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Topic: Settin' Up A Tele..... |
Robbie Bossert
From:
WESCOSVILLE,PA,U.S.A.
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Posted 16 Jan 2005 8:23 pm |
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I have a Squire Telecaster that I noodle around with. Lately, I've had a bit of a problem keeping the dern' thing in tune. I went to the Fender site and copied some info pertaining to intonation and set up and so on.......
Well, the intonation seems to be just fine, However, when I tune up and fret at the third fret of the low E string, it reads WAYYYYYYYYYYYYYY sharp. Any suggestions? A tech-head I ain't!
Robbie Bossert |
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Mike Neer
From:
NJ
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Posted 16 Jan 2005 8:35 pm
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I think you need to move the saddle back and lengthen the string. The saddles should be set up so that when you hit a harmonic at the 12th fret and fret at the 12th fret, the notes are as close as possible.
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www.mikeneer.com |
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Bill Hatcher
From:
Atlanta Ga. USA
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Posted 16 Jan 2005 9:05 pm
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| This is not anything abnormal about the third fret being sharp on your guitar. It is a function of the string height, and the fact that the tightest part of the string is at the nut end. You are stretching the low E when you fret from F to G. As you move up the neck, the string tension is less and the string does not go as sharp. Look at your tuner and place your finger at the 3rd fret. Now move your finger back away from the fret to the center between frets 2 and 3. The tuning will change dramatically. Find the best spot to finger at the third fret to get you close. Use very light pressure to fret the note. Lower the action of the low E until you have buzzing problems, then raise until you can live with it. Tune the low E just a bit flat. Check your 12th fret harmonic then fret the 12th and adjust the bridge saddle. Do all this and that's about all you can do. Remember that it is a fretted tempered instrument. It does not play perfectly in tune, only close. [This message was edited by Bill Hatcher on 16 January 2005 at 09:06 PM.] |
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Jim Simon
From:
Moses Lake, WA
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Posted 16 Jan 2005 10:09 pm
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| Fender does not want to send out a new guitar with string buzz so they typically set the action/nut on the high side of specs. To get your Tele to play its best it is very important to have the string height from the neck at the nut perfect. First check that the guage of your wound strings fit into the slots cut in the nut. If they do not ride all the way down into the slot relieve the slot a bit. Your can use a small (lock smith type) file or just use your string as a file. Next get the spec for string height at the nut and file your slots measuring string height with a feeler guage. Do this a little at a time as it is very hard to add material back if you cut too deep. With neck radius and different string sizes no two slots will be the same. Be meticulous about this proceedure and you will end up with a axe of envie. Most pickers try to correct all setup problems at the bridge. The nut has to be perfect first. Then set your string height at the bridge making sure you have a little bow in the neck. Hold a string down at the 3rd and 15th frets and check at the 7th fret. Your neck should have just a little bow. Set this with your truss rod tension. Straight or back bow will kill your action. Good luck. |
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Tony Prior
From:
Charlotte NC
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Posted 17 Jan 2005 6:10 am
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Also consider that if this is a recent Squire it may not have consistent frets..most do not...
You didn't state if this is a mid 80's MIJ guitar or a new Squire from Korea..
Even the most advanced and custom built Tele's are subject to intonation issues..especially at the position on the neck you are referring to..
also consider that a bad string can also give the same symptoms.
Most of us opt to keep the 2 strings per saddle setup as it is part of the Tele' fever..even tough the issues that come with this can be somewhat oeverwhelming..
we live with it..we may be out of tune..but we look good !
A 6 saddle bridge obviously can make life better..but it is not the only answer to Tele intonation...frets, strings, nut etc...all can be an issue..
A lower end Tele will offer more issues that are common to the higher end Tele's..some can be resolved or tolerated..some cannot...
good luck..just play it..
t |
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Larry Clark
From:
Herndon, VA.
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Posted 17 Jan 2005 7:09 am
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| As Tony stated above,put on some fresh strings and see if that helps. Also the amount of pressure you use when fretting a string can sharpen it a bit. Use the same pressure you would use when playing normally. [This message was edited by Larry Clark on 17 January 2005 at 07:11 AM.] |
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Robbie Bossert
From:
WESCOSVILLE,PA,U.S.A.
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Posted 17 Jan 2005 9:16 am
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Thanks for all the advice guys. So far, I've changed the strings to 11's, set up the intonation as per Fender's directions on their web site, replaced the tuners to the locking style Schallers.......
The fretted note and the harmonic at the twelfth fret are as perfect as I can get them. I haven't tried replacing or lowering the nut. I understand that it's a "tempered instrument" and perfection is just something we all dream about. However, this is pretty noticeable. Thanks again guys for all of your suggestions. I'll give them a try and write a little update later.
Robbie Bossert |
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Jim Peters
From:
St. Louis, Missouri, USA, R.I.P.
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Posted 17 Jan 2005 12:35 pm
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| Robbie, almost certainly the nut needs adjustment. Press the 3rd string at the 3rd fret. You should just barely see daylight at the top of fret 1 and 2. Any reputable repairguy could set that right in minutes. JP |
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Robbie Bossert
From:
WESCOSVILLE,PA,U.S.A.
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Posted 17 Jan 2005 11:06 pm
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HI Jim, Thanks a lot man. I'll give it a look. Maybe I'll try filing it down myself first. What the hell, if I mess it up I'll just by another nut and try again. Thanks to all of you for your advice and suggestions. I really appreciate it.
Robbie Bossert |
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Jerry Hayes
From:
Virginia Beach, Va.
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Posted 18 Jan 2005 5:17 am
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Hey Robbie, my main Tele is an '83 top loader which I have the same problem on. I like my action very low so I have my own set of nut files and have mine as low as it'll go at the nut and it still does the same thing, even with perfect intonation at the 12th fret. When tuning up at a gig I just tune the guitar to 440 with the tuner and then I fret the 6th string at the 3rd fret and tune the low octave with the open G string. When it's pretty close I fret the 4th string E note at the 2nd fret and compare it with the open E string and it's usually close enough to live with. I use a .046 on the low E if that helps any...Have a good 'un..JH
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Livin' in the Past and Future with a 12 string Mooney Universal tuning.
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David Mason
From:
Cambridge, MD, USA
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Posted 18 Jan 2005 6:19 am
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| Does anybody besides me tune the bridge saddles using the fifth harmonics at the 19th fret? My rationale is that since it's further up the neck ,any disparity will be more obvious. |
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Jim Peters
From:
St. Louis, Missouri, USA, R.I.P.
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Posted 18 Jan 2005 7:05 am
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| David, do you play more at the 19th fret, or the 12th? JP |
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D Schubert
From:
Columbia, MO, USA
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Posted 18 Jan 2005 9:11 am
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Six-saddle or three-saddle bridge? For the six-saddle bridge, you can adjust each string length individually. For a three-saddle bridge (which some purists think sounds better) you can bend the saddles, or buy "compensated" saddles that are already angled like this...
E------------------\
B-------------------\
G--------------------/
D-------------------/
A--------------------\
E---------------------\
Yes, it works. |
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David Mullis
From:
Rock Hill, SC
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Posted 18 Jan 2005 9:35 am
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| I've got a mid 80's MIJ Squier and I love it! Nice heavy body, plays great, not real sure I like the way it's strung through the bridge instead of the body, but, it sounds good! |
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