• From: Germany
  • Registered: 2006-05-31
  • Posts: 489

Topic: My G string kills me - Intonation

Okay folks,

the intonation on my Les Paul kills me! Tune O Matic bridge, neck is perfectly adjusted, guitar stays perfectlyin pitch (nut sauce), but g string makes me wanna go crazy! I set the intonation the known way, but as soon as i play riffs/chords including the g string from the 3rd fret on it sounds "not in tune".

I really hate this. Never had such a problem with my strats.

Does any of you know if this is a typical Les Paul problem. I think I heard Flying V players hate their g string, too.

It is great fun to play that guitar, but as soon as I have to record in the studio it is getting a horror.

What can I do?

Jimi75's Website

  • Registered: 2006-05-13
  • Posts: 204

Re: My G string kills me - Intonation

Pardon? G string and nut sauce?

Blues ain't nothin' but a good woman gone bad.
  • From: Wooster, OH
  • Registered: 2006-04-22
  • Posts: 27

Re: My G string kills me - Intonation

The "g" string always seems to have problems because of it's guage it should actually be wound. But, because of playability electric guitar players obviously choose an unwound "g". Try using a heavier guage set. This may hlep a little. Make sure that the intonation is set correctly on the bridge and that the nut is filed properly and at the correct height.

Good Luck

Johnnyg

"I have wondered at times what the Ten Commandments would have looked like if Moses had run them through the US Congress."
-Ronald Regan-

johnnyg's Website

  • From: Tampa, Fl.
  • Registered: 2006-04-22
  • Posts: 870

Re: My G string kills me - Intonation

johnnyg wrote:

The "g" string always seems to have problems because of it's guage it should actually be wound. But, because of playability electric guitar players obviously choose an unwound "g". Try using a heavier guage set. This may hlep a little. Make sure that the intonation is set correctly on the bridge and that the nut is filed properly and at the correct height.

Good Luck

Johnnyg

Correct me if I'm wrong, but if the G string should be wound, that means it's larger than an unwound string should be, so wouldn't he want to try a lighter set? 

Personally, I've never had any problems with any G's on my guitars- granted they are strats, but I've played a lot of Pauls and never had this type of problem... my advice would be to go to a good luthier and get it checked out...

Hope this helps,
Scott

"Interestingly, according to modern astronomers, space is finite. This is a very comforting thought-- particularly for people who can never remember where they have left things." - Woody Allen

http://www.last.fm/user/skynyrd128

5 Reply by gsj (edited by gsj 2006-12-08 17:20:17)

  • gsj
  • gsj
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  • From: North Essex, England
  • Registered: 2006-09-21
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Re: My G string kills me - Intonation

Johnny's right about the nut...not sure about the wound G and string gauge but.... It's probably because the nut isn't cut correctly and when you fret a note it pitches sharp. Go see a luthier and have it checked out, as KWSJB said. My Les Paul doesn't suffer with it, neither should yours.

never give up, never slow down
never grow old, never ever die young

6 Reply by ModTourMan (edited by ModTourMan 2006-12-09 15:57:16)

  • From: South Brunswick, NJ USA
  • Registered: 2006-04-21
  • Posts: 133

Re: My G string kills me - Intonation

I play a Les Paul.  It sounds like you have an ear that is sensitive to the compromised tuning that 6-string guitarists have to live with.  Peterson Tuners hae a proprietary tempered tuning that will sweeten the tuning issues you mentioned.
I recommend the Peterson VS II.

Russ B.
  • From: Detroit
  • Registered: 2006-06-02
  • Posts: 5,807

Re: My G string kills me - Intonation

Jimi75 wrote:

Okay folks,
but as soon as i play riffs/chords including the g string from the 3rd fret on it sounds "not in tune".

every part about your problem has been analyzed except for the above quote...
How are your frets?  Sometimes uneven or oddly shaped frets can give an awkward sound. Although that would affect all strings and not just the G. Is it sharp or flat?

