The best advise for me is: learn the mechanics of your instrument, not just how to play. And most important: learn to totally setup the instrument yourself!
Been playing and working on my guitars for 56 years and this is excellent and to the point. I prefer to skip the treble bleed myself because I like it to soften up when I back off to play rhythm. Well done.
I just modified a 2009 Epiphone Sg Special I put just over $300 American dollars of upgrades in it...when I tore this guitar down the quality of craftsmanship was Remarkable and the body Cavity was Shielded the neck and fret work also Remarkable so I had no problem putting the money into it very very well worth it....its plays and sounds incredible
This reminds me of the old joke about asking directions to Carnegie Hall. "Practice man, practice!". Adding an hour or two a day of practice will improve your tone an order of magnitude greater than any item on this list.
With regards to the "tone" differences between cables, I'd say don't sweat it. There could be a difference in shielding or durability that makes it worth it, but the tone will be functionally identical. I tested this to the logical extreme using several feet of 42 AWG copper wire, which is thinner than a hair, as the input cable. Very little difference, if any, except for buzzing due to the lack of shielding. It doesn't make a difference because 42 AWG is the same wire used to wind the pickups, and the signal is already going through hundreds of feet of that from the start. There's a great difference in conductivity between 42 AWG and a typical 20 AWG instrument cable; very little difference between 20 AWG and 20 AWG "gold plated", or whatever the latest "tone" gimmick is. If the former had negligible impact on tone, the latter certainly isn't going to do anything that couldn't be done with any other placebo. Save your dollars for the next guitar instead :)
eh, it does make some difference, to a point. A $50 10-foot Mogami cable does sound better than a $12 Amazon cheapo, full stop. I wouldn't spend much more than that though
My guide for a cheap strat-type guitar: 1. Either replace the bridge or lock it down: block of wood or 5 springs & tight claw. 2. Put some foam to stop the trem springs from ringing. 3. Install some better pickups. Second hand can be had for cheap. 4. Replace the jack and volume pot with quality parts. Add copper shielding to body cavity and pickguard. Redo the entire wiring job and measure it with a multimeter (pickups, trem claw ground, shielding continuity etc.) 5. A fast diy fret level, crown & polish to make sure the frets are level. 6. New nut from brass/bone, file the slots to correct height and gauge. 7. Drill out the neck mounting holes in the body so the screw threads dont grip the body. Back off the neck mounting screws 1/4 turn under full string tension and then re-tighten them to ensure proper neck/body fit and sustain. 8. Replace the strap button screws with the biggest screws that will fit. (drill pilot holes) 9. Remove both stringtrees and only use the highest one of them for the E/B strings. Less steep angle will give better tuning stability. G/D wont need a stringtree. 10. Full setup: trussrod 0.3mm relief at 8th fret with capo on 1st and fretting 21st. Set action at 17th fret with capo on 1st to 2.0mm Low E and 1.5mm at thin E. Set intonation at 12th fret. Set pickup height to fender spec/personal preference. Put some chapstick under the string tree, in the nut slots and at the saddle contact points. (And if you are going to use the tremolo: put some between tremolo pivot screws/holes, claw/spring and spring/block-holes) Boom! You now have a guitar that plays just as well as the pros.
Thanks infectionsman. I have been doing some of these. But headed to my basement to try a full setup. I’m learning every day thanks to your sharing. Thank you.
I just discovered you. And I am impressed. I am now a subscriber and I thank you for your great advice. I am actually a professional guitarist, but there is still more that all of us can learn in this business. thanks for your great information
#11: I think you meant rewire the second tone pot on a Strat (middle pup only) so it will also function for the bridge, right? In years past, Fender built Strats with no tone control for that bridge pup, which doesn't make sense. Wiring middle and bridge to- gether is a very simple and incredibly effective mod, also very popular. So popular, in fact, that Strats (depending on the model) are now made like that. It makes the guitar much more versatile. Good and informative video and these are tips every guitar player should consider. I am curious about the 50's style wiring harness on Gibsons and think I'll try that to see if there is a difference, I have been hearing more on that lately.
