I'm 81. Been playing since I was 14. There was no one doing this stuff when I was young. Had to learn how to do all this on my own. There wasn't any thing like this and it took years. Thanks for this and other videos from Stew Mac.
Imagine if we had this information at our disposal when we were young. The things we would have learned and been able to pass on to the upcoming musicians would be even more advanced.
@@Grizzleback07We could have learned it before, but only the real geeks did. Stew Mac tool ads were featured in Guitar Player magazine decades ago, long before the Internet. Obviously it's easier now, but it was never impossible to become a luthier, or just learn to fix your own guitar; It just took a lot more effort in the past.
Luthiers on UA-cam saved me. I'm a 70 year old self taught beginner. I play the keyboard. I bought a 350 dollar acoustic guitar from B stock for 195 dollars. It was in poor condition with high frets, fret sprout, bad strings, fretboard was dried out, saddle was leaning forward because the slot was too big, neck was over-bowed (too much relief), and the action was way too high. I spent 80 dollars on the tools (I purchased them directly from China) and did the set up myself. I crowned and polished my frets, oiled the fretboard, shimmed the saddle slot, replaced my strings, adjusted the truss rod and brought the action down to suit easier play. My guitar's sound, after 3 months is absolutely warm and beautiful and so easy to play with silk wound 11 47 strings. I just purchased a new electric and amp. I did that set up too. THANKS TO ALL OF YOU that share your knowledge for those of us without the money to spend on professional luthiers.
I have been playing guitar since I was 22. I’m 70 years old now. I am very grateful for videos on UA-cam. That show me how to work on my guitars without a set up man. It gets too expensive, especially when you live on a fixed income. So I truly appreciate your videos and showing people how to do things. I think UA-cam is a great tool for learning how to work on guitars and learning music. UA-cam has some really good teachers. And they also have some beautiful solo instrumental, music finger style guitar. That’s all I play because I don’t sing. So I’m very grateful for the things I learned on UA-cam. Thanks for your videos. Have a great day..👍🏼👍🏼😎😁🎸🎼🎶🎵🎸
Hi @markbrown7103, we really appreciate your comment! We agree, UA-cam is an incredible platform to learn just about anything. We used to make VHS tapes and DVDs about this stuff, but it's so much easier and accessible for folks to just tune in for free. Thanks for the support, and keep on playing!
I love musical instruments, I started doing repairs and set ups on lesser guitars and built up my confidence. Its a great way to develop a different level of understanding with your guitars.
Have you looked at the Music Nomad tools? Geared towards DIY and not the professional luthier. I find the Music Nomad system easier to use. Take a look at the KISS kit and nut files. Their tools are reverse ontrast and easier to see. Their files are encased to lessen the chance of damage if you slip on filing the nut. StewMac to me is for the professional making a living with their tools. For DIY hobbyist, I feel Music Nomad offers a nicer system.
My local shop here in Asheville charges only $50 -- well worth it, if only to avoid the sky-high cost of decent nut files and the agony of the infamous "blown nut" syndrome. I've been playing for 60+ years, know how to do this sort of work, and still do the basics -- truss rod tweaks, saddle heights, intonation, wiring mods -- but no thanks, StewMac, when it comes to a thorough pro setup on a new (or newly acquired) instrument, IMO it's better to have somebody else take responsibility for getting it done right.
@@editorjuno $50 is a great deal! You're right. It takes a lot of "blown nuts" to get it right! Actually, a good friend of mine is a guitar builder. He has a set of Hosco nut files which cost about £90 but he's paid for them many times over, A worthy investment, but he tells me cutting a nut is not for the faint of heart!
Great Vid. Dan's Erlewine's book has been my bible for decades, but it's so nice to watch a video where you can see it done and the how's and why's demonstrated and discussed by three experts.
Take care of your instrument, and it will take care of you - even if, like me, you are never making the Hollywood Bowl. Great to hear the interaction between the techs and a master player like Tomo. Superb, educational content. Thanks, guys.
That long straight edge and some feeler gauges are what got my setups on point. My guitars have never played so well! Even my $50 Epiphone Les Paul plays like a champ now that it is properly set up.
There’s a great 5 or so minute clip with John Suhr on tone talk that goes through his recommendations. Super helpful. Also Tom Webber, EVHs old tech has a video. It’s based on Floyd Rose guitars but the first 5 and last 5 minutes are very very good.
We’ll done. The Gibson tailpiece screwdriver is great especially if you want to preserve the screw slots AND the maple top!! Lee Valley (Canada) tools sell one that looks a doorknob (used for plate glass screws) that fits the Gibson perfectly.
Very helpful and conclusive overview! When I set up my own guita's action (assuming fretwork is done and aiming for a fairly low action) - I go by: Step 1 > filing nut slots relative to fret 1, this is the point least affected by other setup steps so it sets the starting pint best; Step 2 > neck curve AND bridge - this simply is a back and forth thing to me, I set the bridge to the radius and then action to 1.25mm on high e with truss rod adjusting - check for buzzing and adjust accordingly then check the highest frets for buzz, if necessary raise the bridge (or saddles individually whil roughly retaining the radius) - back and forth until you're happy.