What sting guage are you using?  9's 10's? I would experiment with string guages if nobody is able to solve this..."but why should you have to?"

Do others hear this discrepancy as well?

As a Les paul player...heck I have a couple Gibsons and some copies with stopbar/tune-o-matic bridgs, I have to say I have never had this problem either.  I do feel bad though since playing a lespaul should be a "zen-like" experience...

Be sure to let us know if this get solved! deninitely a peculiar mystery.
Maybe if your heart isn't attached to it, sell it on ebay and get a different Les Paul.

What year is it? It's not stamped Second on the back of the neck is it?

- Nic from Detroit... posting on JB's Forum since 6-2-2006
Ask me about my handwound Great Lakes Guitar Pickups
Since 2010, Bonamassa fans have taken advantage of my JB friend discount = my cost + shipping. cool

8 Reply by gsj (edited by gsj 2006-12-11 17:34:57)

  • gsj
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  • From: North Essex, England
  • Registered: 2006-09-21
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Re: My G string kills me - Intonation

It's going to be either a problem with the nut or the intonation.......or a combination of the two......or you need to change your strings more often. How old are they?

never give up, never slow down
never grow old, never ever die young
  • From: Mt Clemens Michigan
  • Registered: 2006-09-12
  • Posts: 572

Re: My G string kills me - Intonation

I had a Les Paul Classic 1960 and the G string on mine was never in tune. This really frustrated me enough to eventually sell the thing! I traded mine in for a Historic 1958 Les Paul RI. This guitar is a dream for me now.
I also have a Flying V and the G string on that one has a dead spot around the 3rd fret. The neck is very strait. Not sure if one of the frets is higher than the third. Eventually I want to get this fixed.


Rob

All my tears they fell like rain, cant you hear them falling?
Led Zeppelin: Since I been Loving You
  • From: Germany
  • Registered: 2006-05-31
  • Posts: 489

Re: My G string kills me - Intonation

Hey folks,

Thank you for taking care! I found some very good hints in your replies and I will try out some of your proposals.

Regards
Jimi75

Jimi75's Website

  • From: Upper Yukon, Alaska
  • Registered: 2006-12-05
  • Posts: 128

Re: My G string kills me - Intonation

Ya know, I ended up doing the LSR nut on my strats & using snake oil vintage 12-56, wound G; never been happier.

  • From: Tampa, Fl.
  • Registered: 2006-04-22
  • Posts: 870

Re: My G string kills me - Intonation

Zhurh wrote:

Ya know, I ended up doing the LSR nut on my strats & using snake oil vintage 12-56, wound G; never been happier.

Really?  You went with a wound G?  I got a set by accident once with a wound G- hated every second of it... interesting

"Interestingly, according to modern astronomers, space is finite. This is a very comforting thought-- particularly for people who can never remember where they have left things." - Woody Allen

http://www.last.fm/user/skynyrd128

13 Reply by gsj

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  • From: North Essex, England
  • Registered: 2006-09-21
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Re: My G string kills me - Intonation

It's a bit 'jazz' isn't it? smile

kwsjb1238 wrote:
Zhurh wrote:

Ya know, I ended up doing the LSR nut on my strats & using snake oil vintage 12-56, wound G; never been happier.

Really?  You went with a wound G?  I got a set by accident once with a wound G- hated every second of it... interesting

never give up, never slow down
never grow old, never ever die young
  • From: Upper Yukon, Alaska
  • Registered: 2006-12-05
  • Posts: 128

Re: My G string kills me - Intonation

kwsjb1238 wrote:
Zhurh wrote:

Ya know, I ended up doing the LSR nut on my strats & using snake oil vintage 12-56, wound G; never been happier.

Really?  You went with a wound G?  I got a set by accident once with a wound G- hated every second of it... interesting

That's my take.  Everyone's always complaining about G; I just figured that's one of those things you compensate for or live with.  I went thru that trying all the strings out there game for about a year.  When I thru those SOB's on, wife came in my room and commented on how rich & fat they sounded.  Hey, when she notices it; it must be good. 

