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2 Les Paul intonation questions.


Adam M

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firstly. I have a 2016 Les paul studio. the low e is always a bit sharp and I've put the saddle back as far as it will go and still sharp what can I do to fix it? It's weird I can get the intonation on my SG very easilly.

 

secondly on a les paul junior what size are the small intonation screws? My guitar came with the normal hex key for the truss rod and a small allen key but it doesn't kit. I am not sure what that allen key is supposed to be for.

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firstly. I have a 2016 Les paul studio. the low e is always a bit sharp and I've put the saddle back as far as it will go and still sharp what can I do to fix it? It's weird I can get the intonation on my SG very easilly.

 

secondly on a les paul junior what size are the small intonation screws? My guitar came with the normal hex key for the truss rod and a small allen key but it doesn't kit. I am not sure what that allen key is supposed to be for.

 

The hex key is for adjusting height of the bridge instead of turning the wheels with your fingers. You need a Gibson truss rod wrench to adjust the neck, it fits over the nut underneath the truss rod cover at the headstock.

 

Did you put on brand new strings before intonating them? If not, then do so first and then stretch them good several times, tune to pitch and then intonate using a good quality tuner. Tune open string, then fingered 12th fret, if sharp move saddle back, if flat move saddle forward. If the low E is still sharp then flip the saddle, but I doubt that it is sharp if it is all the way back. When you put the new strings on take a tape measure and measure the low E from the front of the nut and adjust the saddle center to 24-3/4 inches as a starting point. It should be pretty darn close. Is the Low E string height at 12th fret 5/64 or lower from top of fret to bottom of string? If it's higher than that it could be sharp too. The guitar came or is supposed to come with supplied accessories---- Truss Rod Wrench, 2.5mm hex adjustment, and polishing cloth. If you didn't get the truss rod wrench with it contact Gibson Customer Service and they will mail one to you. The truss rod wrench looks like a small pipe with a Philips screw end on it.

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You can flip the saddle.

 

Be mindful that by just wiggling the finger a bit when you press down on the fret, you'll change the pitch. I've found this to be more prominent on medium jumbo guitars like Les Pauls.

 

I've had the intonation come up a tad sharp on the low E on a lot of guitars in my life, even with the saddle all the way back, and yet a power chord at the octave sounds perfect.

 

I have no idea why. I've flipped saddles before, usually the G, but then it's been apparent from the sound that it needed more space. It's sounded off. Not so with the E, usually. Strange.

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More often than not the Low E and A string saddles are facing the rear anyway and cannot travel anymore by flipping them if sharp. The D,G,B, E strings are facing forward and can be flipped if string is too sharp and there is no more travel.

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