I gotta get me a set of all these tools. Doing things by eye ain’t cutting it anymore. Thanks for showing us what happens when you use the right tools!
Ignorance is bliss, but now you can tell if you got a $100 setup for $100 or a $20 setup for $100. Splurge on the card like string gauge and a $15 headband magnifier if you're over 40.
I am glad you mentioned the different types of wrench needed. A few months ago I bought an FMT telecaster secondhand. I took it to the local shop because some of the frets need to be levelled and they swore blind the trussrod was broken because they couldn't adjust it. They even showed me a video of them trying. The next weekend I went into the shop, walked into the 'workshop' part, picked up a flat head screwdriver and sure enough, one adjustable trussrod. The numpties had only tried an allen key. What made it somewhat hilarious (and worrying) was that they had a different coloured version of the same guitar hanging on the wall for sale!
I’ve been doing most of my setups because my guitar tech is 80 miles away. Also, because of that I’ve been doing it for others when I have time. ✌️😎🎸🎶🎵🎶🎵🎶
The truss rod wrench, of course you can use a hex key, but a lot of people strip the truss rod bolt by using the wrong size wrench, especially because their using imperial unit on metric or vice versa. Make sure you're using the right size rather than just whatever works. Don't be afraid to take the neck off. It's easy. Just take it off, adjust it, and put it back on. It's just bolts.
*I remember doing this work in the mid 90's when our budget end guitars were made from plywood they called "laminate" lol.* Using guitar picks to measure action and one day discovering my Squire Bullet neck's fretwire was extremely pitted and lined from playing sometimes 6 to 8 hours every single day. *I was lucky to have a small aluminum plate to check the fretwires, sand them and a vintage Cort acoustic that after milling over a quarter inch off the bridge and bone saddle, had action as low as an electric that didn't buzz or fret out in any position on the neck.* I would play acoustic for about 4 hours in the morning/afternoon, and average 2 to sometimes 4 hours of electric at night. I must also confess, between those 2 guitars and an amp I built out of a hacked and screwed particleboard entertainment stand, 2 x 8"s from JC Whitney and a 60Khz peizo tweeter with a 15 watt 2-channel Crate practice amp mounted in the top, I was able to rocket passed every other player I knew in about a year. *A zoom 505, no namer humbucker and a few pedals including the Dallas Arbiter were cascaded together and gave me serious tones and response like Van Halen, Hendrix and even Pantera and Megadeth.* These days you can spend $300 bucks on a beginner's guitar and rig, and be shredding and sweeping in under a year there's so many resources
Excellent comprehensive overview of the process. Especially helpful were the "starting point" numbers. My only cringe was trying to draw a distinction between the open string vs the 12th fret harmonic when setting the intonation. The harmonic is by definition exactly one octave higher than the open string; it's pitch will be exactly twice that of the open string, and will in fact match the fretted pitch that you're going for. It's just physics. High E is E4, 1st harmonic is E5, the fretted note is E5. A decent tuner will get the same result but the idea that using the open string being somehow "better" is unfounded.
Ive had a usa strat since i was 9 . 200 years ago. Its a 93 model Its alwasy had a deep action and maybe a dodgy neck but have to say i am blown away by the sound. Its probabbly my most sentimental item
Very good overview, especially with the order of doing things. This also allows people to know where to do research on each category. And a note to everyone, only do what you’re comfortable with and also, while thinking about it, don’t start filing or sanding frets or anything like that until you make sure they’re actually seated properly in the fretboard.. also, if a guitar is ever fallen over or things like that, you may have dents in your frets and don’t let this totally throw off everything you’re doing. There a ways to go about adjusting for this if you don’t want to re-free your guitar.. if you have a Floyd Rose, there is a tool that allows you to hold each saddle in place, you don’t have to have this, kind of nice to not have to have the sliding all over the place if you’ve not done it before. Great video!
I will always remember discovering my Squire's fretwire had ridges all over from me playing 6 to 8 hours collectively about every single day, and a couple lines from falling over and the stainless steel cutting into them in a few spots. This was discovered after my E was fretting out on the 3rd fret through the crevice. After I sanded it level using a planed aluminum plate, it played better than before! *To this day, I will buy a guitar, play it stock with the rounded fretwire insisting I shouldn't plane it because I have so many guitars, and I always end up planing it.* The same with cheapo Brand-X guitars having necks as thick as a railroad tie. *I eventually end up sanding the neck down to shredding acceptable and reseal it.* I just finished the final coat of triple thick glaze enamel on one 10 minutes ago. *Those were the days when Stewmac was one of maybe 3 reputable sources for parts and tools, and 90% of shops couldn't do any real work, or they charged you as much as the junker guitar cost to buy.* I still remember buying "Parts is Parts" hardware for 5x what I buy it for today. 😮💨
I learned fretwork on my own because it's very expensive to have done by a pro, and few know how to do it well. Dents in frets, or if they're worn down wait until they're fairly significant, then level and crown them out, and of course polish at the end. It's also nice if you do 'rolled edges' which is a fancy term for making the ends of the frets round and smooth. It really feels great. But it does take quite a lot of effort.
