Does your guitar sound OK ?

When I first started playing electrics - there was no computers or Forums like this - there was nothing
I didn't realise ( naive as I was at 16 ) that guitar string lengths need to be set up at the bridge
This is done with the aid of a electronic guitar tuner and adjusting individual string lengths on the bridge siuated on the body of the guitar - this adjustment is known as ' Intonation '
If this is not set up correctly the instrument will always sound ' Horrid '

It's true.

Um....... ok

The bridge string length adjusment is to allow for different tunings

For instance :Thin LIzzy tuned down all their strings by 1/2 step - their open string tunings were

E flat - B flat - G flat - D flat -A flat - E flat

This gave then a lower rockier sound and the lower string tension would make their ' string bending ' easier

Jimi Hendrix also used this tuning

In both cases the bridge Intonation would have been adjusted to suit

Otherwise the physics of the neck would be incorrect

Tis true, intonation is important.

yup, for a very long time I didnt know what intonation was, let alone how to fix it.

I would do an octave chord on the 2nd fret A string and it would be in tune, then slide it up to the 10th fret or 12th fret, and it would sound awful and out of tune. For awhile I just thought I had a crappy guitar and thats all there was to it.

And then I found this video(s) when I bought my PRS, it changed my life:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xV8kMUB8n4c
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jfakcKV_2A&feature=related

Its the in's and out's of setting up a guitar that's fresh off the line. I did this to all my guitars, and I was one very happy guitarist.