Down tuning and intonation
Moderator: Ghost Hip
- John Matrix
- experienced
- Posts: 660
- Joined: Fri Feb 01, 2013 5:59 pm
- Location: Sacramento, CA
- Contact:
Down tuning and intonation
I'm joining a band that plays in drop A#. I don't want to buy a baritone so I am tuning down one of my guitars, a Jackson Dinky Reverse. I'm having a lot of intonation issues which I expected, but I've gotten to a point where I can't go any further and I was hoping to get some advice before I make some modifications that cannot be reversed.
I can't get the lowest two strings to intonate properly. The neck is about as flat as can be, the saddles are as far back as can be (springs removed). The string gauges are pretty fat 58, 48. It's a regular ass tremolo bridge (non locking). The guitar scale is 25.5"
My next step is grinding down the saddles so that they can move further back. Is there anything else I should try before going this route?
I can't get the lowest two strings to intonate properly. The neck is about as flat as can be, the saddles are as far back as can be (springs removed). The string gauges are pretty fat 58, 48. It's a regular ass tremolo bridge (non locking). The guitar scale is 25.5"
My next step is grinding down the saddles so that they can move further back. Is there anything else I should try before going this route?
~ bands I am in ~
OROMET // https://oromet.bandcamp.com/
BATTLE HAG // https://battlehag.bandcamp.com/
OROMET // https://oromet.bandcamp.com/
BATTLE HAG // https://battlehag.bandcamp.com/
- aen
- IAMILFFAMOUS
- Posts: 4363
- Joined: Sat May 19, 2007 10:34 pm
- Contact:
Re: Down tuning and intonation
Wow, I would definitely go with some thicker strings. I always did my baritone tunings on standard scale guitars with GHS 70-11 strings. Intonation was pretty good!
Chankgeez wrote:
DWARFCRAFT: We are not fucking around this year.
- gnomethrone
- FAMOUS
- Posts: 1808
- Joined: Tue Jun 17, 2014 1:39 am
Re: Down tuning and intonation
Yeah if you don't wanna do stuff to your guitar just keep getting fatter strings til it works. I do drop B on a 25.5 with ernie ball "not even slinkys" and those are only 54 at the low string. Not much wiggle room but it intonates and I like the action. Maybe the extra behind the bridge helps? I dunno.
good dealings here:
NSFW: show
- Bassist_Diver
- FAMOUS
- Posts: 1016
- Joined: Thu Nov 14, 2013 11:20 am
- Location: Texas
Re: Down tuning and intonation
Sounds like you need a 7 (or 8) string.

The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever. - Jacques Cousteau
Good dealings with: Vrom, Conky
Yamaha / Gallien-Krueger / Pedals
- waltdogg
- IAMILFFAMOUS
- Posts: 3166
- Joined: Wed Apr 29, 2015 5:01 pm
- Location: hell, ca
Re: Down tuning and intonation
hebbier strings
D.o.S. wrote:Why do people eat steak that shit is gross
behndy wrote: lol. she thinks Brazil is wayyyy too unsafe. but i got PLANS.
MechaGodzilla wrote:man, fuck those big neutrik plugs
- John Matrix
- experienced
- Posts: 660
- Joined: Fri Feb 01, 2013 5:59 pm
- Location: Sacramento, CA
- Contact:
Re: Down tuning and intonation
One thing I forgot to mention. These are the heaviest strings I can use. I have locking tuners on this guitar and I was not able to get a 60 gauge string through the hole. 
On some other forums people were saying that the heavier strings actually require more distance to intonate correctly...but that contradicts what y'all are saying and I don't think any of the dudes saying that shit had actually tried it.

On some other forums people were saying that the heavier strings actually require more distance to intonate correctly...but that contradicts what y'all are saying and I don't think any of the dudes saying that shit had actually tried it.
~ bands I am in ~
OROMET // https://oromet.bandcamp.com/
BATTLE HAG // https://battlehag.bandcamp.com/
OROMET // https://oromet.bandcamp.com/
BATTLE HAG // https://battlehag.bandcamp.com/
- oscillofuzz
- committed
- Posts: 397
- Joined: Wed Feb 18, 2015 7:33 pm
- Location: Netherlands
Re: Down tuning and intonation
Before you start grinding down the saddles, try to assess if such a marginal change in distance is going to bring enough of a change to reach the right intonation. If you're almost there then maybe it will, but if you're still nowhere near the A# when you play the 12th fret it might be a more realistic approach to try and find a wider bridge that doesn't require drilling new holes.
