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Joined:
July 2003
Posts: 1
Location: Murray, KY | First off, I really admire this page - lots and lots of info. Glad that this subculture exists.
Anyway, I've had my UKII for years - 11? Recently I've been having trouble with it:
strings are in tune
but playing open chords sounds way off, almost out of tune.
Intonation has been set, etc.
???????
Could it be the neck? It's just a tricky guitar and I wanted to know what you guys and gals thought could be the problem.
Thanks, dna |
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Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 7247
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | Just a guess, but if you are playing "open chords" I assume you mean first position chords as opposed to barr or just open tuning. Anyway, a common bad habit is to press to hard on the strings. Relax and just press enough to make a clean contact. You are probably bending the some of the strings sharp. |
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Joined:
February 2002
Posts: 613
Location: Zion, Illinois | I had the same thing happen to me. Played an open b, checked with turner, it was ok.
Fret and play each position on the b string and as I went up the neck toward the bridge, the more it would sound off. By the time I go the to 12th fret it was 1/2 step off.
I changed strings and the problem went away. Problem is, I can't remember if I had originally tried a different brand of strings or if they were just old strings.
Bottom line, a change of string fixed it. |
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Joined:
January 2003
Posts: 1498
Location: San Bernardino, California | 1) If you've had the frets worked on: sometimes the frets get cut down enough that you have to cut the slots in the nut deeper to keep the intonation of the first few frets correct. That's the main reason that it's better to replace badly worn frets instead of filing and crowning them.
2) If the top of the frets are flat instead of rounded that will throw the intonation off. (Also makes the guitar sound kinda buzzy.)
3) I have a UK II that the holes for the neck bolts were drilled at an angle and when you tightened the bolts down it would pull the neck away from the body of the guitar by about 1/8 of an inch. Made the intonation REALLY strange. |
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Joined:
July 2002
Posts: 327
Location: Houston, TX | BruDev, you have resurfaced! I was concerned that you hadn't made it over the crest. Is that my UKII you are having trouble with?
I think Miles is right. I was going around in circles with my Variax because the first position D chord always sounded horrible. Checked everything, intonation included, and changed strings - then finally let up on the pressure I was applying when fretting the chord. That cured it. It's hard to remember to do that if I'm playing a rockin tune, easier if I am playing something more mellow. |
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trouble with my UKII