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Post subject: INTONATION???
Posted: Mon Oct 12, 2009 7:54 pm
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WHAT IS AN INTONATION???I OWNED A JAZZ BASS BUT IT NOT SOUNDS DAT BETTER...THEY SAY IT SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE INTONATION..IT SHOULD BE FIX...


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Posted: Tue Oct 13, 2009 12:35 am
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Welcome to the Forum.

All capitals is considered shouting and rude on forums.


You can find your answer here: http://www.fender.com/support/basses.php

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Posted: Tue Oct 13, 2009 12:43 am
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thank you..


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Posted: Tue Oct 13, 2009 1:09 am
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You're Welcome

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Posted: Sun Oct 25, 2009 10:34 am
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its about the height of the strings..
my advice is find a guitar shop and ask them..


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Posted: Sun Oct 25, 2009 10:58 am
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semihdogan wrote:
its about the height of the strings..
my advice is find a guitar shop and ask them..


Intonation is about the length of the strings.

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Posted: Sun Oct 25, 2009 5:51 pm
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CAFeathers wrote:
semihdogan wrote:
its about the height of the strings..
my advice is find a guitar shop and ask them..


Intonation is about the length of the strings.


Like the old Certs commercial, you are both right! In my opinion pitch depends upon both scale length and string tension.

The higher the strings are off the fretboard, the harder you have to press down. Pressing down on the string causes only a slight increase in tension when strings are set up very close to the fretboard but when you have a larger gap to close there is a greater tension increase that can cause the string to be a little sharp. With a very high setup you have to move the bridge saddles farther from the neck. With a very low setup you move the saddles closer to the neck.

That is what I think. You can measure the exact scale length and have it dead on at 34 inches, but depending on string diameter and spacing between the fretboard and the string you will still wind up moving the saddle either toward or away from the neck to get the string to intonate both open and when fretted at the 12th fret.

If it was only about length then all your bridge saddles would be precisely side by side at 34 inches. But if you set them up that way and tune the bass open when you fret the 12th fret both the E and A strings will probably be a little sharp and the D & G strings will be a little flat. The A & D strings may be pretty close to being on pitch at the 12th fret though.

The reason for adjustable horizontal saddle travel is because of the string diameter and saddle height adjustment making the string either closer or further away from the fingerboard. Seems to me that when there is too much relief in the neck or if a neck gets bowed that it is awful hard to get it to intonate right too.


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Posted: Sun Oct 25, 2009 5:57 pm
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What exactly is guitar intonation?

Guitar intonation refers for the need for each string on the guitar to be a slightly different length in order for the notes to sound at the correct pitch when the strings are fretted.

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Posted: Sun Oct 25, 2009 6:25 pm
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CAFeathers wrote:
What exactly is guitar intonation?

Guitar intonation refers for the need for each string on the guitar to be a slightly different length in order for the notes to sound at the correct pitch when the strings are fretted.


Why?


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Posted: Sun Oct 25, 2009 6:33 pm
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Although neck relief, bridge height, string/saddle height all affect intonation the actual setting of the intonation is moving the saddle either closer to the nut or farther away from the nut changing the length of the string.

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Posted: Sun Oct 25, 2009 7:13 pm
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CAFeathers wrote:
Although neck relief, bridge height, string/saddle height all affect intonation the actual setting of the intonation is moving the saddle either closer to the nut or farther away from the nut changing the length of the string.


I agree with that the actual intonation adjustment being the horizontal movement of the bridge saddles toward or away from the neck.

I also think that string distance from the fretboard impacts the string's tension which can pull it sharper the higher the setup. I use very high setups because I pull very hard sometimes.

While impossible to get a bass intonated perfectly on every fret I tune the strings open then check the 5th, 12th and 17th fret. Often it is a compromise. In cases where it is impossible to get all 4 positions to intonate, I shoot for OPEN and 12th Fret and let the chips fall where they may on 5 and 17.

I use my very best rack tuner when setting intonation. When tuning at a gig I check both open and 12th fret.

One reason some players move to fretless is that their ears are so good they can manually compensate for intonation flaws on the fly. I'm not that good. LOL

I've NEVER found a perfect fretted instrument. They all have flaws just like people! AND just like people the hard part is finding one you can live with! Once you do, don't let go for love nor money.


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Posted: Wed Oct 28, 2009 9:24 pm
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brotherdave wrote:
I've NEVER found a perfect fretted instrument. They all have flaws just like people! AND just like people the hard part is finding one you can live with! Once you do, don't let go for love nor money.


I know this is a Fender board, but I gotta brag about my Rick 4003! I last set up the intonation in 1994, and it's still perfect! I've never had anything stay in good intonation that long, or even get into such good intonation in the first place. I think part of it is that I prefer really low action on the Rick, which I think minimizes the bending force on the neck, thereby allowing it to stay more stable, and also reducing the stretch necessary to fret notes up high.

So, bragging aside, low action ==> fewer intonation probs... if you like your action low.


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