RedDrZ18
Junior Member
- Joined
- Nov 30, 2010
- Messages
- 12
- Reaction score
- 9
#1
Before doing anything to your instrument, there are a myriad of problems that must be checked for, and if any of them are present, you must take your instrument to an experienced repair professional. Check your frets for wear. Worn frets will contribute to buzz and bad intonation. A good fret should have an even, uniform surface with no dimples or low spots. Another issue to check for is neck warp. Look down the neck toward the headstock and any twists or odd shapes will become apparent. Check the mechanical condition of your tuning pegs. They should be tight and turn smoothly. Check your bridge hardware for rusty screws and corrosion. After thoroughly checking everything on the guitar, you may proceed.
#2
It all begins with strings. Now that you're going to be doing your own set-up work, it's time for you to start knowing the differences between string materials, gauges, and tensions. It's also important that you pick a specific type of string and stick with it on that particular instrument. Your guitar will quite literally be set-up entirely around the strings you put on it. Even though different manufacturers offer the same gauge strings, the tension each string exerts on the neck will vary considerably between different brands. Put it this way: switching gauges or even brands requires a full setup to bring your guitar back into its best playing condition. You'll also find that certain strings work better with certain guitars; there's nothing wrong with this. For example, my Strat uses .010-.046 Fender Nickel Wound Original Bullets, but my Ibanez Joe Satriani uses .009-.042 DR Tite Fits.
Yes, it is a cumbersome process finding the right set of strings, but for starting out I recommend DR Tite-Fit strings. Unless you've already developed a gauge preference, I recommend starting at .010-.046.
#3
Next, we're going to determine the type of bridge on the guitar; this will dictate our setup procedure. As far as bridges go, there are three main types you'll encounter: the "Fender" type, the "Gibson" or tune-o-matic type, and the Floyd Rose. The first two are rather easy to work with, but the Floyd Rose is a complex mechanism and is outside the scope of this article. The Fender type is a single-piece bridge that lays flat against the body, and the Gibson type consists of two pieces which are usually elevated off of the body.
Keep an eye out for my tutorial on setting up a Floyd Rose tremolo.
#4
Now time to jump in! First, we're going to remove the old strings. (There are some people who believe in old, dull, rusty strings, but I must insist that strings be replaced at least every other month or until the strings lose their "shine". Strings don't "get better" as they decay, they only lose tone, sparkle, and resonance as they age.) Loosen the strings until they're slack then cut them near the headstock. Depending on who last installed strings on your guitar, the pieces of string wrapped around the tuning posts will likely be a jumbled mess. Take your time unraveling these and be extremely careful because you'll likely encounter string bits that are needle sharp and can cause painful puncture wounds. After removing the string bits from the headstock, the long ends of the strings should pull right out of the bridge. On Gibson-style bridges, the strings pull right out of the tailpiece, but on Fender-style bridges, you often have to pull the strings out of the back of the guitar. There is an access panel on the back of these guitars for this very purpose which may have to be removed. (I recommend just getting rid of the damned thing, it's useless and requires you to have a screw driver to do an emergency string change.)
#5
Now that your strings are removed, first thing's first! Clean that guitar down! For most of the dirt and fuzz, a damp paper towel will suffice, followed by thorough drying with a soft towel. For the final polish, I recommend Legend guitar polish, because it actually lifts dirt off of the finish. Apply the Legend to all finished surfaces on the guitar body (NOT the neck, pickups or pick guard!) with a soft cloth. Rub on a thin coat and allow the polish to dry to a white haze, then wipe off with another clean, soft cloth and buff to a shine.
#6
After the last step, your instrument should be looking pretty sharp. At this point I'd like to mention that the neck of your guitar accumulates a lot of sweat, oils, and corrosion which should be cleaned as well. Cleaning your neck is a tricky proposition because the correct cleaning procedure depends on the neck wood and finish, and how dry the wood is. The general rule of thumb is that rosewood and ebony fingerboards should be scrubbed down with alcohol as many times as it takes to remove all the grit, then coated with lemon oil repeatedly until the wood soaks up no more, after which you'd rub off the excess and buff the neck. With a varnished maple fingerboard, you'd merely scrub off the grit with alcohol.
