intonation on a les paul

[LonelyBeat]

I have an LP studio that I have really messed up now. I had it professionally set up and all, then I gigged, it dropped, I restrung and all that, messed the action up a little by raising the bridge and tailpiece a bit, then lowering it when I realized I didnt have to do that.
Anyhow, I know that by now the intonation must be way off and that I need to correct this. I know it involves adjusting the fine tuners, and that the harmonics on open and 12 have to be the same....right right.....Do you guys think I can do this with a 35 dollar boss tuner or should I just have it set up and thats it. I really wanna be able to this, and i also wanna know if I adjust the height of the strings via the bridge, am I changing the intonation.
Sny help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Outlaws]

Do it yourself. You will know your guitar better afterwards.

Just turn the screws on the tailpiece so that the 12th fret harmonic matches the open note.

When all is said and done, if it plays fine then your Boss tuner is plenty.

 

[jdier]

do a search on intonation on this site. I just had to do something similar and was able to learn enough from the site that I went back and adjusted truss rods, action and intonation on 3 basses and 4 guitars.

You CAN do it. Read up, take you time and listen.

 

[64Firebird]

Intonation is easy! If the string at the 12th fret is sharp, then it's too short. If it's flat then it's too long.

 

[Scottgman]

This might help.

https://homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?threadid=92159&highlight=intonation


Your tuner should work fine. I've got a little Korg chromatic tuner I've had for probably ten years. It's been dropped more times than I can remember and it still works great for setting intonation.

 

[Paj]

>

LonelyBeat:

IMHO, Take it in and have it setup again. If this drop was so catastrophic that you had to restring it, and then you raised/lowed the bridge, moved the saddles---TAKE IT IN AND GET IT INSPECTED AND SETUP.

Let the tech worry about:

(1) intonation/saddle adjustment

(2) belly/bow

(3) sting height / action

(4) truss rod tension

(5) Inspecting for damage from the drop


The reason I'm saying this is that, any one of the above can be tackled with patience, knowledge, advice, skill and experience but now, you probably have some combination of adjustments for all of these issues going for you all at once. These factors always interact with one another to varying degrees but it appears that you may have lost the baseline---a setup that worked and was comfortable.

This could be the test that proves that your are a luthieric genius, or that you are simply smart enough to let a pro handle it when he/she should.

I really feel that if you're asking, you shouldn't be working on this one. Yeah---you can do the intonation with your tuner but let a pro handle this situation. Like time, a Les Paul is a terrible thing to waste . . .


Good Luck,
Paj
8^)

 

[ZoSo58LP]

i never got my studio or strats intonation to sound good, made a post too...when playing the G and B together as barred, it sounds horrible even when they're in tune, meh

 

[Lt. Bob]

I'll have to vote for DIY.
Firebird and Outlaw pretty much explained about all you need to know about intonation.
But adjust your action first........if the neck has a bow in it....tighten the truss rod.........if it's arched...then loosen the truss rod......if it's straight; leave it alone.....set your action where you like it and then set the intonation.

That'll be $75 please....................thank you.

BTW..........I used to build banjos and archtop jazz guitars and I repair pianos for a living now so I do have some knowledge about the subject. Many people think that guitars or pianos are some sort of mysterious alternate universe sort of things that can't be touched by mere mortals but really.....all of this stuff is quite simple and logical. Take your time and ask questions if you're not sure about something and you can do this yourself just fine. And you won't need to pay someone every time you need it done.

 

[mrface2112]

i like DIY too, but.....

....but it's hard to do it correctly the first time. especially if you've knocked the neck outta whack. adjusting truss rods are not for the inexperienced first-timer or faint of heart.

i assume that if you're gigging regularly, then you've prolly got one guy that you trust to do the majority of the work on your guitar. and chances are you've gotten to know him pretty well over the years. take your guitar to him and explain what happened (be honest), tell him what you did to "fix" it (be honest), and ask him to give it another setup.

then ask him if you can watch (and/or help). explain that you'd like to see how he fixes your "fixing" and that you'd really like to do some of this piddly stuff yourself and not screw it up. be flexible to his schedule and maybe tip him or bring him a 6pack or some of his favorite whatever. when the day comes, ask lots of questions. if you see him doing something that you don't know the reason behind, ask. this way you get the best of both worlds--you learn from someone good (and who you trust) and then you can start working on it on your own starting the next time you drop it and have a clue as to how to do it correctly. ;-)

assuming you've got a pretty good relationship with the guy, he'll prolly say "sure". my axe guy did when i asked, and even volunteered to do it after closing so we could take our time with it (and drink that 6pack ;-)). this simple act of kindness on his part will go far to ensure your business for years to come.

and it need not be said, but make sure you buy all your stuff from him from then on out. ;-)


teach a man to fish....
wade

 

[Phyl]

I'll have to vote for DIY.
Firebird and Outlaw pretty much explained about all you need to know about intonation.
But adjust your action first........if the neck has a bow in it....tighten the truss rod.........if it's arched...then loosen the truss rod......if it's straight; leave it alone.....set your action where you like it and then set the intonation.

Ditto - it's very important to get the neck bow and action adjusted PRIOR to doing the actual intonation.

 

[grinder]

I prefer to set the intonation by fretting the note at the 12th fret instead of playing the harmonic.Intonation needs to compensate for the string height.If every thing is perfect, the harm. and 12th fret notes will be the same, but it dosen't always work that way.I also check notes all over the neck.If the intonation is on at the 12th fret and out closer to the nut, minor truss rod adjustment can sometimes help.If not I adjust it so the intonation compensates and is close everywhere, but not perfect anywhere.Or adjust so it is perfect in the areas most used.Be very careful adjusting the truss rod.You should never have to tighten it more than 1/4 turn unless it is completely loose and loosening it a little bit before tightening it is a good idea.Truss rods are easy to break and a pain in the ass to replace.