Hi seedo,
All I meant was that you should be pressing the strings down (with your left hand) (fretting) directly downwards and not pushing them to the left or the right -(bending).
If you are playing them properly and it still sounds horrible - it could be that your string length adjustment is out - this is adjusted on the bridge on the body of the guitar - to do it properly you will need an electronic tuner.
An electronic tuner is a wise investment for any guitarist
The string length adjustment is known as 'intonation'.
With a tuner you can tune the open strings and then play the string on the 12th fret where the note re-occurs an octave higher
For instance the thick string should be E and on the twelth fret it should be a higher E - this is true for all six strings
If this adjustment is not properly set up - the guitar will sound horrid.
If you don't want to attempt it yourself a reputable guitar shop will set the bridge up for you for a small fee
if you always take the lazy route
The Devil knows your every move ![COLOR=RoyalBlue]