Adjusting intonation

Alright guys, I got a little overconfident in my guitar tech abilities, which (outside of my head) are actually non-existent.

What I did is try to adjust the intonation on my friend's bass. The problem was that the open string and the note at the twelfth fret of the same string were way out of tune with each other. So I moved the intonation bit back, until the two notes were closer to each other (BTW, I used a tuner to judge the closeness of the notes to each other). I had moved the bit as far back as possible, and the two notes were acceptably close. But then I tried playing the note at the fifth fret, and it was way off!

So, since my friend rarely ever plays notes way up near the 12th fret, I just adjusted the intonation back to where the open strings were in tune and the fifth frets (fourth fret for the G string) were also in tune.

My question is - what needs to be done to make this bass perfectly in tune? Do I need to adjust the truss rod tension? Another side note is that the bass is tuned a whole step down.

Thanks for your help.

I thought tuning a bass was an oxymoron of some sort... Rask, have oyu had this problem before? It is a problem guitarists have faced too though, and I think it has had something to do with the truss rod in past posts.

You might have a problem with the neck, where the fretts aren't spaced properly...or it may even be warped...

I would have used (Harmonics at the 12th fret)
Plus the Meter when ajusting intonation!
Mark
P:S Or a Strobe tuner)
Why a whole step down most everbody today only,
tunes down a half step=Eb mainly for useing heavy,
gauge strings.?

[Edited by skee1 on 11-01-2001 at 12:09 PM]

strobe tuner....why I haven't seen one of those since 19??
You better hold on to that, could be worth some money!

Your right i guess he would have hard time,
getting a hold of one......ha
But i 've seen them in a few old guitar shops!
They are from the 60s!
Thanks Chris

Yea i still have my old one but i think some,
of the meters today are really good!
I must be showing my age i blame christoph the moderator,
I was thinking of that token he owes me and,got
side-tracked.(grin)


[Edited by skee1 on 11-03-2001 at 09:59 AM]

Alright, the replies lead me to two other questions:

1. So, do you think I should try turning the truss rod slightly?

2. What is so special about a strobe tuner?

Also, we tune down a whole step to help out the singer. It also makes it a little easier to play, bending and barre chords and such.

Originally posted by David Gilmour
Alright, the replies lead me to two other questions:

1. So, do you think I should try turning the truss rod slightly?

2. What is so special about a strobe tuner?

Also, we tune down a whole step to help out the singer. It also makes it a little easier to play, bending and barre chords and such.

Nothing special about the strobe tuner it was a,
mestake on my part even mentioning it.(sorry)
And yes being a singer myself i do know sometimes,
in tuning down it dos help when you tune down for,
alot of singers, so you can play & sing in the standard keys!
Or if your doing (Cover Songs)ect.
About the truss rod i'll leave that up to you.
To me thats a little scary if your not for sure,
what your doing,i would consult a pro if i was you.


Mark

[Edited by skee1 on 11-06-2001 at 11:44 AM]

a strobe tuner was the 1st type of electronic tuner, manufactured in the 60's & 70's. It transferred the signal of the guitar into a radio wave, you adjusted the tuning until the wave flatlined. They were big, bulky, and a pain in the ****, one of my old guitar teachers used to have one that he made me tune to every lesson, I hated it. Alot of techs swear by them though.

Originally posted by chris mood
a strobe tuner was the 1st type of electronic tuner, manufactured in the 60's & 70's. It transferred the signal of the guitar into a radio wave, you adjusted the tuning until the wave flatlined. They were big, bulky, and a pain in the ****, one of my old guitar teachers used to have one that he made me tune to every lesson, I hated it. Alot of techs swear by them though.

Your right Chris
Great post i guess it is good for some history,
on the first guitar tuner's from the past.
It also cost alot even back then.

Mark



[Edited by skee1 on 11-06-2001 at 12:28 PM]

Hi, Try this

http://www.mrgearhead.com/

click fender

click basses

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