B String Won't Intonate

[ndrifka]

I am setting up my Lakland 5501 and everything is perfect except I cannot get the B string to intonate. The other 4 strings are intonated and in tune.

When I tune the low B to pitch and check the intonation by fretting the string at the 12th fret, the fretted tone is always sharp. I have tried adjusting the saddle over and over and can't get this one string right.

Can anyone help me out with some advice? Thanks!

[Jake of Bass]

B strings will almost never intonate due to their large diameter. So you'll have to compensate a bit, but it'll never play in tune along all the frets. This is in fact true for most strings.

[lindseyp]

One thing to consider is the brand of strings. I had this problem with one bass, the B-string saddle was all the way to the rear by the time I realized it was the STRING, not the setup. Pulled a B from another pack and set the bass up just fine. Try that before you do anything drastic. Also, don't be afraid to try a different brand for one string on your bass.

[dmusic148]

Have you adjusted the saddle rearward as far as possible? In other words, made the string as long as it can be? I've never had this problem with my 5ver.

[ndrifka]

Originally Posted by Jake of Bass

B strings will almost never intonate due to their large diameter. So you'll have to compensate a bit, but it'll never play in tune along all the frets. This is in fact true for most strings.

Ah...how do you know where to have the saddle set? If the E string will intonate, should I adjust the B saddle even with the E saddle? Maybe a little farther back from the E?

Sorry if this is a dumb question. I'm still learning to do my own setups . Cheaper and better this way .

[ndrifka]

Originally Posted by lindseyp

One thing to consider is the brand of strings. I had this problem with one bass, the B-string saddle was all the way to the rear by the time I realized it was the STRING, not the setup. Pulled a B from another pack and set the bass up just fine. Try that before you do anything drastic. Also, don't be afraid to try a different brand for one string on your bass.

I'm using a new set of DR Loriders (.45-.125). Maybe it is the string. Thanks.

[ndrifka]

Originally Posted by dmusic148

Have you adjusted the saddle rearward as far as possible? In other words, made the string as long as it can be? I've never had this problem with my 5ver.

I adjusted it back almost all the way. I'll try taking it back as far as I can and see what happens.

[Jake of Bass]

Originally Posted by ndrifka

Ah...how do you know where to have the saddle set? If the E string will intonate, should I adjust the B saddle even with the E saddle? Maybe a little farther back from the E?

Sorry if this is a dumb question. I'm still learning to do my own setups . Cheaper and better this way .

Depends which strings you use. If the end is as thick or slightly thicker than the rest of the string it'll most likely need to come back a bit further than the E. If it's a tapered end it'll most likely sit forward of the E and maybe the A string too. B strings are always the hardest to get in tune and sound good on a bass but you should be able to get it to somewhere close to how you want it, if not exactly there.

[Jake of Bass]

Might be a silly question but how's your neck and action? These can affect intonation too.

[Captain_Arrrg]

I love DR strings, but their B strings are troublesome.

How far off is it? You'll rarely get a B dead on, there will be a little fluctuation. Also, most tuners have marks at + and -15hz, if you're between them you have nothing to worry about.

Have you tried raising/lowering the saddle (up and down not back and forth)? Sounds strange, but sometimes your string is too low or too high to intonate correctly.

You could potentially spend hours (and a lot of sanity) working on getting intonation just right. Then- Once you do get it perfect- you'll want to change it's strings or adjust the relief and you'll have to do it all over again. That's the nature of things; Few things are perfect and they never last forever.

[Rick Auricchio]

Originally Posted by Captain_Arrrg

Also, most tuners have marks at + and -15hz, if you're between them you have nothing to worry about.

That's actually quite a bit, considering the open B is at 29.14Hz. Being sharp at half of that 15Hz mark---7.5Hz---and you're almost up to the D.

Since I got the Peterson StroboStomp I won't use anything else to intonate. They're just not precise enough.

[Captain_Arrrg]

I was confused, +/- 15 cent.

My brain was elsewhere.

And fancy tuners won't fix a problem with the string.

[Gibbsalot]

Does the lakland bridge have slots for the two end saddles to sit in and if you pull the saddle all the way back its out of the groove/slot?

[Steve Bennett]

Make sure you have a good witness point at the bridge saddle and at the nut. Do this by pushing down on the string (on the inside of the saddle, away from the end of the bass), until you have an angle, not just a hump. Do this at the nut also, although it's not as critical. The bigger the string, the more this is needed. I do this with all strings, paying extra care to the big ones, and I rarely have a problem. I use DR Sunbeams on my 35" scale 5-string Yamaha and they intonate just fine.

[Rick Auricchio]

Originally Posted by Captain_Arrrg

I was confused, +/- 15 cent.

And fancy tuners won't fix a problem with the string.

Agreed.

I thought you were way off there. But I had to put in my +/- 2 cents.

[Solarmist]

Originally Posted by ndrifka

Ah...how do you know where to have the saddle set? If the E string will intonate, should I adjust the B saddle even with the E saddle? Maybe a little farther back from the E?

Yes it will be a little further back than the "E" saddle:

Tune the bass with the tuner - then check the 12th fret note with the 12th fret harmonic. If the fretted note is sharp of the harmonic - move the saddle back towards the bridge. If the fretted note is flat of the harmonic - move the saddle forward towards the nut.

[Jake of Bass]

Originally Posted by Rick Auricchio

That's actually quite a bit, considering the open B is at 29.14Hz. Being sharp at half of that 15Hz mark---7.5Hz---and you're almost up to the D.

Since I got the Peterson StroboStomp I won't use anything else to intonate. They're just not precise enough.

It can all depend on how you intonate. In the alternate intonation thread I started a couple weeks ago, in some ways it's better than it has been, and that was done purely by ear.

[perucci]

I like the bridge on this Yamaha: http://bass-guitars.musiciansfriend....ass?sku=519160

On my 6-string, with the La Bella Deep Talkin' mediums I like, I can't get the bridge saddle far enough to intonate the B string. With TIs, it is not a problem (but I don't like TIs).

If you look closely at the bridge on the Yamaha, you'll see that the B-string can be moved further from the fretboard than the other strings.

[bassteban]

I had this problem w/my Jazz 5; shimming the neck at the rearmost part of the neck pocket(2 business cards' thickness)slightly increased the neck angle, thereby putting the nut just slightly farther from the bridge. Bingo- room to adjust the B back into perfect intonation.