Hello everyone,
Need a bit of help here......Everything I read about intonation says tune the string open, then check it again at the 12th fret, make adjustments as needed. No problem there, seems pretty simple. However, as I go further up the neck, notes don't seem to hold a perfect tune. A "C" or "D" note around the 15th and 17th fret and the 17th and 19th fret are sharp. (I find it with other notes also) Is this normal? Is perfect intonation all the way up the neck possible, or does it come a trade off after a while? It's a 4003, built in August of 2012. Purchased new.
Hope I explained this correctly.
Thanks,
Ken
Intonation
Moderators: rickenbrother, ajish4
Re: Intonation
Intonation, and even fret placement itself is a compromise, but it should be possible to get it closer than you are. One good place to start is with low action. If you like your action on the high side, it's just not gonna happen with the amount of stretch the string experiences by the time it makes it to the fret. Start out by tuning your bass. Then you need to adjust the neck so it's flat. Use the E and G strings as straight edges to gauge this by fretting them at the 1st and last frets. Then file the nut slots down (with properly gauged nut files) till the strings are just a hair higher off of the board than the 1st fret. You can gauge this by pressing the string down at the 2nd fret. Tune the bass again. Now adjust the intonation be checking your tuning open and by fretting each string at the 12th fret. Some people mistakenly think that intonation is set by using 12th fret harmonics. This is NOT how it's done, unless of course you spend all of your time playing harmonics and not actually fretting your bass.
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FabGearHead
- Junior Member
- Posts: 153
- Joined: Thu Feb 26, 2009 10:59 pm
Re: Intonation
Dane, your explanation of what intonation is...and isn't, was spot on! I began my career of working with (and building) stringed instruments in 1980 and Rick basses were
viewed with suspicion by many. I never had any problems with them and could get excellent intonation by using a Conn Strobotuner and a small right angle Phillips screwdriver.
One often over-looked culprit for poor intonation is...strings! I won't get into the why, I just know that some strings are very difficult to intonate properly and it comes down to getting them close with the electronic tuner and tweaking them by ear the rest of the way. Very much like the method piano tuners use.
Also, when strings are played for awhile, they develop flat spots on the underside of the string at each point of contact with the frets. Due to Ricks having a narrow fret crown, the point of contact is vital for intonation. My most recent Rick 4001v63 had excellent intonation anywhere on the neck. I like a medium-low action and use S.I.T.
Power-Flats. It could nail the classic McCartney tone and with a simple roll of the knobs, I could get the crisp Doobie Bros. "long Train Runnin" sound.
viewed with suspicion by many. I never had any problems with them and could get excellent intonation by using a Conn Strobotuner and a small right angle Phillips screwdriver.
One often over-looked culprit for poor intonation is...strings! I won't get into the why, I just know that some strings are very difficult to intonate properly and it comes down to getting them close with the electronic tuner and tweaking them by ear the rest of the way. Very much like the method piano tuners use.
Also, when strings are played for awhile, they develop flat spots on the underside of the string at each point of contact with the frets. Due to Ricks having a narrow fret crown, the point of contact is vital for intonation. My most recent Rick 4001v63 had excellent intonation anywhere on the neck. I like a medium-low action and use S.I.T.
Power-Flats. It could nail the classic McCartney tone and with a simple roll of the knobs, I could get the crisp Doobie Bros. "long Train Runnin" sound.