Tuning problem

Hey guys. Help me out here. Today I tried tuning my Ibanez and I noticed this thing that didn"t happen before... Both e strings and a are fine. But, d, g and h (yours b) are fine when I tune them open. But at 12th fret on octave, they all get sharp. Especially h (b) which goes sharp almost a semitone. Is my neck warped?? God forbidd... I shall commite suicide... Or is there a way I can fix this? I know you can do a little by adjusting the springs on the bridge, but I have never done that and quite frankly, I dont know how to do it. :o
And I wouldn"t want to mess something up. Could you help me out here guys? Is there a way to fix this, besides taking it to a (very expensive!!!) luthier?
Anyone?

The thing you are talking about is intonation. Run a a search on it and see what you get. There should be tons of threads on it already.

Originally Posted by: magicninjaThe thing you are talking about is intonation. Run a a search on it and see what you get. There should be tons of threads on it already.

OK, I have run the search, but I am still a bit foggy on the subject. The thing is, if I play harmonics on the 12th fret, it is in tune. But if I press a note,
like I have written above... If I take a screwdriver and loose the spring on the h (b; gosh, this is annoying) string on the bridge will it be in tune then? And am I liable to mess something up? Wouldn"t wanna do that.

if its a way out you're going to have to adjust the saddles on your bridge. Lifted from the Floyd Rose website:

Step 1:
Tune all the strings on your guitar to an electronic tuner with all the nut clamps released.

Step 2:
Determine if the intonation of the string you wish to change is sharp or flat by chiming the string directly over the 12th and checking the tuning. Then, carefully press the string down to the 12th fret and check the tuning again with the string fretted. If the fretted note is flat when compared to the chimed note, then the saddle must be moved toward the nut until the chimed note and the fretted note match. If the fretted note is sharp when compared to the chimed note the saddle must be moved away from the nut until the chimed and fretted notes match.

To move the saddle:

Step 1:
Once you have determined which direction (toward or away from the nut) to move the saddle, loosen the string until it is limp.

Step 2:
Loosen the attachment screw holding the saddle to the bridge plate while holding the saddle in place. Move the saddle in the desired direction a small amount (about 1/16in on the first adjustment and your best guess on subsequent adjustments) and re-tighten the screw. [Note: If the saddle will not move forward because it is resting against the attachment screw, you can move the screw to the next hole forward on the bridge plate. This will give you more adjustment range. Also, if you need to move the saddle away from the nut to a position where the attachment screw can no longer clamp the saddle firmly, you can move the screw to the next hole back on the bridge plate.]

Step 3:
Re-tune the string and check the intonation again using the procedure outlined above (check the intonation).

Step 4:
Repeat this cycle until each string is properly intonated.
When you’re finished with the intonation procedure re-tighten the nut clamps. This will not change your intonation setting.

For God's sake, don't forget to slacken the string(s) first! :eek:

Originally Posted by: zreynoldspif its a way out you're going to have to adjust the saddles on your bridge. Lifted from the Floyd Rose website:

Step 1:
Tune all the strings on your guitar to an electronic tuner with all the nut clamps released.

Step 2:
Determine if the intonation of the string you wish to change is sharp or flat by chiming the string directly over the 12th and checking the tuning. Then, carefully press the string down to the 12th fret and check the tuning again with the string fretted. If the fretted note is flat when compared to the chimed note, then the saddle must be moved toward the nut until the chimed note and the fretted note match. If the fretted note is sharp when compared to the chimed note the saddle must be moved away from the nut until the chimed and fretted notes match.

To move the saddle:

Step 1:
Once you have determined which direction (toward or away from the nut) to move the saddle, loosen the string until it is limp.

Step 2:
Loosen the attachment screw holding the saddle to the bridge plate while holding the saddle in place. Move the saddle in the desired direction a small amount (about 1/16in on the first adjustment and your best guess on subsequent adjustments) and re-tighten the screw. [Note: If the saddle will not move forward because it is resting against the attachment screw, you can move the screw to the next hole forward on the bridge plate. This will give you more adjustment range. Also, if you need to move the saddle away from the nut to a position where the attachment screw can no longer clamp the saddle firmly, you can move the screw to the next hole back on the bridge plate.]

Step 3:
Re-tune the string and check the intonation again using the procedure outlined above (check the intonation).

