Are intonation issues common the 1954/"Jamerson" LaBellas?

[Harper]

I slapped a set of the Jamersons on my P-bass a while back (string through, and yes I got the "string through" set). I could never get the E to properly intonate. LaBella was nice enough to send me a replacement string, and while the replacement isn't as bad I still can't get it in tune. I've got the saddle waaaaay back and it's still sharp.

Is that odd? I mean, if we are keeping it real with the Jamerson vibe I'll stay in the first position and keep it thuddy, but still....

 

[JazzyJacuzzi]

The bigger the string, the further the saddle needs to be to intonate properly. That's why, for example, some five-string Yamahas have that uneven bridge (see below). That said, I've never been able to intonate the Jamerson set's E. My suggestion would be to try the 760FS or 760FL sets.

 

[HaphAsSard]

while the replacement isn't as bad I still can't get it in tune. I've got the saddle waaaaay back and it's still sharp.

Could you eke out an extra fraction of an inch's worth of backward travel for the saddle if you removed the spring?

 

[GIBrat51]

The bigger the string, the further the saddle needs to be to intonate properly. That's why, for example, some five-string Yamahas have that uneven bridge (see below). That said, I've never been able to intonate the Jamerson set's E. My suggestion would be to try the 760FS or 760FL sets.

View attachment 4423647

I'm pretty sure this is the explanation. I think it's because most factory 4 string bridges are positioned by setting the scale length with the G string's saddle positioned slightly back from it's furthest forward position. And, they're intended to be used with the strings the factory has decided are "best" on their bass. Since the "best" strings are never those large diameter flats, there isn't enough travel to intonate the E string - on some bridges, on some basses. Over on "The Modified BEAD 4 String Bass Club" thread, there are lots of complaints about this; the bridge on somebody's bass won't intonate the big B string, because the saddle won't go back far enough. The Hipshot A bridge on my Carvin LB-20 would intonate the B string when I had it strung that way, but... just barely. However, I don't recall many complaints from people with a stock Fender bent plate bridge; they seemed to work just fine. And a "Jamerson" E string isn't anywhere as big as a B string from a 5 string set, so...? If your P Bass is a Fender with a stock bridge, it's certainly possible that lack of E string saddle travel is the problem. Personally, though, I'd suspect a string problem, or the string binding at the nut... If your bass has a different bridge? Barring a string or a binding problem, lighter gauge strings would be my solution. Unless, of course, you want to move the bridge back a little...

 

[iiipopes]

This ^. Remember the "Jamerson" set is about as thick as a conventional 4-string bass set gets. The bass probably does need a nut adjustment to accommodate the strings properly.

 

[Watchootognbout]

Did you set the witness points?