All of this is very good advice and surely will improve any electric guitar. For a quick, instant improvement, raise the action a bit and lower the pickups. Want more volume? Turn up your amp. Also, use no more than a .10 set, .09 even better. Lighter strings move the overall harmonics higher and more in line with where electric guitars live. Bends and hand vibrato will be easier, more controllable, and more musical. Like a fatter sound? Use the tone controls on your amp and guitar. Oh, and if you play so hard that lighter strings buzz out, learn how to play more gently. Everything will sound better. Wrap over the stop tail on Gibson-style guitars and screw the stop tail all the way down to the body. Optima Gold strings last a very long time and feel and sound great. Yeah, they're expensive, but you don't have to change them as often so they're actually economical - and they look so cool.
All great advice..except for # 8. Many scientific studies have proven that it would be EXTREMELY difficult to hear the differences between very expensive and lower priced instrument cables. Likewise, gold plated ends do nothing for tone over standard ones, although the gold plating helps keep corrosion down (but keeping standard plugs clean does the same thing). Most medium priced cables are just fine, and won't "lose" any "tone" in comparison. The main reason to get decent (but not necessarily expensive) cables is durability. If you play at home, and don't need to roll up your cables every night, most mid-low priced cables will work just fine. If you're playing gigs & shows a lot, you might want a bit more durability (although I use lower cost Planet Waves cables with molded ends, and play several shows a month, and they last a LONG time!). To be safe, my wife (singer/guitarist) and always carry two cables in each of our instrument cases, so if we have a problem with a cord, we can readily deal with it.
Alan Parsons was asked about cables he used in the studio, if any had better signal and tone quality. He said the only thing he ever noticed was cable length; the shorter the better.
Really interesting , im retired now n have lots of time and would love to dig into these studies u speak of . Would u mind to share where these can b found plz ? Things like this are fascinating . Thk u .
#26 - when upgrading pickups, don't assume you need "hot" pickups, lower output pickups can be more toneful, depending on the style, of course. Those fat magnet poles may look cool but you might end up with toneless wonders.
check underneath your pickup - if there's a magnet then that pickup was designed to have a thicker sound - you then might consider an Alnico 5 pickup - priced from $24 to $124 ...
100% agree on the guitar picks. Switching from those cheap flimsy tortex picks to dunlop jazz 3 XLs made a bigger improvement to my sound than any mod I could do to my guitar. The smooth contact with the strings reduces picking noise, and helps you play faster since they do not bend.
It totally doesnt. The strat has 3 pickups, several pickup combinations, and you can add in/out of phase switches or series/parallel switching for tons of tones. Anything fits under the pickguard. The tele has less space for mods and pickups that arent as versatile. A tele sounds like a tele. A strat can sound like a tele, or any other guitar depending on amp/fx/pickups.
@@SRNF The Telecaster is most definitely more versatile than a Stratocaster. Although a Strat has more pickups, the Tele has much more tonal range. There are many Jazz players using Teles, but I'll bet you've never seen a Jazz player using a Strat (with the exception of the great Eldon Shamblin in the Bob Wills band). Ever seen any Chicken Pickin' on a Strat?? I play behind my wife (Jill & Kevin), and we play Country, Western Swing, Jazz, Rockabilly, Blues, and other genres. I couldn't do all that on a Strat, but my Teles cover all that and more. I've seen Rock, Metal, Punk, and on and on, all played very successfully on Telecasters.
Thanks for this - learnt a few things. On the string height / string thickness, clearly it's a matter of experience and choice - I saw the great Robben Ford discuss this one time and he admonished super light strings and low action - it might be easier / faster to play but he felt beginners should aim for 10 / 11 gauge strings set a little high encouraging the left hand to work harder. By having to dig in more against the fret, he suggested a fuller tone results with a wider variance possible and the left hand is strengthened over time. My son who is decent guitarist at 18, followed this advice and began on a Taylor acoustic with Elixir 10's - he finds it relatively easy now on electric as he is beginning to find his own tone. The other great advice we had (not a guitar mod) is to invest in a decent amp before messing with pots, pickups, nuts, pedals etc. We bought a Marshall DSL Vintage and then had an amp builder swap out the valves and improve one or two internal components. Even a relatively cheap guitar like a stock Epiphone Casino sounds great through this and a decent guitar like a USA Standard SG with '57 (reproduction) humbuckers is truly epic without any mods. Thanks again.
