I have recently got a bouzouki and it was playing well, however now i've re-strung it, when its in tune with itself played open it seems to be a little out when played up the neck a bit. Could it be string selection, bridge position etc, have I broken it?
Any help would be appreciated,
most likely it's a combination of string selection and bridge position. if the new strings are of a different gauge to the old ones, this will have altered the tension on the instrument. this may have raised or lowered the strings relative to the fingerboard. the height of the strings above the fingerboard affects the correct position for the bridge - and you might easily have nudged the bridge out of position during the string changing process.
to get back to somewhere you might want to be, have a look down the neck from the peghead end and see if there is a pronounced curve visible. if it looks like a "hump" in the middle, you'll need to slacken the truss rod (usually under a cover on the peghead or underneath the end of the fingerboard, accessible via the soundhole) - if it looks like a "ski slope", tighten the truss rod. you;re aiming to get it reasonably straight - but make only VERY small adjustments (maybe 1/6th of turn each time). once you have the tension adjusted, tune each string to the pitch you want. then see if you get a true octave note when you play the 12th fret. if the 12th fret is sharp, move the bridge towards the tailpiece, if flat, towards the neck. it may finish up slightly "skewed" (i.e. not parallel to the frets) but that doesn;t matter as long as it's playing in tune. if you find that you can't get all the strings to play exactly right, you have to choose a compromise position where you get the nearest you can on most of the strings.
it's a really good idea to keep a note of the string gauges that you want (once you;ve worked it out) and always buy the same gauge strings. change the strings one pair at a time and tune up your new strings before going on to change the next pair. that way, you reduce the risk of accidentally moving the bridge in the process. hope this helps!
yea it looks as though your intonation is out which means you're neck is a bit twisted, the best way to deal with is to use a tuss rod and try to twist the neck back into place, i would advice going to a professioanal for this, don't know if that's any help
"yea it looks as though your intonation is out which means you're neck is a bit twisted, the best way to deal with is to use a tuss rod and try to twist the neck back into place, i would advice going to a professional for this"
I've seen one or two flute players with neck postures while playing such that orthopedic intervention could be on the cards in years to come! I expect we've all seen them some time or other.
Trevor
Advice required.
Advice required.
I have recently got a bouzouki and it was playing well, however now i've re-strung it, when its in tune with itself played open it seems to be a little out when played up the neck a bit. Could it be string selection, bridge position etc, have I broken it?
Any help would be appreciated,
Thanks, Martin
# Posted on May 17th 2003 by B
Re: Advice required.
most likely it's a combination of string selection and bridge position. if the new strings are of a different gauge to the old ones, this will have altered the tension on the instrument. this may have raised or lowered the strings relative to the fingerboard. the height of the strings above the fingerboard affects the correct position for the bridge - and you might easily have nudged the bridge out of position during the string changing process.
to get back to somewhere you might want to be, have a look down the neck from the peghead end and see if there is a pronounced curve visible. if it looks like a "hump" in the middle, you'll need to slacken the truss rod (usually under a cover on the peghead or underneath the end of the fingerboard, accessible via the soundhole) - if it looks like a "ski slope", tighten the truss rod. you;re aiming to get it reasonably straight - but make only VERY small adjustments (maybe 1/6th of turn each time). once you have the tension adjusted, tune each string to the pitch you want. then see if you get a true octave note when you play the 12th fret. if the 12th fret is sharp, move the bridge towards the tailpiece, if flat, towards the neck. it may finish up slightly "skewed" (i.e. not parallel to the frets) but that doesn;t matter as long as it's playing in tune. if you find that you can't get all the strings to play exactly right, you have to choose a compromise position where you get the nearest you can on most of the strings.
it's a really good idea to keep a note of the string gauges that you want (once you;ve worked it out) and always buy the same gauge strings. change the strings one pair at a time and tune up your new strings before going on to change the next pair. that way, you reduce the risk of accidentally moving the bridge in the process. hope this helps!
# Posted on May 17th 2003 by teetotaller
Re: Advice required.
Andy,
Thanks for the tips,I will have to try them when the hangover from last night clears.
Thanks again, Martin.
# Posted on May 17th 2003 by B
Re: Advice required.
yea it looks as though your intonation is out which means you're neck is a bit twisted, the best way to deal with is to use a tuss rod and try to twist the neck back into place, i would advice going to a professioanal for this, don't know if that's any help
# Posted on May 18th 2003 by Liam "banjo" Vernon
Re: Advice required.
"yea it looks as though your intonation is out which means you're neck is a bit twisted, the best way to deal with is to use a tuss rod and try to twist the neck back into place, i would advice going to a professional for this"
As a flute player, i think this is hilarious!
# Posted on May 18th 2003 by glauber
Re: Advice required.
I've seen one or two flute players with neck postures while playing such that orthopedic intervention could be on the cards in years to come! I expect we've all seen them some time or other.
Trevor
# Posted on May 18th 2003 by Trevor Jennings
Re: Advice required.
B
# Posted on May 18th 2003 by buzz
Re: Advice required.
Yes Trevor, the idea of using a truss rod to fix somebody's intonation... it's just too good!
# Posted on May 18th 2003 by glauber
Re: Advice required.
LOL
# Posted on May 18th 2003 by Dr. Dow
Re: Advice required.
B
# Posted on May 18th 2003 by Conán McDonnell
Re: Advice required.
T
# Posted on May 19th 2003 by buzz