Intonation problems on high E string

[kennybro]

Change string first, see if that solves it. Could be that the bridge was poistioned too far back a the factory, the nut is misplaced or damaged or the neck was not properly placed in the body neck slot. Longer saddle screw will allow you to move the saddle a little closer, but that'll put you over that whammy pivot screw, so that's not the best solution.

Hope for the string. If that don't do it, try a longer saddle screw and see if you can make it work over that pivot screw by adjusting the saddle height screws. Repositioning the neck or the bridge would be a job beyond the value of the guitar. If the nut is bad, that's not too bad of a job.

I'm guessing that the string action isn't really high. From the shot of the bridge, it looks low enough.

If it's new, take it back to where you got it and show them. If not, take it to a shop and get a pro's opinion. There might be an easy solution not mentioned here.

[FFTT]

Chances are your bridge was not mounted correctly, but do not alter anything
until you're certain it's not a bad string, or your tuner is misleading you in your settings.

If you have a friendly store nearby, ask if you can bring it in so they can determine
if it's something simple or if it needs to go to a tech.

[StickmanP]

Thank you both, I'll try changing strings first before anything else.

Cheers

[jheath]

I realize this is my first post, so don't blast me on this, and Hello to everyone.

It looks to me like the E string saddle is much higher than the B string next to it (the screws are really buried down in). Ideally the saddles would follow the radius of the neck. A high saddle will lead to flat intonation. I would try to lower the saddle until it matches the height of the B string, and likely just a little lower.

[FFTT]

Carefully measure the left and right side of the bridge plate to the pickups or base of the neck, something that should be straight and make sure the bridge plate was not mounted out of square.

[StickmanP]

Thanks for the responses so far guys, much appreciated. I've never replaced my strings since I bought the guitar a year ago, so I'm hoping this is the issue. Being a noob, would you guys have any advice on what strings to buy for Squier by Fender Classic Vibe Stratocaster 50s? I've had a Google and there are loads of strings out there, but I'm just looking for strings which would be similar to those that came with the guitar originally. Any advice would be appreciated.

[FFTT]

Ernie Ball Slinkys 10-46 are totally fine.

[jheath]

Opinions very widely, but GHS Boomers have been on my electrics lately. As far as string gauge, 10-46 should feel like the strings that came on it.

[FFTT]

I'm gonna guess your Squire needs some tech time.

Check the bridge, neck and dress the frets plus a complete set-up and intonation.

If the action was a bit too high before, a good tech can also shim the neck in the socket.

This is not a precision guitar off the shelf, but they can be made to play beautifully with the right care.

[kennybro]

Originally Posted by jheath

I realize this is my first post, so don't blast me on this, and Hello to everyone.

It looks to me like the E string saddle is much higher than the B string next to it (the screws are really buried down in). Ideally the saddles would follow the radius of the neck. A high saddle will lead to flat intonation. I would try to lower the saddle until it matches the height of the B string, and likely just a little lower.

Good catch, heath. If it's really high the distance you push the string down to meet the fret can bend the string enough to knock it sharp. Doesn't take much. That'd be an easy fix.

[Hot Vibrato]

So you've had the guitar for a year and haven't changed your strings? Dude... change your strings. First, do your best to get the guitar set up as well as possible, paying close attention to matching the string radius with the neck radius, and make sure that the neck is relatively straight, and THEN restring it. Fine tune from there, re-checking intonation, string radius, etc.

When setting up an electric guitar, I always intonate the high and low E strings first, and then I eyeball the other four strings to look pretty similar to what I'm seeing on your guitar. Then I check the intonation on those as well, but they're never more than a few cents off, because they ALWAYS come out looking pretty much like yours does (assuming the G string is unwound). What I'm getting at is that if your other strings are intonated properly, then the high E string saddle certainly shouldn't need to be moved forward.

I suspect that a bad string is to blame. If not, then there are only a few other possibilities.

If you play your guitar much at all, you should restring it every few weeks. A set of guitar strings is only good for a while before they start to sound dull, and then your intonation gets wonky. Let us know how it intonates once you've got new strings on there.

P.S. fender guitars come equipped with .009"-.042" gauge strings. For most players, .010"-.046" is much more appropriate. They're still easy to bend, but the guitar stays in tune much better, and the strings rattle less.

[StickmanP]

Thanks again for all your help guys, much appreciated. I just bought some Elixir Electric Guitar Strings Light (0.010 - 0.046). Once I've restringed it, I'll let you know if my problem was solved.

[John Eppstein]

Originally Posted by StickmanP

Thanks for the responses so far guys, much appreciated. I've never replaced my strings since I bought the guitar a year ago, so I'm hoping this is the issue. Being a noob, would you guys have any advice on what strings to buy for Squier by Fender Classic Vibe Stratocaster 50s? I've had a Google and there are loads of strings out there, but I'm just looking for strings which would be similar to those that came with the guitar originally. Any advice would be appreciated.

ALWAYS do intonation with brand new strings. It is impossible to properly intonate a guitar with old strings. And change your strings on a regular basis as when strings get old they stretch unevenly and go out of intonation.

A good string set would be Ernie Ball regular Slinkies with the .010 high E. The strings that came with the guitar are probably Fender strings of a similar gauge. GHS also makes good strings.

I buy my strings from JustStrings.com and I usually buy them by the box. They have a really good price and if you buy in quantity the shipping doesn't cost too much.

[StickmanP]

I changed all my strings and now I'm having no problems with the high E string at all. Everything is sounding good! Thanks for all your help guys.

[kennybro]

Cool man. Glad to hear it. Sometimes, things actually work out!

So, was the saddle able to come back a little, and down off of that screw head?

[Hot Vibrato]

Originally Posted by StickmanP

I changed all my strings and now I'm having no problems with the high E string at all. Everything is sounding good! Thanks for all your help guys.

I figured that would solve your problem. Next time, don't wait a year before changing strings...

Really, they're only good for a couple of weeks if you play a lot, but you can sometimes get a month or two out of them if you don't mind losing some brightness. In fact, I prefer the sound of strings that have been broken in - new strings sound a bit shrill to my ears.