necks, truss rod, intonation... suck@&$

[defx711]

well this one crept up on me when i tried to apply some of this knowledge to my other guitar, an ibanez js100 with almost perfect intonation. almost. well the fretted note at the twelfth fret was just a tiny bit too high than the harmonic so i started moving saddles back. then i noticed that when i tried to tune, using the 5th and 6th strings for example, the open E was in tune and the note at the fifth fret was sharp, also the seventh fret on the A string was not in tune with the E string. so i started to suspect that there was too much distance between the open and fifth fret so i loosened the truss rod. it did not help and appeared to make things worse. bad enough that i can't figure out how to put it back to the way it was, i went and trashed an almost perfect setup. a part of me wonders if the truss rod tightens counterclockwise on this guitar, could that be, it doesn't make sense. so once again i ask for some help fixing it. how do you fix the differences in tuning when the fifth fret tuning does not match the inverse seventh fret? A and A at 5th fret vs. E and E at seventh fret. i feel so dumb and i really want to play.

[Lordathestrings]

I congratulate you on having the courage to try tweaking it yourself, but I suggest that adjusting the truss rod was not what you needed to do.

Rather than risk really messing it up, get it into the hands of a good guitar tech. Most of 'em are glad to explain what they do, and why.

[BadHorsie]

I also agree that you should bring it to a pro until you are comfortable working on it yourself. You might want to find a beat up guitar at a pawn shop to practice on. One thing to keep in mind... you're not going to find an Ibanez that has perfect intonation. The twelfth should be a bit flat or sharp. Just not too much. You were on the right track until you started trying to adjust to all the other frets.

[BadHorsie]

Almost forgot... if you really want to do your own setups, go out and buy "How To Make Your Electric Guitar Play Great" by Dan Erlewine. This guy is a very well known/respected guitar tech.

[Lordathestrings]

Writings of the eminently knowlegable Mr. Erlewine may be found at:

http://www.stewmac.com/

The man knows whereof he speaks!