Troubled guitars
the steel-string acoustic i’m using has that exact problem on all the strings, and after measuring, it’s from the same cause. cool, i should do some work!
How does the string thickness affect the lengths between nut & 12th
and 12th and saddle? I don’t get it.
Quote: (sevenOfeleven @ Dec. 28 2008, 3:52 PM)
How does the string thickness affect the lengths between nut & 12th
and 12th and saddle? I don't get it.
It's explained HERE much better than I can...
Pretty good read. Basically though, it's the string's mass, fretting distance and string diameter... read the article...
D
EDIT: Pay attention to the comments on playing technique. My bud can't play my guitars and play in tune. Why? Because by guitars are setup the way I like them with light gauge strings, low action and straight necks. Because I play with a light touch, I don't have problems but my friend who spends a lot of time on acoustic guitar, has a gorilla grip. He SQUEEZES the notes out of tune.
He bought a new electric once and was prepared to stick it on eBay because of what he thought was intonation problems. I offered to check it for him and it was fine. We got him fixed up though by jumping up to heavier strings to match his gorilla grip and bash the snot out of it technique. Of course, the larger strings required another bridge saddle adjustment/check.
Food for thought...
OK - I guess while fretting, the string guage can change the
’scale length’.
I’ve always been sensitive to the G(open) to A on the third string.
i.e tune open G correctly, but when you play an A chord, the A on the
third string is out (sharp).
Yup… you got it! Nature of the beast I’m afraid. I do setups on electrics all the time. Acoustics make me nervous and I carry those to a pro over in the “big” city…
Years ago, another old buddy of mine wrecked a decent but cheap acoustic by tweaking on it himself. Darn near pulled the bridge off the top. As it was, he made it totally unplayable by bellying in the top. It wasn’t even fit for a door stop after that… so I tend to leave the acoustic guitars to the pro’s… You have to know absolutely what you are doing or you can make a mess…
D
Great video.
All Pythagorean math. In an infinitely thin string, cutting it in half is your octave. Mass, however, screws the pooch. Given equal tension, and a string of consistent mass (gauge in practical terms…); the string half the length will naturally have the resonant frequency of twice the longer string. Taken a bit further, this is where the modern diatonic harmonic series comes from. So
1 = root
1/2 = octave
2/3= fifth
3/4= fourth
4/5 = third
So for giggles, go measure your high E from nut to saddle. Divide that by 2. That should be about where the 12th fret lands. Multiply by .666 (scary, I know) and that should be the distance from the saddle to the 7th fret (B, the 5th in the EMaj diatonic scale). Multiply the saddle to nut length by .75 and you will be at the 5th fret (A, the 4th of E). These may be off just slightly as the modern guitar is an Equal Tempered instrument (a slightly flat 5th) so the distance will be ever so slightly longer than the exact number you calculate.
Oh, so much fun.
Extra credit: Why is the B string all ways so funky if not using a compensated saddle?
Because our harmonic series is hosed up. E -> A is a 4th, A -> D is a 4th, D -> G is a 4th, G -> B is a 3rd?!, B -> E is a 4th.
So that third screws the whole deal up and you can’t just have a linear change in string length to adjust for string mass. Thus, the B is always a little weird. Theoretically, not only do you want to adjust the saddle, but also the frets everywhere the B string would touch the fret board, but that would be ridiculously cumbersome to play.
Quote:
Theoretically, not only do you want to adjust the saddle, but also the frets everywhere the B string would touch the fret board, but that would be ridiculously cumbersome to play.
Heh. You ever see a guitar with a compensated fretboard? REALLY strange looking beasts... I've yet to actually play one but boy do I bet it is a weird experience!
Darn frets look like little metal worms wriggled all over the fretboard...D
PS Bubba? You ARE a nerd! I mean that in the most flattering way of course!
I am a nerd… but a sloppy one… got the ratios backwards (inverted)… 3:2 is the fifth.
Take 1/2 the string length and multiply by the inverse of the numbers above to match up to frets. Say a scale length of 24", the 7th fret should be at 18" from the saddle.
RANT: No angel myself, but everyone go out and get Firefox with its built in spell check. I can’t handle any more. 
The latest build of Firefox has crashed on me more than any other program I use.
Really unusual for Mozilla. I usually grab every update they have.
We need to cross-breed our computer systems PW. When I was running n-Track, IT was THE crash-o-matic softie on my machine. You say it’s stable on yours… while I have never had Firefox crash on my machine, yet it’s crash city on yours? Weird happnin’s going on inside these metal and plastic boxes…
D
Yep - I had never seen a crash report for Firefox until the last update. Ver 3.0.5
ieSpell is my friend.
http://www.iespell.com/
Too bad I forget to use it sometimes.
Yep - I cain’t even spells intanation.
I downloaded and installed IE Spell…
I wrote a user review on it…
However, my checker of-choice is the Google checker…
I’m sure it’s the one you get used to using…
NOT the one you choose to use…
However, I find I’m unable to use the Google Checker when I write mail on Outlook Express…
at least, I don’t think I can…
Bill…
Quote: (Bubbagump @ Dec. 29 2008, 10:51 AM)
everyone go out and get Firefox with its built in spell check. I can't handle any more.
lol I've been using that for a yr. or more. Either my spelling is getting worse (depending on the direction of the wind) OR the firefox S/checker is getting dumber. Am now having to include dictionary.com as one of my tabs. Google Chrome rules for L/tops.
Just read faster, you won't notice the spelling so much!
I thought some of you might appreciate this video! I always say there is no such thing as a bad guitar if you have the time to set it up.
I would appreciate y'all adding any tips and tricks that you know!
Dube, get a cheep broken down acoustic and start working on it for the experience. You'll find that you can only make them better if you take a little time. Having to repair one and having it turn out interestingly nice helped my confidence to the point of no fear for acoustic guitar repairs or adjustments.
Been maintaining and repairing my own stuff for a long time. My bible: Dan Erlewines’ Guitar Player Repair Guide,: Miller Freeman Books. DYI is now important as I now live where Guitar Techs abound, not a Luthier in sight. In my late teens when I took off for Chicago to play fulltime learning to maintain my guitars was VERY important. Pay someone for a setup, or eat for a week!
The one thing I wont do is replace frets, but I will crown and dress them.
Quote: (duffman @ Jan. 02 2009, 5:02 AM)
My bible: Dan Erlewines' Guitar Player Repair Guide,: Miller Freeman Books.
Right! Thx Mr. Duffman
