Posted: 1/16/2008 9:22:50 PM EDT
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I've started playing my Ibanez Iceman IC300 more lately and I have noticed something unusual. When I tune the guitar I can get PDC to perfect tuning according to my tuner. If I play an E5 chord it sounds fine. If I play a G5 chord it is just a little bit off and if I play an A5 chord it is a little more off. I can notice it just enough to be annoyed by it. I've also noticed it with open chords. An open C sounds good, but an open Am or open D sounds just a tad bit off. The tuner says that the guitar is in tune though. What is the problem and how do I fix it? The guitar has a fixed tune-o-matic bridge with a Gibson style string block (it is not a string through body). The strings could stand to be changed. Would a setup with a neck adjustment and a bridge adjustment fix the problem? I don't want the action to change. It is at the perfect height and I don't have any buzzing. |
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As long as the intonation is set correctly and the amount "off" you are hearing is small you might be hearing the the inherent inaccuracies built into the design of the guitar. I'm not talking specifically your guitar . All guitars have some compromise due to the definition of note spacing on our standard scale. There is someone out there that sells a compensated nut to help fix this "problem". Here is one section of a good series of articles on intonation.. The whole series is a good read and explains the problem in detail. |
Interesting. That may in fact be the issue. I'm sure that the Koreans who built this guitar didn't spend any time fine tuning the bridge to get the sound perfect (although this wasn't a low end guitar when it was made). Another thing that I noticed is that even though the tuner says the strings are in tune the harmonic tuning is just slightly off. If I tune it harmonically (something I had stopped doing because I was using my tuner too much) then I find that the chords come out much better. Also, in answer to the other question, on the low E string and on the A string the E and A notes (respectively) are a little sharper on the 12th fret than the open E and A notes (according to my tuner). All that said, I think that if I just tune it harmonically then I'll be happy. I can't notice any problems with the way the chords sound. I like the action on this guitar, the sound is growing on me after fiddling with my pedal and amp controls and I don't have any buzzing. I think I am content to leave well enough alone rather than risk having a tech charge me $75 to fix one problem and make 2 more. |
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Motown-steve, Yup, intonation is out. By moving the bridge saddle forward (towards the headstock) you sharpen the harmonic, away from the headstock you flatten it. Use a good tuner(as in accurate), and get each strings 12th fret harmonic to ring EXACTLY the same pitch as the fretted 12 fret note. Do this in playing position, and use about the same pressure fretting the note as you would when playing. That'll fix your "kind of out of tune chord" problems.  Also, use new strings, and keep the same guage, if you change guage string, you have to intonate again. Hope that helps!! |
Intonation is easy to set. Most electric guitars have an easy to adjust bridge. Determine which direction you need to move the bridge by following Synweap's directions. Slack the string you are adjusting move the bridge saddle a little. Retune the string and check the harmonic and 12th fret notes. Repeat as required to make it as perfect as you want. All totalled your first attempt shouldn't take more than 1/2 hour for both strings and you will have the satisfaction of doing it yourself. |
Yeah just don't go bat shit over having the 12th fret EXACTLY tuned like the open string. That's nearly impossible to do unless you perfectly fret it every time with the same pressure. You should be within 5 cents of tune, b or #. |
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This tool is designed for Original Floyd Rose tremolos, so I don't know if It'll work on your Iceman (I'm assuming that it has a Ibanez tremolo & not a Floyd). www.stewmac.com/shop/Tools/Special_tools_for:_Bridges/The_Key.html It makes adjusting the inotation alot easier. |
Are you kidding? I'm the king of "Close Enough". 
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Ermm.... I'm not trying to be a dink here, and this is just a wild guess... You didn't read the entire thread before posting.  Motown, glad it worked out for you. Next on the list is learning truss rod adjustments. It took me a long time before I would adjust the truss rod. I'm not sure if I feel comfortable yet, but at least I'm not so scared I won't try it. (Disclaimer: Of course, if it ain't broke don't "fix" it.  )
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I guess if a guy is gonna learn how to adjust the truss rod, it should be with a guitar with a bolt on neck, that way when you ruin the neck, you only have to replace the neck. Sorry for bieng off aubject.
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