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Post subject: Low E string intonation
Posted: Fri Oct 31, 2008 11:51 am
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Someone help. I have an Americ. Deluxe strat. I cannot for the life of me get my low E intonation set. It's constantly a l'il sharp. Everything checks out in regard to neck straight, action dead on, set up is perfect, except for the low E, all the other strings are dead-nuts on. At times I can adjust it and it will be pretty close at the 12th, but when i move down the neck to 5th or 7th fret, its sharp again. Any ideas.


Last edited by windwalker9649 on Fri Oct 31, 2008 2:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Posted: Fri Oct 31, 2008 12:17 pm
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Look in the Fender manual how to adjust the saddles.


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Posted: Fri Oct 31, 2008 1:25 pm
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Mmmm If you're sharp try turning the screw behind the 6th string saddle counter clockwise a wee bit (an 8th of a turn or less) and check your intonation again. If it gets sharper do the opposite of what I said. I can' t remember which way is which. You will never get a perfect intonation on the harmonics but if you can hear it with your ear then you should adjust it. Use a good tuner to get it real close.

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Posted: Fri Oct 31, 2008 2:22 pm
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I've already done that, I cant bring the saddle back any further, it's compressed the spring as much as it can go. I guess I could take the spring out, or cut it, but I can't believe that's what I'd have to do on a $1200 guitar. I've done the set up myself many times, I'm wondering if anyone knows of this problem. like I said, I did setup to factory specs, I went to 9.5 guage strings, and did a setup to compensate for that, Im in regular tuning. The only difference is that I have my tremolo set flush against the body, pretty stiff ( I dont use the tremolo, and dont want open note pitch dropping when I bend), but I had this problem even before I did that.


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Posted: Fri Oct 31, 2008 2:33 pm
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When it's sharp you lengthen the saddle. Since you have run out of room it's actually a simple fix. Simply remove the intonation spring completely or cut off about half of the length. Very rarely has it happened on the G string but I've run across afew in my years.

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Posted: Fri Oct 31, 2008 4:40 pm
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ronbeeglejr wrote:
When it's sharp you lengthen the saddle. Since you have run out of room it's actually a simple fix. Simply remove the intonation spring completely or cut off about half of the length. Very rarely has it happened on the G string but I've run across afew in my years.


I hear you, but there has to be another way, I shouldn't have to jury rig the thing to make it play correctly, also Its the low E. It's not way off, no one else can tell, but it drives me nuts to know that it's off. Im wondering if there is a problem with that particular saddle.


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Posted: Fri Oct 31, 2008 4:57 pm
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I know it's on the the low E. If you check other forums and repair books\sites, you'll see the same advice. On Callahams website you can buy a complete set of new springs and screws and they have shortened E and G springs. You could also go to the hardware store and try to find another spring, just be carefull that you get the right tension.

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Posted: Fri Oct 31, 2008 5:52 pm
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Thanks


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Posted: Fri Oct 31, 2008 6:02 pm
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No problem. I've had to do that to guitars clients brought me that were 2-3 times as much as a Deluxe Strat.

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Posted: Fri Oct 31, 2008 6:21 pm
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It just makes me think I missed something along the way during setup, ive had to back off a few of the other saddles also since using it, though that happened after going to 9.5 gauges, so that may be why. I mean, Im REALLY far back on that saddle. Is it common if the intonation is right at the 12th fret, that it would be off lower down the neck? W/ the rest of the strings, when its on at the 12th, its on the rest of the neck also, but not on that low E. Thats what leads me to think there is something else going on.


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Posted: Fri Oct 31, 2008 6:47 pm
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Its a common problem infact its on every guitar ever made. Its just more apparent on some. Personaly i swear by the earvana compensated nut, everything else sounds 'out of tune' after i went with em.

http://www.earvana.com/

what it basicaly comes down to is. You set the intonation at the bridge end which sorts the higher frets out ok. The lower frets suffer though because theres no shape or intonation setting at the nut end. Its just a straight breakoff point.

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Posted: Fri Oct 31, 2008 7:05 pm
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Thanks, I dont really hear it, I just see it when I plug into my tuner, which then makes me think I hear it. I drive myself crazy w/ stuff like that.


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Posted: Sat Nov 01, 2008 12:50 pm
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I know this problem, i had it on several Stratocasters, cheap and posh.
Using a shorter spring can help. Try raising or lowering the action a bit on the low E-string and don't have the pickups adjusted to close to the strings.
Especially on the bass side keep the pups low, no closer then 3mm on the
low E-string(neck PU) when pressing it on the last fret.

Peter


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