Official Luthiers Forum!

questions often appear here and on other fora relating to how to determine saddle location and shaping the saddle for best intonation.

both dave and i have recommended the stew-mac intonator tool as an excellent aid in this regard.

right now stew-mac's website has a trade secrets article on this tool's usage in these operations.

it is well worth looking at for those new to the game as well as old heads.crazymanmichael39051.7980439815

*****Joe Beaver39051.8010185185

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Joe Beaver
Maker of Sawdust

Thank you Michael... I for one, will check it out!!!

Intonnnation is one subject I can never learn enough about.

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Joe Beaver
Maker of Sawdust

You must have got an email today... huh?

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

yep! i've been fan of the trade secrets s-m publishes since they used to have them in the catalogues.

i got the intonator when it first came out some years ago. it sure beats doing the job with many bits of strings, welding rod, brass tubing, etc., etc.

Cannot find it on SM website.
Can you post a link?

I've used the StewMac tool, but in all honesty I still find it quicker, easier,
and just as accurate to use my brass rod dummy saddle, a strobe tuner and
a calculator. Move the rod until it's close, measure how far off it is to the
cent with a digital strobe, then multiply or divide depending on if you have
to go sharp or flat. Divide or multiply the 12th fret to saddle measurement
by the 1200th root of two squared to however many cents it is off. It takes a
$20 calculator and an accurate tuner, and is very quick.

_________________
Eschew obfuscation, espouse elucidation.

the sign up is on the home page. if you can't get it i will try to forward it to you.

Did sign up but got an email on head chip repair.
I do not see where I can access the index of trade secrets to get that one. Oh well..I had a long day, so may be I will see it tomorrow.

I made a tailpiece to do the intonation. Does anyone else do it this way? I can get the neck completely set up and on tight and then figure out the perfect bridge placement before I glue it down. The tailpiece anchors at the end pin and needs a little leather piece where it meets the body otherwise it will leave ridges in the binding. It works pretty well and you don't have to drill any holes through the top before gluing down the bridge.

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Burton
http://www.legeytinstruments.com
Brookline, MA.

Burton,
Can you post some photos of your setup and/or your process?
-j.

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“If God dwells inside us like some people say, I sure hope He likes enchiladas, because that's what He's getting”
-jack handy

[QUOTE=blegeyt] I made a tailpiece to do the intonation. Does anyone else do it this way? I can get the neck completely set up and on tight and then figure out the perfect bridge placement before I glue it down. The tailpiece anchors at the end pin and needs a little leather piece where it meets the body otherwise it will leave ridges in the binding. It works pretty well and you don't have to drill any holes through the top before gluing down the bridge.[/QUOTE]

That's an interesting idea Burton, I hadn't thought about doing something like that. I made a locating jig years ago that keys off the nut and 12th fret. Kinda like the SMac version except it has a dummy saddle in it that fits in the briidge slot and locates the bridge were I want it each time without fuss. It took a few adjustments to get it right but now it's a no brainer. It seems to me that once you get something that works, assuming your action will be close to the same each time, your intonation should be prety consistent. Mine seems to be anyway.

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Tickle your guitar daily, and it'll tickle you back.

"That's an interesting idea Burton, I hadn't thought about doing something like that. I made a locating jig years ago that keys off the nut and 12th fret. Kinda like the SMac version except it has a dummy saddle in it that fits in the briidge slot and locates the bridge were I want it each time without fuss."


Neat idea John...can you post a picture of it in use?
thanks,
TomGasawdust39052.3637731482

[QUOTE=Alain Lambert] Did sign up but got an email on head chip repair.
I do not see where I can access the index of trade secrets to get that one. Oh well..I had a long day, so may be I will see it tomorrow.
[/QUOTE]

That is the welcome mail. You will get your first real copy next week. They usually send on Thursdays.

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

[QUOTE=David Collins] I've used the StewMac tool, but in all honesty I still find it quicker, easier,
and just as accurate to use my brass rod dummy saddle, a strobe tuner and
a calculator. Move the rod until it's close, measure how far off it is to the
cent with a digital strobe, then multiply or divide depending on if you have
to go sharp or flat. Divide or multiply the 12th fret to saddle measurement
by the 1200th root of two squared to however many cents it is off. It takes a
$20 calculator and an accurate tuner, and is very quick.
[/QUOTE]

David, could you post a pic or elaborate on the brass rod dummy saddle? I'm intrigued....

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http://www.presnallguitars.com

I'll try to put something together on my methods tonight and start a new
discussion. I've got a lot on my plate tonight and tomorrow though, so there
is a good chance I won't get to it until sunday.

_________________
Eschew obfuscation, espouse elucidation.

hey J.,
unfortunately my digital camera is gone this weekend so I can't get any photos, but it really isn't any different than an archtop tailpiece. Stewmac sells the fastener that wraps around the endpin and into the tailpiece. Thinking about it more though, I think John's jig is better. The tailpiece helps to establish the original length, but once you know it for certain strings I think his jig sounds much more easy to use. That made me think also, though, I have always assumed that different guage strings would affect the intonation. Does anyone set up guitars with the customers requested guage? or is the differences really so minor as to not be a real issue? I suppose too the width of the saddle matters. I have been using 3/32 but maybe 1/8 would give you enough room to track any strings..

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Burton
http://www.legeytinstruments.com
Brookline, MA.

I saw this jig on OLF the other day and thought it was the coolest. Built my own and used it for 2 bridge sets. It aligns and intonates in one step. Slider behind the jig has holes set to the saddle width ( plus the extra for the longer distance). Move it side to side to align. Move the bridge and saddle forwrd or back depending on intonation. I use high and low E only. Once satisfied,drill two register holes through the string holes on the bridge. Pin with the gluing bridge pins which do not stick to glue (StewMac). Take thi jig off, remove the finish, glue and clamp. I could not believe how simple this step could be.

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Greg
http://garibaldiinstruments.com/

great thread guys, thanks!