Won't intonate!!!

[zeegler]

I once had a guitar that I had to use the rhythm pickup to get an acurate reading during setup. Have you tried that?

....And yea, It could be a bad string.......

Hey I'll try that. What have I got to lose.

If that doesn't work, I'll set the saddle right between the Low E, and D, and wait until I put new strings on it to check it again.

If it does turn out to be the strings, I might seriously consider switching brands. I have used Dean Markleys for 15 years, but if they have this type of inconsistency in their strings, then it's time for a change.

[Budman68]

That's exactly what it was for me a few years back and funny you mention Dean Markleys, I was using the Blue Steels back then--

[Racerx2k]

The fact that you moving the saddle really doesn't change much in intonation, is interesting, to say the least. I mean, you ARE changing the overall effective string length, at that point. I don't have much experience with string issues, as it may turn out to be. I'm trusting you are going straight from the guitar, into the tuner, and not through anything else, like a preamp, or effect, or anything like that. I can see where the pickup could cause issues, so I'd switch to the neck one, too, and try that. The fact that you are running out of road, on the saddle, with no resolution, IS a quandry.

[zeegler]

That's exactly what it was for me a few years back and funny you mention Dean Markleys, I was using the Blue Steels back then--

So you changed strings and it solved the problem? I just use the regular DMs, but they're probably the same string anyway.

It's truly bizarre. I can't imagine how a fault in the string could cause this. It boggles the mind, but there is no other logical explanation.

[Budman68]

So you changed strings and it solved the problem? I just use the regular DMs, but they're probably the same string anyway.

It's truly bizarre. I can't imagine how a fault in the string could cause this. It boggles the mind, but there is no other logical explanation.

Agreed! It was the weirdest thing, I was pulling my friggin hair out because it was the last thing I thought of (duh!). I still to this day don't understand that even if it's a bad string, it should at least change a little.....I'm sure a science major would have an explanation. Something about poor oscillation properties of the string.....oh yeah, it's beer time

[zeegler]

Beer time. Oh yeah!!! I'm on number 6 right now. Got a party to go to later too.

I'm going to change the strings, and see how that goes. Keep your fingers crossed.

[Bert]

I was probably one of the more recent people to post about this exact problem. Indeed it was a bad string, Dean Markley Blue Steel "regulars". The bad string in my pack was the A string though. The string sounded fine, it just wouldn't intonate.. it was always grossly flat no matter how far I moved the saddle.

It seems they made a bad batch of these since it affected 2 of my guitars.

I've since gotten a couple more packs and those have been fine.

I wouldn't change all strings, just swap out the bad one. (Unless the strings are old....)

[Bert]

Here's my thread about this... sound familiar????

http://www.jcfonline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=49135

[Twisteramps]

One other thing that can affect tuning is pickup height, especially the neck pickup.

[Racerx2k]

Did the string in question seem unusually thick, in the saddle region? I'm trying to understand this situation. Hypothetically, if the strings gauge WAS thicker in the saddle region, the centerline of the string could conceivably be placed BEHIND where it normally would be. If that WOULD happen, then the effective string length could also be affected, making it LONGER, and thus, making the intonation fall FLAT. Again, this is all just hypothetical, until someone would take the time to comfirm such a thing.

[Bert]

In my case the string looks perfectly normal. I also thought it might be a pickup height issue, but lowering them all the way down didn't change a thing.