Jangly/Twang 'G' String:

I got to thinking about this and pulled the 'g' out of the nut. I saw a little, hard (unidentifiable) black piece of carp in the floor of the nut.

I made a few passes with a .017" welding tip cleaner. It took several passed to knock it out.

Jangle gone!!!!

IMG_20180323_53461.jpg
 
Yup... those G strings are notorious for picking up some crusty poop every now and then. Especially if proper hygiene is not practised... :blink:
 
I figured this out!!!!! What the old Luthier told me is true!!!!

Along the saddle's travel, there really is more than one area where you can set intonation, but it won't be correct.

As an experiment, I moved the E saddle on a Von Herndon (Strat style bridge) all the way forward and backward. At both extremes, the note was acceptable, but it had a jangling overtone quality which was worse on the plain strings.

Even with a strobe tuner, it took me a while to find the correct harmonic, but when I did, the tone was just astounding.

I been doing it wrong!!!
 
Robert Herndon said:
I figured this out!!!!! What the old Luthier told me is true!!!!

Along the saddle's travel, there really is more than one area where you can set intonation, but it won't be correct.

As an experiment, I moved the E saddle on a Von Herndon (Strat style bridge) all the way forward and backward. At both extremes, the note was acceptable, but it had a jangling overtone quality which was worse on the plain strings.

Even with a strobe tuner, it took me a while to find the correct harmonic, but when I did, the tone was just astounding.

I been doing it wrong!!!
Click to expand...

So, how did you end up doing it?
 
smitty_p said:
So, how did you end up doing it?
Click to expand...

The old Luthier told me to measure from the edge of the string slot in the nut to the bridge saddle and adjust this for the exact scale length as a starting point. I chuckled to myself in side when he said this, but it works. From that point you will be very near the strings natural harmonic without chasing overtones...
 
Robert Herndon said:
The old Luthier told me to measure from the edge of the string slot in the nut to the bridge saddle and adjust this for the exact scale length as a starting point. I chuckled to myself in side when he said this, but it works. From that point you will be very near the strings natural harmonic without chasing overtones...
Click to expand...

Interesting. I would assume, since the scale length is the theoretically correct measurement, you found that you pretty much always adjust the saddle further back to compensate for the string's physics (stiffness, etc). Correct?
 
Robert Herndon said:
The old Luthier told me to measure from the edge of the string slot in the nut to the bridge saddle and adjust this for the exact scale length as a starting point. I chuckled to myself in side when he said this, but it works. From that point you will be very near the strings natural harmonic without chasing overtones...
Click to expand...
Now, I'm confused... which is a very natural and frequent occurrence with me. But if you adjust this way, wouldn't all the saddles be at equal distance from the nut?
 
jtcnj said:
I think he means center to start, and I thought that too at first read.
Click to expand...
So, one would start at high E string at the exact scale length, and work your way down thru the other strings?

But, if you intonate by matching the 12th fret harmonic with the 12th fret note, aren't you essentially going back to "square one"?
 
syscokid said:
Now, I'm confused... which is a very natural and frequent occurrence with me. But if you adjust this way, wouldn't all the saddles be at equal distance from the nut?
Click to expand...

It's where you begin to avoid a false harmonic. I had a guitar brought to me and the saddels were all reward and it was OK in terms of how it sounded when playing chords, but it wasn't spot-on...
 
syscokid said:
So, one would start at high E string at the exact scale length, and work your way down thru the other strings?

But, if you intonate by matching the 12th fret harmonic with the 12th fret note, aren't you essentially going back to "square one"?
Click to expand...

Ok, keep in mind this old gentlemen related this to me around the fire pit at my parent's ranch, so i'm relating what he told me.

He claimed that there is only one true harmonic, and there are overtones which can mimic the harmonic. His rationale for measuring the scale is to get close to the natural harmonic.

I believe him because I have been brought guitars that were off after paying another Luthier to set them up and the saddles were all shifted back to their limits.
 
Robert Herndon said:
The old Luthier told me to measure from the edge of the string slot in the nut to the bridge saddle and adjust this for the exact scale length as a starting point. ..
Click to expand...

Given this approach, I would suggest you measure from the forward edge of the nut to the center of the 12th fret and double it to determine what the scale length of the particular guitar actually is. The reason I say this is that Gibson is notorious for publishing a spec and building it to something a little different. Although Gibson publishes a 24.75 scale, some of their guitars are actually more like a 24.625 or similar.
 
smitty_p said:
Given this approach, I would suggest you measure from the forward edge of the nut to the center of the 12th fret and double it to determine what the scale length of the particular guitar actually is. The reason I say this is that Gibson is notorious for publishing a spec and building it to something a little different. Although Gibson publishes a 24.75 scale, some of their guitars are actually more like a 24.625 or similar.
Click to expand...

Good Point!

I'm still trying to record/absorb what this fellow told me, but it resulted in me reducing my time when setting intonation significantly...
 
smitty_p said:
Given this approach, I would suggest you measure from the forward edge of the nut to the center of the 12th fret and double it to determine what the scale length of the particular guitar actually is. The reason I say this is that Gibson is notorious for publishing a spec and building it to something a little different. Although Gibson publishes a 24.75 scale, some of their guitars are actually more like a 24.625 or similar.
Click to expand...
Those Bastards... :fan:
 
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