Great video! I have a Stewmac box coming in the mail today.....you guys do a great job in giving adverage players the confidence to do a lot of their own work. I will NEVER forget the nightmare of having the Guitar Center tech doing a set-up for me on a re-issue 61 Epiphone SG Special.....TOTAL DISASTER!!!! On the third time coming back to get it; I told them I wanted to exchange the guitar since he couldn't make it right.
You can fill the nut slots with pencil led and use that as a guide line to see where you're taking off the material, also grind the square corners of the nut files'round/smooth' to keep from gouging into the headstock in case you slip.
I replaced my nut and bridge saddles with graphite, so this isn't even an issue, but for a certain tone of course a lot of people want different materials.
When I adjust the neck pickup, with dome shaped adjustment screws, I start at putting it at same height as the top of dome of the screw…that’s usually my Sweetness with pickups that are at or around 6k ohms
I have a top notch guy and he’s worked for some pretty big names. Getting a guitar back from him doing a setup is like going to a 5 star restaurant and worth it. I could always get my stuff playable and what I thought was good but it don’t compare to his
I do my own setups for over 50 years I have a system, nut, level, action, relief near straight. I get 1mm action barely any buzz all my guitars. Jackson PRS AND Fender the best necks.
For string height I always use feeler gauges, it's not a specialized thing so when you get one you can use it for different projects too if you're into that... It's super accurate and repeatable
great stuff and good to know if you don't have a shop that does good setups. It is so rare I need to take one in I don't mind paying the $ (and supporting local shop) and I typically DIY a LOT of more difficult stuff.
Ok, thank you, this is a very good video with much needed information for guitar owners to maintain their setups. I have been doing these adjustments for many years now and I am actually an expert in doing fret jobs, all sorts. The one step I respectfully take issue with is setting the nut, this should be done after the relief is set, and its done in this way; fret each individual string at the third fret and measure the string gap at the first fret wire - the gap should be very little. As a reference I usually go from .020" to .012" incrementally from the bottom E to the top e. Then your bridge can be set up for a proper gap at the 12th fret. Just my honest opinion, and I have been getting excellent results doing it this way for years. I think I learned this from Dan Erlewine and Frank Ford, its been a while tho. I primarily play a Maton acoustic guitar with an action of .058"(1.47mm) for low E, and .052" (1.32mm) for high e. I hope this also helps someone to get the action they want.
Do you have any videos on doing a setup on a vintage Rickenbacker? I have a 63 with two truss rods and can't seem to figure it out but don't want to damage it.
There is so much to learn. And the tools do matter. I am about 12 guitars strong...depending on state of build or fix. Most of my guitars come to me broken and super cheap or even free. I am about $500 into luthier tools. Probably more after I got the nut files. Ouch, $$$...but they are the only tools to use for string slots. To be honest, I think I spend more envy on tools than on guitars these days. But I love working on guitars. Making broken guitars play again, making cheepos play better, etc. I only have one expensive 'new' guitar. They all play like expensive guitars when I finish them. Except for one with a broken truss rod. My error. Now it's got sky-high action and it's dedicated to open tunings and slide. Fortunately it wasn't an expensive instrument and it was used. And it's nice to have a dedicated slide guitar in the quiver.
I really love your channel. I am a guitar player but you have inspired me to start learning to play bass as well. Thanks for creating a great community
Thankyou so much gentlemen!! This is excellent info for those of us who just cannot afford the assistance of a luthier/technician. Using picks as a string height gauge stunned me....NEVER THOUGHT OF IT...I was using a credit card at one stage...no wonder my house was overrun with bees...all the string buzzing attracted them 🤣🤣🤣🤣 Seriously - thankyou so much GBU all 🙏🙏
always avoided Strats until I finally learned how to setup one properly, and that the factory nut is cut for 10s, and needs to be recut/changed for different size strings, also a floating bridge needs extra setup work
I would add another tool to your arsenal that would make things so much better and easier. When I work on my guitars, I use a 20x magnification head-mounted watchmaker's loupe. I use a head-mounted loupe because it allows me unlimited viewing angles and it even has an led light on it so it can be used in any lighting conditions. That loupe shows you EVERYTHIHG that your eyes might miss and really helps you do the tasks requiring exceptional precision (like gluing back a loose fret). I figured that if it's made for precision work on tiny mechanincal watch mechanisms, it's going to be awesome for working on guitars and I was 100% right. It has proven to be invaluable to me.
I adjust the pickup height same as Montys guitars! Use a really clean amp. Than go as high as possible with the PUs until you hear a wolf tone when pressing on the last fret low and high e-string. Then lower the PU your at until wolf tone is gone. Once gone that's your highest point you can go. Now go down to your liking of sound. Switch to the other pickup (bridge PU for example) and play in de area of the neck pickup. Then compare with the neck pickup and play here in the area where your bridge pickup is located. Set up the bass side to be pretty even with loudness and bass response. Then the treble side for same. Than adjust to your liking. I found that especially on strats and guitars with a middle position the middle position sounds the best way doing this.
On my cross-hair adjustment necks (I have two of them, bass and Tele), I’ve taken a small piece of wood out so the angled tool fits without taking the neck off. I just take the pickguard off. Much simpler and the pickguard covers it up.
When you adjust the truss rod, the neck should be supported where it joins the body not at the tuning headstock. When rest the the tuning head stock on a pillow you are putting tension on the whole length of the neck causing it bend slightly making your measurements a fraction out. This is critical for very low actions.
