stiff tele

I set the intonation on my tele and had to move the saddles pretty far back to get it so that the note didn't go sharp when fretted so now all my saddles are back pretty far and I get this very steep break angle off the saddle into the string through. The intonation is pretty good now, but my guitar now feels really really stiff. I swear it feels like i went up a string gauge. I don't much like how it feels now.... Could it be that moving the saddles back created a greater stiffness? The guitar plays real rough now and bending is really a chore.

I am imagining this? Is this possible? It seems like a totally different guitar now and, while in tune, is really tough to play.

There are three angles that can be adjusted on a tele.
The first is the angle that the string break over the saddle. Now that you moved the saddles back so that it's intonate correctly the angle is too probability greater than 30 deg so the why the strings feel stiffer. So let look and the second angle, the headstock. Here the string angle that break off the nut should also not be greater than 30 deg. This is easier to adjust. First look at the winds on the tuners. The "E" and "A" strings only need 1 and 1/2 to 2 full warps around the tuners, no more. The "D" string can have 3 to 4 full wraps around the tuners. The unwound strings should have no more than 6 full warps around the tuners. Now if you have a string tree on the headstock you can adjust the height so that those strings have a 30 deg angle by using a 4-40 nut under the string tree to rise them up. Finally there is the angle that the neck joints the body. When I build or setup a guitar I like the 17th that where most neck line up with the edge of the body to be the highest fret. Then using the string as a level plain the neck should slope down and away from the strings at a 10 to 15 deg angle. This can usually be achieve my cracking down hard on the two neck screws at the very end of the neck. If not you might have to add a shim at the very top of the neck pocket under the 17th fret. By achieving this angle you should be able to lower the height of the saddles and decrease the angle the strings break over them.
I have found these angles make 99 % of my customers happy the other 1% are lead singers.:lol:

I am imagining this? Is this possible? It seems like a totally different guitar now and, while in tune, is really tough to play.

No, that's exactly how I "feel" a Tele with a very steep break angle.

Put a shim in the neck pocket at the side facing the headstock.
This will increease the string action.
Now with this higher string action you can move the saddles down again
which will result in a flatter break angle at the saddles.

You should find out why the saddles all have to move back.
Very high action will cause this because the strings are too far from
the fretboard.

Do you squeeze very tightly when fretting? remember the strings must
contact the frets,it's not necessary to press to the fingerboard.

If the neck has some relief,as it should,achieving an action height
of 1/16 of an inch above the frets is easy.This is measured at the upper
frets as well. If this feels "stiff" to you, perhaps some pushups or
a bigger breakfast is in order:rolleyes:

What model Tele is this, or what type/model of bridge?

American Standards, American Series and 2000 or newer Indonesian Squier Standards have a steep break angle at the saddles to begin with. In fact the string though holes on those Indonesian Squiers are at essentially the same location as on those American Teles.

Depending on the model Tele and the type/model bridge, you might be able to mod it to topload the strings, that would get you a less steep break angle at the saddles.

Did anyone see that GE Smith Fender video? He claims that cutting the bridge down like on the GE Smith Model Tele will make it play less stiff. I don't see how it could, unless some weird magnetic thing happens. But GE knows teles, thats for sure.

Move your saddles back BEFORE you put the strings on. When you keep moving them back to compensate for sharpness , you're putting the now distorted part of the string in the speaking length and it will never intonate properly.

String brands feel different as well. I recently tried some ghs pure nickel strings and was fighting like a madmen. I then went back to D'addario brand and the guitar came back to normal. The difference in feel was very noticeable.
My 2 cents.

It is my MIA tele.

I couldn't take it... I had a gig Sat and it was just murder to play that thing so last night i took it apart. First thing i noticed was that there was finish in the neck over the microtilt that cracked and broke apart, that would explain why the microtilt slipped (though they slip anyway)...

I put a business card in there, popped the neck back on, put the old brass saddles back on there in the original spot and then put the strings on, tuned up and adjusted the truss.

Tonight i will tune up and set the intonation and hope that the saddles are not so far back this time.