Intonation & the G-String

I'd guess something is fishy with the nut.

 

Hmmm . . . I would have guessed that the nut slot was cut too high, but that would cause the first couple of frets to go sharp. I assume by "way low" you mean flat? If your neck is adjusted with a lot of relief, and the nut's cut too LOW, then it's possible for those lower frets to go flat. In any event, I would check the nut first.

 

Oh it's sharp!

Have you made sure that it just isn't a bad string?

Also, you don't need to set the intonation at the 12th fret, why not experiment with setting the intonation at a lower fret?

I like to cut the nut with a string. I "saw" the nut with a string, however "real" nut files exist to do the job properly.

make sure that the slot rises, the highest part of the slot should face the fretboard, you want to make sure that the string vibrates from the edge of the nut.

 

I'd recommend taking it to a luthier. It's a simple job for them to do. If the lower notes are sharp, the nut slot is most definitely too high.

 

When you talk to the luther ask him what he thinks of earvana nuts. From what I've heard (mostly from earvana, so...) that all 'normal' nuts go flat or sharp going up and down the fret board by at least a few cents, and earvana dosen't claim to fix it, but they say their nuts make it alot less.