I really think you should recommend feeler gauges. It makes adjusting the neck way less scary and you can reference the specs of the manufacturer for neck relief as a first guide
18:46 Adjusting the nut: Instead of deepening the slots, I sand it down from the bottom. It's a lot easier and the slots don't end up seizing the strings. If the bottom is curved, it has to match the radius of the fretboard, but that too is really easy; just put a piece of sandpaper on the first fret space, and sand on top of that, so you have a nut made specifically for that neck.
I just set the neck on my friend’s guitar neck. Shimmed the neck, set the saddle radius, straightened the neck, restrung, ect… I don’t charge any $$. Hoping a car guy will show me the same kindness to change brakes and rotors on my cars lol
Great video, as someone who is learning this trade my biggest frustration is the use of different measurements i.e. fraction, thousandths, millimeters etc. I have conversion charts but I guess it is preference. Thanks for the great content!!!
I'm a bassist and always have relief in the neck. If you play with a low action & no relief, all you hear is buzzing strings. I use very light strings 30-95.
Thank you for teaching me the right way to adjust a guitar . I am a beginner and all i have is a cheap Estebon ! I did notice right off the bat that the frets were just cut off and not filed or polished . I set my guitar down and didn't pursue playing until I could learn to fix it myself !. Again, thanks for the video ! Now i need to buy the proper tool set, the files & & & before I start practicing so I don't cut myself ! Will the adjustable bridge make my guitar sound & play better ?
Thank you SO, so much for posting this. Not only has it reminded me how I need to add to my set-up tools kit, but this will be the video that I'll share with all of my guitar students! :)
With all the tools available (and I have many) I have yet-to-find a Useful and Professional "Neck rest or Neck cradle" - I've been using a yoga-mat or towel, but I do like the one you are using here. Is it available for purchase??? Great information guys. Love Tomo - so humble and great player. oNe LovE from NYC
I feel that if you don't use the capo on top of the fret then the string will have an arc to it skewing the true height of the string over the fret but most people fret just past the fret when playing
Happy to pay my local shop for setups... Of my 3 guitars, 2 were bought online. Paying them for a setup isn't that expensive and is a small way to offset the money they lose out on when I shop online...
This is a great explainer, although I think it would be great to see a guitar in desperate need of a complete setup get that treatment on camera. Like the intonation section, but for each step
Totally over the top the only specialist tools required for set up are 1.Nut files. 2. String height guage or good engineers ruler with 64ths Non Specialist required 1. Auto feeler guages (neck relief, nut action) 2. Various Allen keys..Google your guitar but 4 will cover most. 3. Phillips and flat head screwdrivers. 4. Decent side cutters You can get guutar multi tools that have ruler and all the imperial and metric Allen keys as well as a Gibson wrench
I'm 81. Been playing since I was 14. There was no one doing this stuff when I was young. Had to learn how to do all this on my own. There wasn't any thing like this and it took years. Thanks for this and other videos from Stew Mac.
I hope at 81 I’m still playing guitar, god bless you man 🎉
Imagine if we had this information at our disposal when we were young. The things we would have learned and been able to pass on to the upcoming musicians would be even more advanced.
I’m 48, playing since I was 13 - similar plot line to your experience, good sir. We truly are in a golden age of music pedagogy at this moment.
@@Grizzleback07We could have learned it before, but only the real geeks did. Stew Mac tool ads were featured in Guitar Player magazine decades ago, long before the Internet. Obviously it's easier now, but it was never impossible to become a luthier, or just learn to fix your own guitar; It just took a lot more effort in the past.
Dude, there were no electric guitars when you were young.
I love that Tomo is not afraid to ask questions. That's the right mindset there!
Agreed!
2mm action at the 12th is awesome brother
Also cool trick
Luthiers on UA-cam saved me. I'm a 70 year old self taught beginner. I play the keyboard. I bought a 350 dollar acoustic guitar from B stock for 195 dollars. It was in poor condition with high frets, fret sprout, bad strings, fretboard was dried out, saddle was leaning forward because the slot was too big, neck was over-bowed (too much relief), and the action was way too high. I spent 80 dollars on the tools (I purchased them directly from China) and did the set up myself. I crowned and polished my frets, oiled the fretboard, shimmed the saddle slot, replaced my strings, adjusted the truss rod and brought the action down to suit easier play. My guitar's sound, after 3 months is absolutely warm and beautiful and so easy to play with silk wound 11 47 strings. I just purchased a new electric and amp. I did that set up too. THANKS TO ALL OF YOU that share your knowledge for those of us without the money to spend on professional luthiers.
Tomo is such an icon he’s definitely a treasure in my world! Great to see him with stewmac once again you two have to play together again!
I have been playing guitar since I was 22. I’m 70 years old now. I am very grateful for videos on UA-cam. That show me how to work on my guitars without a set up man. It gets too expensive, especially when you live on a fixed income. So I truly appreciate your videos and showing people how to do things. I think UA-cam is a great tool for learning how to work on guitars and learning music. UA-cam has some really good teachers. And they also have some beautiful solo instrumental, music finger style guitar. That’s all I play because I don’t sing. So I’m very grateful for the things I learned on UA-cam. Thanks for your videos. Have a great day..👍🏼👍🏼😎😁🎸🎼🎶🎵🎸
Hi @markbrown7103, we really appreciate your comment! We agree, UA-cam is an incredible platform to learn just about anything. We used to make VHS tapes and DVDs about this stuff, but it's so much easier and accessible for folks to just tune in for free. Thanks for the support, and keep on playing!
