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Intonation Issues

Posted by Tim Kuhn on October 30, 2016 at 3:35pm in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion

I have built 5 fretless CBG's and decided to try a fretted one.  I purchased a neck that was fretted.

I have fought with it for 2 days now. I am tuning GDG,  I can get the low G so it's in tune for all the notes.  The other 2 strings are always sharp no matter what I do.  I have used different nuts and bridges to change the action on the strings, but it is always sharp. Since one string seems to be fine, I am thinking there is something I must do in order for all the strings to be in tune the entire neck. Any advice (besides don't buy pre-fretted guitar necks and smash it into firewood) would be appreciated.

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Replies

  • Taffy Evans December 3, 2016 at 10:16pm

    Hi, I think all that info in the video's was covered many times in the pages of this thread.

    I thought the opening statement was all important "if all your frets are correct" ......

    This info would be interesting for newcomers tho. But I feel important info like this is posted and then gradually lost as time goes on and it moves down the list and so not seen  by newcomers.

    Is there a way that info can be easily recalled, once posted??

    Probably is, silly me.

    Cheers Taff

  • Jim Saraceno December 3, 2016 at 9:44am

    These two videos help explain how to set up a cigar box guitar...

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPTQmyNbwpY

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZ3F7-aXMiw

    I hope that helps.

  • Tim Kuhn November 24, 2016 at 4:59pm

    Back from vacation.  I cut deeper into the neck so the fretboard sits higher.  I put a capo on the first fret and tried numerous sizes of bridges and finally got to a place where it held in tune better.  It appears that the pre cut slit for the nut is off.  I am going to have to get creative with filling it and working on the correct location for the nut.  Thanks again for all the great advice.  Going on vacation and making some new fretboards was just the break I needed from fighting it. Came back and actually got somewhere.  Now to build some more guitars with my poplar/cherry fret boards!

    Cherry.jpg

    • JL > Tim Kuhn December 2, 2016 at 8:51am

      If the nut slot is too far away, cut a rabbit in the front underside of your new nut so part of the nut overlaps the end of the fingerboard, if the nut slot is too close, cut a rabbit in the front topside of the new nut to move the string contact point back.

    • Paul Craig > Tim Kuhn November 24, 2016 at 7:18pm

      You can use just about anything to fill in that space between the nut and the board. A piece of scrap wood is all it takes. Glad you got it sorted out.

  • Tim Kuhn November 15, 2016 at 2:24pm

    Raising the entire neck has seemed to help a little...  The capo had the same results as without.  I think I may have to try different strings and continue to mess with the nut and the bridge height. I am heading out on a vacation for a week and will pick it back up next week. I may break down and take it to a guitar repair man I know and see what he thinks

    • JL > Tim Kuhn November 16, 2016 at 8:48am

      Nothing like a little hands on to help ID the gremlins....

  • Taffy Evans November 11, 2016 at 8:03pm

    306593180?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024306594619?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024Hi again, the compensated saddle photo is for my slider 25.5 scale with a 12 fret action of 3.5mm [surprised me too].

    The intonation setting jig is self explanatory, it sits behind the bridge pins and strings run over the ends of the Allen keys which are of course adjustable.

    Cheers Taff

    • darryl kernaghan > Taffy Evans November 11, 2016 at 9:46pm

      Thanks Taff, pretty effective, and simple

  • Taffy Evans November 11, 2016 at 7:01pm
    What I do, maybe on your next CBG, is to angle the neck back a degree or two as is done with acoustic guitars, to get the desired height at the bridge. Most of my necks are fitted to neck block so it's an easy exercise. With my through necks I check out the front of the box lower than the back for the neck, to give that kick back. I do not glue the neck or "neck stick" in so I can fine tune if I need to. Bit like a banjo neck.
    This problem is not going to go away in a hurry.

    Sometimes slanting the saddle may not give the desired amount of compensation for all strings. Try compensating all strings individually. I made up a jig for doing this. I'd suggest getting a blank bridge with a flat top, then get three small nails or whatever as saddles, and move them back ang forth while doing the harmonics setup at the 12 fret. This should also compensate for any high action. I'll post a pic of my slide axe with high action that plays in tune later.
    Cheers Taff
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