Cirrus intonation - what's with this bridge?

Discussion in 'Hardware, Setup & Repair [BG]' started by secretdonkey, Jul 25, 2003.

  1. secretdonkey

    secretdonkey

    Oct 9, 2002
    Austin, TX
    I am wanting to adjust the intonation on my Cirrus 4, but I've never really encountered a bridge of its sort before. I also suspect that the owner's manual may be incorrect in its advice...

    The manual says that a phillips screwdriver can be used to adjust intonation. However, I do not see any such adjustment. It appears to my (admittedly inexpert) eye that the bridge saddles are each set, free-floating, into a channel and held in position by an allen screw that pins the saddle to one side of the channel wall. So it would seem that adjusting would be accomplished by loosening the allen screw and moving the saddle by hand - which seems a rather imprecise way to adjust.

    Each string and saddle/channel has 1.) An allen screw running parallel to the string, which appears to hold the actual saddle blade, and allows for string spacing adjustment; 2.) An allen screw (maybe two - I'm at work now so can't look) to adjust string height, these run perpendicular to the plane of the body of the bass; 3.) An allen screw that I suspect can be loosened to adjust intonaion - it runs perpendicular to the string and parallel to the plane of the body. The only phillips screws I see are the ones that appear to attach the bridge to the body.

    Please tell me I'm wrong about this, or advise me on how to make precise adjustments on a bridge of this type...

    Thanks

    :confused:
     
  2. snissors

    snissors

    Sep 19, 2003
    Ditto here. I just bought a Cirrus 5, and I need to adjust the intonation of the B and E strings. I thought the same thing you did - do you really loosen that phillips screw to adjust intonation?? Looks like it would just detach the bridge. More than that, the string is totally in the way of getting to that screw anyway.

    Did you ever figure out what to do?

    If so, please let me know.

    Other than the intonation mystery, how do you like your Cirrus? I love mine so far. Which woods did you choose?

    Steve
     
  3. secretdonkey

    secretdonkey

    Oct 9, 2002
    Austin, TX
    Wow, I never got a reply back when I posted back then? Where was the Talkbass love when I needed it? :(

    Yeah, the phillips screwdriver mess is total hooey - whoever wrote this obviously wasn't looking at the bridge! On the advice of a couple different people, I loosened the string, loosened the allen set screw, and moved the thing by hand - not as bad as I thought it would be...

    :D

    She's just incredible. Best bass acquisition move I've ever made. I have the flame maple/alder/pau ferro version, and am contemplating picking up a walnut or walnut/bubinga one to keep her company... :D
     
  4. Hey, it's nice to see you figured it. Good Job!

    [​IMG]
    Treena
     
  5. I like your little icon guy Ms.Treena:)
     
  6. Thank you. I'm just having some fun!

    [​IMG]

    Treena
     
  7. Haha...mind if I put that one as my icon for AOL instant messanger?:)
     
  8. Go for it!
    [​IMG]
    Treena