- gnomethrone
- FAMOUS
- Posts: 1808
- Joined: Tue Jun 17, 2014 1:39 am
Re: Down tuning and intonation
Its a pain in the ass but I've seen people unwind the last bit of a string so it will fit through a tuner hole. You still have that 60 gauge string laying around?
good dealings here:
NSFW: show
- waltdogg
- IAMILFFAMOUS
- Posts: 3166
- Joined: Wed Apr 29, 2015 5:01 pm
- Location: hell, ca
Re: Down tuning and intonation
oh. you know what. john. come to me. or the next time i'm in sac i'll help you out. i live out in oakland. and have family in sac. i understand the locking tuna dilemma quite well. all my guitars have locking tunas so the biggest strings i can use are not even slinkys or d'addario jazz light to jazz heavy roundwound.
D.o.S. wrote:Why do people eat steak that shit is gross
behndy wrote: lol. she thinks Brazil is wayyyy too unsafe. but i got PLANS.
MechaGodzilla wrote:man, fuck those big neutrik plugs
- John Matrix
- experienced
- Posts: 660
- Joined: Fri Feb 01, 2013 5:59 pm
- Location: Sacramento, CA
- Contact:
Re: Down tuning and intonation
I am pretty close but I am going to try on a more accurate tuner and see what it says.oscillofuzz wrote:Before you start grinding down the saddles, try to assess if such a marginal change in distance is going to bring enough of a change to reach the right intonation. If you're almost there then maybe it will, but if you're still nowhere near the A# when you play the 12th fret it might be a more realistic approach to try and find a wider bridge that doesn't require drilling new holes.
I do still have it. I'll try this. It actually has a really narrow tip that will fit but locking tuners are not designed to wind up the string that much so I can't utilize it.gnomethrone wrote:Its a pain in the ass but I've seen people unwind the last bit of a string so it will fit through a tuner hole. You still have that 60 gauge string laying around?
~ bands I am in ~
OROMET // https://oromet.bandcamp.com/
BATTLE HAG // https://battlehag.bandcamp.com/
OROMET // https://oromet.bandcamp.com/
BATTLE HAG // https://battlehag.bandcamp.com/
- John Matrix
- experienced
- Posts: 660
- Joined: Fri Feb 01, 2013 5:59 pm
- Location: Sacramento, CA
- Contact:
Re: Down tuning and intonation
Sweet. I may take you up on that if I can't get this shit handled soon.waltdogg wrote:oh. you know what. john. come to me. or the next time i'm in sac i'll help you out. i live out in oakland. and have family in sac. i understand the locking tuna dilemma quite well. all my guitars have locking tunas so the biggest strings i can use are not even slinkys or d'addario jazz light to jazz heavy roundwound.
~ bands I am in ~
OROMET // https://oromet.bandcamp.com/
BATTLE HAG // https://battlehag.bandcamp.com/
OROMET // https://oromet.bandcamp.com/
BATTLE HAG // https://battlehag.bandcamp.com/
- repoman
- IAMILF
- Posts: 2291
- Joined: Sat Sep 26, 2015 3:16 pm
- Location: Edge City
Re: Down tuning and intonation
Can you put a different tuner on the guitar or drill out the hole on the stock one to make heavier gauge fit? I think you would need something more like a 70 for the low A#
F U T U R E G A M E R
- aen
- IAMILFFAMOUS
- Posts: 4363
- Joined: Sat May 19, 2007 10:34 pm
- Contact:
Re: Down tuning and intonation
That's a standard scale guitar with a wider neck, yo. They have heavier strings on the bottom.Bassist_Diver wrote:Sounds like you need a 7 (or 8) string.
Chankgeez wrote:
DWARFCRAFT: We are not fucking around this year.
-
- interested
- Posts: 43
- Joined: Mon Jan 05, 2015 11:27 am
Re: Down tuning and intonation
I totally googled "Hebbier Strings" like they were a real company! Thought maybe they were French like "Hebbey-yay" or somethingwaltdogg wrote:hebbier strings
Bravo Sir!
- oscillofuzz
- committed
- Posts: 397
- Joined: Wed Feb 18, 2015 7:33 pm
- Location: Netherlands
Re: Down tuning and intonation
this cracked me upStamnes wrote:I totally googled "Hebbier Strings" like they were a real company! Thought maybe they were French like "Hebbey-yay" or somethingwaltdogg wrote:hebbier strings
