attention guitar tech's who know fenders, intonation prob with brand new guitar

Keira-WitherKay

helo all, on saturday i just bought a brand new ..outa da box......... Fender American standard telecaster ......i been lusting after a tele for ages and couldn't find anthing 2nd hand so i bought this one new thats brand new from the store ...... i replaced the strings with d'addario XL 9 -42's (yes i know it's light ) and the guitars intonation is spot on if i play open string .then harmonic on 12th fret on the tuner it settles dead centre........ but if i play a note even in low frets as in C on 5th string 3rd fret the note is sharp by enough that i can hear all my chords even in 1st position are slightly off tune.......... this is extremely frustrating since i would expect a guitar of this calibre to be playing out of tune........

i'm sure i'm missing something cos i can't believe the entire guitar is out ........ do you think the strings could be at fault as in some factory fault??? and i'm sure the intonation to harmonics is ok , i know how to set that myself ..........

well i'm at sun city till tues so i have a day (monday ) to try sort out what it is before it goes back to the store .......cos i definitely won't accept an instrument being outa tune at the price i paid for this.......... not in 1st position ......

i'm confused by this so appreciate any help............

btw i know if one squeezes light strings too hard it can go outa tune .. but it's still outa tune if i press quite lightly and deliberately in a controlled enviroment , and the note is still sharp ........

the notes are all sharp .........

thanks

peace K

Gearhead

The nut is too high - a tech files it down string by string using an accurate tuner. He tunes the open note exactly right and then checks the note fretted at the first. If it is sharp, he tunes down, takes the string out of the slot and files it down further. If it is flat, he sells you another nut ?

Beware of techs that fret at the third and then measure between the string and the first. This is how it is NOT done.

So much for buying gear that was set up right, straight out of the shop. Never mind that you put on 9's, should be almost exactly the same with one or two gauges different.

MikeM

Like Gearhead says, it needs a good setup. Almost every single electric guitar off the shelf will need one. I actually need to take my #1 for a proper one, but scared of trusting it with anyone.

Keira-WitherKay

Thanks guys , i have in the hours since i wrote the post and now , gig time , changed the new strings with another new set in case it had any effect and then set the intonation again but instead of using harmonics on 12 th fret i found if i fretted the note and set the string to ring true with open string and fretted note at 12 fret the notes on string came to be more in tune but now the harmonics are off so not a fix just a way to get it playable for the gig , before it was so bad i would not have used it . But least it sounds fine now not perfect but fine . And yes mike i'm also wracking my head on who to take it to , and i too don't know who to trust with it , but also someone who can be quick as i can't have my guitars in the shop for days . But most frustrating to find an issue like this on a brand new relatively top end guitar . Scary , but yes other than this upset i'm over the moon with this tele . Peace k not a fix just a way to get it playable for the gig , before it was so bad i would not have used it . But least it sounds fine now not perfect but fine . And yes mike i'm also wracking my head on who to take it to , and i too don't know who to trust with it , but also someone who can be quick as i can't have my guitars in the shop for days . But most frustrating to find an issue like this on a brand new relatively top end guitar . Scary , but yes other than this upset i'm over the moon with this tele . Peace k

Norman86

CostaFonix in Sandringham...

He knows how to treat your guitar right ?

Jacquesg4j

Or since you are coming tp PTA, I will highly recommend Andries @ Musica Instruments in Atterbury! Super super tech!

MikeM

Jacquesg4j wrote Or since you are coming tp PTA, I will highly recommend Andries @ Musica Instruments in Atterbury! Super super tech!

I was actually quite disappointed with him. Took my classical to him to have the nut and bridge replaced and the bridge came back cracked in half.

Jacquesg4j

MikeM wrote
Jacquesg4j wrote Or since you are coming tp PTA, I will highly recommend Andries @ Musica Instruments in Atterbury! Super super tech!
I was actually quite disappointed with him. Took my classical to him to have the nut and bridge replaced and the bridge came back cracked in half.

Eish that's harsh! Did you confront him about it?

I have never had any issues in 6 years though!

MikeM

Well actually it was a guit I gave to my brother and he had it done. I only saw a couple weeks after and he said it was like that when he got it.