Hi tony ,, u may kno this 1 . My sg has a treble bleed ,, cts 500k pots and pearly gates , a cap n resistor in parallel and the volume is alot more like an on off switich . What ya think ?
No. 2, You're so correct. I too love a low action however it's touch and go and unless you just enjoy working on your guitar instead of playing it I agree haha, raise the action a tad bit 🤙 Enjoyed your video, thank you.
#26 If you have a bolt on neck, slacken the screws 1/4 of a turn & hear the neck 'click' into the neck pocket snugly giving more tone/sustain. Tighten screws & retune. :)
You should learn how to setup your guitar. You should have a little tool box with all your little tools and trinkets. The Guitar Player Repair Guide by Dan Erlewine. Read some books and develop some vocabulary. Yes have a pro setup your guitar expect to spend $75 to $150. Listen to your guitar. Compare your setups to the pros. This was a really great video. Thank you for all the Hot Tips. Learn to play your guitar, amplifier, cabinet, and signal modification as a unit. Build your "Rig" and study the rigs of professionals. By your guitars tuned, and buy a lot of them. Remember the strings go on the outside. Take care and be well.
Learn to do your own set up. Why? Because as the seasons change, humidity and temperature change and the setup changes. Once you know how you can always keep your guitar setup to your exact preferences, oh and it's also a fact of life that your preferences sometimes do change. Yes set your strings to a medium or even slightly high action,. Not just to avoid fret buzz as the seasons change but for better tone. I learned just how important this really is many years ago. I was a young man and a violin student. One day I had the 'bright" idea to lower the string height by sanding down the wooden bridge. I did a great job as the strings were really close to the fingerboard and not having frets my violin had no "fret buzz". However when I actually played my violin all, and I mean "ALL" the volume and tone were gone. So I purchased a new wooden violin bridge and set the string height higher and instantly the volume and tone returned with that one single change in the set up. Old time Jazz players say "Two Dimes" thickness at the 12th fret. Meaning you should be able to fit two dimes stacked one upon the other between the 12th. fret and the underside of the string, with slight contact, slight friction when moving the dimes back and forth. You can go a little lower if the high string height bothers you. I sometimes do. Tone is the subject here, right? Don't ever pay someone to do what you do need to learn how to do for yourself. Because guitars are affected by the season and you can stay ahead of the situation when you know what to do. Teach yourself. Look it up here on youtube. Draw pictures, write things down and keep the notes for future reference.
When I first started playing I always wanted to have a super low action but after a couple of years I realised that I actually prefer a medium string height. I think that often we just assume that a low action is best. Sometimes it is but don't just assume that's the case.
@@fallingalice2601 technically it will be grounded if you have a good contact with the control plate on the tele. Usually, when I can, I try to have a little screw/washer going through the foil somewhere (into the wood) and then a wire soldered to a central grounding point where other grounds meet. Any back of a pot works.
Actually, the guitar does not transmit tone. It transmits electro-magnetic signals. And how well your amp converts those signals into tone is based on how good the signal is.
1-paying for a setup, tons of materials out there for DIY, learn it, get better at it and don’t pay 60 bucks every couple of weeks, plus it’s more fun, 2- higher action ? It’s a personal preference, depends on your playing, hands, style, …… etc etc… 3- haven’t passed tip 2 cuz I got bored of this.
#26: Save all of that money, and work on your hands. It's not a coincidence that all the great players that are known for their tone, sound just like themselves, no matter what kind of guitar they are playing. It's because tone is in your hands, not in a bunch of pricey upgrades. Jimi. Stevie. Eddie. Carlos. It's all in their hands!
tiny b...I don’t think I agree. A lot of a players tone comes from their hands, but a crappy instrument will sound like a crappy instrument no matter who’s hands it is in.
Yeah a good player sounds good and there is no doubt that skill level is the major part of the equation, but if you think they don't spend time to dial in their gear including their amp to get their "Tone" you would be mistaken. All one has to do is look over a site like TGP's amp section where they obsess over their vintage tubers, and then get back and tell us it's all in their hands.. lol.. Good Tone is the sum of many parts..
