Getting a setup...

misterwhizzy

Well-known member
Maybe my number one can play a little better. Talked to the tech for about half an hour. Seemed real cool and knowledgeable. It's been a long time since I've had it done professionally.
 
Re: Getting a setup...

I need to give all my geetars a good setup. especially my current backup.
 
Re: Getting a setup...

I started learning a little over 10 years ago, how to do my own setups. It's saved me a lot of money since then and I highly recommend it to any guitarist to take the time and go and learn how to do their own as well.
 
Re: Getting a setup...

I just crowned, filed, and polished my frets on my #1, intonation, nut work. Unbelievable how nice it plays now! Almost can't even feel the frets as I play. The phrase..."smooth as butter" comes to mind, but it's more like..."smooth as 5W-30".
 
Re: Getting a setup...

A good tech is worth the effort. Getting the action just right so that the guitar is easiest for YOU to play with no (or very little) buzz is a great thing.

I haven't found a suitable tech yet so I'm still my own. It takes a lot of investment in order to be able to properly maintain an instrument. But its' a zen kind of thing. Once you get started you get caught up in it & then you're in life.

Good Luck
 
Re: Getting a setup...

I would recommend Dans book. There is a lot of really good usable information I was fortunate to have a very close personal friend who just happens to god a Master luthier. He taught me a lot and I thank him for it. I setup all my guitars and they all play the way I like them to or the way the guitar WANTS to be played. Some guitars you will never get to play the way you want but they just play and sound better in a specific adjustment. I have a Tele that just comes alive when the action is a bit higher than I would prefer but when I lower it. It kind of dies. I raise it back up a bit and boom there it is. It's funny but once you get this you will feel the guitar better
 
Re: Getting a setup...

The best things I learned how to do with the guitar was properly adjusting the truss rod and setting action/intonation. It really is such a personal thing.
 
Re: Getting a setup...

Work on the principle that every guitar needs a setup when you get it. The chances of them being setup to you right out of the box, are as near nil as you can get. And yes, get Dan's book, worth every penny.
 
Re: Getting a setup...

I just crowned, filed, and polished my frets on my #1, intonation, nut work. Unbelievable how nice it plays now! Almost can't even feel the frets as I play. The phrase..."smooth as butter" comes to mind, but it's more like..."smooth as 5W-30".

Yeah, you just can't beat the way bends feel on newly done frets ;)
 
Re: Getting a setup...

Got it back yesterday, and I went to play it and realized there was something wrong with the bridge pickup. Meaning it didn't put out any sound. Well, a tiny bit. I don't know how it was right before, but some solder had gotten down around the base of the bridge volume pot and grounded out the signal. You've probably figured out by now that I found it and fixed it.

What I want to ask now is why I waited so long to get it done. It plays phenomenally, sounds great, and instead of fighting with the guitar, I can just relax and play it. I had almost forgotten how much fun it is with a finely-tuned instrument. I'm going to have to make this a regular thing.
 
Re: Getting a setup...

Dans book is good, I've owned a few copies and memorized everything in it- though the section on Floyd Rose equipped guitars is a bit sparse
 
Re: Getting a setup...

I was always somewhat skiddish about doing my own setups..but no one knows how you want an instrument to play like you do. Do research, read read read and then get to tinkering. Once you learn how to do things yourself its priceless. Dont be afraid to try. Small turns is key when adjusting a truss rod. You arent going to do major damage as long as you remember that one small piece of info.
 
Back
Top