"E" string tuning question...

[blaine63]

I have two 320s (a 1984 and a 1991). When I play an open "E" chord the low "E" bends slightly flat then back in tune on both guitars. On the older 320 the effect is more pronounced. The older 320 has the heavier gauge Rickenbacker strings and the newer 320 has medium gauge strings.

Any ideas? Is it a nut problem (I assume the nuts are original and both guitars have seen a lot of playing...especially the 1991 model)?

Thanks

[iiipopes]

All guitars do this to some extent. It's more prone on a short scale guitar. I actually have a little nut spacer on the low E string of my 320 so that the G is not sharp and it intonates better up the neck. Use a slightly heavier string, 54 or 56, raise the E side of the bridge slightly, and don't pick quite so hard.

[winston]

One of your pickups may be too close to the low E. If you raise your bridge just a tad on that side the phenomenon that you are experiencing may go away to a large extent.

[blaine63]

@Scott: How does the nut spacer work...or maybe a better question is...what is a nut spacer? I have 54s on the 1984. 56? That's piano wire!! Ha! I'll try raising the bridge first.

@Brian: Going to raise the bridge slightly and see if that works. How would having the pickups too close cause the effect I'm referring to?

Thanks, guys!!

[winston]

Brian: Going to raise the bridge slightly and see if that works. How would having the pickups too close cause the effect I'm referring to?

I am not sure about the exact science behind my observation, but I have most definitely noticed over 47 years of playing and setting up my own guitars that when strings are too close to pickups that they tend to produce significant overtones and that can make the low E string in particular sound out of tune.

[jps]

What Brian says is the absolute truth, especially, when playing higher up the neck you can get a doubling of the note, and not in a good way.

[blaine63]

Thanks. It's not a harmonic or an overtone or anything like that. It actually sounds like I'm using my Bigsby. The "E" string (and none of the others) actually drops down about a quarter tone (on both guitars). I'm not playing like Pete Townsend (as if...). Hard, open "E" power chords...but not crazy hard. Maybe it is a short-scale phenomena. I don't know. I'll try a .56 on both guitars...raise the bridge (only slightly as I love the action on my 320s!!)...and see if that solves it. I don't gig or anything like that...but I'd love to solve this dilemma.

Thanks to all for any and all input.

[jps]

I find it really interesting that the pitch drops; usually it goes up, if it does at all, from excess pressure on the strings.

[winston]

I find it really interesting that the pitch drops; usually it goes up, if it does at all, from excess pressure on the strings.

That is precisely the phenomenon that I observed and that's why I mentioned the remedy here. Increasing the distance between the pickup and the string will eliminate one possible cause. You need to try any potential solution as you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Personally I cannot stand to play a guitar or bass that is not intonated perfectly for very long. So much of the natural voicing of the instrument gets lost as you try to compensate for its inaccuracy. There is nothing quite like an instrument that responds well to your touch and is effortless to play.