'Pro' is broad term which applies to basically anyone who has a job doing a specific activity ...so obviously there's a lot of room for qualitative variation with this term. It's like a pro mechanic ...are all equal? ...can all be trusted to do the right work for the right price? ...naturally the answer is 'no' ...they come in a variety of ability, experience, and motivations. I would say serious guitarists should at least educate themselves on what goes into a good setup, then find the right pro tech that has the tools, wherewithal, and care to do it. The tech should ask questions about how you like your setup, rather than assume ...if you have an atypical need, then make it known ...then you can either perfect how to ask for 'your setup' or build a relationship with a pro who knows how to deliver what you want. If you do decide to go with a tech, give them some professional leeway ...don't direct them, just recognize good and not-so-good work.
If I had a "pro" set up my guitar it'd be all messed up. I set mine how I like it. Doesn't always mean textbook and no one knows my guitars better than me.
Coated strings are a scam. What matters is your tone and coated strings tend to have a flatter tone response. Changing strings more often is the answer and the cost is pretty much a wash, all things considered. Good quality uncoated strings give the clearest and best range of tone, in my opinion, and this is particularly true on electric guitars. As with most things guitar oriented, it's a matter of what an individual prefers. I don't mind changing strings - in fact it's kind of a ritual and I always feel I'm going to get the best tone for the next few gigs, and that makes me happy. Coated strings are not just "more expensive." They are a LOT more expensive and not worth it, imho.
Coated strings are great on acoustic guitars but not so much on electrics in my experience. String cores can matter. There are hex core strings but DRs for instance aren't hex. My guitar dealer faults DR for not having hex cores but I like the sizzle of the low end windings compared to hex. Pure nickel versus strings featuring steel definitely effects tone. I go for the nickel. DR "Pure Blues", GHS Nickel Rockers rock. Don't waste your money on gimicks like Dean Markley "Alchemy" acoustic strings or their "cryogenic" blue steel. They are duds--especially Alchemy. Elixir and Cleartone are best for acoustics IMO.
If you want super low action, you need... Level frets, first and foremost. This is not part of a normal setup. unless you buy a high end guitar this is done at the factory. Still it is not uncommon for the fret level to change as the fretboard changes naturally over time. Second, proper neck relief, but on the straighter side. Too much relief is no good because you will fret out when it starts curving back up, If it's too little, you will buzz. Third, the fatter your strings, the better. Fat strings vibrate less wildly because they are under much higher tension. It makes bending hard though. It's actually a pretty simple recipe. Good luck.
If it's half decent guitar just play it. Get it set up and go. Forget this navel gazing stuff, nice guy but all the great players could make a $200 guitar sound fine.
hi...setting up a guitar, as i see it, is like asking the commuter if he fixes his own car. thankfully, i do both, and have a "decent idea" of what he reefers to. some don't. they just play, which is fine. that said, i also know when I am beyond the limitations of my skills...like, when i'm working on acoustic instruments, and have no clue as to how to progress...that's when i call "the guy". all that said, i have much admiration to y'all who are providing me useful information. I am having fun learning more and more.... thanks, cisco..
A $200 guitar can sound awesome. But if it isn't properly set it will sound like crap, regardless of price. I tend to think this video is just a gimmick to get people to buy this guys gadgets or services. Most of what's needed can be done at home. Pretty much, if you set your action properly, intonate properly, keep strings clean and new, and have a well made amp, you can use almost any guitar and make amazing music.
@Pete TheMan tone is in the entire chain. From the hands trough the gear and into the listeners ears. A crate-15w is never ever going to sound like a cranked jmp-50.
el loco There are lots of great guitars out there that you can buy but most of them are still poorly set up from the shop. If you own a guitar you should know the basics.
If you don't know what you are doing then get a guitar tech to setup your guitar. Then learn to make adjustments yourself, that is the only way to find what you like. Once you learn how to make adjustments and learn what the difference between changes, no tech will ever adjust the way your own ears and hands feel.
jess d I could not agree with you more. In fact most guitar adjustments are quite simple once you get the hang of it. You can save yourself a lot of money and as you said you can adjust it precisely to what you like.
Hes trying to help... some things are preference..String height is a personal..a how you like it thing...Arguing high/low...not real bright...Guys hear things different...but some good advice..
