Setting up a guitar (1 Viewer)

[sleepy]

I'm looking at trying to set up the intonation and action on my new guitar. Can anyone recommend any tools that I should get? (eg string action gauges, files, or do i need of this stuff?)

 

[GARYXKNIFEDX]

Tiny screwdrivers and allen keys

 

[ann post]

I'm looking at trying to set up the intonation and action on my new guitar. Can anyone recommend any tools that I should get? (eg string action gauges, files, or do i need of this stuff?)

intonation:

A chromatic tuner and whatever screwdrivers or allen keys it takes to adjust the bridge.

Action. Same tools as above. You can do it without guages but you'll be eyeballing it. I've always done this - if you use multiple tunings eyeballing will fall short.

 

[chris d]

Dave on youtube was giving out about someones saddles not being straight. I didn't know that was a thing, so this is what my telecaster looks like.

I set them up curvy to match the fret board radius as I assumed that was right. Better go fuck myself I guess.

It works though so I'm leaving it.

 

[ann post]

Mine would be largely straight, though raised on bass side and sloping towards treble. I like to jump into down tunings which require higher action unless you like string buzzes.

Proximity to the pickup has a demented relationship between sustain and volume. Closer to the pickup is less sustain but more volume which can create more sustain because of the amplification or less sustain because of magnets or less volume. i.e. there are a lots of factors.

Looking at yours I suspect you get a sorta mild scooped EQ thing.

IMHO what you like is what is corrent.
Flatten it and you'll need to redo all your EQ and stuff but might get a more agile instrument, maybe reduce fret buzz if you have any at all.
Fuck dave.

 

[GARYXKNIFEDX]

Slightly high on the bass side,and gently following the fret board radius is what I always thought. What do I know,most of mine have a one piece bridge. ( That just so happens to be slightly curved)

 

[JohnnyRaz]

I'm looking at trying to set up the intonation and action on my new guitar. Can anyone recommend any tools that I should get? (eg string action gauges, files, or do i need of this stuff?)

what the others have said for bridge based adjustments.

action is a mixture of trial and error with what works and preference I’ve found - if you have a small metal ruler with gradients right to the end you can use that to take a reading by resting it on the 12th fret. This is a slight improvement from eyeballing in that it allows more accurate relative comparisons.



pickup height again is a trial and error thing - so many variables. I set level, then give the treble side an extra turn and then adjust up and down equally until the pickups are are balanced in terms of output, then I push up either side to adjust overall brightness of the pickup slightly. Make sure you have a proper Phillips as opposed to posidrive screwdriver for humbucker screws in particular (don’t ask how I know this)

Nuts are the tricky bit of setup, but action at nut is critical to the overall feel of a guitar. You can pickup a set of needle files cheaply, which will do an ok job. Fender nuts are particularly bollicky to change as you something have to cut them out. Plectrums (which come in different thicknesses) are a good surrogate for a gague here.

 

[Space]

Dave on youtube was giving out about someones saddles not being straight. I didn't know that was a thing, so this is what my telecaster looks like.

I set them up curvy to match the fret board radius as I assumed that was right. Better go fuck myself I guess.

It works though so I'm leaving it.

View attachment 14948

Who the fuck is Dave on YouTube? The saddles match the radius of the fret board and then adjusted as needed for each guitar.

 

[chris d]

Who the fuck is Dave on YouTube? The saddles match the radius of the fret board and then adjusted as needed for each guitar.

Dave's World of Fun Stuff

I can't find the clip of him now when he was talking about saddles. He was saying each individual saddle itself should be horizontal, not that they should all be in a straight line. Said if the saddle is at an angle, bending strings will have a weird tension or something. Can't quite remember.

 

[chris d]

This isn't the video I originally saw him talking about it, but here's something.

Videos won't embed have to go to youtube.

 

[Space]

Dave's World of Fun Stuff

I can't find the clip of him now when he was talking about saddles. He was saying each individual saddle itself should be horizontal, not that they should all be in a straight line. Said if the saddle is at an angle, bending strings will have a weird tension or something. Can't quite remember.

Right so because you've got a telecaster with two strings on each saddle you can ignore that. Individual saddles would generally be straight alright.

 

[Space]

Not exactly flat though.

 

[therealjohnny]

Semi-related.

I was just about to take the strings off, reach my hand in, etc. Instead, I will wait until the morning and nip over to the DIY shop

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[Anthony]

@moose where's good for this business in Dublin? I'm sick of doing my own set up only to end up constantly fucking around with the tuning on my guitars. It makes me not want to play them.
I got my Strat done recently (mentioned on here). It was grand and all but I'm less inclined to play the thing now, it lost some of its magic.
I want my SG done once and for all. Also my tele thing, although I also want the ashtray bridge changed out for a six saddle bridge.
Ideally somewhere I could drop the axe (yes, axe) and pick it up later the same day. That's ideal but not essential.

 

[GARYXKNIFEDX]

I doubt you'd be picking it up the same day.

Haze guitars does a thing where you book it in. He'd done work on mine and I've got it back quick.

Jimis was quick too.

But never same day.

 

[Anthony]

Trying to do one trip, but sure...