https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/intonation-5/ Guitar Noise Discussion Board en-US Thu, 04 Jun 2026 07:15:19 +0000 wpForo 60 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/intonation-5/#post-317554 Thu, 01 Jan 2009 15:28:58 +0000 Guitar Repair and Maintenance Ricochet https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/intonation-5/#post-317554 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/intonation-5/#post-317530 Thu, 01 Jan 2009 07:21:07 +0000 Guitar Repair and Maintenance mlguitar https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/intonation-5/#post-317530 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/intonation-5/#post-317406 Tue, 30 Dec 2008 18:52:18 +0000
Sure is a pretty guitar too!]]> Guitar Repair and Maintenance Moonrider https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/intonation-5/#post-317406 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/intonation-5/#post-317370 Tue, 30 Dec 2008 06:09:43 +0000
With a fully adjustable bridge, you move the saddle piece toward the peghead to correct a flat fretted note (compared to the harmonic); you move it toward the tail to correct a sharp one. You can actually make these adjustments without taking off string tension - although you'll have to re-tune after you're done- so you can be a lot more precise than you can with the one-piece saddles found on the old Firebirds, SGs, etc.]]> Guitar Repair and Maintenance NoteBoat https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/intonation-5/#post-317370 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/intonation-5/#post-317361 Tue, 30 Dec 2008 03:16:32 +0000
Cat Are you looking at the same guitar I am????

http://www.gibson.com/en-us/divisions/gibson%20usa/products/designer/firebirdvii/
http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Divisions/Gibson%20USA/Products/Designer/FirebirdVII/specs/]]> Guitar Repair and Maintenance Moonrider https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/intonation-5/#post-317361 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/intonation-5/#post-317352 Tue, 30 Dec 2008 00:23:15 +0000
Cat]]> Guitar Repair and Maintenance Cat https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/intonation-5/#post-317352 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/intonation-5/#post-317348 Mon, 29 Dec 2008 22:23:28 +0000 According to Gibson's specs, the Firebird VII has a tune-o-matic bridge, NoteBoat . . .)

Edit for clarity: The tune-o-matic bridge (A. K. A. ABR-1 bridge) has individual string adjustments. NoteBoat is describing the procedure needed to adjust the intonation on a wraparound bridge / tailpiece. This procedure WILL NOT WORK for the ABR-1

As NoteBoat said, change your strings first! This MAY solve your problem with no more action needed.

If more work IS needed, here's a link to Gibson's set up guide. They don't make this easy to find on their site . .

http://www.gibson.com/backstage/tech002printable.htm]]> Guitar Repair and Maintenance Moonrider https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/intonation-5/#post-317348 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/intonation-5/#post-317343 Mon, 29 Dec 2008 19:42:35 +0000
First, intonation MUST be adjusted with new strings. There's a sound reason for this - the pitch a string makes is related to the length, tension, and mass of a string. As you play, the string gets dirty... which means it has more mass, so the pitch is lower. When it gets low enough for us to notice, we crank up the tension to put it "back" in tune.

Problem is, we spend most of our time playing below the 12th fret. So that's the part of the string that has the most mass. And when we fret a dirty string at the 12th fret, it's got less mass than it's supposed to have... so it's sharp.

Assuming you have new strings, now you have to figure out just how sharp it is - a quarter tone? An eighth? (You don't need to do this on guitars that have individual string adjustments, but on yours it will save you time). Do this for both the E strings - they may be off by different amounts.

Now look closely at the distance between the 12th and 13th frets. If a string is off by 1/4 of a half step, measure 1/4 of the distance between the 12th and 13th frets. Now multiply this by 1.05 (the math is complicated - trust me here). That's the distance you need to move the bridge piece BACK - away from the peghead. (Again, do this for both E strings)

Take tension off the strings, loosen the screws on each side of the bridge, and move it back. Move it by the amount you've come up with for each E string, tighten the screws, and tune up.

Because of the design of a Firebird bridge, you may not ever be in perfect tune. But this should get you a lot closer.]]> Guitar Repair and Maintenance NoteBoat https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/intonation-5/#post-317343 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/intonation-5/#post-317342 Mon, 29 Dec 2008 19:13:45 +0000 Guitar Repair and Maintenance mlguitar https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/intonation-5/#post-317342 https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/intonation-5/#post-317341 Mon, 29 Dec 2008 19:11:54 +0000
And I think you're discussing the intonation of the guitar, not indentation.

Welcome to Guitar Noise, by the way. Hope we'll see you around the rest of the Forums.

Peace]]> Guitar Repair and Maintenance David Hodge https://guitarnoise.forum/guitar-repair-and-maintenance/intonation-5/#post-317341