72 precision fretless intonation setup help

[matito]

i've noticed my bass to be off and checked it with a peterson strobostomp tuner, and the tuner shows the open notes and the 12th fret notes to be in tune, but on the D and G strings the notes in between are a bit flat compared to the E and A string and the markers on the neck.

i had this bass professionally setup with TI flats, about 8 months ago. and was all perfect.

whats the best way to fix this problem, truss rod adjustment? or just at the bridge. it sounds like a very weird thing.

I've made adjustments before to my jazz, truss rod and setting it up, but this is confusing with the problem i have, and i have checked several times to make sure what i said is happening.

thanks to anyone that can help

[Jim Carr]

Exactly how are you deterimining this?

[matito]

Originally Posted by Jim Carr

Exactly how are you deterimining this?

i first used my fingers, then i used a ruler to push down the strings so they were all exactly making contact at the same places at different parts of the neck.

the notes most flat were at the 5 position, then they got less flat until the 0 fret and the 12 fret positions. hope that makes sense now.
I've had a similiar problem to a bass i don't have anymore, but this happen to just one string...

[202dy]

If the pitch of the stopped string at the twelfth fret line matches the pitch of the harmonic at the same point then the bridge is correctly adjusted.

As to the differences in intonation at various points on the neck there are two things to be considered. The first thing to look at is the strings. It is possible that the string is false. It could be through wear and age or it could be that it was a manufacturing error. The remedy is to change the string(s) with new and test again. The second, and most important consideration, is to understand that guitars are inherently out of tune. It is the nature of the mathematics of scale and frequency that some pitches are closer than others. That is also the beauty of the fretless. Each individual note can be re-tuned by a slight movement of the finger. With a fretted instrument, wysiwyg.

Another thing to think about is who can hear these differences. If it is something that you can find with a meter but not hear, it is moot point. If you can hear it, then it is to be suggested that you possess a rather rare set of ears and while it may be frustrating for you at times the audience does not hear it.

[Jim Carr]

Originally Posted by 202dy

If the pitch of the stopped string at the twelfth fret line matches the pitch of the harmonic at the same point then the bridge is correctly adjusted.

As to the differences in intonation at various points on the neck there are two things to be considered. The first thing to look at is the strings. It is possible that the string is false. It could be through wear and age or it could be that it was a manufacturing error. The remedy is to change the string(s) with new and test again. The second, and most important consideration, is to understand that guitars are inherently out of tune. It is the nature of the mathematics of scale and frequency that some pitches are closer than others. That is also the beauty of the fretless. Each individual note can be re-tuned by a slight movement of the finger. With a fretted instrument, wysiwyg.

Another thing to think about is who can hear these differences. If it is something that you can find with a meter but not hear, it is moot point. If you can hear it, then it is to be suggested that you possess a rather rare set of ears and while it may be frustrating for you at times the audience does not hear it.

+1
202dy is right.
Just out of curiousity, 4 questions:
How much difference from what you expect are you finding?
How is it expressed by the stobe tuner?
Can you give an example figure in 100ths of a semi-tone (cents)?
Are you using the side dots as "frets" or as "mid-fret markers"?

[Jim Carr]

Originally Posted by 202dy

If the pitch of the stopped string at the twelfth fret line matches the pitch of the harmonic at the same point then the bridge is correctly adjusted.

As to the differences in intonation at various points on the neck there are two things to be considered. The first thing to look at is the strings. It is possible that the string is false. It could be through wear and age or it could be that it was a manufacturing error. The remedy is to change the string(s) with new and test again. The second, and most important consideration, is to understand that guitars are inherently out of tune. It is the nature of the mathematics of scale and frequency that some pitches are closer than others. That is also the beauty of the fretless. Each individual note can be re-tuned by a slight movement of the finger. With a fretted instrument, wysiwyg.

Another thing to think about is who can hear these differences. If it is something that you can find with a meter but not hear, it is moot point. If you can hear it, then it is to be suggested that you possess a rather rare set of ears and while it may be frustrating for you at times the audience does not hear it.

+1
202dy is right.
Just out of curiousity, 4 questions:
How much difference from what you expect are you finding?
How is it expressed by the strobe tuner?
Can you give an example figure in 100ths of a semi-tone (cents)?
Are you using the side dots as "frets" or as "mid-fret markers"?