Tuning an imperfect Kabosy -- Any tips?

[Ted]

I've been playing my kabosy, and have spent some time tweaking the bridge to get the intonation right at the midpoint (i.e. the 12th fret).

But I realize that when I get the intonation right at the 12th fret, some of the frets down the neck aren't quite right.

So, other than re-fretting this thing, what should I do? Is there a "best" way of compromising?

• Live with the imperfect intonation on the lower frets.
• Tweak the bridge so that the midpoint intonation might not be quite right, but the lower frets are.
• Leave the bridge where it is, tune the strings so that the lower frets are accurate and the midpoint is still a perfect octave of the open string, but might be out of tune in combination with other strings
• Other

I know that for a guitar to be in tune, it has be a little out of tune. I've read this fact several times even though I don't fully understand it. (See: The Saddest Thing I Know about the Integers | Roots of Unity, Scientific American )

Because of this, there might be a way of working the inaccuracy of the frets to the advantage of the instrument.

There is a certain authenticity to the instrument being a little tense during some chords -- F and Am in particular in a certain position. The problem is that there is only one way to make an F chord.

[Geir]

Yes a guitar is impossible to tune !! And so is any frettet instrument .... unless you go for the "well tempered" scale as a piano and then the neck would look something like this:


I would say : compromise !!! move the bridge so that the Kabosy sounds best possible where you play it the most. I would guess that is 2-7th fret  .... if you go higher you can always press harder on the strings it it's slightly flat .... if it's sharp well it's much harder ...

[Blooby]

Is it an unattached bridge? Maybe instead of one large bridge, you could use smaller pieces and stagger them. A shot in the dark.

Blooby

[Ted]

if you go higher you can always press harder on the strings it it's slightly flat

That's potentially useful: Compromise in favor of slightly flat, when possible.

I've found that the B string is the most problematic. The kabosy is tuned to an open G maj chord (like a banjo, except GGBD), so you kind of need that B note. But the good thing is that a slightly flat B note sounds right to the ear in an open chord. But the first four frets on that string tend slightly sharp. So maybe going a little flat on that open string will be the way to go.

Is it an unattached bridge? Maybe instead of one large bridge, you could use smaller pieces and stagger them. A shot in the dark.

Yes, it is. But the problem seems to be more in the imprecision of the frets. I am going to find a good acoustic guitar bridge and modify it for this (to replace the pencil stub that came with the kabosy for its bridge). In order to get the intonation in the ballpark, the bridge has to sit at about a 20-degree angle.