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Strat type intonation


heli-john

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What are the chances that a new guitar which therefore has new strings would have one string that is duff and won't intonate. I have a strat type guitar where all the other strings than the 5th A intonate perfectly well. I can't get it to intonate as I can't push the bridge adjuster far enough forward; it makes me think it is a string problem but am I right? Should I really try a new string?

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It's hard to say. I checked my own strats, the A string saddle is always slightly more forward compared to my low E string saddle. If there is an intonation issue then its probably regarding the string itself or the string tension. Maybe try de-tuning all the strings down and tune it back up again. Or throw on a new set of strings.

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Probably a geometry problem. The saddle/trem isn't close enough to the nut to allow proper adjustment. My first electric, a used Fernandes Strat clone, had the opposite problem and I couldn't move the low E saddle back far enough to intonate it. If your guitar is new, it should be under warranty. Return it and buy something else. Failing that, one thing that might help is heavier strings, which will allow you to have the saddles further back. The next best (and more complicated) solution is to replace the neck with one that sits differently in the pocket or to route the pocket so you can shift the neck, which isn't worthwhile for a cheap guitar. You're probably going to hear about shimming the neck but that won't help. Ignore any such advice. FWIW, I got rid of my Fernandes and bought something else.

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Every so often, you do get a bad string. Bad windings happen, so if you can't get it to intonate properly, and the guitar intonated properly before, there's an issue with the string. strings are cheap, so try it. I bought a box of Dean Markley's once, and had 9 of the A strings dead and wouldn't intonate. (I'll never use DM again, but that's cause their customer service sucks, but that's another story.)

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Every so often' date=' you do get a bad string. Bad windings happen, so if you can't get it to intonate properly, and the guitar intonated properly before, there's an issue with the string. . . .[/quote']

The guitar is new with the original strings so there was no "before." New strings might help but I'm betting not.

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The one string might be "bent out". Larry Carlton says the intonation will go in one take of bendy crap and for recording that means a string change. This is well before there's a perceptible timbral change. Other than that, guitar intonation is like a quadratic - quadratic problem; melodic, harmonic, how you like either, how the guitar copes etc...

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Measure from the nut to the break point of the saddle (as accurately as possible). Measure the action of the 5th string at the 12th fret. What is the gauge of the A string that you are using? How many cents flat is it when fretted at the 12th fret? Is it a hard tail or trem bridge - if hard tail is it screwed down tight, if trem is it blocked or floating, how high, how many springs. Post all of that stuff plus a picture of the bridge showing the 5th string saddle.

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. . . What is the gauge of the A string that you are using? . . .

If they're the original strings, as stated, the OP probably has no idea short of using a micrometer. He might be able to find the string specs on the manufacturer's/distributor's web site but he also might not.

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. . . The second would be to lower the pickups - you may be suffering from stratitis.

Interesting idea but wouldn't Stratitis cause the strings to go sharp? That's what happened in my case. And why only one string? Why not the adjacent strings like the low E? It's barely possible that one string is sitting unusually high so that it's less affected than the rest but I'm not convinced. Replacing the strings and lowering the pickups won't hurt anything but I doubt it will help much. But given the alternative (replacing the guitar/remounting the neck) I'd love to be proven wrong.

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Interesting idea but wouldn't Stratitis cause the strings to go sharp? That's what happened in my case. And why only one string? Why not the adjacent strings like the low E? It's barely possible that one string is sitting unusually high so that it's less affected than the rest but I'm not convinced. Replacing the strings and lowering the pickups won't hurt anything but I doubt it will help much. But given the alternative (replacing the guitar/remounting the neck) I'd love to be proven wrong.

 

Agreed, but I see it as a good first step in troubleshooting.

 

I find the symptoms of stratitis manifest themselves as weird tuning/intonation issues that are not necessarily specific.

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I'm a bit surprised that nobody has suggested taking a new guitar back where it was purchased and asking their tech to check it out (and fix it).

 

And I'm always surprised when someone takes the time to post a question but doesn't come back for the answer.

I suggested returning the guitar three days ago. If it's a brick and mortar store they can have someone take a look at it and possibly fix it. If it was bought online a straight return is probably the best option. And yes, I wonder what happened to the OP too.

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