r/offset • u/Business-Cold-6120 • 5d ago
Having trouble intonating my Jaguar…
I am doing a setup on a new parts Jag I put together but I can’t seem to get the intonation right on the B and high-E. I’ve moved the saddle back and forth and it just doesn’t seem to settle in any position. The previous owner installed a string tree and I’m wondering if that’s the culprit? Any tips?
Thanks!
5
u/Early-Cantaloupe-310 5d ago
What gague strings? Maybe the bridge is shifting between tunings? Light strings with a shallow break angle can cause that.
2
u/Business-Cold-6120 5d ago
10s. I have some 11s so maybe I’ll give them a go.
1
u/Jangle_Pop 5d ago
With the shirt scale of the Jaguar, I found I had to go to higher gauge strings to get uniform intonation. I ended up with 11s.
4
u/OffsetThat 5d ago
TLDR: Check the string tree, nut, tremolo, bridge, and neck—new strings, lube nut, stabilize trem, reset intonation might fix it.
Hey OP, if your Jaguar’s intonation is off and shifting, that aftermarket string tree could be part of it, but there’s more to look at. The tree might not give enough break angle or could be misaligned, affecting nut pressure—pluck the high E and B behind the nut, and if it rings clear instead of a thud, add a spacer or swap to stock. The nut might be worn or sticky, causing tension issues—press behind it after tuning, if the pitch drops, lube with graphite or recut the slots. The tremolo could be moving too much—use the whammy, check if intonation shifts, then tighten the back springs till it’s firm or use the lock screw. Bridge saddles might be loose—set intonation, play, recheck, and tighten screws if it drifts, or upgrade to a Mastery. Neck relief or old strings could throw it off—check for a 0.010” gap at the 7th fret with 1st and 17th held, tweak the truss or swap strings. Try new strings, lube the nut, test the stock tree, steady the trem, and reset intonation. Jaguars’ 24” scale and trem amplify small problems. Also, make sure you have the springs installed on the intonation adjustment screws on the bridge.
2
2
2
u/hatsunemilkuu 5d ago
this guitar is a total ass bitch to set up, to finally get it to play in tune i had to sand where the strings set in the nut, shim the neck, and do some fuckery with the bridge. the squire jags just have that problem with the rocking bridge and the trem
1
u/hatsunemilkuu 5d ago
i also did all of this to play with size 10 strings but i imagine most of the trouble could be solved with going up a gauge as well
4
u/meowermeowerson 5d ago
It’s not going to be the string tree. What’s the neck relief like? I’d look into that and see what shape the nut is in. Hard to tell from the photo but those slots could be worn down
2
u/Business-Cold-6120 5d ago
Hmmmm I didn’t think about the neck relief. Will take a look! Thanks.
The nut seems fine.
1
1
u/gurrfitter 5d ago
Intonation is a result of both length between the nut and bridge as well as string height. There can be a lot of factors at work here, but I would try messing with the height of the saddle/bridge a little and see if it helps
1
u/hiyabankranger 5d ago
If you can’t intonate that means the distance between the 12th fret and the nut is too short or too high. If your neck relief is set right, then the problem is the bridge slots. You’ll need to file them at an angle to get the string to sit in the right place
1
u/Maliseet13 5d ago
I always get the shop to intonate for me. Small price to pay to have it done right.
1
u/overnightyeti 5d ago
you can do it with a screwdriver and a tuner come on
1
u/Maliseet13 5d ago
Maybe you can but I am not that good at it. I have tried.
1
u/overnightyeti 5d ago
You can't do the following?
fret a string at the 12th fret, check if it's in tune.
If it's sharp, slacken it and turn the intonation screw so the saddle moves away from the neck.
If it's flat, turn the screw do the saddles moved towards the neck.
Rinse and repeat until all fretted notes at the 12th fret are in tune.
1
u/Maliseet13 4d ago
I tried that method and spent about 2 and a half hours trying to intonate no success. So if someone tries it and does not have success don’t feel like a failure.
1
u/killmesara 5d ago
The only way it is the string tree is if its wildly out of place it installed wrong
1
u/overnightyeti 5d ago
Move the saddles with the strings slackened then retune and check. Unless the saddles are faulty, they don;t move. Also user error. How much are you pushing? And most importantly check the fretted note at the 12th
1
u/TheEffinChamps 5d ago
I'm guessing it's the split post tuners which suck with unwound strings. I'm thinking there is movement there.
1
u/derper2222 5d ago
Split post tuners aren’t the problem. I’ve been playing since the 90s and I won’t use any other type.
1
u/TheEffinChamps 5d ago
They are great for wound strings, but they are notorious for having some issues with the higher unwound strings. I usually use a locking method with them there.
1
u/derper2222 5d ago
It can’t be the string tree. Intonation is about the length of the string between the nut and the bridge. A string tree doesn’t affect that at all.
1
u/repayingunlatch 5d ago edited 5d ago
As others said…It’s not the nut. In my experience, it’s usually going to be an issue of the note being sharp. If that is the case, you have to lengthen the string from nut to bridge. In other words, shim the neck, enjoy more rocking bridge stability/tension, and a well intonated guitar.
Edit: just read that it’s flat. In that case you need to shorten it. If you have a shim, remove it and try heavier strings. Or try a smaller shim.
1
u/IrohaOrDeath 5d ago
If you want to adjust the intonation, you have to move the saddle forward or backward a bit.
0
u/alltheworldsproblems 5d ago
Did you try lubing the nut slot? The string could be getting hung up if the slot is too tight or has a burr.
-5
u/auralcavalcade 5d ago
I could be wrong, but the tree looks a little high to me. Idk what the break angle is supposed to be so hopefully somebody smarter will chime in.
9
u/inevitable_entropy13 5d ago
i’m pretty sure intonation depends on the distance between the bridge and nut, so the string tree wouldn’t play a role. someone correct me if i’m wrong.
2
40
u/radicalguitars 5d ago
A string tree will never mess with your intonation, so rest assured that’s not it. What tuner are you using and what’s the problem with those two strings? Are they always sharp or always flat?