@@stewmacdoes the tool you use to raise/lower the bridge on the 335 come with the set up pack?
I love musical instruments, I started doing repairs and set ups on lesser guitars and built up my confidence. Its a great way to develop a different level of understanding with your guitars.
Have you looked at the Music Nomad tools? Geared towards DIY and not the professional luthier. I find the Music Nomad system easier to use. Take a look at the KISS kit and nut files. Their tools are reverse ontrast and easier to see. Their files are encased to lessen the chance of damage if you slip on filing the nut. StewMac to me is for the professional making a living with their tools. For DIY hobbyist, I feel Music Nomad offers a nicer system.
These videos are pure gold! Local repair shops are standing by, waiting for you to screw it up and give in!
My local shop here in Asheville charges only $50 -- well worth it, if only to avoid the sky-high cost of decent nut files and the agony of the infamous "blown nut" syndrome. I've been playing for 60+ years, know how to do this sort of work, and still do the basics -- truss rod tweaks, saddle heights, intonation, wiring mods -- but no thanks, StewMac, when it comes to a thorough pro setup on a new (or newly acquired) instrument, IMO it's better to have somebody else take responsibility for getting it done right.
@@editorjuno $50 is a great deal! You're right. It takes a lot of "blown nuts" to get it right! Actually, a good friend of mine is a guitar builder. He has a set of Hosco nut files which cost about £90 but he's paid for them many times over, A worthy investment, but he tells me cutting a nut is not for the faint of heart!
@@editorjuno What does 'blown' mean? Too many tweaks with the file?
@@RideAcrossTheRiver -- Yeah, it's all too easy to cut the notches too deep in pursuit of the lowest possible action.
@@editorjuno Sadly, Fender doesn't finish a guitar nut on a Strat.
thanks for encouraging amateurs to repair their own stuff it keeps me busy fixing it. blessed.
😆
Great Vid. Dan's Erlewine's book has been my bible for decades, but it's so nice to watch a video where you can see it done and the how's and why's demonstrated and discussed by three experts.
Take care of your instrument, and it will take care of you - even if, like me, you are never making the Hollywood Bowl. Great to hear the interaction between the techs and a master player like Tomo. Superb, educational content. Thanks, guys.
Very glad to see Erick back!
That long straight edge and some feeler gauges are what got my setups on point. My guitars have never played so well! Even my $50 Epiphone Les Paul plays like a champ now that it is properly set up.
the holy trinity of guitar techs
There’s a great 5 or so minute clip with John Suhr on tone talk that goes through his recommendations. Super helpful. Also Tom Webber, EVHs old tech has a video. It’s based on Floyd Rose guitars but the first 5 and last 5 minutes are very very good.
One of my favorite skills I've learned for guitar
I see those shops, the tools on the background and feel so envious. Nice video.
We’ll done. The Gibson tailpiece screwdriver is great especially if you want to preserve the screw slots AND the maple top!!
Lee Valley (Canada) tools sell one that looks a doorknob (used for plate glass screws) that fits the Gibson perfectly.
Very helpful and conclusive overview!
When I set up my own guita's action (assuming fretwork is done and aiming for a fairly low action) - I go by: Step 1 > filing nut slots relative to fret 1, this is the point least affected by other setup steps so it sets the starting pint best; Step 2 > neck curve AND bridge - this simply is a back and forth thing to me, I set the bridge to the radius and then action to 1.25mm on high e with truss rod adjusting - check for buzzing and adjust accordingly then check the highest frets for buzz, if necessary raise the bridge (or saddles individually whil roughly retaining the radius) - back and forth until you're happy.
I gotta get me a set of all these tools. Doing things by eye ain’t cutting it anymore. Thanks for showing us what happens when you use the right tools!
They actually convinced me to pay for the set up😂
Ignorance is bliss, but now you can tell if you got a $100 setup for $100 or a $20 setup for $100. Splurge on the card like string gauge and a $15 headband magnifier if you're over 40.
I was thinking the same thing.
Agreed!
It’s not that bad if you understand neck relief and recognize perfectly flat is not correct and start at the neck you’ll fly through them
🤣🤣🤣
I am glad you mentioned the different types of wrench needed. A few months ago I bought an FMT telecaster secondhand. I took it to the local shop because some of the frets need to be levelled and they swore blind the trussrod was broken because they couldn't adjust it. They even showed me a video of them trying.
The next weekend I went into the shop, walked into the 'workshop' part, picked up a flat head screwdriver and sure enough, one adjustable trussrod. The numpties had only tried an allen key. What made it somewhat hilarious (and worrying) was that they had a different coloured version of the same guitar hanging on the wall for sale!
Great to see Eric!
Thank you! I'm still kicking around the place!
I’ve been doing most of my setups because my guitar tech is 80 miles away. Also, because of that I’ve been doing it for others when I have time.