#7
Now that your guitar is all clean and polished, it's time to install your new strings. Before you do this, shoot a tiny amount of nut sauce into your nut slots and string saddles. This will greatly improve tuning stability. If you figured out how to remove the strings according to your bridge type, it should be apparent how to install them. There's only one right way to wind the string around the tuning post, but there are many wrong ways. First and foremost, make sure you're winding the right way! The string should generally be in line with its corresponding nut slot. Pull the string completely through the tuning post, then pull back about 1.5-2 inches slack. Crimp the free end of the string against the tuning post by bending with your finger. Wind the tuning peg. The string winder will help you immensely in this endeavor. Make sure that your string wraps all go LOWER than the previous one. Bring the strings up to proper tension and pitch using your tuner. Now would also be a good time to snip off your untidy string ends.
#8
Next, it's time to stretch your strings. This oft-skipped step is extremely important for being able to accurately set the intonation. Tune each string to tension and bend it about a step up at the 12th fret. Do one string at a time. Repeat until the string bends without losing pitch. Getting this preliminary stretching out of the way now will almost eliminate the "break-in" time that is required for the strings to stabilize.
(Note: DR strings come with a note that says not to stretch them. Far be it for me to go against a string maker, but in my experience even DR's benefit from stretching.)
#9
Next we're going to check if the neck needs adjusting, and adjust it if necessary. In the neck, what you're adjusting is the truss rod. This rod counters the pull of the strings and keeps the neck from bowing inward. Any adjustments made to the truss rod should be performed with the utmost care. Only adjust 1/10 turn at a time and check your measurements. Some old-timers recommend letting the neck acclimate to the new setting for 24 hours between adjustments, but in my experience the neck adjusts almost immediately, and letting the neck settle for 24 hours produces less than a thousandth of an inch difference. Start by measuring your neck's current bow. This is done by simply sitting in your natural playing position, fretting the G string on the first and last frets (thereby creating a straight edge), and checking the clearance under the 7th fret. This may require three hands, but a capo on the first fret will work just as well. The measurement is taken with your feeler gauge. You're shooting for a value of .005". If it's more, you're going to have to tighten the truss rod. If it's less, you're going to loosen it. After a while, you'll be able to "eyeball it", but since this is your first time, stick to hard numbers. Actually adjusting the truss rod isn't that hard, but the location of the adjusting nut varies from guitar to guitar. On almost all modern models, the adjusting nut is found on the headstock. Most guitars require an Allen wrench to make this adjustment, but every Gibson I've encountered requires a specific type of hex wrench.
NOTE: Make sure your guitar is tuned to correct pitch whenever making these adjustments.
#10
Now that your neck is all set, you're ready to adjust your string heights. This is one setting that's entirely dependent on the player's discretion. Feel free to experiment! On a Gibson-style bridge, the adjustment is very simple. One screw at each end of the tail piece adjusts the overall height of the bridge; you can't adjust the string heights individually. On a Fender-style bridge, each string height is adjusted individually. If this is the case, make sure all of the strings are the same distance off of the neck. They should curve slightly with the radius. A good starting point for the string heights is 1/8" from the top of the 12th fret. You can raise or lower this later depending on your preference. It goes without saying, take most of the tension off of the strings before performing this adjustment. Also keep in mind that if you like extremely high action, your intonation will be adversely affected by such.
ATTENTION STRAT PLAYERS:
If your guitar has a Strat-style tremolo, you must adjust this as well when performing a set-up. These tremolos are adjusted by removing the rear access panel and turning the screws attached to the springs, or adding/removing springs. If you want tremolo action, Fender stipulates that the rear of the bridge should be 1/8" off of the body at pitch. If you don't want to use the trem to increase tuning stability, add more springs and/or tighten the screws until you pull the bridge flush with the body. You must adjust your string heights to accommodate this modification.
