New Ibanez AFJ95 w. ART-W wooden bridge, intonation problem with flatwound wound G??

**krueger** · 04-09-2013, 04:45 AM

Hi!

I just got a new Artcore Expressionist AFJ95 yesterday. Pretty satisfied with everything except one major issue. The guitar comes with D'Addario flatwounds (11 or 12's can't say for sure). I moved the wooden ART-W bridge so that every string except the wound G has good intonation. Then the wound G is more then a quarter-tone low. It sounds really really off.

Should I get the store to investigate the nut and perhaps change the G-string to rule out problems there, or is this basically the nature of wooden bridges? I know I can't expect perfect intonation out of the box with factory produced parts of course, but this was more than I expected.

Apart from this the guitar is very well made. Fretwork is good, fit and finish also. It's a big step up in sound quality from my AF75D. Much clearer and defined sound amplified due to the Super 58 Customs I would guess. Acoustically they are about the same, good enough for the occasional unamplified home use. I want to solve these intonation issues before doing any real review on it though.

**MikeConner** · 04-09-2013, 09:29 AM

From your description, is it possible that the bridge was intonated for an unwound G? My AF95 ABR style bridge was set that way from the factory. I turned the G string saddle around to bring the break point forward for a wound G .

**MikeConner** · 04-09-2013, 09:30 AM

Intonated. Autocorrect strikes again!

**mr. beaumont** · 04-09-2013, 09:33 AM

Can you post a picture of the bridge?

I always try a new string first, just to rule a bum string out.

There's no reason you can't get the intonation much better than that with a wooden bridge.

**krueger** · 04-09-2013, 11:31 AM

Here's how it looks

New Ibanez AFJ95 w. ART-W wooden bridge, intonation problem with flatwound wound G??-art-w-bridge-jpg

Unfortunately I don't have a spare wound G at home. I will take it to the store tomorrow, they have a good tech that can probably sort this out.

A question. I was thinking I might order the Ibanez ART-1 bridge anyway to be able to swap out for different tonal qualities. But, I'm wondering if there are perhaps aftermarket parts that enables you to swap out only the top part of the bridge and keep the base?

**MikeConner** · 04-09-2013, 12:41 PM

That bridge is the standard straight across compensation rather than notched. Your setup person can shave a bit off the top of the bridge saddle and recut the compensation to accomodate your strings. Shouldn't be expensive, and actually really easy to do yourself with some basic needle files.

I have read that the Gotoh ABR saddle is a good replacement and fits the post spacing. Stew-Mac or others would have it available. I was able to get very good intonation with the factory ABR after turning the G saddle around, using Elixir Electric Heavy strings 012-053, wound G (a 024 I think).

**mr. beaumont** · 04-09-2013, 12:43 PM

With the bridge angled like that you are taking the compensation out of the equation...

Is that really what you had to do to get the E's to intonate? Seems weird.

**davelang** · 04-09-2013, 02:09 PM

I don't think a straight line bridge like that will ever accurately intonate. It's not designed to. It'll get close-ish.

As a previous poster mentioned you could try and get a luthier to adjust it.

Or you could purchase a different bridge. If you get lucky you can swap the top piece onto your existing bridge "foot" - you have to make sure the pin spacing is the same. You'll find on the net that there are lots of different styles. You can even put a metal "tune o matic" top piece on and adjust the intonation perfectly. But you might not like the sound. Sadowsky makes some top pieces that they claim are very compensated but they're made out of ebony. Maybe that's ok with you - I can't really tell what the existing bridge is made of.

True-Tone Bridge - Sadowsky Guitars - Online Store

Have fun!

**krueger** · 04-09-2013, 03:52 PM

Thanks everybody for your replies and suggestions. I re-checked the intonation and all strings are intonated pretty accurately, except the G (which is low as before). I agree that it looks weird and that the effective bridge now more or less is a straight line.

I tried a new strategy now instead of having 1 string very off, I tried to average out the intonation errors. It's far from perfect, but more playable that way. It also looks more normal with the angle and all. Perhaps it's the closest I can get with an uncompensated bridge like this.

I think I will still go to the store tomorrow and talk to the tech and see if he's up to the job to get this bridge fixed. I will also order the adjustable ART-1 bridge. More or less to see what difference it will have on the sound and to have some options.

**nikolozj** · 04-09-2013, 04:12 PM

Originally Posted by krueger

Unfortunately I don't have a spare wound G at home.

Your bridge like every standard acoustic or semi-hollow bridges have this angle. Starting from high E expanding strings's length to the low E. Without precise adjusments.
Now, I don't know technically if it makes sense, but here's this guy saying that if you have wound G, the saddle should be forward (towards neck) on G string.

Check out this video on this time I link:

You Are Tuning Your Guitar Wrong. I Guarantee It. By Scott Grove - YouTube

**krueger** · 04-09-2013, 05:02 PM

Originally Posted by nikolozj

Your bridge like every standard acoustic or semi-hollow bridges have this angle. Starting from high E expanding strings's length to the low E. Without precise adjusments.
Now, I don't know technically if it makes sense, but here's this guy saying that if you have wound G, the saddle should be forward (towards neck) on G string.

Check out this video on this time I link:

You Are Tuning Your Guitar Wrong. I Guarantee It. By Scott Grove - YouTube

I agree.

