T
theodie
Guest
I decided to do a tutorial for you folks that like to set up your own guitars. IMO the notched straightedge is the most vital tool to have to set up a guitar and you can make it yourself in about an hour or 2. One cant properly setup a guitar consistantly without one. If one does not have one adjusting the truss rod becomes more or less a guessing game. Here we go.
Tools and items you will need,
Aluminum yard stick (available at any hardware store)
Hacksaw
Dremel Tool
Wire wheel Dremal bit
Small round cutting Dremel bit, (check pictures)
Small round swiss file
Feeler guages
220 sandpaper
Permanet marker
Small Vise
Here is a pic of some of the items
Start out but cutting the Yard Stck to length of your entire neck with the hacksaw. Lay the cut to length straight edge on your fretboard and mark the fret locations
Next, after the fret locations are marked, place the straight edge in the vise and use the Dremel and the cutter to start grinding the notches. When starting the notches, start them left of center of the marks becasue of the direction the dremal rotates in the notches will grind more to the right. I recomend using speed 2 until the notches are started. After they are started you can turn up the speed and do it faster. Hold the dremel with 2 hands and try not to let it get away from you. It will kick a bit now and again.
After all notches are finished, gently test fit the straight edge on the fretboard and make sure it fits (you may have to go back and grind here and there a bit more). I can stress the gentle part enough since there will be burrs from grinding. Once the notches are complete, use the small file to smooth the inside of the notches. After that is complete, use the wire brush to take care of any burrs on the straight edge. When that is complete, gently use 220 sandpaper on the part of the straight edge that goes against the fretboard to make sure it is smooth. When that is complete, it is ready to use.
You can see the relief in the fretboard in this picture of a PRS,
Here are some factory specs to go by and here is where the feeler guages come into play,
American Strat, tele, 25.5 scale, Relief .001 at the 8th fret
Gibson ES 335, (will work for LP also), 24.75 scale, no relief at 8th fret
Martin 28 series, 25.4 scale, .002 at 8th fret
Fender Bass, .014 at 7th fret
PRS, 25 scale, .004 at 8th fret
These are ballpark numbers. In my experience they have been dead on the money but, different string guages and such "may" require a "bit" different specs. Set the relief just as the specs say, dont worry about what it is doing at the 12th fret!
Also, this tool is great for checking for defects in your fretboard (highspots and low spots).
Tools and items you will need,
Aluminum yard stick (available at any hardware store)
Hacksaw
Dremel Tool
Wire wheel Dremal bit
Small round cutting Dremel bit, (check pictures)
Small round swiss file
Feeler guages
220 sandpaper
Permanet marker
Small Vise
Here is a pic of some of the items
Start out but cutting the Yard Stck to length of your entire neck with the hacksaw. Lay the cut to length straight edge on your fretboard and mark the fret locations
Next, after the fret locations are marked, place the straight edge in the vise and use the Dremel and the cutter to start grinding the notches. When starting the notches, start them left of center of the marks becasue of the direction the dremal rotates in the notches will grind more to the right. I recomend using speed 2 until the notches are started. After they are started you can turn up the speed and do it faster. Hold the dremel with 2 hands and try not to let it get away from you. It will kick a bit now and again.
After all notches are finished, gently test fit the straight edge on the fretboard and make sure it fits (you may have to go back and grind here and there a bit more). I can stress the gentle part enough since there will be burrs from grinding. Once the notches are complete, use the small file to smooth the inside of the notches. After that is complete, use the wire brush to take care of any burrs on the straight edge. When that is complete, gently use 220 sandpaper on the part of the straight edge that goes against the fretboard to make sure it is smooth. When that is complete, it is ready to use.
You can see the relief in the fretboard in this picture of a PRS,
Here are some factory specs to go by and here is where the feeler guages come into play,
American Strat, tele, 25.5 scale, Relief .001 at the 8th fret
Gibson ES 335, (will work for LP also), 24.75 scale, no relief at 8th fret
Martin 28 series, 25.4 scale, .002 at 8th fret
Fender Bass, .014 at 7th fret
PRS, 25 scale, .004 at 8th fret
These are ballpark numbers. In my experience they have been dead on the money but, different string guages and such "may" require a "bit" different specs. Set the relief just as the specs say, dont worry about what it is doing at the 12th fret!
Also, this tool is great for checking for defects in your fretboard (highspots and low spots).
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