#11
Now we're going to adjust the intonation. The intonation is simply how in-tune every note is relative to every other note. Luckily, this is a simple adjustment. It's adjusted by turning the screw in each string saddle. To check your intonation, you need a relatively accurate tuner or a good ear. Pluck the 12th fret harmonic and make sure that's in tune. Then, play the note on the 12th fret and see if it's different. If it's sharp, you're going to TIGHTEN the screw on the string saddle, thereby increasing the length of the string. If it's flat, you're going to LOOSEN the screw. Again, take about 50% of the tension off of the string before performing this adjustment. Repeat this procedure with every string. Congratulations! Your instrument is properly intonated.
#12
The final step is to adjust your pickups. This is something that will only need adjusting once and according to your preferences. There are two things to remember about adjusting pickups. First, the closer they are to the strings, the more the bass will "boom", but the midrange will develop an irritating howl and the magnets will kill a lot of the strings' sustain. If the pickups are too far away, they'll sound tinny and very quiet, and you'll lose a lot of harmonics. The ideal way to adjust your pickups is so that you get maximum overall volume, equal volume between the strings, and don't lose any of your sustain or create mid-range howl. Of course, your ears must be your guide throughout this process. The pickups are adjusted using the screws at either end of the pickup. Careful, though. In some exotic configurations, the pickup is mounted directly to the body and isn't adjustable. Also, be VERY careful not to loosen the adjustment screw too much. If the screw comes out of the pickup, it's almost impossible to get it back in without unstringing the guitar and disassembling the body. Humbuckers should generally be set so they're level with the body of the guitar and adjusted in equal increments. Some specialty humbuckers have adjustable pole pieces that allow you to adjust each string height individually. Single coil pickups can be adjusted unevenly with some success. A lot of players, myself included, like to adjust the treble side of a single-coil pickup slightly higher. Again, experiment until you find the best possible sound.
I recommend adjusting them very low to start then raising them in 1/16" increments. The only way to do this is while you're playing. Use your normal amp settings, be it clean or death metal crunch. It'll quickly become very apparent how these adjustments will change your sound.
#13
Congratulations! I hope your first set-up was a success. Plug in, turn it up to 11, and rock out!
Before doing anything to your instrument, there are a myriad of problems that must be checked for, and if any of them are present, you must take your instrument to an experienced repair professional. Check your frets for wear. Worn frets will contribute to buzz and bad intonation. A good fret should have an even, uniform surface with no dimples or low spots. Another issue to check for is neck warp. Look down the neck toward the headstock and any twists or odd shapes will become apparent. Check the mechanical condition of your tuning pegs. They should be tight and turn smoothly. Check your bridge hardware for rusty screws and corrosion. After thoroughly checking everything on the guitar, you may proceed.
#2
It all begins with strings. Now that you're going to be doing your own set-up work, it's time for you to start knowing the differences between string materials, gauges, and tensions. It's also important that you pick a specific type of string and stick with it on that particular instrument. Your guitar will quite literally be set-up entirely around the strings you put on it. Even though different manufacturers offer the same gauge strings, the tension each string exerts on the neck will vary considerably between different brands. Put it this way: switching gauges or even brands requires a full setup to bring your guitar back into its best playing condition. You'll also find that certain strings work better with certain guitars; there's nothing wrong with this. For example, my Strat uses .010-.046 Fender Nickel Wound Original Bullets, but my Ibanez Joe Satriani uses .009-.042 DR Tite Fits.
Yes, it is a cumbersome process finding the right set of strings, but for starting out I recommend DR Tite-Fit strings. Unless you've already developed a gauge preference, I recommend starting at .010-.046.
#3
Next, we're going to determine the type of bridge on the guitar; this will dictate our setup procedure. As far as bridges go, there are three main types you'll encounter: the "Fender" type, the "Gibson" or tune-o-matic type, and the Floyd Rose. The first two are rather easy to work with, but the Floyd Rose is a complex mechanism and is outside the scope of this article. The Fender type is a single-piece bridge that lays flat against the body, and the Gibson type consists of two pieces which are usually elevated off of the body.
Keep an eye out for my tutorial on setting up a Floyd Rose tremolo.