✌️😎🎸🎶🎵🎶🎵🎶
The truss rod wrench, of course you can use a hex key, but a lot of people strip the truss rod bolt by using the wrong size wrench, especially because their using imperial unit on metric or vice versa. Make sure you're using the right size rather than just whatever works.
Don't be afraid to take the neck off. It's easy. Just take it off, adjust it, and put it back on. It's just bolts.
Excellent points!
Now that I'm aware thanks to you all i have got to learn to do these things.
*I remember doing this work in the mid 90's when our budget end guitars were made from plywood they called "laminate" lol.* Using guitar picks to measure action and one day discovering my Squire Bullet neck's fretwire was extremely pitted and lined from playing sometimes 6 to 8 hours every single day.
*I was lucky to have a small aluminum plate to check the fretwires, sand them and a vintage Cort acoustic that after milling over a quarter inch off the bridge and bone saddle, had action as low as an electric that didn't buzz or fret out in any position on the neck.* I would play acoustic for about 4 hours in the morning/afternoon, and average 2 to sometimes 4 hours of electric at night.
I must also confess, between those 2 guitars and an amp I built out of a hacked and screwed particleboard entertainment stand, 2 x 8"s from JC Whitney and a 60Khz peizo tweeter with a 15 watt 2-channel Crate practice amp mounted in the top, I was able to rocket passed every other player I knew in about a year. *A zoom 505, no namer humbucker and a few pedals including the Dallas Arbiter were cascaded together and gave me serious tones and response like Van Halen, Hendrix and even Pantera and Megadeth.*
These days you can spend $300 bucks on a beginner's guitar and rig, and be shredding and sweeping in under a year there's so many resources
Excellent comprehensive overview of the process. Especially helpful were the "starting point" numbers. My only cringe was trying to draw a distinction between the open string vs the 12th fret harmonic when setting the intonation. The harmonic is by definition exactly one octave higher than the open string; it's pitch will be exactly twice that of the open string, and will in fact match the fretted pitch that you're going for. It's just physics. High E is E4, 1st harmonic is E5, the fretted note is E5. A decent tuner will get the same result but the idea that using the open string being somehow "better" is unfounded.
I found feeler gauges with a magnifying glass the most precise method to measure string height above fret. Ohterwise great video.
Godo stuff, guys. I ALWAYS enjoy your videos!
Ive had a usa strat since i was 9 . 200 years ago. Its a 93 model
Its alwasy had a deep action and maybe a dodgy neck but have to say i am blown away by the sound. Its probabbly my most sentimental item
Very good overview, especially with the order of doing things.
This also allows people to know where to do research on each category.
And a note to everyone, only do what you’re comfortable with and also, while thinking about it, don’t start filing or sanding frets or anything like that until you make sure they’re actually seated properly in the fretboard.. also, if a guitar is ever fallen over or things like that, you may have dents in your frets and don’t let this totally throw off everything you’re doing. There a ways to go about adjusting for this if you don’t want to re-free your guitar..
if you have a Floyd Rose, there is a tool that allows you to hold each saddle in place, you don’t have to have this, kind of nice to not have to have the sliding all over the place if you’ve not done it before.
Great video!
Thank you for the comment!
I will always remember discovering my Squire's fretwire had ridges all over from me playing 6 to 8 hours collectively about every single day, and a couple lines from falling over and the stainless steel cutting into them in a few spots. This was discovered after my E was fretting out on the 3rd fret through the crevice. After I sanded it level using a planed aluminum plate, it played better than before!
*To this day, I will buy a guitar, play it stock with the rounded fretwire insisting I shouldn't plane it because I have so many guitars, and I always end up planing it.* The same with cheapo Brand-X guitars having necks as thick as a railroad tie. *I eventually end up sanding the neck down to shredding acceptable and reseal it.* I just finished the final coat of triple thick glaze enamel on one 10 minutes ago.
*Those were the days when Stewmac was one of maybe 3 reputable sources for parts and tools, and 90% of shops couldn't do any real work, or they charged you as much as the junker guitar cost to buy.* I still remember buying "Parts is Parts" hardware for 5x what I buy it for today. 😮💨
I learned fretwork on my own because it's very expensive to have done by a pro, and few know how to do it well. Dents in frets, or if they're worn down wait until they're fairly significant, then level and crown them out, and of course polish at the end.
It's also nice if you do 'rolled edges' which is a fancy term for making the ends of the frets round and smooth. It really feels great. But it does take quite a lot of effort.
Kudos very nice video, down to Earth. Wish I was there but this is the next best
Subscribed. I have your Kits, I laughed thinking I know most of this and learned a ton.
Any tips for setting up a floating style PRS trem/bridge system?
A big hello to Gene & Eric! Hope to one day see you two again.
🙂🎸🤘🏻
Appreciate the video. Could you do an acoustic specific setup video?
Great video! I have a Stewmac box coming in the mail today.....you guys do a great job in giving adverage players the confidence to do a lot of their own work. I will NEVER forget the nightmare of having the Guitar Center tech doing a set-up for me on a re-issue 61 Epiphone SG Special.....TOTAL DISASTER!!!! On the third time coming back to get it; I told them I wanted to exchange the guitar since he couldn't make it right.
