# Fretted notes are sharp, open are not. Help please.



## Nile

Its an older BC Rich NJ series Warlock with the Floyd. Tuned to B standard, I have the right thickness strings and whatnot. When ever I play an open note, its in tune, but whenever I fret a note anywhere no matter what string its always 10-20 cents sharp.


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## Sam MJ

The intonation is out, it's pretty easy to fix don't worry 

Here's a video if you want to do it yourself, if not just take it to a tech for a setup.


I know it's on a strat but it's a great video for explaining it a bit more


Here's one that's probably a bit more relevant.

Best of luck


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## Nile

Ok so thats what I thought, which is what I messed with on my low string. I moved the saddle from just over the second hole to all the way back and it didn't do a thing?


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## Sam MJ

Move it the other way, see what happens.


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## Amonihil

Having perfect intonation everywhere on a guitar won´t happen but as long as 12th fret and open string are the same it´s considered "being in tune".
If that doesn´t work you could try adjusting it to the 24th fret instead. Not sure if it works but I heard someone do it with positive restults.


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## Nile

Amonihil said:


> Having perfect intonation everywhere on a guitar won´t happen but as long as 12th fret and open string are the same it´s considered "being in tune".
> If that doesn´t work you could try adjusting it to the 24th fret instead. Not sure if it works but I heard someone do it with positive restults.



Even though only the open strings would be in tune. 

I'll try it then.


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## Lorcan Ward

High action can cause this problem so lowering it by filing the nut, lowering the bridge or straightening the truss rod/neck can solve it.


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## WhiteWalls

It is the nut, because if it was an intonation problem, it would be a gradual change, with the error being almost unnoticeable at the first fret, while becoming noticeable at the 12th or 24th.

Did you notice an abnormally high action when the string is open? if so, you need to file the nut a bit


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## Saidincontext

All good advice, also, being tuned that low... Do you get a buzzing sound from the g string when you pluck it?


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## MJY71

I set my intonation on my Ibanez RG series guitars by the 24th fret, for what it's worth. It works perfectly for me.

I was also going to suggest that maybe the action is a little too high. The greater the travel to the fret, the greater the tension.

If it's an intonation problem, and the note is sharp when you fret it, then the saddle needs to be moved back, away from the neck. If the fretted note is flat, the saddle needs to be moved closer to the neck.


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## Lives Once Abstract

i agree. i dont think its an intonation problem either. the sharpness WOULD be gradual. and if lowering the action doesnt do anything i would say possibly make sure it doesnt need a truss rod adjustment. my buddies guitar had a similar problem and once we tightened the truss rod the problem was fixed. I dont know if his was as severe as yours though.


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## Nile

In filing a nut on a Floyd guitar, does that somehow entail i shave the metal down or do i sand down the wood underneath? 


G string is wound so its fine.

I'll mess with the action then.


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## Nile

Lowering the action helped. Everything now only plays 10 cents sharp but sounds at least better. Enough to where the buzz from fret 7 and up on the lowest string is now unplayable.


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## Nile

Ok soooo. I have the action at the right height for minimal buzz but not being overkill high. I intonated my 2 lowest strings perfectly and they are still playing the same exact way. I adjusted the truss rod too. Nothing.


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## flow

if you have lowered your action, and if you have intonated your instrument with no success, then the only other solution i could think of is simply buying a thicker gauge of string. You may simply be fretting the instrument to hard and causing the notes to be sharp.


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## Nile

I also tested that theory of pressing too hard, so I tried it light. No success.

And I have a set of 60-12 on there, with the G string being wound, so gauge shouldn't be a problem.


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## TRENCHLORD

Nile said:


> In filing a nut on a Floyd guitar, does that somehow entail i shave the metal down or do i sand down the wood underneath?


 
Sand the wood out. If you over-sand you can always place shims underneath the nut later (but try not to of course lol).
This should help to some degree.
I've always liked the nut to sit as low as possible without the opens buzzing (when picked with a reasonable soft touch).
If you're an open string banger than you'll need that extra clearence over the first fret.


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## Nile

Edit: Ok, pretty much all that is wrong now is the intonation. Lowering the nut worked great, so thank you for that tip.

Except now my E string is still sharp intonation wise but the bridge is backed up all the way already. So I'm guessing grind out some of the bridge? Seen Pat O'Brien do it because he couldn't intonate well enough at Ab. But I can't make a new hole for the screw, no equipment to do so.

