Intonation doesn't change on PRS SE 245

[prsguy]

I've tried setting the intonation on my guitar. Adjusting the hex screws did change the strings pitch (so the mechanism itself works fine) but the intonation itself didn't seem to change (it was a few cents sharp on the high e).
Not adjusting enough isn't the case here, trust me. No matter how much I turned it, the intonation stayed the same.
Possible solutions?

 

[Going Modal]

Just a thought, after you adjust the intonation, you will still need to stretch/relax/re-tune each string before measuring its pitch & intonation again. Particularly if it's registering sharp, which means that you're adjusting the bridge a little but away, and that alone will pull the string sharp as you adjust (in some cases, very much so).

Best practice I've found is to measure/evaluate your intonation, then drop the pitch/tension across all strings (for a 1-piece bridge) or at least the 1 you're measuring (for individual saddles) in order to make adjustments easier. After adjusting the bridge or saddle, then stretch/exercise the string a little bit, tune back up to pitch, and re-measure. Rinse & repeat as necessary. Yes, I find it to be maddeningly repetitive and can sometimes take forever.

 

[Broseph]

Did you adjust the screws on the back of the studs? This helps increase the distance of the overall bridge and can correct yourself for when you run out of room on the saddles

 

[ViperDoc]

I've tried setting the intonation on my guitar. Adjusting the hex screws did change the strings pitch (so the mechanism itself works fine) but the intonation itself didn't seem to change (it was a few cents sharp on the high e).
Not adjusting enough isn't the case here, trust me. No matter how much I turned it, the intonation stayed the same.
Possible solutions?

When you say "hex screws", do you mean the two per saddle on each side of the string? That will only adjust string height at the saddle. Those heights are ideally graduated to match your fingerboard radius and should only be carefully adjusted.

To adjust intonation, adjust the Phillips screw for each saddle at the back of the bridge. This will adjust the resting scale length of each string. When adjusting, sometimes the screw thread will engage the bridge body and not be fully seated. You should press firmly on the Phillips screw head after each adjustment to make sure the saddle is properly adjusted before testing. Confirm proper position by aligning the pitch of the resting 12th fret harmonic and the fretted 12th fret note. Best if using a strobe tuner, but it's not critical.

 

[prsguy]

the bridge is a stop-tail with 2 studs and 2 hex posts for intonation

 

[prsguy]

it doesn't have any saddles

 

[Broseph]

Apologies. I thought it was Intonatable version.

What’s your relief and action? I find on some SEs that’s too low will cause it not to intonate properly

 

[ViperDoc]

the bridge is a stop-tail with 2 studs and 2 hex posts for intonation

WELL, THAT CHANGES THINGS.

You should be able to change the intonation, though, so long as the bridge is not fully seated into the posts, and you have adjustment screws that are long enough. The adjustment screw length will determine your range. Try driving the screws in further. Perhaps they're not applying pressure yet? Good luck.

 

[prsguy]

All right, i found what the problem was and it's unrelated to the mechanism. apparently it came with a high nut which makes some strings go sharp when fretting, so no anount of bridge intonation would really fx it

 

[show_a_little_faith]

All right, i found what the problem was and it's unrelated to the mechanism. apparently it came with a high nut which makes some strings go sharp when fretting, so no anount of bridge intonation would really fx it

Nut files to the rescue!