Let's talk intonation...

I'm aware that intonation is a "close enough" endeavor but I've never noticed any inherent difference between my LP and any of my other guitars...
My LP goes through phases of not wanting to stay in tune and phases of it ridiculously staying in tune. I don't necessarily think it's an intonation thing (in my case anyway).
 
I set my own, it's not hard. But I still am not satisfied with how the D & B strings intonate with each other, regardless on how close I get :(

I really, really want to have a couple of my guitars taken in and have an Earvana nut installed on them :embarrassed:
 
In my experience the lower your action and thinner your strings the more these problems show up. I play 10s or 11s and my Action isn't super low. Plus I have a strong left hand vibrato if I want it. So I can set my guitars up myself and get em close enough for me.
 
Pine Apple Slim said:
In my experience the lower your action and thinner your strings the more these problems show up. I play 10s or 11s and my Action isn't super low. Plus I have a strong left hand vibrato if I want it. So I can set my guitars up myself and get em close enough for me.
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Lower action should help intonation. Less distance your string stretches to the fret.
 
I'd say take it to the tech. I've always found G strings to be more of a bitch intonation-wise nearer the nut, not up by the 12th fret. And, yeah, if your action is too high then you will be bending notes sharp the farther you have to push the string down to make fret contact.
 
The easy fix is to get a set of strings with a wound G string. The next easiest bandaid is to tune your unwound G a few cents flat.
 
If you're concerned it might be related to the nut, then put a capo on the first fret, tune, and see if you still have an intonation problem. If it's gone, then the problem was the nut. If it's still an issue, then the nut was not the (only) problem. I had a Strat where I couldn't get the intonation far enough back on the low E string. I took the spring off completely, giving me a couple more mm. Just watch if you screw it back all the way it might rise up a bit as it hits the rounded bit at the back of the tremolo base. Also, the lack of spring means you'll need to make sure the saddle hasn't moved back more than you wanted as you string it up (once it's strung up, it won't move).
 
I have taken springs out on occasion. On the bass VI I not only removed the spring but also reversed the saddle.
 
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