Hey folks! I have a question that I am hoping some one here can answer for me. It relates to my 1988 Fender USA Strat. I have been doing my own setups on this guitar for years - you know - action, intonation etc.... But yesterday when I went to do it I noticed that the intonation on my low E and G strings was very sharp - so I think to myself "no biggie - i just need to move those saddles back a bit". However I found that I could not move the saddles far enough to compensate. IE I kept moving them away from the neck until I ran out of adjustment space and the intonation was still sharp.

NOTE: new strings are on the guitar.

Any ideas what may be causing this or how to fix it?

Thanks in advance for your help - I look forward to your reply!

Rock on!
88Stratocaster

Hey folks! I have a question that I am hoping some one here can answer for me. It relates to my 1988 Fender USA Strat. I have been doing my own setups on this guitar for years - you know - action, intonation etc.... But yesterday when I went to do it I noticed that the intonation on my low E and G strings was very sharp - so I think to myself "no biggie - i just need to move those saddles back a bit". However I found that I could not move the saddles far enough to compensate. IE I kept moving them away from the neck until I ran out of adjustment space and the intonation was still sharp.

NOTE: new strings are on the guitar.

Any ideas what may be causing this or how to fix it?

Thanks in advance for your help - I look forward to your reply!

Rock on!
88Stratocaster

Hey 88Strat

Nice to talk to a fellow strat man!.
I have had this problem in the past as well and guess what... the worst offender was my 84 American strat something about the 80's?.

First thing is that you might have a bad batch string on there so try a new low E string first.Also tighten neck bolt screws.
Eyeball where the sadlle is now and where it should be.Classic setup says it should be about 2mm below the A string saddle...just get it close to where you think it should be.(providing your other sadlles are ok and in the right position)
tune to pitch using the MIDDLE pup not the bridge this will give you a more acurate read and should also help in the intonation read as well.
Try using a pick instead of fingers or vice versa when strumming the note for intonation and make sure to use the same method for all the folowing strings.

Last just get it close the E is the hardest string inmho to get exact intonation on a little flutter on the tunner wont kill you.

P.S make sure to also check that the neck middle and bridge pup's are not accidentaly too high especially the neck....as the drag of the magnets if set too high can give wavering false reads on your tunner for intonation as well.

Past that if nothing works....take it to a pro setup man a guy with more than 10 years expeirience not some green kid at the local music store. It my be that the neck is out and needs to be centered.


Good luck and if i can help at all, or you want to ask something let me know.

Parker

Thanks Parker - I will definitely give those ideas a try. It really bothers me to see my favorite old axe pulling stunts like this - so Im anxious to get it strightened out.

88

Don't get too freaked out this happened to me on my SG Standard & Strat
I just happens every once in awhile...and the more you try the worse it seems to be out.

But deffinatley try a new set of strings as well as adjusting the saddles forward, not back and forth.