Unusual intonation problem

[JakeAC5253]

I was wondering if I could get a few opinions on this. I have been doing my own setups for quite some time now and usually it is a breeze, not hard at all, just time consuming. This time I am really having trouble with the low string. I am trying to use a chromatic tuner because I cannot afford a strobe at this time and it's all I have. The low string shows very very sharp intonation, which is somewhat expected of the low string, but I cannot move the saddle enough to compensate. The guitar in question is a Jackson RR3 with Licensed Floyd Rose Low Profile floating bridge and is tuned to drop C. The saddle has two screw positions, a close position for flat intonation and a far position for sharp intonation. The screw is currently in the far position and the saddle is moved so far back that the screw is barely even gripping it at this point and the intonation is still quite sharp.

Anything that I can do short of drilling another screw position?

Thanks
-Jake

 

[155]

sometimes you can flip the saddles?

 

[Death by Uberschall]

Try going to a lighter gauge string that will allow for less string tension to get to pitch.

 

[bloodspoint]

Have you tried a different string? Usually if I'm switching strings and one of them just won't intonate, it's a bad string, esp. if you haven't changed the gauge. I just recently had my first one in a very long time - a G that I just couldn't intonate flat enough. Finally swapped it out, and the next one intonated right where the saddle had been to start with.

 

[Code001]

Use more gain.

 

[glip22]

+1 on a bad string. If it's not the string, I would make sure the saddles were in the correct positions. OFR's have specific markings to show which goes where, and I believe licensed Floyds have their own markings also. The Floyd saddles are low, medium, and high. One height on the outside strings, one on the d & G string and one height on the A&B string. You can google it to get the markings.Alot of people don't know this.

 

[vchizzle]

+2 on the bad string. It's only happened to me once and I never heard of such a thing prior to asking the same question you are.

 

[JakeAC5253]

I suppose that it could be a bad string, this is the first time that I am using Dean Markley Strings. To the person who suggested that I use lighter strings, I would really rather not if it was at all avoidable. I have a rather heavy pick hand and light strings just tend to make that awful BEEEEEEOOOOOUUUUUURRRRLLLLLLLL sound when I try to dig in and make that low string sound wicked. You know what I mean?

+1 on a bad string. If it's not the string, I would make sure the saddles were in the correct positions. OFR's have specific markings to show which goes where, and I believe licensed Floyds have their own markings also. The Floyd saddles are low, medium, and high. One height on the outside strings, one on the d & G string and one height on the A&B string. You can google it to get the markings.Alot of people don't know this.

I have never heard of this, what exactly do you mean markings, on the saddles themselves?

 

[nbarts]

Maybe I'm missing something, but I think you need a thicker strings. If it's a 52, it's common for floyds/25.5 not being enough for C, it comes just a tad short.

 

[JakeAC5253]

Maybe I'm missing something, but I think you need a thicker strings. If it's a 52, it's common for floyds/25.5 not being enough for C, it comes just a tad short.

It is indeed 52 guage. I have searched a long time for strings that would be thick enough for what I need without being too thick and these aren't them, close though. I like the top being 11, but the bottom needs another 2-4 guage. 60 guage is overkill. I think that my perfect string set is not out there atm, because I haven't yet found it haha. I do like the way DR strings sound though. GHS strings have been recommended to me a few times, but the closest thing that they have is a 10 on top and a 60 on the bottom. That is too much of a hybrid set to me, I think that if it was 11 or 12 to 60 then I would jump on it, I guess I am just picky about strings haha. Any recommendations?

 

[Code001]

Maybe I'm missing something, but I think you need a thicker strings. If it's a 52, it's common for floyds/25.5 not being enough for C, it comes just a tad short.

It is indeed 52 guage. I have searched a long time for strings that would be thick enough for what I need without being too thick and these aren't them, close though. I like the top being 11, but the bottom needs another 2-4 guage. 60 guage is overkill. I think that my perfect string set is not out there atm, because I haven't yet found it haha. I do like the way DR strings sound though. GHS strings have been recommended to me a few times, but the closest thing that they have is a 10 on top and a 60 on the bottom. That is too much of a hybrid set to me, I think that if it was 11 or 12 to 60 then I would jump on it, I guess I am just picky about strings haha. Any recommendations?

Ernie Ball makes an 11-54 set.

 

[nbarts]

If you like DM blue steels, get a pack of 2555 (54) & 2557 (56) & use the lowest string only with your current medium gauge. If it gets your problem fixed, then you'll just have to buy 2 packs instead of one.

 

[JakeAC5253]

Ernie Ball makes an 11-54 set.

This is true, Beefy Slinky I think if I remember correctly. I'll have to try them as my next set because you said it. IDK, for a while I was avoiding EB because I thought the thing with them was that they are muddy and they sound dead after a week or two. I may have heard wrong, but like you said the guages are pretty much exactly what I am looking for. I'll have to try them.

If you like DM blue steels, get a pack of 2555 (54) & 2557 (56) & use the lowest string only with your current medium gauge. If it gets your problem fixed, then you'll just have to buy 2 packs instead of one.

Splendid!

 

[nbarts]

Splendid!

You asked for a solution to your problem, there you have it! Stop mocking me!

 

[glip22]

If you remove the saddles and put them on a flat surface, you will see you have three different sizes: low ,medium and high. the low saddles are for both E strings; medium are for the a & b strings, and the high saddles are for the g & d strings.

Matching pairs
The saddles match up in pairs: E+E, A+B and D+G. These pairs have the same height, meaning that the E+E saddles are low, A+B saddles are medium and D+G are highest. Sometimes the saddles are marked with dots or numbers hammered into the metal at the bottom, making it easy to tell them apart. Others don't, but lay them on a flat surface and check their height, so you can match them correctly.

 

[glpg80]

Ernie Ball makes an 11-54 set.

This is true, Beefy Slinky I think if I remember correctly. I'll have to try them as my next set because you said it. IDK, for a while I was avoiding EB because I thought the thing with them was that they are muddy and they sound dead after a week or two. I may have heard wrong, but like you said the guages are pretty much exactly what I am looking for. I'll have to try them.

If you like DM blue steels, get a pack of 2555 (54) & 2557 (56) & use the lowest string only with your current medium gauge. If it gets your problem fixed, then you'll just have to buy 2 packs instead of one.

Splendid!

my problem with EB's is that they do indeed go dead very quickly, but what is worse is that they dont stay in tune for shit once they are dead.

i like how dead strings play, but like how new strings sound. im not sure what im going to next string wise.

 

[nbarts]

i like how dead strings play, but like how new strings sound. im not sure what im going to next string wise.

try elixirs

 

[bloodspoint]

i like how dead strings play, but like how new strings sound. im not sure what im going to next string wise.

try elixirs

See, I like the opposite. I like the feel of new strings, but they're too bright for me. I have been playing Super Slinkies for about the last three decades, and they sound perfect to me after they've been played in for a couple of days. After that, unless somebody else goobs them up, I don't change them until they start breaking or making my fingers black.

 

[buddaman71]

Have you tried a different string? Usually if I'm switching strings and one of them just won't intonate, it's a bad string, esp. if you haven't changed the gauge. I just recently had my first one in a very long time - a G that I just couldn't intonate flat enough. Finally swapped it out, and the next one intonated right where the saddle had been to start with.

I was JUST getting ready to type this. I had exactly the same problem awhile back.
I couldn't get it right, even though I have set up hundreds of guitars over the years.
It was a bad string. Swapped it and it was perfect like always.

Maybe give that a try before going all crazy trying to fix the problem.