Intonation oddness

[thepurpleblob]

This is actually with my new Overwater 5 string. So, sanity check before I go moaning back to the shop.

When I got the bass home the strings where a bit buzzy down the thin end and the neck is as flat as a flat thing. So I wound back the truss rod a little. The action is still quite acceptable.

I check the intonation and it was a bit sharp on the B string. Tightened up the screw on the saddle (ie. move away from the pickups and neck), retune and no different Hmmm... Kept going until I ran out of travel on the bridge and it's still as sharp as it was to start with. All the other strings were still spot-on even after the neck adjustment (I didn't check before) which seemed a bit odd. I'm confused. I'm not new to this - until this happened I would have said I was pretty confident in doing my own setup.

Any thoughts appreciated. I won't mind you calling me an idiot BTW

[peted]

Sounds like you've successfully defied the laws of physics!

I suppose you could just double check the distance between nut and saddle, and 24th fret and saddle to make sure that the bridge is actually making the string longer.

[thepurpleblob]

[quote name='peted' post='555099' date='Jul 29 2009, 02:11 PM']Sounds like you've successfully defied the laws of physics!

I suppose you could just double check the distance between nut and saddle, and 24th fret and saddle to make sure that the bridge is actually making the string longer.[/quote]

Yeh - I might try a new set of strings before giving up. I guess a 'stretchy' string might act like this. It's been kicking around Guitar Guitar for the last year or so.

[Pete Academy]

Definitely try a new set of strings...should cure it.

[mrcrow]

the B is quite fat and may take some bending to get it to witness properly on the saddle
i found my B saddle had to go quite a bit back
take the string up to pitch and slightly push down on it just in front of the saddle...this will force a bend in the string around the saddle shape more and release a bit more straight string to vibrate
in fact lengthening the actual useable string
do it gently and dont try to push too hard
eventually it will settle in and you may get it to intonate within the range of the saddles adjustment

hope this helps

[thepurpleblob]

[quote name='mrcrow' post='555120' date='Jul 29 2009, 02:29 PM']the B is quite fat and may take some bending to get it to witness properly on the saddle
i found my B saddle had to go quite a bit back
take the string up to pitch and slightly push down on it just in front of the saddle...this will force a bend in the string around the saddle shape more and release a bit more straight string to vibrate
in fact lengthening the actual useable string
do it gently and dont try to push too hard
eventually it will settle in and you may get it to intonate within the range of the saddles adjustment

hope this helps[/quote]

Makes sense.... I'll give it a go. Thanks.

[Grissle]

Another thing to check is pickup height. Because of the shear mass of a B, it creates a larger magnetic field than the other strings which can/will effect intonation. Try lowering the pickup and see if it helps.

[thepurpleblob]

Update.... new set of strings and a right good downward shove in front of the bridge solved the problem. Thanks for the suggestions... especially to Chris May for the PM. You can't beat personal service without even asking for it

Another funny thing. I put on a set of d'Addarios ProSteels - a string I have never liked - because it was all I could get. They sound amazing on the Overwater. Once again demonstrating it's not just the sound of the strings, it's the sounds of the strings on *that* bass

[Lfalex v1.1]

[quote name='thepurpleblob' post='555592' date='Jul 29 2009, 09:08 PM']...Once again demonstrating it's not just the sound of the strings, it's the sounds of the strings on *that* bass [/quote]

Never a truer word spoken. Some string/bass combinations definitely have *that* tone! I'm glad you've found one!
I've only got 4 basses sussed out on that front;

Fender Jazz - Fender 7150s were good. DR Sunbeams are amazing. 40-100
Warwick Infinity SN4 - Elixir 45-100
Vigier Passion V (SIII) - DR FatBeams 40-125
Status Streamline - Status Hotwires. End of. 40-100

We need a thread to document synergistic combinations, but as ever, one man's killer tone is another's... [insert comment]

[thepurpleblob]

[quote name='Lfalex v1.1' post='559385' date='Aug 3 2009, 04:36 PM']Never a truer word spoken. Some string/bass combinations definitely have *that* tone! I'm glad you've found one!
I've only got 4 basses sussed out on that front;

Fender Jazz - Fender 7150s were good. DR Sunbeams are amazing. 40-100
Warwick Infinity SN4 - Elixir 45-100
Vigier Passion V (SIII) - DR FatBeams 40-125
Status Streamline - Status Hotwires. End of. 40-100

We need a thread to document synergistic combinations, but as ever, one man's killer tone is another's... [insert comment][/quote]

It's my second string/bass epiphany actually. My Precision Fretless sound amazing with LaBella Flats. The one that I've really failed to suss is the StingRay funnily enough.