Guitar Intonation trouble

[BBABM]

i just bought a new guitar, much to my dismay when i tuned it up and struck that first Emajor chord, the A-string sounded out of tune. aafter re-checking the tuning on all 6 strings i restrummed the E chord. still off. i googled it, and it said my intonation/string length may be messing with the length of a single note on the string. i am not a guitar tech, and have been playing on acoustics all my life... i have never had this problem before, and frankly do not know what the heck i am doing. i can see that there are little do-hickeys (yes that is the technical term) that allow you to move the bridge/saddle back and forth for each string individually... i assume this is what i need to futz with.

even if i am totally wrong, and just need to send the thing back, i would appreciate any help at all.

thanks

[Manhattan Glutton]

If it's a little off, then yes, it's the intonation. You should be able to fix this by adjusting the saddle. You can also try different gauge strings - since different gauges require different lengths for their tones.

By lengthening or shortening the string, you can cause the fretted notes to go a little sharper or flatter. If you reach the end of the saddle, you'd have to adjust the action/bridge, possibly neck, and all of the strings' saddles - at which point you should visit a guitar tech.

It's poor form to sell an out of tune guitar.

[Manhattan Glutton]

This looks like a decent guide. Go for it. http://www.wikihow.com/Set-Your-Guitar%27s-Intonation

[BBABM]

It's poor form to sell an out of tune guitar.

I agree, and seriously considered sending it back... But I really like it, and everything but the a-string sounds amazing. So I want to fix it. Thanks for the help.

[BBABM]

so i messed with it, and it is a little better, but it is still out of wack... so im gonna take it to the guy i go to for all my "tune-ups". oh well, at least i know how to do that now

[Billy's Little Trip]

Dude, that is something all guitar players should learn and be fluent with. Guitar techs are good for truing necks and re-fretting, etc. Which is also something you should learn. But shops have electronics these days which are incredibly precise.

As far as intonation, it's a very easy fix. Using an electronic guitar tuner, one string at a time, pluck a harmonic between the 12th and 13th fret. Turn the saddle screw for the string you are working on to dial in a dead center note. IE: E string, dial in an E, etc. Do the same thing to each string.

After you do that, check it by holding down the string on the 12th fret with your normal playing pressure to see how close you are. If it's not dead center on your tuner, re-check the harmonic note and keep adjusting the saddle screw until it's perfect. After you are sure you got the intonation dead on, you're done. If it's still a tad off when you press the string on the 12th fret, you can either not worry about it and tune your guitar as normal, or find the in between of the harmonic and the pressed note, which some do that I don't like. Different strings or even different aggressive to light playing can change it. So in my opinion, dial in the harmonic dead nuts on and leave it.

In my experience, even with cruddy guitars, the harmonic method on each string will make all of your chords sound great.

[BBABM]

Well I took it into the shop, paid $30 to get it "set up". It sounds like a dream now. BLT, I agree, I should learn to do it myself. However, much like changing the oil in my car, I'd rather pay someone with the technology to make it easy, and then if they fuck it up I can bitch about it.

[Paco Del Stinko]

Good idea to have it properly set up. However, now you can easily maintain it with some simple maintainence. Keep the strings clean, changed as needed, and if the intonatin starts to go out, a simple tweak with a screwdriver should be all it needs. While you may play it more if out of the case/bag, keep it stored so it doesn't become victim to the weather gods, humidity, beer, pot smoke, etc. Congrats and enjoy!