Used G&L L2500: Not enough screw length on G saddle.

[whacker]

The title says it all. I purchased a used L2500 a couple of weeks ago, and put off fixing it up (cleaning, strings, setup) until today. It was looking pretty good until I started to intonate it (with my trusty old Conn solid-state Strobotuner) and found that the G string was fretting flat to the 12th fret open harmonic. I started to loosen the adjustment screw, and ran out of threads! Has this happened to anybody, and are longer screws of this size and thread pitch available, say at major harware stores? And if not, how 'bout G&L? None of the other saddles has this problem, by the way. Any comments welcome. I don't like playing a bass I can't intonate, so it's staying home until this is straightened out.

[synaesthesia]

Funny you you should mention this. My experience was quite the reverse, literally!

Got a used L2500 last week. Set up the neck relief and action as I like it, not too low not cheesegrater... started to adjust the intonation and couldn't get the saddle for the B string back enough, the saddle screw was too long.. it went to the end of the saddle as the G&K saddle doesn't thread through completely - it hits a dead end. I broke the saddle screw but found one in my tool box that was short and was the same thread...it fit.

I thought after that 'how odd' - the neck's not warped, the relief is right, the action is playably low, and the saddle wouldn't go back enough to be in tune up the neck.

FWIW, my G string saddle is presently pretty much on the end of the screw's length and I almost ran out of screw shaft length. During the intonation adjustment, it was at its end like yours and the intonation was out, I adjusted the action for the specifically G string and sorted it out.

[Trevorus]

You might try different strings.

[202dy]

There is plenty of room on the intonation screw given that it is OEM spec.

This problem crops up occasionaly. It rarely has anything to do with the bridge. While it could be a false string it usually isn't. The problem is almost always at the nut. Instead of the string breaking at the bridge end of the nut it is hitting TDC somewhere in the middle of the nut. The judicous use of a nut file will correct the problem. BTW, when the problem is at the saddle the same remedy applies.

[Mrdak]

Originally Posted by Trevorus

You might try different strings.

+1 ..... I'll bet you it's a bad or old stretched out G string.

[saxofunk]

This problem has been brought up several times on the G&L sponsored thread. Rather than regurgitate info, here's a few links.

Can't move your bridge saddles back far enough? File the screws down!

Screw Length

[whacker]

Thanks SoF. So there must be longer screws out there, maybe even from non G&L sources. The strings are new (and the G sounds good), and I don't typically have trouble with this brand, so I'll measure the screw and try and find one that's maybe a half inch longer, and if I must I'll bug G&L about it.

[whacker]

I went to a good old fashioned hardware store where they sell individual screws for $.08, and got one 1/4" longer than the original. Works real well, but I think I may have a problem with either the string or my pickup height, because as I play above the 12th fret, there's a point where the fretted note gets noticably sharper (maybe at the 17th). I have my bridge pickup set about 3/16" below the string, and the neck p/u just a little lower. These pickups are so strong, could I need a little more distance there?

[Mrdak]

Have you tried another G string, maybe an old one? Just for the flip flop of it, try one and see if it intonates like it should.
Also if your pickup is too close to the strings it can cause problems. 3/16" might be a bit too close for those pickups. Go 1/16" or so lower on the treble side and see if it helps. That could possibly help with your G string issue also.