This past weekend I decided it was time to get my 1965 Jazz Bass out and get it ready for the recording gig this week. I don't often bring it to gigs, just ones where I know I can keep a close eye on it for the evening. Since I'm recording, I'd best change strings and check the intonation- G- fine, D- fine, A- fine, E- WHOA!! A Full HALF STEP OFF! It was a full half step off even at the 5th fret and the string is slapping against the frets. It's also really hard to get a 12th fret harmonic- and it first registers at A then switches to D#.
So I'm looking at the bridge, but it looks fine. I check the neck, a slight bow, but just the way I like it. Switch tuners- Boss TU-2 to a TU-12 still the problem is there. I can't figure out what's going on. I adjust the bridge saddle, but EVERYWHERE I MOVE THE SADDLE IT STAYS THE SAME!! By this point it's 9 or 10 on Sunday night, and figuring I must just be tired or something...
Yesterday afternoon I'm on my way to the studio and I called a guy that's done a bunch of work for me in the past- he has no idea. And I putz with it for an hour or so while they're setting up the drums, try the Korg rackmounted tuner in my rig. Still, a no-go. I remembered a friend of mine worked at a music store down the street. When I called, I could tell the guy who answered the phone thought I was dumber than an open box of hair- but he told me to bring it in. At the store they check everything I did, but as they moved the saddle the entire travel of the screw it still wouldn't intonate. They then took a couple of nut blanks and made a "bridge" for the string to rest on. Where it "intonated" at was a spot almost directly between the end of the bridge and the bridge pickup. Nutty? You Betcha!
After most everything had been done to clear this up, we all figured it must be the string. It had to be the string. Guess what? It was the string. After putting on a used string (I keep a used set in all cases at all times!) it intonated fine in the original positon.
What was the problem? The string had been wound over again starting around the 6th fret to the ball. In other words, it was normal sized (.105) from the nut to around the 6th fret, then it went to something like .110 from there up to the bridge. Cray-zee. I've used D'Addarios for 20 years or so and have never had a problem like this before. All's well, I had an extra unused .105 and it sounds as sweet as that bass always does.
So I'm looking at the bridge, but it looks fine. I check the neck, a slight bow, but just the way I like it. Switch tuners- Boss TU-2 to a TU-12 still the problem is there. I can't figure out what's going on. I adjust the bridge saddle, but EVERYWHERE I MOVE THE SADDLE IT STAYS THE SAME!! By this point it's 9 or 10 on Sunday night, and figuring I must just be tired or something...
Yesterday afternoon I'm on my way to the studio and I called a guy that's done a bunch of work for me in the past- he has no idea. And I putz with it for an hour or so while they're setting up the drums, try the Korg rackmounted tuner in my rig. Still, a no-go. I remembered a friend of mine worked at a music store down the street. When I called, I could tell the guy who answered the phone thought I was dumber than an open box of hair- but he told me to bring it in. At the store they check everything I did, but as they moved the saddle the entire travel of the screw it still wouldn't intonate. They then took a couple of nut blanks and made a "bridge" for the string to rest on. Where it "intonated" at was a spot almost directly between the end of the bridge and the bridge pickup. Nutty? You Betcha!
After most everything had been done to clear this up, we all figured it must be the string. It had to be the string. Guess what? It was the string. After putting on a used string (I keep a used set in all cases at all times!) it intonated fine in the original positon.
What was the problem? The string had been wound over again starting around the 6th fret to the ball. In other words, it was normal sized (.105) from the nut to around the 6th fret, then it went to something like .110 from there up to the bridge. Cray-zee. I've used D'Addarios for 20 years or so and have never had a problem like this before. All's well, I had an extra unused .105 and it sounds as sweet as that bass always does.
