USA ASAT Classic Custom- intonation/saddle screw woes

[joshoptical]

Hey everyone, wondering if anyone else has run into this issue with their six saddle non-locking ASAT bridge.

Note: guitarist of 23 years, set up my own and others’ guitars for over a dozen. Not to say I know everything but I’m not a novice so my issue is not the result of ignorance at least in this case!

While doing my first full setup since buying the guitar a few months back, I went to work on the intonation. We’re talking basic 10-46 D’Addarios here, nothing extreme.

5 saddles required little-no adjustment, but the low E was extremely sharp. To intonate it correctly the saddle has to be shifted way, way back. No big deal- until I went to bend the low E. Just past a half-step bend, the string sizzled and choked out- because it was touching the saddle screw, most of it now exposed and hanging out in the air there. Those of you with these bridges know the saddle screws are angled upwards, they’re not level to the body.

I compromised and pushed the saddle forward enough that I could get my whole to 1.5 step bends without problem, but I’ll need to saw off part of the screw to correctly intonate the guitar.

This guitar has a great vibe, feel, and tone. Just need to solve this and a nasty high E open string sizzle due to the lack of break angle over that string- and perhaps a less than perfectly cut nut.

Anyone else run into this?