intonation problem...help

[vchizzle]

I installed new pickups on my SC std. today. putting everything back together and got my action set, truss adjusted. then on to intonation. adj. stoptail.

my D string intonation is off by almost a 1/2 step. everything else is good but I can't adjust it far enough. Its fretting way flat. I tried adjusting the set screws to give me more room. still no go. saddle is functioning properly, just not able to get enough.

anyone else run into this ever? suggestions? help please.

[RandyO]

If it was just a pickup swap, no adjustments should have been necessary. Check that the ball end of your D string is seated properly or try a new string. I'd also get the saddle back close to where it was yesterday. Good luck!

[vchizzle]

If it was just a pickup swap, no adjustments should have been necessary. Check that the ball end of your D string is seated properly or try a new string. I'd also get the saddle back close to where it was yesterday. Good luck!yeah, I know. I shoulda just left it where it was. but my D string and G were at opposite extremes with no room for adjustment(G couldn't go any furthur away from the nut and D couldn't go closer). so I wanted to get just a little bit of adjustment each way on both of them.

I have 2 other guitars set up in the same tuning(C G C F A D). one with a PRS adjustable and the other with a tone pros. neither of them have any strings that are out of room for adjustment.

[vchizzle]

why don't I go this route. when you get a new PRS adj. stoptail, it comes with all saddles in the same position, midway in their slots. the set screws are both in position so they are threaded, but not touching the posts. where do you start from? tuning low to high is: C G C F A D. string gauge is 60 52 36 20 16 12.

like I said earlier. I've never had this much of a problem - my other guitars are set up fine with same strings and tuning. none have a single saddle that is out room for adjustment.

where do you start from?

[Supasso]

Adjust the two set screws so that the low E side is closer to the post and the high E side is further. That should give you more room. Also, low action may help. The lower the action, the less extreme saddles compensation you need.

[vchizzle]

Adjust the two set screws so that the low E side is closer to the post and the high E side is further. That should give you more room. Also, low action may help. The lower the action, the less extreme saddles compensation you need.keep in mind I'm in a dropped tuning though, so my lowest string needs to go away from the nut a little more than normal. I'm gonna maybe start from scratch so I know where everything sits exactly.
my action is set to factory specs right now.

[ChrisCst22]

Like Randy said, I would try a new string. Their not all gonna be perfect, and some will intonate better than others.

[Scott Rosenberger]

yes try a new string, I just read about the same problem on "another PRS related Forum" :D

[Bruce O'Donnell]

Based on the string gauge and the fact you are tuned a step down drop C, you are running up against the limitations to intonate within the normal PRS setup recommendations. My recommendation would be to place the low E and high saddles so the low E is below the center of the adj range and high E is just above it, similar to where they would be in a normal stagger. Tune the guitar to your pitch, and then intonate the low and high E's using the stoptail adjustment screws on each post instead of using the saddle adjustments. This will set the stoptail angle to the string gauge and tension you are using. The rest of the strings should fall within the adjustment range of the individual saddle adjustments.

[ChrisCst22]

Bruce is right. Also a small change of string gauge on certain offending strings could get you closer to perfection. Sometimes something as simply as using a .18 instead of a .17 for a G will make it perform 10x better. It will change from guitar to guitar.

You also have to have an OCD to really care about these types of things.

[RRRcustom]

Also, check your pickup height. Assuming everything else is the same(tuning, string gauge) the intonation shouldn't have changed. If the pickups are too high, their magnetic field may be too strong, creating a magnetic pull on the string. I've had guitars that would not intonate during a setup, because the pickups were too high.

[vchizzle]

well, it did end up being a bad string. I did start over from scratch anyway though. I have more room for adjustment now. as soon as I changed my D string, it pretty much instantly went back to being pretty close.

yes, I do have OCD as far as strings go. that gauge is my custom gauge I get from DR. my unwound strings I could go down to 11, 15, 18 - but that's about it.

thanks for all the help guys. problem solved.