Intonation problem

[Mr Pringles]

Hi,

I'm having an intonation problem on my PRS Custom 24: open strings and 12th frets are in tune and other are from slightly to a half semi tone out of tune. I'm using the stock gauge ie 9.5-44. I don't recall having intonation problems when I bought it. What can I do to fix this?

Thanks!

[swede71]

Do you know how to set the intonation yourself?

[Mr Pringles]

Nope, that's why I'm asking what I can do to fix this

[swede71]

I can recommend this book for you. http://www.amazon.com/Alfreds-Yourse.../dp/0739037676
Its time you start learning something about guitars .For me living in Sweden i have to do a setup at least twice a year and checking intonation is something you should check everytime you change strings basically.I check intonation perhaps four time a year.When you start learning something about guitar you will realise PRS isnt some kind of magical thing you never have to work on since the day you buy it.It´s a guitar just like all the other guitars out there and it needs to be nursed by the owner or a repair guy.And dont forget to buy a good tuner for setting the intonation.I can recommend a Peterson stroboflip.

[Mikegarveyblues]

Pretty much the same here... Usually at the start of winter and the start of summer.

If you never setup your instrument on a reasonably regular basis then it will go out of whack eventually. Doesn't matter who made it or how much it cost - it needs occasional maintenance.

You can, of course, pay for a good tech to sort it but the truth is it isn't hard to do yourself, and you can guarantee that it's the way you want it everytime and not the way someone else thinks it should be.

Some good info here:

http://www.prsguitars.com/csc/setup.html

Swede mentions a good tuner. I've got a Korg Pitchblack that's good enough to do setups, though strobe tuner like the Peterson will be even more accurate.

As well as setting the intonation it's worth checking other things such as your neck relief. How are your frets looking? The nut? Etc..

Plenty guides on how to set the intonation on the web and plenty vids on Y'tube.

May be worth taking it to a tech for the first major setup and let him have a good look at it....? Maybe he / she will give you a few pointers along the way.

But anyhoo... It really is worth learning to do setups yourself. You'll save money in the longrun and the guitar will always play the way you like it.

[Mr Pringles]

Thanks guys, I just watched a video on youtube of a PRS tech setting up intonation and he didn't do more than what I did: i.e. moving the saddles forward or backward to get the open string and the 12th fret in tune. I didn't know setting up intonation was just doing that. So yes Swede, I know how to set up the intonation I'll still check out the book you recommend, it can't hurt.

But, the thing is, like I mentionned in the 1st post, my open strings and 12th are in tune but other frets aren't (like the 2nd, 3rd...) and they go from slightly out of tune to a half semi tone out of tune. I'm scratching my head.

[Mikegarveyblues]

50 cents is a fair whack to be out of tune...

So you believe you intonation is perfect - or as close as you can possibly get - at the 12th fret?

As I said in my post above, there's more to it than just setting intonation.

How is you neck relief? Press the low E down at the 1st fret (Or use a capo) and the last fret in the playing position. There should be a tiny gap around the 8th fret or so. About the width of a B string (As a crude example).

How is your nut looking?

Are your frets looking particualarly worn or any other issues with them?

How high is your action at the 12th fret?

Do you tune to anything other than standard?

Have you go a heavy touch?

[Shawn@PRS]

are the strings intonated at the 12th fret harmonic or 12th fret fretted?

[swede71]

Sounds you have the worst PRS ever built Mr PringlesPersonally im amazed how well in-tune a PRS guitar is.Being so much out of tune at the 2nd and 3rd fret sounds like a nut too high but that i can guarantee you is nothing you will see on a PRS guitar.Check this vid....

[Poffypoffa]

Any chance you're pressing too hard? If you press the string just enough to sound the note, do you still have the same issue?

[Mikegarveyblues]

Any chance you're pressing too hard? If you press the string just enough to sound the note, do you still have the same issue?

Yup. If your action is a little on the high side and you've got a heavy touch and pressing the string down to hard behind the fret you're going to wind up with a note that's sharp. If your intonation is out as well then that's going to make things worse.

So the 12th and open is in tune? Did you use a good quality tuner to check that?

[Proxmax]

Any chance you're pressing too hard? If you press the string just enough to sound the note, do you still have the same issue?

that was my first thought!