I'm trying to adjust the intonation on my Stingray and when I check the fretted vs harmonics note on the 12th fret, the fretted not is sharp. So when it's sharp, the documentation says to turn the saddle screen counterclockwise to lengthen the string (reference: Ernie Ball) but when I turn counterclockwise, the string is getting shorter, not longer (i.e. the saddle is moving closer to the pickup). Am I reading this wrong? Can someone please explain? Thanks
- Thread starter joeballs
- Start date
rutgart
Well-known member
It's sounds like you have already worked this out yourself, and maybe it's written wrong at the source your looking at.
EG. If the Fretted Note at the 12th fret is Sharp (and the Harmonic Note is True) you need to lengthen the strings, which will move the saddle away from the 12th fret. IF the Fretted Note at the 12th is Flat (and the Harmonic Note is True) do the opposite
EG. If the Fretted Note at the 12th fret is Sharp (and the Harmonic Note is True) you need to lengthen the strings, which will move the saddle away from the 12th fret. IF the Fretted Note at the 12th is Flat (and the Harmonic Note is True) do the opposite
I'm also a little confused by the start position of each saddle. I know that the saddles are situated further towards the butt end as you move up the string (1 to 4 in my case). But where is a good spot to start? Because as I'm adjusting the intonation, I'm running out of adjustment space before the fretted vs harmonic notes are the same. (scratches head)
Also, is there a sequence to the saddle adjustment? Meaning so I start with the 1 string and end at the 4? Because it seems that when I get to the second string, it's throwing the first string out of whack again and I need to readjust the saddle. Ugh.
Also, is there a sequence to the saddle adjustment? Meaning so I start with the 1 string and end at the 4? Because it seems that when I get to the second string, it's throwing the first string out of whack again and I need to readjust the saddle. Ugh.
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tbonesullivan
Well-known member
Now THAT is responsive customer service.
Pretty much all threads are put on the same way, so it's almost always righty tighty lefty loosey. it can be confusing at times when things are oriented a different way though.
Thanks for fixing that. I still don't know how to start off the intonation process. All my saddles are generally inline, and I know that's wrong, so do you have info on some distances that the saddles should be in out of the box? I'm struggling to get this right. All my 12 fret notes are sharp. So I tried moving the saddles towards the pickup to shorten the string and the 12 notes stays sharp. I then have to retune to G and the process starts again: shorten the string, retune, over and over until I run out of threading. My truss rod seems fine (good string height), so I don't know what else to do. I have standard gauge round wound strings on there.
My truss rod seems fine (good string height), so I don't know what else to do. I have standard gauge round wound strings on there.That's true, I have basses with bridge saddle that work the opposite way.
Ok, I think I have it under control. What I did is put the 1st string saddle all the way up towards the pickup, then backed it off about 1 half the width of the saddle itself. Then lined up the top of each saddle starting from the 2nd string with the center of the previous saddle (can do it easily using the saddle height screw location as a reference). When all were in place and in a pretty even slope, intonation was accomplished nicely other the G string. The G is still slightly sharp and can't quite get it.
You know, it seems your Stingrays really have a G string problem all around. I was the guys who posted the weak G thread (ref: http://forums.ernieball.com/music-man-basses/56634-stingray-classic-4-weak-g-string.html) and I still have that problem. I'm generally a pretty reasonable guy, but I have to say, someone needs to go back to the drawing board and fix this G thing!
Anyhow, I really love mostly everything about this bass. The neck, the weight, the color, the way it sits on my lap, no neck dive whil standing, the single pickup option, etc, etc. It's generally great! But please, if you're going to fix anything, get a different preamp because there's really only a couple slight positions of the knob that's tolerable to the ear. But when it's dialed in, it sounds great! And also, fix the darn G!
Edit: nope, after playing a bit, all out of whack again. Ugh!
You know, it seems your Stingrays really have a G string problem all around. I was the guys who posted the weak G thread (ref: http://forums.ernieball.com/music-man-basses/56634-stingray-classic-4-weak-g-string.html) and I still have that problem. I'm generally a pretty reasonable guy, but I have to say, someone needs to go back to the drawing board and fix this G thing!
