Pick up height affecting intonation?
- Thread starter Tim185
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I know better than to act like I know anything on the internet, but the only way this is even remotely possible, is if your pickups are so close that the magnets are too close and are literally pulling on the strings. If they're close enough to pull the strings (sharp) they'd kill sustain. If they don't kill the sustain, then this might be one of those cases where you might want to explain why you're asking. But again, IMHO/YMMV
Edit: after reconsidering... I've never even heard this asked before... I'm confused. Please tell us what's happening that makes you ask this.
Edit: after reconsidering... I've never even heard this asked before... I'm confused. Please tell us what's happening that makes you ask this.
Sorry for the confusion, yes its probably bit of a naff question.
My Low E on my P22 is ever so slightly sharp. I tune to E flat. I cannot adjust my saddle any further back. I didnt remember they were brass when I first got it, stripped the screw head without much force at all. So it looks like its never coming out, so I cant remove the spring or do anything else to adjust the intonation.
I had a thought that maybe I could fine tune the intonation by small height adjustment of the pick ups. Seems that was a silly idea and wouldnt work anyway, nevermind
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My Low E on my P22 is ever so slightly sharp. I tune to E flat. I cannot adjust my saddle any further back. I didnt remember they were brass when I first got it, stripped the screw head without much force at all. So it looks like its never coming out, so I cant remove the spring or do anything else to adjust the intonation.
I had a thought that maybe I could fine tune the intonation by small height adjustment of the pick ups. Seems that was a silly idea and wouldnt work anyway, nevermind
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Elliot
Gandalf the Vintage Yellow
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- Oct 13, 2016
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- 939
Sorry for the confusion, yes its probably bit of a naff question.
My Low E on my P22 is ever so slightly sharp. I tune to E flat. I cannot adjust my saddle any further back. I didnt remember they were brass when I first got it, stripped the screw head without much force at all. So it looks like its never coming out, so I cant remove the spring or do anything else to adjust the intonation.
I had a thought that maybe I could fine tune the intonation by small height adjustment of the pick ups. Seems that was a silly idea and wouldnt work anyway, nevermind
You mean it's sharp when you get up towards the 12th fret?
dogrocketp
I drank the PRS kool aid, and it was tasty!
Why not start by buying a new saddle? The next thing I would do is take it to a real luthier and have him/her look at it.
I may have a response that can help. I have a different brand guitar that had the intonation screw run out of travel, and I have had to shorten the spring to get more travel so I think I'm "picken up what you are putin down". Now PRS makes the saddles with enough travel for all the needed intonation, so why does this happen? Well, the reason it happened to me was I had the action high enough to just pull the string sharp enough to run out of travel. I cut my teeth on acoustic guitars so I liked my action higher than the shredders out there. Once I played electric long enough I slowly brought my action down and I found that the intonation came in with enough room on the low E intonation screw to be in the range that PRS gives us.
So my suggestion is to lower the action just enough to get the Low E intonated with the length given. After some practice, it starts to feel normal again. The hardest part was getting bends to sound good again. If the screw is stripped, you just need to get a new saddle for the Low E and you will be good to go.
So my suggestion is to lower the action just enough to get the Low E intonated with the length given. After some practice, it starts to feel normal again. The hardest part was getting bends to sound good again. If the screw is stripped, you just need to get a new saddle for the Low E and you will be good to go.
I have very occasionally had a string that just will not properly intonate. It doesn't happen often, but it does happen. I've had it where I moved the saddle all the way back and the intonation barely changed. Swapped the new string for a different one and BOOM, problem solved. That doesn't fix your now stripped saddle though. You definitely can fix it if you get the replacement parts from PRS or even maybe a PRS dealer if you have one of the "good ones" near you that do PRS specific set ups. Some have parts in stock.
Thanks for the thoughts guys. The thing stopping me from getting a new saddle, is how to get the screw out of it !I mean, the thread on the head of it is stripped. Obviously its too small to get a pair of needle norse pliers around it. Any tips on getting that screw out? Im sure it can be done, just havent dreamt up a way yet...
I will also try lowering the E string just a little. That may help as its real close, maybe 1 or 2 cents out.
I will also try lowering the E string just a little. That may help as its real close, maybe 1 or 2 cents out.
I think if you find one you should use it. You may find one at the PRS website. I think they sell them. Will be higher priced, but a direct replacement.
Email PRS customer service and ask if you can just get a replacement. They ship things like that fairly quickly too. There's lots of helpful people here too, many have spare parts laying around. I assume you have a PRS with a trem, I don't have any spare parts since I only have 1 guitar with a trem or I'd just mail you the part myself.
IF you happen to be able to find the correct size screw it would probably be fine. Probably not easy to find. I'd replace the saddle and screw to be safe.
