Intonation and bridge puzzlement

MartinBush

Hi all

Many electric guitars have adjustable saddles to perfect the intonation. But some just have a plain straight bridge - why is this?

Martin

sixwheeltyrrel

Do you mean ones like this? - https://images.app.goo.gl/UaB6XgxDABcSH9CHA

MartinBush

Theres a Gordon Smith guitar elsewhere on this section that got me thinking.

 But I was also thinking acoustic guitars which seem to have no adjustments at the bridge end.

sixwheeltyrrel

The Gordon Smith is 'probably' a variation on the one above where the slots determine the termination point for each string and the intonation is permanently set that way.

Traditional acoustics are much the same. The contact point for each string is shaped dfferently to set the overall length up to the nut. Some split the bridge like this one - https://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/product/12092414172167--takamine-p3dc

MartinBush

So my Snail ukulele bridge, which looks to be shaped along its length, is the same sort of idea?

ICBM

It depends how perfect you want the intonation to be...

MartinBush

Personally I think my ears are out of tune, so perfect intonation of a guitar is perhaps secondary

JanekLubanski

Ukuleles, in my humble opinion, sound better/more authentic when they are slightly out of tune.