Sorry, but most "professional guitar techs" don't even know how to properly set up a guitar. So you should rephrase most of these tips that require to see a "pro". I should know... I'm an experienced luthier. A better tip is to learn how to set up your guitar and repair it.
how many guitars have you built? pro guitar techs know how to set up a guitar properly. most luthiers don't know how to properly set up a guitar. luthiers build them. a tech's job is to set them up and do minor repairs. you think someone who learns to do their own guitars, and will have done maybe a dozen setups when it is all said and done, will be better at setting up than someone who does that every day, maybe 40-50 guitars a week? i used to do all my own setups, and i was pretty good at it. until i played a guitar set up by this pro tech, and since then i have all my work done by him. we are talking about a guy where the fender custom shop sends their artists' guitars to have them set up after they were set up at the factory by a master luthier. to the average player this will make no discernible difference. but it certainly does to eric johnson, his guitars are set up there.
My my my It's so nice to have an expert around who can tell us underlings what it's all about. Correct me if I'm wrong, please? ...but I don't recall him saying "see a pro" very often. A few times.... but most of these tips were DIY. ..and if most techs don't know how to set up a guitar properly. Hell, generally speaking that could be 60% or more. ...so how would one learn to set up a guitar themselves if over half the people they could be learning from don't know what the hell they are doing? ..and how would anyone know the difference between someone who knows what they are doing and someone who doesnt? That would take prior knowledge of guitar setups! ...which someone learning is not very likely to have. That means at least half the videos on youtube are just BS too! But we know this much.... Bad information is just as easy to repeat as good information. It doesnt fall short until it doesn't work. Even a novice knows a fail when they see one. Maybe they should let that be the litmus test on who knows what they are doing and who doesn't? Success is self evident truth.
Rohadt Anyad. Really dipshit? Are you from the US? Ill make you a deal. .we'll have a competition. Ill go to gc and pay a 'tech' to set a guitar up. Ill set up its twin. Guarantee mines actually intonated and in tone. I was going to offer you a bet but i get that youre just some.. little dude with a cheap strat who doesnt know what that "intonation" thing i just said means.
Is ur logo trademarked? It would be the perfect tattoo either for the top of my hand or my wrist. I will definitely give serious props to ur channel...I’m dead serious..🤘🎸🎼🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶
This is awesome BUT.. if your tones good.. dont change to a bone /brass/whatever nut because you heard theyre better .Theyre MUCH brighter than tusq , etc etc. STRINGS. ive been experimenting a lot. Want bright? cobalt. want deep and wide? Pure nickel. What he said about cables is utter fucking bullshit. dont believe me. ask an electronics engineer. The only things that matter are a: they insulate the cable as much as possible from outside emf. b: the connectors are good. Thats it
I was hoping for instructions on how to make these modifications myself. I therefore did not find being told to take my guitar to a luthier very helpful. Sorry...
If you play guitar everyday then imo it’s not possible to own just one guitar. Every guitar ever built sound different . Two strats that are identical in every way play and sound different. My justification for owning so many guitars is that it’s my hobby and I love playing them all, but if I had to choose just one guitar out of all the guitars i own then it would have to be my Gretsch G5420T electromatic. I can play this guitar acoustically and it sounds great, plug it in to anything and it kicks arse, fortunately I don’t have to choose .
The best advise for me is: learn the mechanics of your instrument, not just how to play. And most important: learn to totally setup the instrument yourself!
Very good! I did wiring 50's on my SG Epiphone GS400 Pro Alnico Pickups. The sound was horrible and now it's completely changed. It was very good!
Thanks for all the great educational tips. Cheers!
Been playing and working on my guitars for 56 years and this is excellent and to the point. I prefer to skip the treble bleed myself because I like it to soften up when I back off to play rhythm. Well done.
Thank you for watching!
Tony, Not sure how I missed this one-Excellent information! Thanks for posting.
Glad it was helpful!
Awesome! Thanks for sharing brother! God bless you and your family!
I just modified a 2009 Epiphone Sg Special I put just over $300 American dollars of upgrades in it...when I tore this guitar down the quality of craftsmanship was Remarkable and the body Cavity was Shielded the neck and fret work also Remarkable so I had no problem putting the money into it very very well worth it....its plays and sounds incredible
Very practical tips. Thanks for the video.
