The Big G Posted August 9, 2006 Share Posted August 9, 2006 Guys and Girls I fiddle with the set up on a couple of my guitars but I am never very sure if i improve them or not (most them play pretty good and not being a lead maniac i dont require a very low action), a few of my guitars I get set up by a luither and he does a great job. Firstly any good tips on setting up (especially on a LP) or do you think this is an area that should be left to the "professionals" i chop and change my mind about this all the time. Cheers G Love life, some twists and turns are more painful than others, but love life..... http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=592101 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billster Posted August 9, 2006 Share Posted August 9, 2006 You need a few special tools to do the best job. Check out Dan Erlewine\'s highly regarded guide book. You need a long enough straight-edge to check the fretboard relief and fall-away when adjusting a truss rod. Getting the truss rod dialed in correctly will allow you to make accurate intonation adjustments. Buy my CD on CD Baby! Bill Hartzell - the website MySpace?!?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caprae Posted August 9, 2006 Share Posted August 9, 2006 Do a search and you'll see that this has been covered ad nauseum. One of the threads recommended what is supposed to be the best book written on setting up, maintaining and repairing your guitar. You would do well to get it. Also give your luthier some extra cash to have him walk you through it when setting up the next guitar you take to him. Search the threads. Raise your children and spoil your grandchildren. Spoil your children and raise your grandchildren. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rock Soldier Posted August 9, 2006 Share Posted August 9, 2006 I have 15 guitars. If I paid someone to set them up I would need another job. I do all my own setup and am particular so if someone set one up for me I probably would not be happy with it. As you do setups, you get better at it and it gets easy to do. There are a lot of good how to's on line. Since I have been setting up my own guitars I have yet to find one in a music store that feels as good to me as one of mine. A.K.A. TRGuitar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miroslav Posted August 9, 2006 Share Posted August 9, 2006 It takes a few attempts at setups before you start to notice the subtle differences. Some people may not really notice WHAT they like/dislike about their setup...and they only know that it's "something"in which case a talk with a luthier will usually be the better approach. I use to think there was some "special" knowledge required to tweak a guitar...and then one day I decided to bite the bullet. I mean...it's not a difficult thing to do...I just needed to learn what the different adjustments will do to a guitar. A little reading and a little experimentation...and it all became quite easy rather quickly. I've been setting up all my guitars for awhile now...and heck, I can now notice the smallest climate related changes...so that during a session, if I pick up a guitar that just doesn't feel right...I'll give it a quick tweak...let it lay for about 15-20 minutes...and usually I'm ready to play after that. Do a little readingand then start off with small moves miroslav - miroslavmusic.com "Just because it happened to you, it doesn't mean it's important." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baronedo Posted August 9, 2006 Share Posted August 9, 2006 It is not difficult to set up your own guitar. Here are some guitar adjustments you can check and adjust as needed: Guitar Adjustments 1. Check the neck curvature and adjust it as follows. Tune the guitar and then put a capo on the first fret, depress the highest fret of the Low E string and with a .010 inch feeler gauge, check the clearance between the top of the 8th fret (i.e. 8th fret is about half way down the neck) and the bottom of the low E string. If the gap is less than .010 inch, the truss rod is too tight, which causes the neck to bow up toward the strings. Correct this by gently turning the truss rod screw counter-clockwise, no more than 1/8 turn at a time. If the gap is more than .010 inch, the truss rod is too loose, which causes the neck to bow away from the strings. Correct this by gently turning the truss rod screw clockwise, no more than 1/8 turn at a time. Retune, recheck and adjust to get a .010 inch gap, which will allow the neck to be set up for a low action, but still with enough bow to prevent fret buzzing. Note, if the truss rod is hard to adjust, dont force it. Rather, loosen your strings to alleviate pressure on the rod, then try to adjust it, then retune and check. When you have completed this adjustment, remove the capo. 2. Next, if your guitar has a trem, tune the guitar and check the amount of tilt on the trem bridge plate. If you have changed string gauges, the new strings may have moved the amount of tilt on this bridge plate, which can inhibit up tremming or down tremming. I set up my trems as recommended by Fender by measuring the gap between the bottom rear of the trem bridge plate and the top face of the guitar body. I try to get this gap to about 1/8 inch, which allows adequate tremming in both directions. To increase the gap, loosen the tension on the trem springs by removing the rear cover plate and turning the trem string bracket screws counterclockwise, then retune the guitar and re-measure. To decrease the gap, tighten these screws, retune and re-measure. 3. Next, with a straight measuring edge, check the string height gap from the top of the highest fret of each string to bottom of the string. Adjust the string saddles to get proper clearances. For my taste, I set the gap of my unwound strings (i.e. Hi E, B, and G) a little over 1/16 inch and the wound strings (D, A, Low E) about 3/32 inch (the wound strings need more clearance as their vibration path is wider). I use the above gaps as a guideline but I am striving to get a clean acoustic tone with no buzzing over the entire neck at the lowest possible string heights, so let you ears guide you. It is amazing how much easier and cleaner a guitar plays and sounds after a more uniform string height adjustment. 4. Lastly, check the string length/intonation of each string with an electronic tuner. Do his by playing the 12th fret harmonic note and then comparing it to the 12th fret octave note when played. If the note plays sharp compared to the harmonic, the string is too short so lengthen it by turning that string length bridge saddle adjustment screw clockwise. If the note plays flat compared to the harmonic, the string is too long so shorten it by turning that string length bridge saddle adjustment screw counter-clockwise. Retune and check until the intonation of each string is on. 5. After you set the intonation, it can change your string heights so go back to steps 3 and then 4 to recheck and readjust string heights and lengths if needed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Big G Posted August 9, 2006 Author Share Posted August 9, 2006 Thank you all for your help and tips I will continue to read and mess around until I am fluid in the art of setting up the guitar Cheers G Love life, some twists and turns are more painful than others, but love life..... http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=592101 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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