**xuoham** · 04-09-2013, 09:52 PM

Had a similar problem with an AF-105, maybe you'd like to check the thread, i got some tremendous help and learn a great lesson: https://www.jazzguitar.be/forum/guita...n-11-49-a.html

The thing i never could avoid with the Ibanez wooden bridge is that the lower EAD strings are flat past the 12th fret.
I too first angled my bridge as you do, then found a neat position that is very normal: roughly the floating bridge at the middle "notched" place of the F holes, and straight.
But good intonation is made of compromises anyway.

Personally, this problem went completely off when realized that a rosewood bridge needs constant refiling and greasing if you don't want the strings to get stuck when bending (if you ever bend), and got a Tonepros locking bridge, so easy to intonate strings individually, fit with those black Graphtech saddles :
more acoustic volume (i have a transducer installed) and almost as a warm sound as rosewood, absolutely no steel saddle harshness, just a 1kHz resonance on the acoustic sound, easily tamed with a prametric EQ. Electrified the sound is great, probably close to the nylon saddles Wes was using.

**krueger** · 04-10-2013, 03:32 AM

Originally Posted by xuoham

Had a similar problem with an AF-105, maybe you'd like to check the thread, i got some tremendous help and learn a great lesson: https://www.jazzguitar.be/forum/guita...n-11-49-a.html

...

Great thread! Thanks!

**krueger** · 04-10-2013, 06:10 AM

Update to this. The culprit to the intonation woes was not the bridge but an incorrectly set up nut slot on the G string. Corrected at the store by their (great) tech. Now intonation works as well as can be expected with this kind of bridge.

**Barcia** · 01-21-2015, 04:42 AM

Hi all,

I have just buy an AKJ95 and got the same problem... but on the D string!? (too sharp).
Thanks xuoham, very good thread.
Thanks Krueger, I will check the nut slot.

**Para** · 01-21-2015, 04:59 AM

I have an AFJ95 with a compensated wooden bridge on and it intonates perfectly, they are not that expensive to buy, if you use the original base of the bridge and just replace the top there are no issues with the bridge sitting properly on the top of the guitar. The intonation will vary according to string guage and action height, the best option is to use a TOM bridge but you will get a slightly brighter sound with one. If you measure from the nut to the centre of the 12th fret then the same distance from the centre of the 12th fret to the bridge centre that will give you a good starting point for the intonation. If you use much heavier strings you will need the nut slots recutting. You can use pencil lead in the nut slots to help the strings slide in the slots.

**Barcia** · 01-21-2015, 05:33 AM

Thanks Para.
First I want to try a new set of strings, this is happening with factory ones (11-50 D'addario Chromes, I think). Where did you buy the compensated bridge?

**Para** · 01-21-2015, 07:04 AM

You can get them from Stewmac, WD, Ebay, quite a few places.

Ebony Archtop Bridge

Guitar Bridges from Highly Strung

STEWMAC.COM - Search Results for Archtop Guitar Bridge

Guitar Parts Resource :: Wood Bridges

Ebony Archtop Bridge - Gold Posts

archtop bridge | eBay

* WD Music Products - EBONY ARCHTOP BRIDGE

I don't know any in Spain I'm afraid.

**Barcia** · 01-21-2015, 08:02 AM

Thanks very much for the links, Para.

If I set the bridge for high and low E, all strings are intonated perfectly except the D string, which is very sharp. I know intonation problems are usual on G string depending if it is wound or not, but on D string is a strange thing. That's why I want to check the nut and try a new string before.

I'm aware that it's impossible a perfect intonation with a wooden bridge, so I will try to get a good compromise rotating the bridge counterclockwise...

**seaguitar** · 01-21-2015, 10:36 AM

I recently got an AF105 that didn't come with a rosewood bridge. I ended up finally getting this:True-Tone Bridge - Sadowsky Guitars - Online Store
I just got the wound one but it might be good to have both. I had to get get post screws separately because the metal TOM saddle screws don't work with a wood bridge. The above fits perfectly on the original ibanez part.

**Barcia** · 01-21-2015, 10:43 AM

Originally Posted by seaguitar

The above fits perfectly on the original ibanez part.

Thanks seaguitar, I'll keep in mind.

**p4chuss2** · 12-21-2015, 08:01 PM

Hi,

does anyone know where I can buy the Art-1 bridge? I would like to substitute the Art-W bridge for the Art-1 one. If not, does anyone know the exact model of a Gotoh model which would fit to the Ibanez AFJ95?

I am planning to buy the AFJ95 online through Thomann and I would like to order the bridge at the same time due to the reviews of the bad intonation on the G string (I understand this is due to the bridge having a "/" form instead of a "w" form; please correct me if anyone knows I am wrong).

If anyone can help, I would appreciate it.

Regards,
p4chuss2

**krueger** · 12-22-2015, 03:20 AM

Hi,

I bought the Art-1 bridge (the one with tune-o-matic metal adjustable saddles) through a local dealer. They have parts catalogs where they can buy from the national distributor. I'm not sure if you can easily find these parts online.

With that said, I never exchanged the bridge. The wooden uncompensated bridge works well enough. I had a problem with the nut slot on the G-string (see above) that caused intonation problems. When I had that fixed the intonation is not a problem in practice with the Art-W.