Anyhow, I really love mostly everything about this bass. The neck, the weight, the color, the way it sits on my lap, no neck dive whil standing, the single pickup option, etc, etc. It's generally great! But please, if you're going to fix anything, get a different preamp because there's really only a couple slight positions of the knob that's tolerable to the ear. But when it's dialed in, it sounds great! And also, fix the darn G!
Edit: nope, after playing a bit, all out of whack again. Ugh!
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Ok, things are again getting better. I searched online for images of this bass and looked at the bridge saddles and tried to match them as close as possible. I did notice that most had the same exact shape (saddle distance from bass of the bridge). I used google images for the search (ref:https://www.google.com/search?q=images+ernie+ball+musicman+stingray+classic+bridge&rlz=1C1CHFX_enUS510US510&espv=210&es_sm=122&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=FKqnUtqfBsHlsAS-lYDQAg&ved=0CC4QsAQ#imgdii=_). I also took off the higher tension string (DR Neon Standard Gauge) and put on lower tension (DR Sunbeams). After everything was all together, only the G is slightly out but the other strings are pretty tight. I hope I'm good to go here.
Movielife
Well-known member
I think you might struggle to get absolute perfection with any bass when it comes to intonation.
BTW - The 2 band EQ is a tried and tested, (and well loved) classic design. It sounds how it sounds, which is damn right brilliant. I find the whole pre-amp is just spot on and super easy to get fat warm thump sounds all the way to aggressive and cutting highs.
The G is not an 'issue', its the way a Ray sounds. I haven't owned a Ray with a problem with the G. To me, the Ray G is how it is...just don't worry about it.
I'm sure its been discussed a lot on here, and its apparently the way the frequencies work for that string with the pre-amp/pickup design.
Just enjoy it
BTW - The 2 band EQ is a tried and tested, (and well loved) classic design. It sounds how it sounds, which is damn right brilliant. I find the whole pre-amp is just spot on and super easy to get fat warm thump sounds all the way to aggressive and cutting highs.
The G is not an 'issue', its the way a Ray sounds. I haven't owned a Ray with a problem with the G. To me, the Ray G is how it is...just don't worry about it.
I'm sure its been discussed a lot on here, and its apparently the way the frequencies work for that string with the pre-amp/pickup design.
Just enjoy it
`
Usually [almost always] all the saddles are in
an angled row between the outer cylinders or
posts [shorter lengths toward the treble side].
Thaz as good a starting place as any.
The angle is usually less pronounced if your
bass has the compensated nut.
Usually [almost always] all the saddles are in
an angled row between the outer cylinders or
posts [shorter lengths toward the treble side].
Thaz as good a starting place as any.
The angle is usually less pronounced if your
bass has the compensated nut.
tbonesullivan
Well-known member
Intonation on the low E and B strings above the 12th fret is often a problem without precise adjustments. Also due to the large amount of metal in those strings they are more influenced by the pull of the pickups.
FWIW, in case this is of use to others, I have rather little
if any intonation problems with the B & E strings, and as
you said, the magnets may be the demons here. Possible
reason that I'm somewhat "immune" to that could be my
habit of lowering the bass side of the PU waaaaay down,
IOW my PU is quite tilted.
I do this cuz I prefer that every string have a voice, not
merely a thump or a boom. My tilted PUs provide this, but
if I engage the bass boost [all my MM are 3-band] then I
can still have more crazy thump or boom than you can get
out of most other brands of basses.
Anyone with intonation problems should always consider
that maybe the PUs are too close to the strings.
bovinehost
Administrator
Perfection is rare. But not to electronic tuners, especially ones that are designed at heart for keyboard tones, which tend to be very true. Not so for stringed instruments. I use a Korg rackmounted thing which is very nice and I like it quite a bit, but I know not to drive myself up the wall with it. Basically, if the green light comes on, I'm close enough for rock and roll. I'm not a technical guy, to say the very least, but string excursion must have something to do with this. Am I right? (Not asking my wife.)
I'm sure there are other factors, not just string excursion - magnets, tin foil hats, so on - but I think of it this way. That first thump when I pluck the string is my goal, so I don't give much of a shiite what happens after the first half second or so. Because that's when things get weird.
I'm sure there are other factors, not just string excursion - magnets, tin foil hats, so on - but I think of it this way. That first thump when I pluck the string is my goal, so I don't give much of a shiite what happens after the first half second or so. Because that's when things get weird.
