Bad intonation problem, please help.

[ChopDuel]

Hey guys, I recently started to experience a really bad intonation problem on the high E and B strings. It is so flat, that sometimes the 23rd fret shows as a sharp D on the tuner instead of D# for example, moving the saddles forward doesn't help cause they are already as forward as they can be without touching the pickguard during dives.
Has anyone experienced this before?

I know it has to do with old strings and my strings are not exactly new but i never had this problem so bad even with old strings before.

another thing that could be related to this, is when i play a note, usually above the 12th fret on the B string, it gives this kind of dissonant vibration that you can hear if you play 2 different notes at the same time, even though it is just a single note.

[jb4674]

Sounds to me like the truss needs to be adjusted a bit.

Jimmy

[Algiman]

A couple of times now I've been setting guitar up, with new strings, and found that the intonation was ridiculously out. Usually it comes down to a dodgy string - even new. Gibson's own strings seem to be the worst for it but I've had it happen with D'Addario's too.

Leave the truss rod alone, get new strings on, and try again.

[eviltwin]

another thing that could be related to this, is when i play a note, usually above the 12th fret on the B string, it gives this kind of dissonant vibration that you can hear if you play 2 different notes at the same time, even though it is just a single note.

this may be related to magnetic pull, the pickup being too close to the string. easily checked by lowering PUPs.

[ChopDuel]

could old strings affect the intonation that much?
the reason this all seems strange is that it was never so bad im similiar situations, i havent changed the pickup height in a while and i did have some pretty old strings at times

[ryanb]

Change the strings first before you do anything else (and re-intonate, because if the saddles are all the way forward the intonation is already wrong). If you still have a problem then, you can investigate further. It's probably just bad string(s).

[shogun]

Originally Posted by ChopDuel

Hey guys, I recently started to experience a really bad intonation problem on the high E and B strings. It is so flat, that sometimes the 23rd fret shows as a sharp D on the tuner instead of D# for example, moving the saddles forward doesn't help cause they are already as forward as they can be without touching the pickguard during dives.
Has anyone experienced this before?

I know it has to do with old strings and my strings are not exactly new but i never had this problem so bad even with old strings before.

another thing that could be related to this, is when i play a note, usually above the 12th fret on the B string, it gives this kind of dissonant vibration that you can hear if you play 2 different notes at the same time, even though it is just a single note.

strings arent fit for intonation unless they havent been played (with the exception of stretching.)

[ChopDuel]

Originally Posted by shogun

strings arent fit for intonation unless they havent been played (with the exception of stretching.)

i dont quite understand you. what did you mean to say?

[ChopDuel]

ok i put new strings on and intonation is perfect now thanks guys... never thought the strings could become THAT bad.
anyways, now i hope wd-40 won't let me down in keeping them new.

[sniperfrommars1]

I use A product called finger ease now. It lubes my fretboard well, and keeps the strings slick and new. It isnt greasy at all which is what i like about it and smells frickin awesome.

[David McCarroll]

Originally Posted by ChopDuel

could old strings affect the intonation that much?
the reason this all seems strange is that it was never so bad im similiar situations, i havent changed the pickup height in a while and i did have some pretty old strings at times

You bet they could! A set of seriously old corroded strings could make your intonation drift nearly a semitone by the end of the neck - and like someone else said, you DO get bad strings (from Gibson? gee, what a surprise!) - with a really odd intonation problem that suddenly shows up - first stop should be changing the strings. In this case, as there is also a "warbling" sound, I'd also be asking if the guitars pickup height has been adjusted lately.

[Kasper Kowalski]

Originally Posted by ChopDuel

ok i put new strings on and intonation is perfect now thanks guys... never thought the strings could become THAT bad.

I doubt it was the strings themselves... probably more to do with them being stretched out and the bridge no longer parallel to the body (assuming floating bridge).

I have some pretty ancient strings on a couple of my guitars, but I make sure the geometry of the guitar is correct always - never have an issue with intonation.

[xxrifferxx]

the EXACT same thing is happening to me. i have changed the strings, intonation has become fine after that, but as you said, i have played on my other guitars with old strings, but the intonation was fine for them. i don't think the problem is solved yet. you can keep on changing the strings, but remember, that you have played on old strings before without the intonation becoming bad, so it's not only the strings. something else is also involved. if you don't solve it, you're gonna be wasting money by changing an entire set just because the E and B are screwed up; you're gonna be changing sets faster than you normally do because of this intonation problem.