Intonation -- Post Pics of Your Bridge Saddle Settings!

[Tusec]

Here's how mine are set:



Now let's see yours!

Be sure to mention whether you used a tuner to set your intonation, or did it by ear, or just eyeballed it. Also what gauge of strings you use.

I set mine with a tuner and strings are 105-45.

What's interesting is how much the saddle positions vary from bass to bass despite similarities in string gauge and scale length. If we get lots of pics maybe a typical intonation setting will emerge -- i.e. saddles arranged in a slanting line, saddles grouped in pairs (like mine), one saddle different than the others, or whatever.

[211dave112]

I'd say looking at yours that your settings are fairly unusual, what with the E and D saddles set slightly in front of the A and G respectively.

[Tusec]

Originally Posted by 211dave112

I'd say looking at yours that your settings are fairly unusual, what with the E and D saddles set slightly in front of the A and G respectively.

That was my thought too. They should move progressively forward as the strings get progressively lighter. In fact, I initially set them by ear but they looked so funny I decided to double check with a tuner. But sure enough they turned out to be pretty much right on the money.

That got me curious, so I started flipping through a book with a bunch of pics of basses and saw several that bucked the rule of all saddles moving forward with decreasing string gauge. In fact about a third of them fell into the "unusual" category.

That's what inspired this thread. If we can get a big enough sample, maybe we can determine what is normal and whether an unusual setting will tend to be an incorrect setting.

[Benjamin Strange]

Originally Posted by Tusec

Here's how mine are set:



.

Looking at your bridge, I would guess that your intonation is WAY off. Unless you're using some weird gauges, and weird tunings, methinks that you might want to be using a more accurate tuner/method to set your intonation. Weird saddle position can happen, but it's pretty rare.

I've set mine like this:


Since I've made this a fretless instruments with no markings, I decided to go with a fanned scale. The low string is 35", the high string is 33.5".

[ddnidd1]

I have a number of basses with identical strings and the saddle positions vary from bass to bass. The intonation is done with a Peterson Virtual Strobe tuner.

In most cases the general trend in saddle position is what you would expect. However that's not always the case.

Ultimately, if the intonation is correct the relative position of the saddles is immaterial.

[fenderphil]

Originally Posted by Benjamin Strange

I've set mine like this:

makes me want to listen to Journey...

[John Bigboote]

Originally Posted by Benjamin Strange

Looking at your bridge, I would guess that your intonation is WAY off. Unless you're using some weird gauges, and weird tunings, methinks that you might want to be using a more accurate tuner/method to set your intonation. Weird saddle position can happen, but it's pretty rare.

I've set mine like this:


Since I've made this a fretless instruments with no markings, I decided to go with a fanned scale. The low string is 35", the high string is 33.5".

I'm *much* more inclined to trust the OP's intonation than that of the fretless. I've intonated enough basses with a strobe tuner to know that it's different (and often odd-looking) for every set of strings on every bass. For example, on my fiver, the low B is at one length, and all other strings are exactly the same length. Just worked out that way. The strobe don't lie.

Cool-lookin' bass, BTW!

-jb

[Tusec]

Originally Posted by Benjamin Strange

Looking at your bridge, I would guess that your intonation is WAY off. Unless you're using some weird gauges, and weird tunings, methinks that you might want to be using a more accurate tuner/method to set your intonation. Weird saddle position can happen, but it's pretty rare.

No weird tunings, standard gauge strings. I compare the 12th fret harmonic with the fretted note. It's dead on both by ear and according to the tuner. Plays in tune all the way up the neck.

But I agree -- it's weird looking.

[Benjamin Strange]

Originally Posted by John Bigboote

I'm *much* more inclined to trust the OP's intonation than that of the fretless. I've intonated enough basses with a strobe tuner to know that it's different (and often odd-looking) for every set of strings on every bass. For example, on my fiver, the low B is at one length, and all other strings are exactly the same length. Just worked out that way. The strobe don't lie.

Cool-lookin' bass, BTW!

-jb

Heh... my intonation is pretty good on that thing... most days, anyway. Nobody else wants to attempt it, though!

Originally Posted by Tusec

No weird tunings, standard gauge strings. I compare the 12th fret harmonic with the fretted note. It's dead on both by ear and according to the tuner. Plays in tune all the way up the neck.

But I agree -- it's weird looking.

Yeah, it happens - sometimes it just turns out weird. If it's in tune, it's in tune.

[The Birdman]

I'd wonder if perhaps your saddles are not set to match the curvature of your fretboard, which could cause the saddles to be in different places. All of my basses, which are set for that, have the "normal" pattern mentioned earlier. Just a thought.

Roger

[Tusec]

Some pics of intonation settings that don't fit the expected profile:

[Tusec]

Originally Posted by The Birdman

I'd wonder if perhaps your saddles are not set to match the curvature of your fretboard, which could cause the saddles to be in different places. All of my basses, which are set for that, have the "normal" pattern mentioned earlier. Just a thought.

Roger

Yep, they do follow the fretboard curvature. This is a MIM '62 Jazz reissue with the old school 7.5" radius and I have their heights set accordingly.

[John Wentzien]

Attachment 153336

Here's mine with 100-40 guage strings.
Strobed and dead-on.

[Tusec]

Originally Posted by John Wentzien

Attachment 153336

Here's mine with 100-40 guage strings.
Strobed and dead-on.

Whoah -- that's even weirder than mine! Except for the D saddle they're in a straight line with almost no forward slope. And it plays in tune up and down the neck?

[John Wentzien]

Originally Posted by Tusec

Whoah -- that's even weirder than mine! Except for the D saddle they're in a straight line with almost no forward slope. And it plays in tune up and down the neck?

Yep!

[BassieMike]

Typically if the saddles don't fit the expected profile there is something wonky about the strings. I've been building/repairing professionally for over 25 years and have seen more issues with DR than most other strings. But that's not to say I haven't seen bad strings from other companies fresh out of the pack.

Just my experiences,
-mike

[Tusec]

Originally Posted by BassieMike

Typically if the saddles don't fit the expected profile there is something wonky about the strings. I've been building/repairing professionally for over 25 years and have seen more issues with DR than most other strings. But that's not to say I haven't seen bad strings from other companies fresh out of the pack.

Just my experiences,
-mike

Yeah, I could see that. The saddle setting will have a lot to do with the flexibility of the string down around the saddle, and I could imagine it varying with winding pressure and that kind of thing.

It'll be interesting to see how my intonation works out with my next set of strings. I just bought the bass and have only put one set on it so far.

[John Bigboote]

Originally Posted by BassieMike

Typically if the saddles don't fit the expected profile there is something wonky about the strings. I've been building/repairing professionally for over 25 years and have seen more issues with DR than most other strings. But that's not to say I haven't seen bad strings from other companies fresh out of the pack.

And then there's the dread "string that can't be intonated." I've only experienced that once, and I think it was due to the string being "twisted" down its length. It drove me nuts, and I ended up throwing the sucker away; its replacement intonated fine...

-jb

[Mastermold]

I've got a G&L with the saddles in a U-shape, the E string saddle as far forward as the G. It's the only bass I have like that but that's what it took for proper intonation so I went along.

[Tusec]

Originally Posted by Mastermold

I've got a G&L with the saddles in a U-shape, the E string saddle as far forward as the G. It's the only bass I have like that but that's what it took for proper intonation so I went along.

And this was true even for different sets of strings? In other words it wasn't just one flukey set?