The vintage SOB's 12-54, G is a 24 and wound.  Those SOB's don't last 3X as long as claimed but I sure like the way they bend and sound; staying with them.

I play thru bruno cowtipper pretty responsive and surfers on strats; maybe partly why strings sound different too; and workin hard on the wifey to order me a lentz;;; in my dreams.  Here's something else:  there's this Luthier up in fairbanks I see when I get in that way come summer.  He builds his own tele's and do they play & sound sweet.  I thought he used lollars and some different bridge/block setup.  Anyway, he sez get callaham bridge setup; quality machined steel, not weak sounding pot metal garbage; sorry to go on.

  • From: Toronto, Canada
  • Registered: 2006-06-15
  • Posts: 20

Re: My G string kills me - Intonation

Jimi... I sympathize with you.  AND, I know exactly how to solve the problem once and for all.  Once you do this, you'll wonder why they don't do it at the factory.  Check out this link... http://www.earvana.com/  I had one on a Fender Strat I used to have and it was amazing.  The only problem with it was I spent too much time trying to find a spot on the neck that wasn't in tune and not enough time playing music.

Good luck.

Screamin

Life was just a fist of change... tossed in the water just in case.
  • From: Detroit
  • Registered: 2006-06-02
  • Posts: 5,807

Re: My G string kills me - Intonation

the earvana things sounds coool.  will probably use it on my telestrat project.

Hey Z - how does getting rid of the potmetal tailpiece improve the sound of the Les Paul? How do you tell?
What companies make the better metal tailpiece?

- Nic from Detroit... posting on JB's Forum since 6-2-2006
Ask me about my handwound Great Lakes Guitar Pickups
Since 2010, Bonamassa fans have taken advantage of my JB friend discount = my cost + shipping. cool
  • Registered: 2007-02-01
  • Posts: 6

Re: My G string kills me - Intonation

ModTourMan wrote:

I play a Les Paul.  It sounds like you have an ear that is sensitive to the compromised tuning that 6-string guitarists have to live with.  Peterson Tuners hae a proprietary tempered tuning that will sweeten the tuning issues you mentioned.
I recommend the Peterson VS II.

I have a Peterson stroboStomp and was never sure what "sweetened" meant. Are you sayinmg they have a pre-programmed tuning setting that addresses the G-string intonation issue?

If so, how do I access that?

  • From: South Brunswick, NJ USA
  • Registered: 2006-04-21
  • Posts: 133

Re: My G string kills me - Intonation

SkipII wrote:
ModTourMan wrote:

I play a Les Paul.  It sounds like you have an ear that is sensitive to the compromised tuning that 6-string guitarists have to live with.  Peterson Tuners hae a proprietary tempered tuning that will sweeten the tuning issues you mentioned.
I recommend the Peterson VS II.

I have a Peterson stroboStomp and was never sure what "sweetened" meant. Are you sayinmg they have a pre-programmed tuning setting that addresses the G-string intonation issue?

If so, how do I access that?

The GTR tempered tuning is the one I'm talking about.  It alters all of the strings actually.  What I always did to "sweeten" up the tuning in the past was find a happy medium on the guitar where say an A chord and a D chord would sound in tune but one was always a bit better.  After tuning spot on with a tuner, pitch pipe (etc.) I usually tweaked the G,B and E strings a bit (by ear) so certain chords sounded "sweeter" - usually the open first position chords.  This Peterson GTR setting does the same thing - only it's so much more accurate and "sweeter" that I can consistently get myself.  Buying this tuner was one of the BEST investments I ever made.  This tuning may clash a bit with other instruments in a band setting (per what some have said - I don't think it does).  Also - make sure you don't set your guitars intonation with the GTR setting - use the standard tuning for that.  Try it out.  I think you will like it.  It should be on your Stomp version.

Russ B.