If he's not reliable with a R1k classical, not gonna trust him with a high end guitar.

ezietsman

@Keira, the 12th fret harmonic and open string WILL ALWAYS be the same note if the string is new. This is completely independent of intonation. You should check whether the 12th fret harmonic is the same pitch as the 12th fretted note. if not, you need to adjust the bridge until they are. If your open chords are out of tune, this can point to three things: 1. (Gearhead) Nut is too high, 2. Intonation is out (should only make a difference on higher barre chords) 3. You are squeezing those 9s sharp (I do this).

You can set the intonation yourself, no need for a tech to do this, however, the strings must be fresh and clean, very important. The nut will have to be done by a tech, if that is a problem.

Keira-WitherKay

ezietsman wrote @Keira, the 12th fret harmonic and open string WILL ALWAYS be the same note if the string is new. This is completely independent of intonation. You should check whether the 12th fret harmonic is the same pitch as the 12th fretted note. if not, you need to adjust the bridge until they are. If your open chords are out of tune, this can point to three things: 1. (Gearhead) Nut is too high, 2. Intonation is out (should only make a difference on higher barre chords) 3. You are squeezing those 9s sharp (I do this).

You can set the intonation yourself, no need for a tech to do this, however, the strings must be fresh and clean, very important. The nut will have to be done by a tech, if that is a problem.

thanks ezietsman , yes ....... to what you wrote......... i did to get the notes more in tune set the intonation by fretting the note on the 12th and adjusting ........ so thats was done .....and of course i set my own intonation on all my guitars so no prob there.......... and i tested it being careful not to over squeeze.so thats also checked off........and of course 1st thing i did when i bought the guitar was brand new strings ....... . the nut i have no idea on ......and as you said won't touch it and leave that for a tech ....... ........ so thanks for the post and i think i've done what you suggested..... and of course the guitar is much better now........ by far and playable i gigged it last night without cringing but still feel it can be fine tuned ....... so maybe if the nut is setup it will be fine....

StephenG

??? ??? cant help but recall how, not even 2 weeks ago, a certain fan boy was calling another forum member a liar for simply suggesting that some MIM guitars are better than some MIA guitars.. ??? ???

Keira-WitherKay

StephenG wrote ??? ??? cant help but recall how, not even 2 weeks ago, a certain fan boy was calling another forum member a liar for simply suggesting that some MIM guitars are better than some MIA guitars.. ??? ???

i recall the post and let me defend him, by saying this guitar is incredible and feels amazing ...this is not a build issue or a tone issue ... it's purely a setup issue.and clearly not a guitar prob so the fault prob lies at the store not setting up the guitars when they received them .....and not a factory fault.......... so this is not a case of a bad guitar but the lack of setup which should be done by either store or importers whoevers responsible for pre sale setup ............

i think it's hugely different ........ cos even i have said on occasion that i don't know anyone who owns a MIA who will swop it for any MIM ..even modded and if you don't believe me test it out ........ try find someone who will.....

pity you in ct or i would invite you to come play this guitar , feel and tone is well worth the extra money ...and i tried many mim and mij tele's on my quest and they don't come close...and yes i'm seriously pissed at the store for lack of setup but not at the guitar ... and i'm sure the store will sort it for me .this is only a teething prob.... nothing that'll effect the guitar in long term......

chris77

First of all, congrats on the new guitar. Glad you finally found one! I see however that you want to swop out the 6 saddle bridge for a 3 saddle one. Wouldn't it make sense to first do the mod and Then have it set-up properly? The intonation on those vintage 3-saddles jobbies are trickier to get right than any question by the missus concerning her weight can ever be. So why not wait until it's fitted and have everything sommer done at once?

Keira-WitherKay

chris77 wrote First of all, congrats on the new guitar. Glad you finally found one! I see however that you want to swop out the 6 saddle bridge for a 3 saddle one. Wouldn't it make sense to first do the mod and Then have it set-up properly? The intonation on those vintage 3-saddles jobbies are trickier to get right than any question by the missus concerning her weight can ever be. So why not wait until it's fitted and have everything sommer done at once?

makes sense chris but at moment i have no budget to mod ( ? or rather vintage ) this guitar for awhile........ this baby definitely took a healthy bite outa my disposable income ..... ?

Tokai-SA

ezietsman wrote @Keira, the 12th fret harmonic and open string WILL ALWAYS be the same note if the string is new. This is completely independent of intonation.

Phew!!!

Thank G-d someone picked that up, I was beginning to wonder. ?