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Intonation problem? (Fender)

staf Wouters

staf Wouters

Jan 18, 2011
76
5
Belgium
linktr.ee
#1
Hello community,

I think my bass has problems with intonation/bridge.
It's a mexican made fender classic 60's jazz bass.
Currently it's tuned dropped C and it has XL nickel wound strings on it.

Last time I had a gig, but afterwards, my bridge settings changed. I don't think the bridge is that stable.
And sometimes, even while I play the correct notes, my bass still sounds off (even when tuned right).

Should I put a new, stable bridge on it?
The problem is that the recordings for our EP are next saturday.
I'd really like my bass to sound good, but at the moment all nearby music stores are closed for 1/2 days. And I guess they wont have it repaired in less than a week.

So I guess that I'll have to take my srewdriver with me and adjust the bass on spot.

But

How do I do this? How do I adjust my intonation correctly?

Thanks in advance,

Me :hiding:
 
#2
If possible, take it to a shop or ask a friend who is experienced with instruments to assist you to set the intonation. It sounds like, in the first instance, your bass simply needs a professional set up, which should not take all that long in the shop.
 
#6
You don't give us enough information. What about the bridge is unstable? If the set screws on the saddles are creeping and their settings change, put some clear nail polish on them to lock the screws in place. You can still break them loose to re-adjust.

The gauge of the strings should have nothing to do with this. It's something in the setup that's the problem.
 
#7
What Pilgrim said. If the bridge saddles are dropping, kick it old school and lock the screws with clear nail polish. Instant bridge stability. Blue locktite is the other option but I prefer haw polish totally comes off the threads if you need to turn them again.

Btw, I always check intonation before playing. I view it as part of tuning the bass. It usually doesn't change but checking it is easy and so is adjusting it.
 
#8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FC30nJgIAJM
Quick video demonstration should get you started. I'm not fond of the measuring method on Fenders site. Once you have it properly adjusted and the saddles are set(he demonstrates in the video) recheck again the next time you play. If you need to make significant additional adjustments you might want to go the nail polish or locktite route. New bridge is an option but usually isn't necessary. An unstable neck can also lead to some of these issues. Hopefully that isn't your issue.
 

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