I've been thinking about getting a new bridge, but i was sure about intonation. Is hard to do yourself? How do you do it? I know you have to make the open note equal the 12th fret.
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Intonation
- Thread starter HELLonWHEELS
- Start date
It isn't very hard to do, but supposedly you need a strobe tuner to get it really accurate.
Invalid Link Removed has a great set up guide
Invalid Link Removed has a great set up guide
It isn't hard to do, just finnicky. Any bass player who tunes their own guitar should also know how and be able to set the intonation. Here's how I do it:
1. Starting with the low E string, place a piece of foam under the other three to deaden their sound.
2. Tune the open E to pitch.
3. Play the E on the twelth fret, placing the finger towards the dot on the fretboard.
4. Using a tuner, observe how sharp or flat the fretted note is.
5. Pluck the 12th fret harmonic. Notice how flat or sharp the harmonic is.
6. If the fretted note is flatter than the harmonic, move the bridge sadddle forward.
7. Repeat until the notes match. Repeat for each string. Repeat again.
1. Starting with the low E string, place a piece of foam under the other three to deaden their sound.
2. Tune the open E to pitch.
3. Play the E on the twelth fret, placing the finger towards the dot on the fretboard.
4. Using a tuner, observe how sharp or flat the fretted note is.
5. Pluck the 12th fret harmonic. Notice how flat or sharp the harmonic is.
6. If the fretted note is flatter than the harmonic, move the bridge sadddle forward.
7. Repeat until the notes match. Repeat for each string. Repeat again.
...do it again at the 5th and 17th frets.
A Peterson Virtual Strobe II works really well for intonating.
A Peterson Virtual Strobe II works really well for intonating.
All bridges will be different, but a good starting point would be to set the new bridge up similar to the old bridge, if the intonation is currently correct.
If it is not currently correct - try and set it on the old setup first before you change them out.
If it is not currently correct - try and set it on the old setup first before you change them out.
Make sure you do all your other adjustments first (neck and action).
IMHO: Get as accurate a tuner as you can.
IMHO: Get as accurate a tuner as you can.
HELLonWheels187 said:
The typical guitar tuner isn't that accurate, but bettter than nothing. The Peterson Virtual Strobe is a good tuner to use for doing intonation. Cost more but worth it.
HELLonWheels187 said:
If you can't afford a strobe, get a tuner with a slow needle. Not LED's or something like that. The needle is the easiest. And by slow I mean like the needles in Boss tuners, which I have used for years to set intonation.
lpdeluxe said:
I always wondered what you do if it's slightly off on the 5th and 17th and dead on, on the 12th
At that point I would say it's frets that are off!!
