I bought a Travel guitar, Stagg Viaggio on Friday and am having problems with only the B string.
I can tune it to B, but when I go even 1 fret down to a C, the tuning is off.... noticeably off, when checking the tuning with the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, fret etc, it is in fact sharp, but just fine when open.
Now I've not changed the strings these are stock strings and I dont know how long this thing has been on the shelf and played so it could be the strings, but my train of thought is if the intonation is off on the acoustic, wouldn't it be off on all the strings since they are not really individually adjustable?
Thanks!!
In Space, no one can hear me sing!
Acoustics with straight bridges usually can't have all their strings intonated precisely at the same time. A low fretted note being sharp can mean that the nut or that slot in the nut is too high, and it can mean that you're pressing too hard on the string behind the fret.
"A cheerful heart is good medicine."
I know I'm not pressing too hard, I checked that, and all the other strings were just fine with the same pressure, so perhaps I'll file down the slot just a bit. It doesn't have a straight bridge though. It's kind of got the things that go both ways...not sure if that made sense LOL.
In Space, no one can hear me sing!
Yeah, those compensated bridges attempt to make them intonate more evenly. They only work with one set of string gauges and one tuning. Before taking a file to anything, go over to http://frets.com/ and check out his pages on nut height and intonation.
"A cheerful heart is good medicine."
Joe, it's hard to get a picture that is close up, or any description that mentions truss rod. I wanted to see if the compensated saddle looked normal, or if the string's length is too short, or if they put the saddle backwards, etc.
Anyhow, don't file the saddle down. Wouldn't that shorten and sharpen the string, though I see the rationale causing less 'pressing down' to fret a note? I think you could tighten the trussrod and straighten the neck or install one fatter B string?
Like a bird on the wire,
like a drunk in a midnight choir
I have tried in my way to be free.
No, a high nut causes the string to have to be stretched more to press it down against the lower frets, making it go sharper. It's much less noticeable at the twelfth fret where intonation is usually checked.
"A cheerful heart is good medicine."
