Nylon string guitar with adjustable intonation

[K. Clark]

Hi,
I've put up a new web page with information on an experiment to replace
the fixed bridge of a Godin ACS nylon string guitar with fully
adjustable (action height and intonation) RMC strat-style pickups. I
play fingerstyle jazz, and I love the feel of nylon strings (especially
a solidbody nylon string guitar with low action). But it seems that
nylon string guitars with a traditional fixed bridge usually have
intonation problems. Why shouldn't nylon string players have an
adjustable bridge also?

Here's the info on my project guitar:

http://home.earthlink.net/~clarkx2/Godin-KC/Godin-KC.htm

Ken

Note: This project is in no way associated with the Godin company - I
picked the ACS as the base for this project because it's a good quality,
good value guitar...

[Don and Nan Mitchell]

Ken:

Neat idea! I too play fingerstyle jazz, and am partial to nylon
strings. I have an old Godin Acousticaster, the progenitor of the Duets and
the Multiacs, but the intonation problems and especially the quackiness of
the under the saddle transducer prompted me to pretty much abandon that
guitar in favor of a Tak 132sc. Just today, however, I took my Godin to
Portland Music and ab'd it with a new Multiac Grand Concert. The sound was
much improved from my Acousticaster, even though they were both under the
saddle piezos, and I'd say they pretty much licked the intonation problem
as well judging by the guitar I played. But I'd like to try out the Grand
Concert SA (synth access) as it has the RMC transducer rather than the LR
Baggs under the saddle. It seems that all the high end nylon electric
luthiers (Kirk Sand, McGill, etc.) use and rave about the RMC.
Is the amplified sound of the RMC pu any less "quacky" than the stock
under the saddle transducer?

--
Don Mitchell
visit my web site at http://members.dsl-only.net/~jazzman
"K. Clark" <cla...@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:3B9145B1...@earthlink.net...

[Keith Murch]

I disagree with this allegation. There is nothing wrong with the placement
of the bridge on the Godin ACS.
Keith Murch

"Jack A. Zucker" <j...@jackzucker.com> wrote in message
news:8Ddk7.36624$4b5.9...@news6.giganews.com...
> Note:
>
> Not all nylon string guitars have intonation problems. In fact, Godin's
> Multiac has great intonation but they have (had???) placed the bridge
> incorrectly on the ACS guitars and denied the problem for years.
>
> --
> Web: http://w3.gwis.com/~jaz

>
> "K. Clark" <cla...@earthlink.net> wrote in message
> news:3B9145B1...@earthlink.net...

[R F Bridge]

In article <3B9145B1...@earthlink.net>, K. Clark
<cla...@earthlink.net> writes

Hi Ken

I think it's true to say that all guitar strings need intonation
compensation. Some need more than others with nylons needing least.

Sometimes the slight inclination of the bridge is enough for nylons to
sound OK.

Jazz archtops normally have bridges with fixed compensations for each
string. This is a compromise and, although nearly right, is short of
perfect intonation. Tunomatics can give fully adjustable intonation but
are a bit massive for an acoustic.

I came to the same conclusion as you and designed a bridge with height,
length and even spacing adjustment. I make them in brass for solid
guitars ( the mass gives more sustain) and acetal, which is much less
dense, for acoustics. Goodbye all intonation problems!

Regards
--
R F Bridge

[Martin Wessalowski]

Talking about intonation problems on classical guitars. Have a look at
www.chouard.de
Food for thought!

Cheers
Martin

[meulle-stef benoit]

That is not very new... There is a guitar in the Musical instrument's
museum of Paris with the frets split in 6 parts and you can adjusted them
with an individual screw... ( 6 * 20 frets = 120 pieces fretboard... cool
for the fret dress!!!). I think it was made by an English luthier in the
late 19 ed! so nothing new behind the sun...
Apart of that I'm agree to say that EVERY guitar need an adjustable
bridge for the proper tuning but be carefull with the loose of sound with
too hevy bridges... I use large parts of TUSK in acoustic guitars to have
space to do the conpensation... But these conpensation change with the
strings you use... Even sometime with the trademark...

Cheers

BEN

[elden...@gmail.com]

Hi Ken,

just came across this thread..see it has been years. I am intrigued how this project ended up( I couldn't get your link: http://home.earthlink.net/~clarkx2/Godin-KC/Godin-KC.htm to work).

I have a 1993 or 96 Multiac SA, can't remember, it was made before Godin started compensating the placement of the individual RMC saddles. I had a luthier move the saddles to approximate the look of the new Godins. It seemed to work a bit better but intonation on 3 string and 1st string is still off.

Let me know how your project turned out. Thanks!

--EK