Hello,
First time post here. I'm a relative beginner to guitar repair/maintenance and I have just replaced my 3 saddle bridge with a 6 saddle bridge with seemingly no problems. The reason I did this was to provide individual scale length settings for the strings. I've set the scale length the only way I know how which is by using the harmonic on the 12th fret and matching it with the open string note. However, some of the notes in between are way off what they should be, For instance, the low E string will be really sharp with the G and A, but the open and 12th notes are perfect. This is the same across all the strings in varying degrees of sharpness.
The guitar (Fender Telecaster Highway 1) is about two years old but was bought brand new and is well looked after so I don't think there is a problem with neck allignment but I may be wrong. Am I just setting the scale length wrong or is there more to it?
Any ideas?
Thanks very much for any help.
Are you using an especially high action - the only way I can think of that notes would be sharp between the two halves of the string length is misaligned frets (which it isn't) or the user bending the notes sharp. Standard guitars are a bit imperfect in sounding actual fretted notes - that is why you see fanned frets and earvana type devices, there is an expected and barely perceived tolerance - are you hearing a big difference or are you seeing it on a strobe?
I've set the scale length the only way I know how which is by using the harmonic on the 12th fret and matching it with the open string note.
Do you really mean the harmonic on the 12th fret? You should be adjusting the intonation to match the fretted 12th note to the open string (the harmonic is pretty much fixed).
I'm sure he meant the harmonic - you use that exactly because it's fixed (it's exactly one half the string length).
If the intonation is off, that means the placement of the frets doesn't line up with the speaking length of the string. If the 12th fret note is sharp compared to the harmonic, the bridge is too close to the nut; if the 12th fret note is flat, the bridge is too far away.
You can compare the fretted notes to the open string, but I prefer using the harmonic - because that's in the same octave as the fretted note. It's easier to hear.
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You can compare the fretted notes to the open string, but I prefer using the harmonic - because that's in the same octave as the fretted note. It's easier to hear.
This is sort of what I meant, he said he was comparing the harmonic and the open string, not the fretted note. You want to compare the fretted note to something or you're not adjusting the intonation. It might have just been a mistake in the post, but thought it was worth checking.
(Edit, 'note', not 'nore')
Thanks for the replies.
It's basically come down to a revision of my method. I have adjusted it using the 12th fret note against the 12th fret harmonic with good results. Before, I was using the open note against the 12th fret harmonic.
Thanks again.
Thanks for the replies.
It's basically come down to a revision of my method. I have adjusted it using the 12th fret note against the 12th fret harmonic with good results. Before, I was using the open note against the 12th fret harmonic.
Thanks again.
Glad you got it sorted, happy playing!