#4
Now time to jump in! First, we're going to remove the old strings. (There are some people who believe in old, dull, rusty strings, but I must insist that strings be replaced at least every other month or until the strings lose their "shine". Strings don't "get better" as they decay, they only lose tone, sparkle, and resonance as they age.) Loosen the strings until they're slack then cut them near the headstock. Depending on who last installed strings on your guitar, the pieces of string wrapped around the tuning posts will likely be a jumbled mess. Take your time unraveling these and be extremely careful because you'll likely encounter string bits that are needle sharp and can cause painful puncture wounds. After removing the string bits from the headstock, the long ends of the strings should pull right out of the bridge. On Gibson-style bridges, the strings pull right out of the tailpiece, but on Fender-style bridges, you often have to pull the strings out of the back of the guitar. There is an access panel on the back of these guitars for this very purpose which may have to be removed. (I recommend just getting rid of the damned thing, it's useless and requires you to have a screw driver to do an emergency string change.)
#5
Now that your strings are removed, first thing's first! Clean that guitar down! For most of the dirt and fuzz, a damp paper towel will suffice, followed by thorough drying with a soft towel. For the final polish, I recommend Legend guitar polish, because it actually lifts dirt off of the finish. Apply the Legend to all finished surfaces on the guitar body (NOT the neck, pickups or pick guard!) with a soft cloth. Rub on a thin coat and allow the polish to dry to a white haze, then wipe off with another clean, soft cloth and buff to a shine.
#6
After the last step, your instrument should be looking pretty sharp. At this point I'd like to mention that the neck of your guitar accumulates a lot of sweat, oils, and corrosion which should be cleaned as well. Cleaning your neck is a tricky proposition because the correct cleaning procedure depends on the neck wood and finish, and how dry the wood is. The general rule of thumb is that rosewood and ebony fingerboards should be scrubbed down with alcohol as many times as it takes to remove all the grit, then coated with lemon oil repeatedly until the wood soaks up no more, after which you'd rub off the excess and buff the neck. With a varnished maple fingerboard, you'd merely scrub off the grit with alcohol.
#7
Now that your guitar is all clean and polished, it's time to install your new strings. Before you do this, shoot a tiny amount of nut sauce into your nut slots and string saddles. This will greatly improve tuning stability. If you figured out how to remove the strings according to your bridge type, it should be apparent how to install them. There's only one right way to wind the string around the tuning post, but there are many wrong ways. First and foremost, make sure you're winding the right way! The string should generally be in line with its corresponding nut slot. Pull the string completely through the tuning post, then pull back about 1.5-2 inches slack. Crimp the free end of the string against the tuning post by bending with your finger. Wind the tuning peg. The string winder will help you immensely in this endeavor. Make sure that your string wraps all go LOWER than the previous one. Bring the strings up to proper tension and pitch using your tuner. Now would also be a good time to snip off your untidy string ends.
#8
Next, it's time to stretch your strings. This oft-skipped step is extremely important for being able to accurately set the intonation. Tune each string to tension and bend it about a step up at the 12th fret. Do one string at a time. Repeat until the string bends without losing pitch. Getting this preliminary stretching out of the way now will almost eliminate the "break-in" time that is required for the strings to stabilize.
(Note: DR strings come with a note that says not to stretch them. Far be it for me to go against a string maker, but in my experience even DR's benefit from stretching.)
#9
Next we're going to check if the neck needs adjusting, and adjust it if necessary. In the neck, what you're adjusting is the truss rod. This rod counters the pull of the strings and keeps the neck from bowing inward. Any adjustments made to the truss rod should be performed with the utmost care. Only adjust 1/10 turn at a time and check your measurements. Some old-timers recommend letting the neck acclimate to the new setting for 24 hours between adjustments, but in my experience the neck adjusts almost immediately, and letting the neck settle for 24 hours produces less than a thousandth of an inch difference. Start by measuring your neck's current bow. This is done by simply sitting in your natural playing position, fretting the G string on the first and last frets (thereby creating a straight edge), and checking the clearance under the 7th fret. This may require three hands, but a capo on the first fret will work just as well. The measurement is taken with your feeler gauge. You're shooting for a value of .005". If it's more, you're going to have to tighten the truss rod. If it's less, you're going to loosen it. After a while, you'll be able to "eyeball it", but since this is your first time, stick to hard numbers. Actually adjusting the truss rod isn't that hard, but the location of the adjusting nut varies from guitar to guitar. On almost all modern models, the adjusting nut is found on the headstock. Most guitars require an Allen wrench to make this adjustment, but every Gibson I've encountered requires a specific type of hex wrench.
