Intonation problems - only on B string?! - Stelling Owners Club Group Blog

Premier Sponsors

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue, we will assume that you agree to our privacy policy which includes details of cookie usage. Hide this notice

Stelling Owners Club

Join This Group

For those who own or want to own the ultimate banjo. www.stellingbanjo.com

536 Members, Created 1/28/2011 -

Administrators: 5 String (owner)

< Back to Home

Intonation problems - only on B string?!

From pjfolino on 1/12/2016 2:48:09 AM

I'm having intonation problems but only up the neck on the B string?! It frets sharp, quite sharp. All the other strings fret true. Any suggestions? I have the standard compensated nut on my 2013 Staghorn. Thanks.

10 Comments
	howsy-bee says: 1/12/2016 3:46:32 AM Excuse my perhaps 'stupid' question, but do you tune all the strings 'straight up' relative to A440? That would be wrong. The compensated nut makes it possible to tune the second string to a pure major third as opposed to an equally tempered third, as on a piano. Since the pure third is about 14 cents flat compared to the tempered third, yes indeed, it 'frets sharp' because the flattening of the note must only apply to the open B string, never to the notes on the fretted string. Hence, if you tune the B to a pure third above G, all the other notes on the B string should note true. Or, to make it safer, make sure that 1) the bridge in the right place; 2) the B string notes true at all frets. Then the open B string should be at or near a pure major third above G, and make a very pleasant G chord.
	howsy-bee says: 1/12/2016 3:47:44 AM sorry for the double post!
	gottasmilealot says: 1/12/2016 6:51:24 AM Tune it relative to the other string instead of to the exactness of the electronic tuner and see f it intonates better. Do you have the original bridge and string weights on it?
	Geoff Stelling says: 1/12/2016 7:56:29 AM After ensuring that the bridge is positioned exactly 13 3/16" from the 12th fret (center top to center top), I tune all strings to their respective fretted G's to match the open fifth string. Works every time.
	Craig_B says: 1/12/2016 10:21:56 AM FWIW, at the Murphy Method camp I attended back in October, we were told that if we tuned our B string exactly to B on our electronic tuners, we'd find it played sharp when fretted anywhere on the neck, high or low (and regardless of brand of banjo or the presence or lack of a compensated nut). They suggested we tune that string relative to the 1st and 3rd strings, which made is show up as a little flat on the electronic tuners. So far it's worked for me.
	howsy-bee says: 1/12/2016 10:30:19 AM Craig, IMO such a general statement must go under 'myth, unsupported by fact'.
	pjfolino says: 1/12/2016 12:59:04 PM Kind thanks to all. Will work with these suggestions.
	pjfolino says: 1/13/2016 2:48:23 AM Yes, tuning relative to other strings working fine. Also helped me not too rely on electric tuner so dependently! Thanks all!
	monstertone says: 4/11/2017 4:30:58 PM What about when it's capo'd at the second, third, or forth fret?
	pjfolino says: 4/11/2017 5:09:47 PM It's ok when capoed
Post a Comment
You must be logged in and a member of this group to post a comment.

MP3: Somewhere over the rainbow Linked by Eastbanjo 1 month ago
Tablature: Kitchen Girl Linked by tenolanmd 4 months ago
Tablature: Big Country part 1 Linked by JOBO 3 years ago
Forum Post: (untitled) Linked by gottasmilealot 4 years ago
	STELLING SUPERSTAR 1979- For sale..... May consider trade for nice Baldwin-Ode D Linked by Ralph Stanley legend 5 years ago
Tablature: Road to Columbus Linked by Briscoedillard59 5 years ago
Tablature: Banjo Signal Linked by dmayeur 5 years ago
	Stelling Visit Linked by gotvim72 5 years ago
Tablature: Eighth of January Linked by Tom Hanway 5 years ago
Forum Post: (untitled) Linked by revellfa 6 years ago