How easy is it to do your own setup?

Graeme

Well here goes with the first question:
How easy is it to do your own set-up?

I've been playing guitar for far too long to mention here, and have always taken my guitar for a set-up around once a year. They usually dress the frets if necessary, fix intonation and action etc.

I've tried doing it myself (not the frets, just action and intonation), but it never feels quite as good as when I've taken it to a pro. Am I a moron (don't answer that!) or is this a fairly simple thing to learn?

My main guitar is a Godin LGX.
Graeme

cain

You can buy books on doing it.

Setting intornation is simple. You just play the fret the string at the 12th fret and check if its sharp or flat. Then loosen the string and use a screwdriver to move the saddles backwards or forwards.

The action is a tricky one. This is usually done by adjusting the strings at your nut aswell as moving your saddles up and down. Please dont go filling your nut if you dont know what your doing ☹

Adjusting the neck isn't too bad, but it can be costly if you do something wrong.

All in all, just buy a good book on it. Im waiting for my paperback setup book to arive from amazon.

AlanRatcliffe

It's not as difficult as you would think - with a few exceptions.

Bridge action, intonation, neck relief (truss rod adjustment), are all easy tweaks with no special tools required. Nut action can be a tricky one (there's a bit of a knack to it) and you would need a set of nut files. You would usually let a pro handle that unless you are really handy and don't mind investing in the tools.

Many players are scared of adjusting truss rods, but IMO, you must be able to set neck relief yourself. It's often at least a seasonal thing, and most guitars need a quick adjustment at least twice a year - especially if you go for a low action and/or have a skinny neck. Sometimes even playing in a hot, sweaty club will mean a quick 1/4 turn tweak between sets as the neck acclimatises. So it's something you really should be able to do yourself. Once it's set properly, it's usually only a 1/8 to a 1/4 turn up or down anyway.

Aside from neck relief, the rest are all one-time setups, unless of course something changes like string gauge, or the frets are wearing badly, requiring a fret dress. So usually you'll get your guitar set up once by a pro and then just tweak as required yourself until it needs a dress or refret. Having said that, it is handy to be able to do the other setup tasks yourself, especially if you tend to experiment with string gauges or need to occasionally change the setup of a guitar (like to set it up for slide playing, etc.).

cain

Yeah i know. But ive seen newbies turn the trust rod ALLOT. Small turns is the key really.

Frets wont wear out too much. As far as i know, playing with old rusty strings and a slide will cause this to happer sooner ?

AlanRatcliffe

Frets wont wear out too much. As far as i know, playing with old rusty strings and a slide will cause this to happer sooner ?

It should be a rare thing, but it depends on a lot of factors: how hard the player frets; the strings (nickel or steel); if the frets themselves are narrow or wide and of course, how often the guitar is being played. Slide players don't usually have a problem as it's a higher action - the strings aren't touching the frets when they play slide.

Also a guitar set up with a very low action and a small neck relief will usually start getting problematic sooner - I used to set up my guitars like that, but frankly got tired of having to dress every six months to keep it buzz free. I've got a neck with stainless frets on the way, which should last a lifetime.

RGA

I must agree. Setup is pretty easy although I've only done this on basses. Most people are warned away from touching the trust-rod, yes you can strip the thread or snap the rod, but you "can" also win the lotto ?. Cheaper or older necks will have lower grade alloys/metals in the trust mechanism so be careful with those.
Getting to do basic maintenance tasks on your axe is very worth while, it makes you less dependent on other people @ R350 an hour ?. I've done far more hectic things and I've got five thumbs on my right hand and five big toes on my left, anything is possible with patience and a bit of RTFM (AKA Documentation).

AlanRatcliffe

Most people are warned away from touching the trust-rod, yes you can strip the thread or snap the rod, but you "can" also win the lotto

There's no element of chance or 10 million to one odds of getting it right though ?

People are warned away to stop them doing damage, but it's hard to do damage. You have to be a real idiot - truss rods tell you when they are in distress. Common sense should let anyone know something's not right when you need a torque wrench to tighten the rod or it makes horrible screeching noises.

The biggest problem with truss rods is people trying to "set the action" by overtightening them - and that's just a case of educating them. If you're taking the time to tell them to stay away from the truss rod, you might as well use the time to tell them what a truss rod is for and how to set it. No, I suspect it's often a case of "It takes specialised knowledge, so you will pay me R350 an hour to do it for you".

cain

Alan im just saying. Consult a guitar tech or book before you go at doing it blindly ?

AlanRatcliffe

Yeah, good point.

Bane

Haha Alan, that a funny thought. Can just imagine a guy with a 2 foot torque wrench on his axe ?. One should definitley be able to set one's own intonation etc, because paying R300+ to have it done is insane (especially for solid or static bridges). Your Godin does have a solid bidge if i'm correct. If you have a tuner then intonation shouldnt be a problem. It takes a while to get it spot on at first, but after having done it a few times you could set your intonation in 5mins (ok maybe 10). First step is adjusting truss obviously, then action, then intonation (well thats how i prefer to do it). I will leave the truss rod adjustment to Alan or other guru's, i do mine but i am still nervous everytime i do it. ?
So. to put in my 2 cents:

Action: I simply adjust my action to a height i am comfortable with. Find that height and make sure you have minimal fret buzz. Make sure of the angle as well of your bridge. People often complain that their E1 etc string buzzes too much. Angle.

Intonation: Tune the string to it's proper note (E, D etc) then compare (using tuner, although alan could probably do this by ear ;D) the 12th fret harmonic to the 12th fretted note. If the harmonic is higher than the fretted note, then you move the saddle forward SLIGHTLY by turning the screws on the side of your bridge facing the pickups. Don't rush. Get a feel for it first to see how respnsive the saddle is. If the harmonic is lower than the fretted 12, then the saddle needs be moved back a bit. Keep adjusting till they are both spot on. And after every adjustment retune the open string as a point of easy reference. Do this for all strings
Hope this helps