How do often do you adjust intonation?

Balkan · #1 03-19-2008, 07:06 PM

Now that I'm using a super precise Peterson tuner, I find that my 12th fret intonation goes off even a day after I've set it. It's close and not audibly out of whack, but doesn't stay 100% in tune. I live in the northeast, so the weather is very changeable with cold nights and warmer days.

Is this normal??

Dee_01 · #2 03-19-2008, 07:17 PM

I adjust mine about twice a year!

salcott · #3 03-19-2008, 10:53 PM

I don't touch a thing unless I feel or hear something wrong. Put the tuner away and play.

Bass Below · #4 03-19-2008, 10:55 PM

The changing weather is more than enough to make it vary from day to day.

Nick Kay · #5 03-19-2008, 11:03 PM

I like to do a once-over on intonation, relief, string height and pickup height every three months, and whenever I change strings. It's good to keep the instrument near tip-top playing condition, if you ask me. Plus, the climate in Toronto is a bit crazy, so I have to settle the bass in for each season.

PilbaraBass · #6 03-19-2008, 11:27 PM

almost never...I use the same strings (swap between two sets) and the action remains consistant...

I do the occasional "check", but it never needs a tweak, really.

Munjibunga · #7 03-20-2008, 12:02 AM

I check it when I change strings, especially if I change types, like non-taper to taper-wound.

69nites · #8 03-20-2008, 12:23 AM

mine almost never goes off

I check it before recording and every time I change strings.

also I do a setup at the begining of summer and the begining of winter.

deaf pea · #9 03-20-2008, 12:31 AM

I check intonation whenever I change strings , , , that's every 4-6 weeks, depending on how many gigs/rehearsals there are . . . and I check relief every time I play a bass . . . if it's NOT right on, I'll adjust it (the relief) right away . . . and whenever I change the relief, I'll check (and adjust if necessary) the intonation, too.

FWIW, I check the intonation at the 12th fret, the 19th fret, the 7th fret and the 5th fret (in that order) and adjust as necessary to get the most notes "in tune" . . . and if a string just WON'T tune up good, then I'll put ANOTHER new string on the bass . . . I don't have a string endorsement deal, but IME a deformed and/or "bad" string just will not cut it . . .

Rattman · #10 03-20-2008, 07:28 AM

Once every several years... Truss rod adjustments are another story however. However, when I set up a bass I've never seen before, the intonation definitely gets some attention until its 'in spec', then on to other issues like buffing out the finish or cleaning the pots.

dbcandle · #11 03-20-2008, 07:33 AM

When I change strings.

Rickett Customs · #12 03-20-2008, 07:34 AM

On my frettet'dids, about 2x a year + neck and action set, if necessary.They don't really give much intonation problems.

On my fretlesses, each time I change my strings (about once a month), plus readjust the neck and action if necessary (regardless if they're exactly the same brand and gauge as previous strings), I do more session recordings with these, need them to be at their best.

/Jason

knuckle_head · #13 03-25-2008, 10:21 AM

I check it on string changes and adjust it when my ears tell me to.

scottbass · #14 03-25-2008, 10:32 AM

Once a year and also whenever I change to strings that are not the identical make/model/gauge of what I was previously using.

Pilgrim · #15 03-25-2008, 12:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by salcott

I don't touch a thing unless I feel or hear something wrong. Put the tuner away and play.

ABSOFRICKENLUTELY.

Don't obsess. Play. Once it's set up, I never touch intonation unless I hear hear something wrong. If it's OK to my ear, it's OK for the audience.

wingnut · #16 03-25-2008, 12:49 PM

I only check mine when I either change strings or hear something out of whack. I used to have a bass that did the same as yours. I started detuning it by about a step when I put it away and the problem went away.

69nites · #17 03-25-2008, 12:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pilgrim

ABSOFRICKENLUTELY.

Don't obsess. Play. Once it's set up, I never touch intonation unless I hear hear something wrong. If it's OK to my ear, it's OK for the audience.

is that how you feel about recordings as well?

also some ears are trained better than others. just because it doesn't sound off to you doesn't mean it's not off.

any time you adjust anything you throw off your intonation. truss rod. action. strings. so any time you adjust any of that your intonation should be checked.

pbass2 · #18 03-25-2008, 09:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 69nites

is that how you feel about recordings as well?

also some ears are trained better than others. just because it doesn't sound off to you doesn't mean it's not off.

any time you adjust anything you throw off your intonation. truss rod. action. strings. so any time you adjust any of that your intonation should be checked.

And not just when you change strings, etc. Yeah, while you gotta trust your ears you should be looking at your tuner too, and even if you're not recording, check it out basically whenever you think of it (or of course if you hear something off). In particular, if you're JUST playing live, you really might not notice when things get off.
My bass time is 90% recording, the rest live, so I'm always staring at the tuner and checking things. Things can go off when you would never expect. My Glaub has the same flatwounds from a pro setup of about 3 mos. ago, and stays in a climate controlled studio, but just yesterday I noticed the E string was off. I took it to a gig the other night--maybe it got banged around in the gig bag, who knows?
It's all wood and screws and stuff--things move around even on the most solid axes. Unless you're so old school that you're not using a tuner, why WOULDN'T you check it at rehearsals, etc. if you think of it and there's a few free secs?

Chebass88 · #19 03-26-2008, 06:10 AM

I work with a guy who sets his guitar up nightly before he plays it, even for practicing at home. A bit extreme...

I do mine in relation to how often I play. Typically it is 3-4X per year, but if I were playing more, I would want to make sure it was super precise more often.

imp

Pilgrim · #20 03-26-2008, 03:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 69nites

is that how you feel about recordings as well?

also some ears are trained better than others. just because it doesn't sound off to you doesn't mean it's not off.

any time you adjust anything you throw off your intonation. truss rod. action. strings. so any time you adjust any of that your intonation should be checked.

Well, the only recording I do is of live shows - nothing studio-based. And I listen to those recordings, because it sure helps me check whether I'm making the right decisions about what I play.

I agree that when you change a component like strings, bridge, etc you should check intonation - but I respectfully disagree that you need to so so when you change anything. It doesn't hurt, but people get a bit obsessive about it. Heck, people obsess about how good their electronic tuners are, when I grew up tuning the G string to a pitch pipe, then tuning across the strings by ear. The point?....If it sounds good, it IS good.

And I stand by what I said - after playing both orchestral and electric bass my ears are pretty well trained, and if I don't hear a problem I'm very confident the audience won't hear it.