Yikes - sounds horrible. Hopefully you can do most of that work on your own now, and avoid more bad experiences!
You can fill the nut slots with pencil led and use that as a guide line to see where you're taking off the material, also grind the square corners of the nut files'round/smooth' to keep from gouging into the headstock in case you slip.
I replaced my nut and bridge saddles with graphite, so this isn't even an issue, but for a certain tone of course a lot of people want different materials.
When I adjust the neck pickup, with dome shaped adjustment screws, I start at putting it at same height as the top of dome of the screw…that’s usually my Sweetness with pickups that are at or around 6k ohms
I have a top notch guy and he’s worked for some pretty big names. Getting a guitar back from him doing a setup is like going to a 5 star restaurant and worth it. I could always get my stuff playable and what I thought was good but it don’t compare to his
Eric !!! Good to see you back !!
Thank you!
I ordered a set up kit from you guys and actually adjusted my vintage style strat truss rod. Thanks for putting this out there!
I do my own setups for over 50 years I have a system, nut, level, action, relief near straight. I get 1mm action barely any buzz all my guitars. Jackson PRS AND Fender the best necks.
Our host sounds like Tom Hanks.
... or Matt Walsh, Daily Wire Dude..
😂😂😂. So much like him.
Stew Mac makes great tools. Enjoyed this video. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for this video! So much knowledge
For string height I always use feeler gauges, it's not a specialized thing so when you get one you can use it for different projects too if you're into that... It's super accurate and repeatable
Absolutely. Only a lunatic would measure thousandths with a ruler.
great stuff and good to know if you don't have a shop that does good setups. It is so rare I need to take one in I don't mind paying the $ (and supporting local shop) and I typically DIY a LOT of more difficult stuff.
Gene sounds exactly like Tom Hanks. This is the first video from this channel I have seen. I am sure I am not the first person to notice that
Love the tool box! Thanks for that insight, Gotta get one of those for sure
Super good, Thank You so much. Very informative... 👍👍 🇺🇸.
Best video of this kind that I’ve seen. Thanks guys
Tomo is awesome.
Tomo’s a treasure.
Agreed! We love Tomo!
Ok, thank you, this is a very good video with much needed information for guitar owners to maintain their setups. I have been doing these adjustments for many years now and I am actually an expert in doing fret jobs, all sorts. The one step I respectfully take issue with is setting the nut, this should be done after the relief is set, and its done in this way; fret each individual string at the third fret and measure the string gap at the first fret wire - the gap should be very little. As a reference I usually go from .020" to .012" incrementally from the bottom E to the top e. Then your bridge can be set up for a proper gap at the 12th fret. Just my honest opinion, and I have been getting excellent results doing it this way for years. I think I learned this from Dan Erlewine and Frank Ford, its been a while tho. I primarily play a Maton acoustic guitar with an action of .058"(1.47mm) for low E, and .052" (1.32mm) for high e. I hope this also helps someone to get the action they want.
Do you have any videos on doing a setup on a vintage Rickenbacker? I have a 63 with two truss rods and can't seem to figure it out but don't want to damage it.
Very well presented
There is so much to learn. And the tools do matter. I am about 12 guitars strong...depending on state of build or fix. Most of my guitars come to me broken and super cheap or even free. I am about $500 into luthier tools. Probably more after I got the nut files. Ouch, $$$...but they are the only tools to use for string slots. To be honest, I think I spend more envy on tools than on guitars these days. But I love working on guitars. Making broken guitars play again, making cheepos play better, etc. I only have one expensive 'new' guitar. They all play like expensive guitars when I finish them. Except for one with a broken truss rod. My error. Now it's got sky-high action and it's dedicated to open tunings and slide. Fortunately it wasn't an expensive instrument and it was used. And it's nice to have a dedicated slide guitar in the quiver.
Awesome
So much setup information. All 3 luthers are excellent. Thanks for the help ❤
Great video. And that's an awesome shirt. My grandfather gave me one very similar to that many years ago and it was a very cool shirt.
I really love your channel. I am a guitar player but you have inspired me to start learning to play bass as well. Thanks for creating a great community
Great video. Tons of valuable information given.
Great post with lots of very useful info. And Tomo is awesome! Thanks, StewMac!
Glad to hear it was helpful for you! Cheers!
It’s always a delight to see Tomo
Thankyou so much gentlemen!! This is excellent info for those of us who just cannot afford the assistance of a luthier/technician. Using picks as a string height gauge stunned me....NEVER THOUGHT OF IT...I was using a credit card at one stage...no wonder my house was overrun with bees...all the string buzzing attracted them 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Seriously - thankyou so much GBU all 🙏🙏
11:55 “thats me, i use a regular screwdriver” lol love this guy!
always avoided Strats until I finally learned how to setup one properly, and that the factory nut is cut for 10s, and needs to be recut/changed for different size strings, also a floating bridge needs extra setup work
I would add another tool to your arsenal that would make things so much better and easier. When I work on my guitars, I use a 20x magnification head-mounted watchmaker's loupe. I use a head-mounted loupe because it allows me unlimited viewing angles and it even has an led light on it so it can be used in any lighting conditions. That loupe shows you EVERYTHIHG that your eyes might miss and really helps you do the tasks requiring exceptional precision (like gluing back a loose fret).
