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pierreyy
January 7th, 2012, 04:49 PM
hey guys,

this thread has nothing to do with ubuntu but im sure someone here knows the solution to my problem,

i have an ltd m-50, what seems to have happened is the fretboard has bent or screwed up in some way, when the guitar is in tune ( standard) the 12th fret on the 1st three chords ( e, b, and g ) are out of tune.

what do you guys think i can do to fix this problem? thanks in advance.

Dangertux
January 7th, 2012, 06:08 PM
Sounds like your intonation is off. Take it to a luthier and explain it the same way you did here. They will probably adjust the truss rod which will likely fix the problem. If it is severe it may require the neck being replaced but that's not likely.

Truss rod adjustment is usually like 25-50 bucks depending on where you take it.

Hope this helps.

coffeecat
January 7th, 2012, 10:31 PM
Thread moved to The Community Cafe.

papibe
January 7th, 2012, 11:02 PM
Sounds like your intonation is off.

+1

Fixing that usually involves two things though: (1) adjusting the truss rod, and also (2) adjusting the bridge saddles.

Now, since your guitar has a floating tremolo, it would also be needed to play with the position of the tremolo (height). This may means both tighten or loosen the tremolo screws (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Strat_trem.jpg) (located behind the guitar), and changing the position of the springs.

The usual term for this kind of work is known as a 'setup'. As Dangertux says, this is not too expensive work. If you have any doubt how to do it yourself, take it to a guitar technician (luthier).

Hope this help.
Regards.

Old_Grey_Wolf
January 8th, 2012, 04:12 AM
Oh, I didn't know it has a special name, "intonation".

All I thought about was removing the metal plate on the back of my Gibson Les Paul Custom Ebony and adjust the nut on the rod that runs the length of the neck, or adjust the height of the bridge that holds the strings up at the base of the guitar.

:oops:

I never heard the word "luthier" either.

Dangertux
January 8th, 2012, 04:23 AM
Oh, I didn't know it has a special name, "intonation".

All I thought about was removing the metal plate on the back of my Gibson Les Paul Custom Ebony and adjust the nut on the rod that runs the length of the neck, or adjust the height of the bridge that holds the strings up at the base of the guitar.

:oops:

Nice Axe, I'm thinking about getting a custom I have a studio and a standard love LPs.

It's a little trickier with a floating bridge than a tune-o-matic as papibe pointed out, particularly if you use alternate tunings alot adjusting the tension springs in the back to keep your bridge at the right height can really take a toll on the neck.

Old_Grey_Wolf
January 8th, 2012, 04:34 AM
Nice Axe, I'm thinking about getting a custom I have a studio and a standard love LPs.

It's a little trickier with a floating bridge than a tune-o-matic as papibe pointed out, particularly if you use alternate tunings alot adjusting the tension springs in the back to keep your bridge at the right height can really take a toll on the neck.

You have a studio!

I remember back in the 1970's when I had a Custom guitar amplifier and thought the Les Paul sounded good. Years later, I plugged it into a stereo amplifier with the wider frequency range and was amazed by the sounds the Les Paul could make. It is an awesome instrument.

Never used tune-o-matic or a temolo. I just 'smeared' the strings.

jockyburns
January 8th, 2012, 12:51 PM
Definitely an intonation problem methinks. How old are the strings on your guitar? (Never ceases to amaze me the people that don't change them until they snap) A good guitar technician should sort out the intonation problems. My Gibson Flying V(72 issue) goes out of intonation unless I change the strings regularly (at least once every few months depending on how much I play it)

nothingspecial
January 8th, 2012, 01:14 PM
I wouldn't try and fix it yourself, take it to a pro because if you don't know what you are doing you'll make things much worse and have to take it to a pro anyway.


Bridge saddles assume you know exactly what you are doing

pierreyy
January 9th, 2012, 02:34 AM
Thank you so much guys i really appreciate the helpful feed back, can someone link me to a proper guide on how to do this? id like to try to fix it myself before i send her off, i have another guitar ( les paul aswell, i see theyre quite popular around here:P ) and im terrified that the same thing will happen to this one aswell, i have alot of humidity in my room what can i do to prevent damage?

thanks!

pierreyy
January 9th, 2012, 02:38 AM
Definitely an intonation problem methinks. How old are the strings on your guitar? (Never ceases to amaze me the people that don't change them until they snap) A good guitar technician should sort out the intonation problems. My Gibson Flying V(72 issue) goes out of intonation unless I change the strings regularly (at least once every few months depending on how much I play it)


theyre about 3 months old but i take really good care of them.

cloyd
January 9th, 2012, 02:46 AM
First, take the advice about the strings, unless you have already changed them. Old strings can make the best guitar sound like a piece of junk. Three months may not be too long, but it can be. Professionals who perform daily often change strings daily. Playing after eating potato chips can be rough on them (salt and grease). Properly gauged strings are necessary, too; if you have replaced one or more strings without replacing all you can be asking for poor intonation. New strings just sound different (and better) that more seasoned ones. In addition, the gauge of the partial string change may not be compatible with the gauge of the old set.
Second, if I had an instrument like yours, I'd pay to have someone who knows what they are doing to do the work. Yes, you can learn to work on it yourself. But do a bit of study first.
Good luck.

Frogs Hair
January 9th, 2012, 03:02 AM
Tune the strings down so there's no tension on the neck if the guitar remains unused for long periods . There are dehumidifiers available for the case .On the low end the packets that are used shipping electronic equipment work fine. Ask at your local music store for other options .

Setting the intonation is difficult the first time , so be patient . Many people in the music stores check and adjust intonation every time a shipment of guitars comes in . Having someone do it for you is relatively cheap and often will be done for free at the store where the purchase was made .

73ckn797
January 9th, 2012, 04:20 AM
A luthier is a person who builds and repairs guitars.

Check out this link for setting intonation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZVRCMJLnm4

I own a Takamine EF350MC and a Gibson Blues Hawk.