What causes intonation problems in a Dread?

PittPastor

Member
Joined
Sep 26, 2017
Messages
756
Reaction score
59
Location
Western Pennsylvania
This is about the DCE1 at the Guitar Center I mentioned in another thread. I was in the area and had a chance to stop in and play it. The tone was richer than I remembered it when I was simply running some scales. But it still sounded muddy when I played it.

I started examining that further and I found that it wasn't holding its tune as I moved up the fret. Even at the third fret I could hear it. When I fret the low E on the 5th fret, the note I got was sharp -- almost half way between the A and an A#.

Other strings varied. All seemed a bit off, all were sharp. Some were worse than others. Is this a neck angle problem?

I also noticed this when I examined it in the light better (now I know why they keep that acoustic room so dark!)

k6a7Owl.jpg


I don't know if you can tell from here, but the back is pulling away a little from the back of the neck. Might just be a crack on the binding. or might be sign of a repair. I'm not sure.

I'm losing interest in this guitar by the minute. I am just trying to educate myself on things to look for in used gear. The asking price is $499 for this. I'm now thinking that a setup is the least of the issues, so this is probably priced too high.
 

adorshki

Reverential Member
Joined
Aug 21, 2009
Messages
34,176
Reaction score
6,791
Location
Sillycon Valley CA
Other strings varied. All seemed a bit off, all were sharp. Some were worse than others. Is this a neck angle problem?
In the sense that a bad neck angle increases action height, which means fretted strings are deflected so much that intonation goes bad, then yes.
And you unknowingly captured the cause of the problem right in the pic:
I've always said strap buttons in that location are an accident waiting to happen, if it didn't already.
In this case I think it's "already".
Guild never put strap buttons in that location for what should now be obvious reasons.
They get hit a few times or even just once the right way, and can knock a neck out of joint.

I'm losing interest in this guitar by the minute.
Yep, use it to gauge the comfort of the neck profile and move on.
I am just trying to educate myself on things to look for in used gear.
And you just found another one.
The only Guild acoustics with a 2nd strap button that I've seen are all mounted on the side of the body.
And that requires a bracing block inside the body.
From Westerly, I've only seen it on the F-body ce series and Songbirds, like so:
classic.JPG

Anything else ain't original.
It never really registered with me before that the DCE series lacks that 2nd strap button.
 
Last edited:

Neal

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 11, 2013
Messages
4,857
Reaction score
1,627
Location
Charlottesville, VA
That strap pin placement was also common among Tacoma-built Guilds like the F-30.

i actually liked where they mounted it quite a bit.
 

fronobulax

Bassist, GAD and the Hot Mess Mods
Joined
May 3, 2007
Messages
24,708
Reaction score
8,836
Location
Central Virginia, USA
Guild Total
5
If you took the instrument in for a setup and called out the intonation problems, the first thing they should check is the saddle. Next the bridge height and then finally the neck angle. I suspect on this instrument an efficient tech would jump right to the neck.

Sometimes there is no easy solution. I've seen a couple of instruments that just could not be intonated perfectly (according to the luthier) without major work on the bridge/saddle.
 

adorshki

Reverential Member
Joined
Aug 21, 2009
Messages
34,176
Reaction score
6,791
Location
Sillycon Valley CA
If you took the instrument in for a setup and called out the intonation problems, the first thing they should check is the saddle. Next the bridge height and then finally the neck angle. I suspect on this instrument an efficient tech would jump right to the neck.

Sometimes there is no easy solution. I've seen a couple of instruments that just could not be intonated perfectly (according to the luthier) without major work on the bridge/saddle.

A twisted neck also causes intonation problems, although we rarely see that identified as a problem with Guilds, here.
 

dreadnut

Gone But Not Forgotten
Gone But Not Forgotten
Joined
Jun 15, 2005
Messages
16,082
Reaction score
6,442
Location
Grand Rapids, MI
Guild Total
2
Of course, intonation should never be determined with a capo on - this changes everything.
 
Top