Guitar Setup: The #1 Job in Guitar Repair

Ever wonder why you pick up two identical guitars and one feels great and the other doesn’t? It’s usually due to a bad setup.

A guitar setup is the one repair that every guitar needs every so often. Some people do this seasonally, some once a year, or just when things get buzzy or tuning gets funky. It’s highly recommended, even with new guitars, since every player has a different touch, and the factory only sets it up to be a decent average, or in some cases they rely on the seller to adjust, and we all know how hit-or-miss that can be!

So what’s first? The Truss Rod.

We start by adjusting the straightness of the neck. The best sounding guitars have an almost perfectly straight neck. This rigidity offers the best tone and function.

Next up, we do saddle height.

Measure…

Then adjust…

Each string matches the radius (curvature) of the fretboard, with graduated height from high e to low E. I use slightly different measurements than factory spec to get a true professional grade height and feel.

Next up is nut slots. This is the most important step, and the one I see done incorrectly most of the time. These must be cut to presice depths, within a few thousandths, in order for your guitar to feel great. Too low, they buzz, too high, and there is nothing that can be done at the bridge or truss rod to compensate for incorrect nut height.

This guage measures thousandths of an inch for true precision, and this is where the true magic happens.

Next up is intonation. This makes each string play in tune across the guitar, or at least as close to in tune as guitars can be. It’s always a bit of a compromise and can be adjusted for each player.

Setting string length for intonation.

Now we’re mostly playing great! Time for the final touches. Pickup heights are next.

I use a solid starting point and do these by ear so that you get a tone difference but not a volume difference ideally.

While we’re at it, let’s clean those scratchy pots.

No more crackle.

Ok final touches… here we play the guitar and test for additonal items. I do include dressing sharp fret ends with my setups. We round these over for a played in and comfortable feel. I want your guitar to be stage ready and very comfortable, so this is included.

Some rosewood or ebony boards may need oil, and this will be done as well.

Thanks for reading this far! Now the guitar is playing GREAT!!