I feel like I should post it again but if Andy's measurements are correct from the nut to the 12th fret and the 12th fret to the saddles, there is no way this guitar will properly intonate. The math just doesn't work out. Either the bridge is in the wrong place or the neck/nut is.

elisha wiesner wrote: Fri Feb 17, 2023 9:22 am I feel like I should post it again but if Andy's measurements are correct from the nut to the 12th fret and the 12th fret to the saddles, there is no way this guitar will properly intonate. The math just doesn't work out. Either the bridge is in the wrong place or the neck/nut is.

Or I measured wrong. i will retry!
Just buried in work atm :/

Update, for those interested: I took it to tech #2 who seemed intrigued but didn't want to take it on as he wasn't able to guarantee a solution. Also, when talking about it as soon as I mentioned the Earvana thing he pegged who tech #1 was and I got the distinct impression he clammed up. Stupid mistake, which I won't repeat.

At my fucking wits' end, I took it to one last guy for an appraisal - someone on the famous Denmark street in London who charges a little more than the others. He said he was confident he could get it sorted and messaged me within the week to say it was done. He noted it's a little more sensitive than he's used to seeing with these guitars, so to keep an eye on it, but otherwise it now plays AMAZINGLY.
I no longer have to wince every time I play an E-minor!

I had it setup with 12s instead of 11s (not sure how much that factors in?). He also clean up the neck and tightened everything up and it literally feels like another guitar now.

I'm out the cost of another setup, which is really annoying, but I'm just glad it plays at this point.

You all probably know this already, but if you find a good tech hold on to them for dear life. It's the wild fucking west out there.

Nate Dort wrote: Wed Feb 15, 2023 7:22 am Welp, I don't know WTF is going on with your guitar.

FWIW I ended up trying this again (lowering the pickups to the extreme) and while it didn't fix the issue, it also didn't cause everything to go sharp like I'd previous noted. Apologies. No idea what happened there (probably me using a clip-on tuner...).

Good to hear "All's Well That Ends Well..."

Yeah, though...

Keeping a guitar tech(or a mechanic...) that does solid work and will level with you in the equation?

That's one to grow on.

(Never mind that sort of an amp tech...)

+1 on a good tech. Usual conversation with mine:

me: I think my problem is X.
him: *looks at it for 2 seconds* Your problem is Y.

Great news.

As a great tech once said to me, people often treat guitars as if there is something special or magical about them, but they're no different than a piece of furniture. They're all made from physical materials to a spec. A good tech can fix anything and make it playable if the raw materials aren't actually damaged, and a great tech can do it even if they are.

I had it setup with 12s instead of 11s ... tors in?).

Should not matter on anything with a truss rod, straight neck, decent parts, good setup.

I have a baritone tele with 13-72 strings on it...that i started tuning up to D on a whim. That should be not-great. But it's set up right and it plays perfectly, if with very tight action.

He also clean up the neck and tightened everything up and it literally feels like another guitar now.

I've had a couple of seemingly-hosed guitars that were made good as new by having the necks heat-pressed (among other things).

Also, new personal rule: if the tech is a shredder/hair-metal guy then hard pass. My last two experiences have just happened to be with these types and the results were expensive and underwhelming both times.

Hmmmm, post setup the G string (the problematic one) starts to buzz after playing for a couple of minutes. If I move the string around in the saddle it stops (temporarily, until I play for a few more minutes). The tech reckons this is caused by the bridge and a new, better one needs to be installed.

I would've assumed the issue was the saddle slot as this wasn't happening previously, doesn't happen with the other strings, and can be fixed (temporarily) by reseating the G string in the slot?

My god, it's never ending.

What about extra wraps around the post when stringing the G to increase the angle over the nut? That did the trick for me, I've got an EGC that does the same thing with the G. I wouldn't think it would happen after a bit, though. Like it would either buzz or not buzz. Unless it seated itself farther into the slot or something after playing for a while.