Your article about intonation was very informative. Wish I knew about you before buying my guitar.

Question, would a lower saddle change intonation from a higher saddle?

I've lost the original saddle to make a comparison. I am more aware now that the Et, B & G strings get flatter going up the finger board--especially the Et. Right now I compenate by tuning these open strings a bit sharp to be in tune higher up, but it's driving me crazy!!! I shouldn't have to do this to such a nice guitar.

The D, A and Eb are perfect. Would love to hear you before I try to make a new saddle that would shorten the treble string distances.

Thanks for listening - Dennis M. Rief, Miller Place, NY

Answer: >...would a lower saddle change intonation from a higher saddle?<  It could, but it would take quite a bit of saddle lowering (say, 1/16"or more) to make the change audible if the intonation is accurate to begin with.  However, if intonation on any of the strings is already flat higher up on the fingerboard, lowering the saddle just a little will increase the flatness...and make it more noticeable.

Everything you tell me indicates that the saddle on your guitar is OVERcompensated, i.e. too much setback.  (This is unusual: typically compensation is too little.)   I also suspect from what you say that the compensation is uniform, or nearly so, for all strings; I'd be surprised to find out that there is a treble-bass back slant in the saddle slot.  If the saddle break points for the flat strings are substantially back from the front of the saddle, it may be possible to make a new saddle with break points set forward to create the correct nut-saddle distance specified in my intonation article.  However, if the flat-string break points are at or very near the front of the saddle (and I'd be surprised if they weren't), it would be necessary to fill and re-cut the saddle slot (assuming there is enough wood on the forward side of the saddle block for this) to create room for correct compensation.