Intonation Q...

UnclePsychosis

Picked up a G&L Fallout (I like it a lot, BTW)

I am however confused by the saddles. According to my tuner the harmonics and fretted notes at the 12th fret are in tune but according to my understanding of physics the saddles shouldn't look like this... 

Am I overthinking this or missing something? 

ICBM

If the tuner says it's in tune, and your ears do as well*, then the E string has a very different core/wrap ratio to the others - the strings could be a very odd set (could they be from one maker? Although they look reasonably similar) - or it's faulty in some way (eg a kinked core, which can sometimes do that). The G and D strings are less odd, they sometimes are like that.

(*Check by tuning each pair of strings in perfect 4ths, then use the lower string harmonic at the 19th fret to check the upper string 14th-fret fretted note, and the upper string harmonic at the 12th fret to check the lower string 17th-fret fretted note.)

Funkfingers

The Fallout has a 30" scale length. The intonation settings on those often looks odd compared to 34 or 35". 

Next string change, buy strings intended for 30" scale. 

PrecisionGuided

Similar thing on my Mustang with D’Addario EXL160M 50-105s.
Must be a short scale thing.

UnclePsychosis

Thanks gents.

I think they're the stock d'addario strings - 45-100, I think.

ICBM i don't quite follow your method. Can you explain / send a link? 

Thanks 

ICBM

UnclePsychosis said:

ICBM i don't quite follow your method. Can you explain / send a link?

Simple…

First tune a pair of strings - G/D, D/A or A/E - to a perfect 4th using the 5th and 7th fret harmonics.

Then play the 19th-fret harmonic on the lower string (D, A or E) and the 14th-fret note on the higher string (G, D or A) at the same time, to check the intonation on the higher string.

Then play the 12th-fret harmonic on the higher string ad the 17th-fret note on the lower string to check the lower string.

It’s the quickest and most accurate method I know of - you can even tell quite well how far it’s out (if it is) by the rate of ‘beating’ between the two frequencies.

The reason it works without introducing an error because a perfect 4th is not quite in equal temperament, is because you then use the same harmonics (higher up the string) in reverse, so the strings are effectively just acting as references for themselves.

UnclePsychosis

I had to adjust the relief and action anyway, so I moved the saddles to the "right" place visually (using a ruler), then readjusted everything and all seems to be good.

Bit of an oddity, not quite sure what was going on but I'm happy now. I'd forgotten just how beefy the MFD pickups are. OMG mode is hilarious.