Intonating a guitar for lower tunings....

[Chrisjd]

Hi all.

This is a noob thing to ask I am sure, but help me out if you can. I used to have a luthier work on my guitars all the time, but he is too expensive and it is a good idea for me to learn myself.

I have a beautiful Washburn and Ltd H-500 that came tuned to standard and I want to drop them down. The Washburn down to C, and the H 500 down to A#.

How likely will it be that I can just swap to a thicker gauge string and be ok as far as pitch and playability?

Does anyone have any instruction on how to reset my guitar to handle the lower tunings?

[GRANKOR]

You'll probably have to move the saddles back to make the intonation correct with thicker strings/lower tunings

[RSBro]

I suck at setups, which is why I pay to have them done.

But from standard all the way that low, you may need some assistance. Sorry I am none.

But I have my Charvel set to play in drop C, and it can handle almost all the way down to A#, so once you get "close" I think you can go up or down a step or two and be ok. Not from standard though, I'm guessing.

[Jesse G]

Yeah, you'll probly have to move the saddles back some.

 

If the fretted note at the 12th fret is higher than the string played open, move the saddle back; if it's flat, move it towards the headstock.

 

I tried to intonate a Schecter Hellraiser once for drop-A and on the low string the saddle had gone back as far as it could go before the string could be intonated for that pitch, so the low string always started going sharp on the upper frets.

[Chrisjd]

Yeah, you'll probly have to move the saddles back some. If the fretted note at the 12th fret is higher than the string played open, move the saddle back; if it's flat, move it towards the headstock. I tried to intonate a Schecter Hellraiser once for drop-A and on the low string the saddle had gone back as far as it could go before the string could be intonated for that pitch, so the low string always started going sharp on the upper frets.

 

 

If this is accurate, that doesn't seem too terribly hard.

 

How about adjusting the action and truss rod? Should I do that before or after I adjust the saddles? I would assume before.

[peavey_impact]

What type of bridges are on your guitars?

 

They will most DEFNITELY need to be adjusted.

 

The low A# in particular could be a pain. Here's a small tip I learned with my 7-string - if your guitar has a tune-o-matic bridge/stop tailpiece and you run out of travel on the saddles, you can take the saddle off and flip it backwards. Sometimes it will make the difference. If you still can't adjust far enough, try screwing your stop tailpiece all the way down as tight as it will go. Don't ask me why but that actually made the difference on my 7-string.

[Jesse G]

 

If this is accurate, that doesn't seem too terribly hard. How about adjusting the action and truss rod? Should I do that before or after I adjust the saddles? I would assume before.

 

 

 

Yeah, I'd do intonation last as action and truss-rod will affect the intonation but not vice-versa.

[zygoat]

I would change the strings and put it in tune, then wait a day or so. See how it is then... if the dip of the neck still needs to be adjusted then go for it, but only in very small adjustments (1/8 turn). a good way to check the dip in the neck is to capo the first fret and hold the string down at the body fret, then see how far the string clears the 8th fret.

[TheEsupremacy]

Chris, I know it's expensive and you SHOULD learn how to do it on your own, BUT - best advice I can give is: Always let a pro do it, especially the FIRST time. I can't, and never in 20 years of on and off playing, have EVER been able to properly set up a guitar like my "tech" Mikey can. He's even showed me multiple times. I know, I fail. What else is new.

[RSBro]

Chris, I know it's expensive and you SHOULD learn how to do it on your own, BUT - best advice I can give is: Always let a pro do it, especially the FIRST time. I can't, and never in 20 years of on and off playing, have EVER been able to properly set up a guitar like my "tech" Mikey can. He's even showed me multiple times. I know, I fail. What else is new.

Same. I've been trying for 12-13 years and still can't get it right. Gah well. Luckily I don't have to change strings and do setups as much as you cats.

[Chrisjd]

Same. I've been trying for 12-13 years and still can't get it right. Gah well. Luckily I don't have to change strings and do setups as much as you cats.

[peavey_impact]

 

Yeah I am using string through tune o matics and stop tail pieces. Wouldn't screwing the bridge down all the way make my intonation UBER low?

 

 

No, screw down the stop tailpiece that the ball end of the strings sit in, not the tune-o-matic bridge itself (obviously that won't apply to a string-thru-body guitar).

Move the saddles on the tune-o-matic towards the nut to sharpen intonation; move them away from the nut to flatten.

 

Only raise or lower the tune-o-matic to raise or lower the action.