PalmGuitar v2 Owner's Manual - page 5
Loosen
to correct flat
intonation
Tighten
to correct sharp
intonation
6. Bridge Adjustment – your
bridge is fully adjustable,
and can be used to raise
or lower the
action
(string height above the
frets) and adjust the
string
intonation
(length). Each string is
fed into one of 6 string
“saddles”. The
action
is
adjusted by raising or
lowering the two small
set screws that straddle
each string. Both screws
should be raised or
lowered by equal
amounts so that the
saddle is level. The
constant vibration of
playing your guitar can
cause these set screws
to loosen. So keep your
1.5mm hex wrench
handy to raise the
saddles if your strings start to “buzz.” To “ruggedize” your setup, you can apply a tiny
drop of clear fingernail polish to the set screw to temporarily lock them in place.
Once you adjust the action, you may need to adjust the
intonation
. Tune all of the
strings to the desired pitch. Then, fret each string at the 12
th
fret, and determine if
the pitch is exactly one octave higher than the open tuning. If the pitch is the same,
no adjustment is necessary. If the octave pitch is
sharp
compared to the open tuning
pitch, the string needs to be
lengthened
slightly by
tightening
the intonation screw on
the back of the bridge. Tightening the screw moves the saddle backwards, effectively
lengthening the string. If the octave pitch is
flat
, you need to shorten the string by
loosening
the adjustment screw – the spring behind the saddle will push it forward.
Don’t be in imidated about ad
t
justing your bridge … there are many reference books
on the subject if you get stuck, and it’s the best way to keep your PalmGuitar
®
set up
the way the pros do.
7. Pickup height adjustment – there are two screws on either side of the pickup that can
raise or lower the pickup - don’t confuse them with the 4 screws in corners of the
pickup ring that attach the ring and pickup assembly to the body. Raising or lowering
the pickup can change the intensity of the output signal, just like moving a
microphone closer to, or farther away from a vocal performance. If you raise the
pickup
too close
to the strings, you can actually cancel some of the sustain as the
magnets try to magnetically “grab” the strings. So only make small changes in pickup
height until you get the exact output signal you’re looking for.