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I'm a stickler for intonating precision. After reading conflicting numbers given for total string length for any given scale I decided to make my own intonator. This, so I can prefiguring slot position accurately. String length, of course can differ according to action height(high action leading to more string stretch at the 12th) and string gauge(which makes strings behave stiffer).

This prototype is kind of like Stew Mac's but theirs is designed around pinned bridges. I don't intend to make pinned bridges so I'm needing something that will do both for repairs and building.

This works quite well. It has movable aluminum saddle registers. The screw clamp is just to hold the intonator in relative position at first, as the intonator registers on the back of the bridge. I just pencil in the front position one string at a time after tuning guitar to proper tension.



Here's a rough layout with the numbers for this size bridge.



I'll likely remake it in acrylic to make it thinner and get the screws down in the saddle registers a little more but other than that, I'm happy with the outcome.

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Billy Dean Thomas
Covina, CA

"Multi famam, conscientiam, pauci verentur."
(Many fear their reputation, few their conscience)

This is really cool. It seems there's a compromise in that you have one saddle for every two strings, instead of every one. It's like the old Telecaster saddles. I wonder if you could just use some Tele saddles for this. Anyway, I like the design a lot. Thanks for sharing!

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David Morris

nice idea; i could have used this last time around. i am currently in the process of moving my flatmount tele style bridge back about 4-5mm due to my original miscalculation on my baritone electric...doesn't seem so bad, BUT, consider- strings are through-body! so i had to fill six of those, using bamboo skewers, plus 4 bigger holes, PLUS i need to reroute/fill the bridge pickup cavity. then i have to drill immediately adjacent to the old holes...hopefully the bit won't want to skew off into the bamboo dowels. luckily i was smart enough not to paint before 1st assembly

^^ thats some awesome free-association beat poetry right there ^^