Unless there is a better way entirely.


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## Lives Once Abstract

your low E or high?


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## Nile

Lives Once Abstract said:


> your low E or high?



Low.


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## TRENCHLORD

Is your low string saddle adjustment screw in the third hole back?
It was several years of using floyds before I even knew their was a third hole lol.
That was back when I used power slinkys in D.


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## Nile

TRENCHLORD said:


> Is your low string saddle adjustment screw in the third hole back?
> It was several years of using floyds before I even knew their was a third hole lol.
> That was back when I used power slinkys in D.



Lmao theres a third hole? Never knew that.

But the problem is that even it being in the second hole the entire saddle is all ready backed up into the Floyd itself and can't go further back.


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## TRENCHLORD

Some guys grind the corner off the saddle so it'll slide back more.
They sell shortened saddles on some bridge types (hipshots they do), but I'm not sure with floyds. You might e-mail floydupgrades

If you not concerned with resale value, I'd think it much easier to take a small diamater round or triangular file and shave a bit off the spots that the saddle-back runs into.
Shaving the saddle's bottom back corner wouldn't be bad either, would just have to hold it by hand or place gently/carefully in vice for filing.
I'd put the screw in the third hole if it's going to be way back anyways.


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## Nile

TRENCHLORD said:


> Some guys grind the corner off the saddle so it'll slide back more.
> They sell shortened saddles on some bridge types (hipshots they do), but I'm not sure with floyds. You might e-mail floydupgrades
> 
> If you not concerned with resale value, I'd think it much easier to take a small diamater round or triangular file and shave a bit off the spots that the saddle-back runs into.
> Shaving the saddle's bottom back corner wouldn't be bad either, would just have to hold it by hand or place gently/carefully in vice for filing.
> I'd put the screw in the third hole if it's going to be way back anyways.



Awesome thanks.

This guitar isn't worth much either.


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## Nile

Its still fucking doing it................


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## Sam MJ

Is the nut too high? Fret the 3rd fret, there should be nothing more than a tiny gap between the string and the first fret.


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## Nile

I already filed that down, its at the perfect height but nothing has changed from the original problem.


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## Lives Once Abstract

have you tried calling a guitar tech? or taking it to someone just to look at? maybe diagnose the problem? because honestly its hard to help you with your issue over a computer with out actually hearing the problem and handling the guitar.


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## Nile

Lives Once Abstract said:


> have you tried calling a guitar tech? or taking it to someone just to look at? maybe diagnose the problem? because honestly its hard to help you with your issue over a computer with out actually hearing the problem and handling the guitar.



I would have done that already but I really don't know of any techs close at all.


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## op1e

I've always had a similar problem on 7's with floyds. I have to tune -2 cents open so that its not too sharp on the 5th fret. If I tune dead nuts open it gets noticibly sharp 3rd fret and up. This is with open and 12th fret being on intonation wise.


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## Nile

That's what I'm thinking of doing, but then the open notes would be off.


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## Lives Once Abstract

im sure there is someone near by. honestly, everything thats been mentioned already would be all that i can think of. other than the possibility your frets werent postioned into the right intervals for that scale length.


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## Nile

Lives Once Abstract said:


> im sure there is someone near by. honestly, everything thats been mentioned already would be all that i can think of. other than the possibility your frets werent postioned into the right intervals for that scale length.



That would be weird as hell. I'll try harder to find someone, but I doubt it.


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## Lives Once Abstract

its possible the actual frets could be the problem. i dont know what else to suggest. not saying it is the problem but its a slight possibility


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## Nile

Lives Once Abstract said:


> its possible the actual frets could be the problem. i dont know what else to suggest. not saying it is the problem but its a slight possibility



That is the only other possible thing I could think of. Now what could be wrong with them.


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## Lives Once Abstract

If they are even the slightest bit off scale and not measured perfectly to fit the scale length of your guitar. Fixing intonation can help solve this if they arent too bad. 

If you have tried all the suggested methods of fixing your fretted notes being sharp, and they still have fully helped, I would naturally think its your frets being placed slightly off scale when being produced.


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## Lives Once Abstract

ScaleLength = 25.5in
NutToFret[1] = ScaleLength / 17.817 = 1.431in
NutToFret[2] = (BridgeToFret[1] / 17.817) = 2.782in
etc etc 

heres a link on it. so that you can measure and check them yourself.

Calculating Fret Positions


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