Larrivee Intonation problem

allen414 · #1 06-25-2003, 06:13 PM

i just joined the Larrivee fold, picked up a '98 D-03 in great shape. I've put a set of Elixir Custom Lights on it, and adjusted the truss rod so that it has a slight amount of bow to not cause string buzz. Sounds great, til I capo up around the 3rd fret. Then the E and A strings go out of tune. the D-G-b-e seem to be fine.

I don't have a strobe tuner, but they all appear to be somewhat sharp at the 12th fret, and getting a harmonic requires fretting past the fret a bit.

Is this due to the Custom Light strings ( don't want to change yet, they're brand new), or some other problem. Neck seems straight, and action is great.

Imapickn · #2 06-25-2003, 06:21 PM

This is not too uncommon..... Some of my Taylors are also that way.
My D-05 Larrivee is too.. My Guild D-55 is almost perfect... It is probably a saddle issue. How many cents are you off? Maybe you could rework the saddle a bit
(sorta like the B string offset)

allen414 · #3 06-25-2003, 06:29 PM

it's noticeable on my Korg tuner that the E-A are sharp, I didn't think I was that pitch perfect earwise, but it does bug me some.

i'm wondering if light or medium strings would perform better pitch wise. Does that matter?

Thanks

Mickeyt · #4 06-25-2003, 06:55 PM

[QUOTE]Originally posted by allen hall
[B]. Sounds great, til I capo up around the 3rd fret. Then the E and A strings go out of tune. the D-G-b-e seem to be fine

Sounds to me like a capo issue. I used to use a Kyser capo and
regardless of which guitar I used it on the E and A strings would always go sharp when capoed from too much pressure. Capoing farther up the fretboard would get worse as the pressure would increase do to the increasing width of the neck. I have since switched to a Shubb capo since their pressure can be adjusted. No longer sharp on E and A but moving the capo from the 2nd fret to 5th fret as an example needs a pressure adjustment. The Shubb is especially useful on my 510 and D18GE which both have V necks. Hope this helps.

allen414 · #5 06-25-2003, 07:27 PM

i also have switched from a Kyser to a Shubb. I played around with it a bit, and found that if I angle the Shubb so that it is farther from the fret on the bass side, and closer on the treble side, that the intonation is better. Not perfect but close enough for me. So I think you're right that that the capo is part of the deal, but I never noticed it on my Taylors.

I'm wondering if the fret shape, width, height, etc. is different on the Lar than the Taylors, causing the difference??

ahorsewithnonam · #6 06-25-2003, 10:02 PM

I agree it is the capo. Read an interview with James Taylor where he said this happens all the time with a capo and in a constant issue. Asked how he fixed it, said he uses those thar tuning nobs! I always have to fine tune with a capo.

Imapickn · #7 06-27-2003, 07:19 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by ahorsewithnonam
I agree it is the capo. Read an interview with James Taylor where he said this happens all the time with a capo and in a constant issue. Asked how he fixed it, said he uses those thar tuning nobs! I always have to fine tune with a capo.

There ya go....... works for me..

Imapickn · #8 06-27-2003, 07:27 AM

Allen, if you do not have the capo on, and you do a harmonic at the 12th fret of each of the strings, and then press the string down at the 12th fret, how is the sound? Is the pressed down fret at the 12th sharper than the harmonic at the 12th? If so, then it is an intonation discrepancy, and, depending upon the severity, can be remedied by compensating the saddle.
If the tones at the 12th are very, very close, fretted or harmonic, then the problem sounds like the every lasting capo problem, and you just adjust as ya go...(which is what I have to do, also) Best regards..

allen414 · #9 06-27-2003, 09:56 PM

it is sharp at the 12th fret by a couple dots on the needle of my Korg tuner. But only on the E-A strings, others are pretty close.

It's close enough I can live with, I think. Time will tell. Afterall it will be my "beater" after the 414 comes in.

what type of saddle adjustment could you make if it's not every string that seems to be off?

Imapickn · #10 06-28-2003, 06:03 AM

Hi Allen
Odds are that each of the "dots" on your tuner is a "cent". If you are off only a couple of cents, you could take out the saddle and sand away the ramp portion that touchs those strings that are out. (like your B string is on the saddle) Should be a job you can do, but you can have a luthier do it for not too much.
Take a look at Frank Ford's way.. (very good) http://www.frets.com/FRETSPages/Luth.../compcalc.html