NOTE: Make sure your guitar is tuned to correct pitch whenever making these adjustments.
#10
Now that your neck is all set, you're ready to adjust your string heights. This is one setting that's entirely dependent on the player's discretion. Feel free to experiment! On a Gibson-style bridge, the adjustment is very simple. One screw at each end of the tail piece adjusts the overall height of the bridge; you can't adjust the string heights individually. On a Fender-style bridge, each string height is adjusted individually. If this is the case, make sure all of the strings are the same distance off of the neck. They should curve slightly with the radius. A good starting point for the string heights is 1/8" from the top of the 12th fret. You can raise or lower this later depending on your preference. It goes without saying, take most of the tension off of the strings before performing this adjustment. Also keep in mind that if you like extremely high action, your intonation will be adversely affected by such.
ATTENTION STRAT PLAYERS:
If your guitar has a Strat-style tremolo, you must adjust this as well when performing a set-up. These tremolos are adjusted by removing the rear access panel and turning the screws attached to the springs, or adding/removing springs. If you want tremolo action, Fender stipulates that the rear of the bridge should be 1/8" off of the body at pitch. If you don't want to use the trem to increase tuning stability, add more springs and/or tighten the screws until you pull the bridge flush with the body. You must adjust your string heights to accommodate this modification.
#11
Now we're going to adjust the intonation. The intonation is simply how in-tune every note is relative to every other note. Luckily, this is a simple adjustment. It's adjusted by turning the screw in each string saddle. To check your intonation, you need a relatively accurate tuner or a good ear. Pluck the 12th fret harmonic and make sure that's in tune. Then, play the note on the 12th fret and see if it's different. If it's sharp, you're going to TIGHTEN the screw on the string saddle, thereby increasing the length of the string. If it's flat, you're going to LOOSEN the screw. Again, take about 50% of the tension off of the string before performing this adjustment. Repeat this procedure with every string. Congratulations! Your instrument is properly intonated.
#12
The final step is to adjust your pickups. This is something that will only need adjusting once and according to your preferences. There are two things to remember about adjusting pickups. First, the closer they are to the strings, the more the bass will "boom", but the midrange will develop an irritating howl and the magnets will kill a lot of the strings' sustain. If the pickups are too far away, they'll sound tinny and very quiet, and you'll lose a lot of harmonics. The ideal way to adjust your pickups is so that you get maximum overall volume, equal volume between the strings, and don't lose any of your sustain or create mid-range howl. Of course, your ears must be your guide throughout this process. The pickups are adjusted using the screws at either end of the pickup. Careful, though. In some exotic configurations, the pickup is mounted directly to the body and isn't adjustable. Also, be VERY careful not to loosen the adjustment screw too much. If the screw comes out of the pickup, it's almost impossible to get it back in without unstringing the guitar and disassembling the body. Humbuckers should generally be set so they're level with the body of the guitar and adjusted in equal increments. Some specialty humbuckers have adjustable pole pieces that allow you to adjust each string height individually. Single coil pickups can be adjusted unevenly with some success. A lot of players, myself included, like to adjust the treble side of a single-coil pickup slightly higher. Again, experiment until you find the best possible sound.
I recommend adjusting them very low to start then raising them in 1/16" increments. The only way to do this is while you're playing. Use your normal amp settings, be it clean or death metal crunch. It'll quickly become very apparent how these adjustments will change your sound.
#13
Congratulations! I hope your first set-up was a success. Plug in, turn it up to 11, and rock out!
