Strange intonation problem with E string / D'addario Chrome / Longhorn

[Stos-Garip]

Hello people!

I have a really strange intonation problem with my Chrome E string on my Danelectro Longhorn.
The strings are on the bass two years almost and from the beginning there was something strange.
But lately I listened to a live recording and I was really disapointed.

My problem seems to be opposite than most of other threads I read on TB about Flatwound E strings intonation problems :
When my open string is tuned, the fifth and the octave are also ok but the first frets near the nut are off... They are way too sharp.

I showed the bass to a luthier who said that the bass set up is right, that it could be the string.. But he didnt really knew what to say about it.

Did you ever experienced such a thing?

I just ordered a new set of Chromes to change the E string, to see if it is going to change anything.

thanks!

 

[BaileyMan]

Sounds like the string height at the nut might be too high and that the nut slot(s) may need some filing. What can happen is that when you fret the first few notes the string travels farther to reach the fret and the note goes sharp.

 

[Stos-Garip]

Thanks for you reply!

But if it would be the nut, would not all the notes on the fretboard be sharper?

 

[iiipopes]

Thanks for you reply!

But if it would be the nut, would not all the notes on the fretboard be sharper?

No, because of the relative stretch and the compensation at the bridge. In the middle of the fret board, all of that stretch is distributed along a much longer portion of the string, and so does not tend to pull the string as sharp.

 

[Stos-Garip]

@iiipopes Makes sense! thanks!
I will try the new E string whenever it arrive this week and if it doesn't work, I'll go to the luthier!

 

[iiipopes]

@iiipopes Makes sense! thanks!
I will try the new E string whenever it arrive this week and if it doesn't work, I'll go to the luthier!

Make sure you are careful when installing the string, including making sure it doesn't twist or kink, that you have trimmed it properly to have the appropriate number of neat turns down and around the tuner post, that you set the witness points on the bridge, nut, and tuner post after you have tuned up the string, given it a slight tug to equalize tension, and retune; then double-check your compensation at the bridge; and all before you check the relative intonation of the first few frets.

I have one bass that I figured out the nut was too close to the first fret. When I tuned in the middle of the neck, the low notes were sharp; when I tuned open, up the neck went flat. My luthier had to put a small shim between the end of the fretboard and the nut to restore the relative geometry, and now that bass intonates very well all the way up and down the neck.

Here is how to check the positioning of the nut, which is what I did (presupposing that the frets are placed properly up the neck, which I have a guitar that the 12th fret is slightly out of position, but that is for another thread). Octaves are half or double in both pitch and distance between frets, depending on which way you are going. The distance between the middle of the crowns of the 12th and 13th frets should be exactly one-half of the distance between the fret board edge of the nut and the crown of the first fret. If it is not, it will also cause the intonation issues you describe, as much as does a nut that is too shallow or not contoured properly: wide enough to not pinch the string, the appropriate roundness so it doesn't catch the string, and the proper slope back from the witness point at the fret board side of the nut back to the tuner side of the nut to secure intonation.