Step 4:
Repeat this cycle until each string is properly intonated.
When you’re finished with the intonation procedure re-tighten the nut clamps. This will not change your intonation setting.

For God's sake, don't forget to slacken the string(s) first! :eek:

Uhm... I have no heart to say this to you... Damn, this is hard... Ok, I will just spit it out... I haven"t got a Floyd... A regural bridge. With a tremolo, but no Floyd. Does this apply to that bridge also??

Originally Posted by: KrunekUhm... I have no heart to say this to you... Damn, this is hard... Ok, I will just spit it out... I haven"t got a Floyd... A regural bridge. With a tremolo, but no Floyd. Does this apply to that bridge also??

:D yeah.... same logic... I get so used to talking about floyd trems I made an assumption...

Saddle adjustment is the same really - you'll just need to move your saddles forward or back as explained above...

Normally there are bridge return springs on the back of the guitar.
These springs should pull on the bridge as far as the bridge will physically go
If these springs are stretched and worn out ( not springy enough ), they can cause no end of tuning problems( you can sometimes tell if the back of the bridge is sittng up too far from the guitar body )
if this is the case you can sometimes tighten the springs or replace them.

Photo of fender Squire bridge return springs

Strobe tuneres are expensive, running at $200 for the lower priced ones. But they are precise and are used to set intonation much closer to perfect than your regular sharp/flat tuners.

Luckily most guitar techs have such equipment in their shop, and it won't take one much more than 10 minutes to fix your intonation. So, I estimate, the price would run at 20-30 $$ tops and the job likely done on the spot.

Though if even that price is over your head, your ear is then the best bet. I found it impossible to set intonation using a regular tuner, and personally match it by ear, using procedure similar to one posted by Ren.

why does replacing new part on the guitar is very highly cost?
when i bought my strat the guy told me to replace the pickup after a couple of years
and cost arround 60usd
and my guitar was arround 130 usd
its totally half the price
wtf?

Originally Posted by: wreckenswhy does replacing new part on the guitar is very highly cost?
when i bought my strat the guy told me to replace the pickup after a couple of years
and cost arround 60usd
and my guitar was arround 130 usd
its totally half the price
wtf?

After a couple of years, you most likely will have bought a better guitar, or on the verge of. I woudn't bother changing your pickups unless you get a better guitar and feel the need to.

so changinging the pickup uprading the guitar wont make the guitar much better?
like uprading a car? to make it fast?
broom broom ;D

upgrading pickups will definitely make ur guitar sound better provided you know what to get and what sound u are looking for...depends on the style u are into...u also need the ear for that...give me a pricey dimarzio pickup and a stock ibanez pickup i still wont be able to tell the difference in sound..maybe a little..but yea you get what i mean..

As Josh said, yes it would. But putting pricey pickups in a cheap guitar is like putting spinner rims on a 1990 Dodge Dynasty.

well yeh so why do u change ur guitar when u can upgrade ur sweetbaby XD
i mean u been playin it for years right?
its really worth it to change the pickup? rather than buying the new guitar?
wat else matters rather than a pickup?

Like the guys are trying to tell you, upgrading a bottom line bargain basement guitar is not worth the effort IN MOST CASES. Now if you had a medium quality guitar like an Epiphone or an Agile then upgrading the pickups would be a good investment. If money is a problem(I know buying a set of pups is cheaper than investing in a new $500 guitar) then you could buy some good pickups and when you do buy a new guitar you could put the good pickups into that one. It's up to you but don't expect a drastic improvement.

bottom line bargain is wat ?XD
any threads for learning pickup type? XD
wat else rather than changing the pickup?

Originally Posted by: wreckensbottom line bargain is wat ?XD[/quote]A guitar between $1 and like $250-300

Originally Posted by: wreckensany threads for learning pickup type? XD

You kidding! :eek: http://www.guitartricks.com/forum/search.php?searchid=299200 :D We have discussed pickups more than most things.

[QUOTE=wreckens]wat else rather than changing the pickup?

Pretty much anything but for best results what kind of guitar do you have?

haha a cheap squier strat :D

That's not bad. You could probably get a little improvement by changing the pickups. I wouldn't go farther than that though. Does it have a trem(whammy bar)? If it does you could get some new machineheads and a locking nut to help keep it in tune but that's spending a little too much on it I think. If you were gonna do all that it would be better imo to get a new guitar.