a look at this which will cover much more than I can right now:
Intone that shitz
Posted: Mon Nov 09, 2009 4:46 pm
by izodiak
Well, yes, I tune the guitar, then push the string down on the 12th fret and look which way its going and then turn the screw..
To get it in pitch.
Posted: Mon Nov 09, 2009 5:07 pm
by Dave
izodiak wrote:Well, yes, I tune the guitar, then push the string down on the 12th fret and look which way its going and then turn the screw..
To get it in pitch.
yes but you generally have to retune the open string after that and this will throw the 12 off so you do the 12th again and then the open string again until both intonate on the tuner. I might be misunderstanding your problem however!
Posted: Mon Nov 09, 2009 6:21 pm
by cur
Looks like your low E is very close to the pickup. Could be magnetic pull or actually hitting the pup.
Posted: Mon Nov 09, 2009 7:48 pm
by izodiak
Black Cat Bone wrote:izodiak wrote:Well, yes, I tune the guitar, then push the string down on the 12th fret and look which way its going and then turn the screw..
To get it in pitch.
yes but you generally have to retune the open string after that and this will throw the 12 off so you do the 12th again and then the open string again until both intonate on the tuner. I might be misunderstanding your problem however!
Yes, yes I understand (:
And the pickup was the problem..
it was too close..
how silly of me. hah.
Posted: Mon Nov 09, 2009 7:58 pm
by Mike
It's ok, you just wanted MOAR POWER
Posted: Mon Nov 09, 2009 8:20 pm
by izodiak
yes, that was my intention

more RAWK tones.. the buzz adds some style

hah.
Posted: Mon Nov 09, 2009 8:32 pm
by cur
It's nice when it is something simple. Now destroy all the gold hardware.
Posted: Mon Nov 09, 2009 9:06 pm
by izodiak
yup, I heat that.. the tuners, bridge, tremolo..
but I will do that with my stratocaster project..
(This I will keep, cause its my first (electric) guitar, and parents gave me it, so it has some nostalgia)
its like a silly sweater mom gives You in christmas.