Intonation on a Sadowsky RV5

[bucephylus]

This past year, I acquired an RV5, and its a wonderful instrument.

However, I decided to switch the strings over to DR Hi-Beams.

The instrument shipped from the shop with Sadowsky steels, and they included a taper core B.

When I installed the DR Strings, I remembered that the B was not tapered and needed to reset the B saddle. However, when the saddle finally came to the proper position for intonation, it was pretty close to the back of the bridge, causing the B to make a pretty severe break angle over the sadlle.

The solution to this that I have performed numerous times on other instruments is to move the bridge location back about 0.2" to 0.25" and then reset all the sadlles. I've actually found some side benefits in 100% of my previous cases, whereby it seems to me that the reduced break angle on the strings across the whole set has no change in tone, but tends to reduce wolf tones, and has a noticeable improvement on string lifetime - again, IME. I'm pretty confident with the modification, but have been cautious about doing it on the Sadowsky.

Has anyone else run into this on the Metros?

[maurilio]

Hi,
I went through tons of strings and the only two that have the best balance and very solid B, are Sadowsky's SS and Dean Markley SR2000, ime imo!

I hear what you're saying about the break angle and I agree. It's a pretty easy modification, but you probably wanna wait to be sure you like the DR HB, before grab the drill

I personally didn't like the HiBeam's B on my Sad....

M

[mimaz]

My RV5 also came with the tapered B, and while it did require some adjustment to intonate correctly, I couldn't in a million years think about moving the bridge on an instrument of this quality. IMO, the (barely perceptible) difference in tone and/or string life due to the sharp break angle is not enough to warranty permanently damaging this instrument.