NGPD - Parts is parts....

Dave Merrill said:
Keep us posted.
A truly solid approach to intonation would be great.
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Not all guitars have the nut positioned well and they have to work with a variety of string gauges. This is as solid a method as a tempered instrument can have. If it doesn't work for you you need to develop a tempering method that suits your playing style and what you play. Perfectly in tune across ALL the frets is impossible.
 
Joe Bfstplk said:
Will try it again tuning the 3rd fret note and testing the 15th fret note.

Stay tuned.... ;)
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It will show you if the nut is actually helping anything. Remember the version that slides backwards and forward to fine tune the distance to the first fret? You set these by intonating 3rd to 15th and then sliding the nut to set the open string to be in tune when you tuned at the 3rd fret . If this is incorrect the nut is in the wrong place.
 
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Andy Eagle said:
It will show you if the nut is actually helping anything. Remember the version that slides backwards and forward to fine tune the distance to the first fret?
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Rory's is the one that drops into the LSR nut slot. No fine tuning possible.... Same with the Warmoth neck on my Strat. My Strat's original neck has the fine tuneable one. Been thinking ablout putting one of those on my red Fender Tele....
 
Joe Bfstplk said:
Rory's is the one that drops into the LSR nut slot. No fine tuning possible.... Same with the Warmoth neck on my Strat. My Strat's original neck has the fine tuneable one. Been thinking ablout putting one of those on my red Fender Tele....
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Report back if it tunes correctly. I would honestly have my doubts. It is so critical a design the distance to the first fret will totally govern if it actually helps . BUT even if it is out generally it will still help the differential intervals sound better across strings. Thirds in minor chords with distortion from E shape to A shape is a good test.
 
Andy Eagle said:
Perfectly in tune across ALL the frets is impossible.
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How do you like the True Temperament necks? I like the idea of being a little closer to in tune with major and minor 3rds. Honestly the big thing holding me back from one of those would be the lack of choice in neck profile.
 
Joe Bfstplk said:
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Accumulating parts for a project....
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Before you put the plate on it, the figuring looks like some sort of ewok or woodland creature raising its hands up in celebration and has a big gaping birth canal on its tummy!
 
Andy Eagle said:
Report back if it tunes correctly. I would honestly have my doubts. It is so critical a design the distance to the first fret will totally govern if it actually helps .
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Will do.

Andy Eagle said:
BUT even if it is out generally it will still help the differential intervals sound better across strings. Thirds in minor chords with distortion from E shape to A shape is a good test.
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When intonated so 12th fret is in tune, the chords played up the neck are very in tune with themselves, with E, A and D shapes, as well as C shape.
 
Joe Bfstplk said:
When intonated so 12th fret is in tune, the chords played up the neck are very in tune with themselves, with E, A and D shapes, as well as C shape.
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Re-checked with ensuring the 3rd fret note was in tune and then checking the 15th fret note. Better results this time, but the 12th-fret method was really close. We're digging into the space between the 2nd and 3rd standard deviation here.

My old Gecko Thinline has a Rutters "Half Bridge" with their saddles, and is a USA Custom neck and body, with LSR drop-in Earvana from 2007-ish, and it also benefited from the 3rd/15th test. Seems to do good at spreading the inevitable errors more evenly and sweetly. Kinda the opposite of in-house made tortilla chips at a Mexican restaurant, spreading the salt more evenly is best practice. :)

My Strat benefitted from the couple percent better as well.

Gonna try it on a guitar with a regular nut - my VZ Custom Tele....
 
The VZ took a couple more adjustments here and there, but this works well for non-Earvana nuts also.

Going to keep moving through the guitars and intonating, and see what shakes loose....
 
Got through intonation tweaks on 11 guitars this evening, with a bit of play test time on each. Each sounds a couple percent better. Easiest of the bunch? The Sterling Cutlass.
Literally only adjusted 2 saddles a quarter turn from the 12th-fret method's settings. The PRS gang were all pretty close with the 12th-fret method, but all sound better now. Worst of the bunch to get right? The Fender Tele. Got it playing better than it was, but gonna have to get the adjustable Earvana for Fenders and replace the factory nut, methinks....

Additionally, swapped the original Tune-O-Matic bridge back onto the Gretsch. The TonePro roller bridge wasn't hitting the mark for a couple strings, due to the bulkiness of the roller saddles and the angle Gretsch uses for their bridges. Sounds great after the adjustments....
 
State of Epicicity said:
How do you like the True Temperament necks? I like the idea of being a little closer to in tune with major and minor 3rds. Honestly the big thing holding me back from one of those would be the lack of choice in neck profile.
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The newer ones with stainless steel frets are ok if the playability is perfect BUT future fretwork of any type puts me off owning one.
 
Joe Bfstplk said:
Got through intonation tweaks on 11 guitars this evening, with a bit of play test time on each. Each sounds a couple percent better. Easiest of the bunch? The Sterling Cutlass.
Literally only adjusted 2 saddles a quarter turn from the 12th-fret method's settings. The PRS gang were all pretty close with the 12th-fret method, but all sound better now. Worst of the bunch to get right? The Fender Tele. Got it playing better than it was, but gonna have to get the adjustable Earvana for Fenders and replace the factory nut, methinks....

Additionally, swapped the original Tune-O-Matic bridge back onto the Gretsch. The TonePro roller bridge wasn't hitting the mark for a couple strings, due to the bulkiness of the roller saddles and the angle Gretsch uses for their bridges. Sounds great after the adjustments....
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Quite a rabbit hole once you start .
Earvarna nuts are no good with trems because of the additional contact.
PRS and Musicman being very close doesn't surprise at all because they both use a compensated nut position.
 
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