How to set JT-6?

[AussieTerry84]

How do i set the height for the JT-6 on a Model 6? whats the procedure?

I'm guessing its the screw just infront of the string block the rises and lowers the string but how do i get it to teh correct height?

also is i change the height does it mean i need to re-calibrate anything else?

Will it affect teh truss rod?

Does it affect the spring tension?

I had my guitar setup a year ago and recently just changed the strings but i may have changed gauges and now my Low E feels abit high but the others feel ok.

The intonation seems fine, the 12th fret is maybe 5 places -/+ on the Pod X3 tuner but im guessing thats ok? (if your familiar with that tuner, 12th fret notes are hitting in the middle box just not directly on center)

New to setting action some tips and help would be most welcome

[dg]

Just like with an OFR, there is no individual string height adjustment on the JT-6 except to add shims under the saddles. I think the screw you were referring to is the intonation screw, which is just for locking the saddle in place. You can do basic raising & lowering of the action by adjusting the height of the trem posts, and it's OK to have one side a little higher than the other if necessary. The JT-6 has steps built into the baseplate which should give each saddle the correct height to follow the radius of most J/C necks from that time frame, but if you need to just raise one or two saddles, you can buy shim stock made just for this or even make your own from foil or other thin metal.

As for the intonation, it's always good to give it a check after making any setup change. It might just need a minor tweak, depending on how much of a change you make, and if you shim, the saddle(s) will be removed & put back, so in that case re-intonation is a given.

[MakeAJazzNoiseHere]

Good advice from dg, I'll ad a couple of other things.

If you change string gauges you may need to adjust the truss rod. The truss rod adjustment also affects the action, but don't use the truss rod to change the action. So if you went with heavier strings your neck will bend more so you have more relief so your action will get higher, for example.

So, the truss rod should be set and it may affect the action, but just set it right and then correct for the action change if necessary. You need a capo to set the action correctly (measure it!) and although I guess I run the risk of upsetting the "do it by feel" crowd, IMO it's far better to get consistently reproducible results by MEASURING your setup. Set the nut height using feeler gauges, use a capo and a feeler gauge to do the truss rod, use a capo and a feeler gauge to set the action, and not only can you make your guitar play and feel great but you can also make it play and feel the same, every time.

Uh, anyway. Those two big bolts at the edges are what you use to raise or lower the bridge. And you probably need to tighten the springs if you put on heavier springs, too.

[AussieTerry84]

So i want to raise or lower the bridge should i first unloc and detune the strings? Or can i do it on the fly so to speak?

Also what do i need to look out for when doing so?

[straycat]

You can adjust the trem posts under tension it will not hurt anything.That will get the bridge height where you want it.

[AussieTerry84]

Cheers mate i can chamge strings n etc but setting the action is new to me so i wanna know everything and make sure i do it right.

[AussieTerry84]

Ok so i finally bought some allen keys (damn model 6 not being universal) and i've lowered the action, now im not sure if im being paranoid but my G string the tone sounds sharp, its not out of tune just the tone of it sounds sharp and i have noticed that the saddle for G is pretty far back.

Gah and im gonna need to detune the shit out of my guitar to fix this?

And

How do i check to see if i have the action set at the optimum lowness? E.g no buzz n etc

I also bought a 6 inch ruler if u need me to measure stuff

[MakeAJazzNoiseHere]

The only way to tell if it's too low really is to play it/test it, unless it just feels "too low."

Typically lowering the action means you need less compensation (saddles forward relative to how they were) so I think you should check the intonation on that G string before you do anything. Use a good fresh set of strings and stretch them well, and compare the 12th fret harmonic to the string very carefully and lightly fretted at the 12th fret.

The rule of thumb is "Fretted Flat Forward" - if the fretted note is flat compared to the 12th fret harmonic, you need to move the saddle forward. I think you can guess what to do if it is sharp.

[AussieTerry84]

Question but that im using the tuner on my podX3 and the fretted note might be +10-15 from the open note, so does mean i should i move the saddle or is that within the ok zone?

[MakeAJazzNoiseHere]

I don't know what +10/-15 is so I can't really say for sure.

Can you hear the difference? Does it SOUND flat or sharp relative to the harmonic? If not, then for YOU, it might not be worth it. Don't take that the wrong way I'm not saying you have a tin ear I'm just saying, if it's not audible then there may be no reason to mess with it.

I always try to get mine as close as possible. Of course when the strings get a little older or the weather changes 1 degree or a mosquito farts near it, it gets off a little, and the guitar's never really 100% in tune/intonated anyway, but I try to get it as good as I can when I do a setup.

[AussieTerry84]

Pretty much my G string sounds jangly (more jangly than my panties).

I'll try record it when im free.

[dg]

Does it have a sitar-like sound? It could just barely be buzzing on one of the frets.

Forgot to ask, does it do it all the time? Only on the open G? On all frets, or only up to a certain fret?

[AussieTerry84]

Um can't check atm in bed :P but def on a open G. I did lower my action but even when its not that low its got that sitar sound.

[dg]

Definitely check it out and see exactly when it happens, and hopefully we can figure out if it's fret(s), a saddle issue, or maybe something going on with the string lock.

[BayRocker]

If you are +10-15 cents off, the intonation is quite off IMO. I will allow mine to be at the most +2/-2 cents off the note. I'll settle for 2 after numerous attempts at 0 or +/-1.

Here's a very basic video explaining it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7RyT3JM-Kw

I just did an intonation fix on my Soloist Pro yesterday, and it was off quite a bit. The guitar will tune up for banging out chords and whatnot, but as you move up the neck, you'll notice that you're way out of tune there. Makes it impossible to get a clean in tune recording and harmonies, fuggedaboutit.

With stretched strings, tune up all the strings as close as possible. Then, I start with the low E string testing the intonation. If the difference between the 12th fret harmonic and fretted is sharp, move the saddle back. If it's flat, move it forward. Make sure you use the least amount of pressure on the fretted notes as is humanly possible while still letting the note ring, because pushing down hard will send you up a couple cents easily. To move the saddle, though, I detune the string til it's limp. Then move it slightly and lock it. Then retune it, and check the intonation again. If it's not right, do it again, and again. Yes, you will be retuning that string over and over. Once it's right, I test the cents on various notes on that string such as 3rd fret G vs 15th fret G. The cents should read exactly the same. Either zero or say +2 or -2. That's close enough. Then move on to the A string. This may take a while at first, but after a while you get to know how far to move the saddles based on how far off you are in cents. By the time you get down to the high E string, and get the intonation right, your guitar will be out of tune by a bit. Retune, lock down those locking nuts. Now tune with the fine tuners, and you're done. You'll be amazed how much better it sounds when it is in tune perfectly.