I figured that if it's made for precision work on tiny mechanincal watch mechanisms, it's going to be awesome for working on guitars and I was 100% right. It has proven to be invaluable to me.
Great video!
I adjust the pickup height same as Montys guitars! Use a really clean amp. Than go as high as possible with the PUs until you hear a wolf tone when pressing on the last fret low and high e-string. Then lower the PU your at until wolf tone is gone. Once gone that's your highest point you can go. Now go down to your liking of sound. Switch to the other pickup (bridge PU for example) and play in de area of the neck pickup. Then compare with the neck pickup and play here in the area where your bridge pickup is located. Set up the bass side to be pretty even with loudness and bass response. Then the treble side for same. Than adjust to your liking. I found that especially on strats and guitars with a middle position the middle position sounds the best way doing this.
On my cross-hair adjustment necks (I have two of them, bass and Tele), I’ve taken a small piece of wood out so the angled tool fits without taking the neck off. I just take the pickguard off. Much simpler and the pickguard covers it up.
When you adjust the truss rod, the neck should be supported where it joins the body not at the tuning headstock. When rest the the tuning head stock on a pillow you are putting tension on the whole length of the neck causing it bend slightly making your measurements a fraction out. This is critical for very low actions.
Great video! The tool kit in the red case is my go-to basic for all my guitars. And nut slot files are also must have tools for me.
I really think you should recommend feeler gauges. It makes adjusting the neck way less scary and you can reference the specs of the manufacturer for neck relief as a first guide
My favorite setup video.
18:46 Adjusting the nut: Instead of deepening the slots, I sand it down from the bottom. It's a lot easier and the slots don't end up seizing the strings. If the bottom is curved, it has to match the radius of the fretboard, but that too is really easy; just put a piece of sandpaper on the first fret space, and sand on top of that, so you have a nut made specifically for that neck.
I love that screwdriver set got 2 of them, one lives in my gig bag and one stays on my “work “ desk.
I just set the neck on my friend’s guitar neck. Shimmed the neck, set the saddle radius, straightened the neck, restrung, ect… I don’t charge any $$. Hoping a car guy will show me the same kindness to change brakes and rotors on my cars lol
Great video, as someone who is learning this trade my biggest frustration is the use of different measurements i.e. fraction, thousandths, millimeters etc. I have conversion charts but I guess it is preference. Thanks for the great content!!!
@TomoFujitaMusic is the King
Great video. Makes it clear that I need to have a pro do my set up!
And just like that, the rest of the band bowed down! Nice job!
Very informative Guys, thanks very much. 👍
Thanks guys. I would do all adjustments on my epiphone sg but I'm chicken to do my PRS S2 24-08.
Please do a video on how to level compound radius frets.
@ricardomontanez1560 noted! Thanks for the suggestion.
I'm a bassist and always have relief in the neck. If you play with a low action & no relief, all you hear is buzzing strings. I use very light strings 30-95.
Thank you for teaching me the right way to adjust a guitar . I am a beginner and all i have is a cheap Estebon ! I did notice right off the bat that the frets were just cut off and not filed or polished . I set my guitar down and didn't pursue playing until I could learn to fix it myself !.
Again, thanks for the video !
Now i need to buy the proper tool set, the files & & & before I start practicing so I don't
cut myself ! Will the adjustable bridge make my guitar sound & play better ?
Wish I had Tomo as my guitar instructor.
Thank you SO, so much for posting this. Not only has it reminded me how I need to add to my set-up tools kit, but this will be the video that I'll share with all of my guitar students! :)
Right on! Great to hear it was helpful to you. Best of luck with your teaching 🎸
With all the tools available (and I have many) I have yet-to-find a Useful and Professional "Neck rest or Neck cradle" - I've been using a yoga-mat or towel, but I do like the one you are using here. Is it available for purchase??? Great information guys. Love Tomo - so humble and great player. oNe LovE from NYC
Great video and really useful info! Thank you!
I’m going to use this info to start building my tool set to at least keep my guitars in proper working order.
Sings and Rings 3:20 -Might be the best way to sum up what you are looking for=Sustain, great tone!!!! TOMO!!!
I feel that if you don't use the capo on top of the fret then the string will have an arc to it skewing the true height of the string over the fret but most people fret just past the fret when playing
"if you can't get a clean shot at the rod, you gotta take off the neck." words to live by.
Great video guys.
Happy to pay my local shop for setups... Of my 3 guitars, 2 were bought online. Paying them for a setup isn't that expensive and is a small way to offset the money they lose out on when I shop online...
This is a great explainer, although I think it would be great to see a guitar in desperate need of a complete setup get that treatment on camera. Like the intonation section, but for each step
A video just like that is on our "to do" list. 😎
Totally over the top the only specialist tools required for set up are
1.Nut files.
2. String height guage or good engineers ruler with 64ths
Non Specialist required
1. Auto feeler guages (neck relief, nut action)
2. Various Allen keys..Google your guitar but 4 will cover most.
3. Phillips and flat head screwdrivers.
4. Decent side cutters
You can get guutar multi tools that have ruler and all the imperial and metric Allen keys as well as a Gibson wrench