This reminds me of the old joke about asking directions to Carnegie Hall. "Practice man, practice!". Adding an hour or two a day of practice will improve your tone an order of magnitude greater than any item on this list.
With regards to the "tone" differences between cables, I'd say don't sweat it. There could be a difference in shielding or durability that makes it worth it, but the tone will be functionally identical.
I tested this to the logical extreme using several feet of 42 AWG copper wire, which is thinner than a hair, as the input cable. Very little difference, if any, except for buzzing due to the lack of shielding. It doesn't make a difference because 42 AWG is the same wire used to wind the pickups, and the signal is already going through hundreds of feet of that from the start.
There's a great difference in conductivity between 42 AWG and a typical 20 AWG instrument cable; very little difference between 20 AWG and 20 AWG "gold plated", or whatever the latest "tone" gimmick is. If the former had negligible impact on tone, the latter certainly isn't going to do anything that couldn't be done with any other placebo. Save your dollars for the next guitar instead :)
eh, it does make some difference, to a point. A $50 10-foot Mogami cable does sound better than a $12 Amazon cheapo, full stop. I wouldn't spend much more than that though
This guy is great. Thanks for your efforts guy the tips were practical and excellent.
Louis Accardi thanks for watching
Epiphone craftsmanship is remarkable some of the very best in the world at any price
This is great info for where I am at right now. Thank you for opening my eyes up a bit.
Thanks for watching!
I climbed to the top of the mountain to find wisdom....addicted to gear rewarded my quest Thank you ! Great presentation!
Go forth and prosper my friend! LOL
I went to the mountain for the milk
Great post! BTW do you find the chicken picks a bit "clicky" noise?
Great Advice You left out Set your intonation Every time you Change Strings Great Video !!!!!!!!!!!
KountryCuz1 indeed! Thanks for watching
Got to say, love the shirt. 😁
My guide for a cheap strat-type guitar:
1. Either replace the bridge or lock it down: block of wood or 5
springs & tight claw.
2. Put some foam to stop the trem springs from ringing.
3. Install some better pickups. Second hand can be had for cheap.
4. Replace the jack and volume pot with quality parts. Add copper
shielding to body cavity and pickguard. Redo the entire wiring job and
measure it with a multimeter (pickups, trem claw ground, shielding
continuity etc.)
5. A fast diy fret level, crown & polish to make sure the frets are
level.
6. New nut from brass/bone, file the slots to correct height and gauge.
7. Drill out the neck mounting holes in the body so the screw threads
dont grip the body. Back off the neck mounting screws 1/4 turn under
full string tension and then re-tighten them to ensure proper neck/body
fit and sustain.
8. Replace the strap button screws with the biggest screws that will
fit. (drill pilot holes)
9. Remove both stringtrees and only use the highest one of them for the
E/B strings. Less steep angle will give better tuning stability. G/D
wont need a stringtree.
10. Full setup: trussrod 0.3mm relief at 8th fret with capo on 1st and
fretting 21st. Set action at 17th fret with capo on 1st to 2.0mm Low E
and 1.5mm at thin E. Set intonation at 12th fret. Set pickup height to
fender spec/personal preference. Put some chapstick under the string
tree, in the nut slots and at the saddle contact points. (And if you are
going to use the tremolo: put some between tremolo pivot screws/holes, claw/spring and spring/block-holes)
Boom! You now have a guitar that plays just as well as the pros.
Thanks infectionsman. I have been doing some of these. But headed to my basement to try a full setup. I’m learning every day thanks to your sharing. Thank you.
I just discovered you. And I am impressed. I am now a subscriber and I thank you for your great advice. I am actually a professional guitarist, but there is still more that all of us can learn in this business. thanks for your great information
Thanks for watching!
#11: I think you meant rewire the second tone pot on a Strat (middle pup only) so it
will also function for the bridge, right? In years past, Fender built Strats with no tone
control for that bridge pup, which doesn't make sense. Wiring middle and bridge to-
gether is a very simple and incredibly effective mod, also very popular. So popular,
in fact, that Strats (depending on the model) are now made like that. It makes the
guitar much more versatile. Good and informative video and these are tips every
guitar player should consider. I am curious about the 50's style wiring harness on
Gibsons and think I'll try that to see if there is a difference, I have been hearing
more on that lately.
Fantastic video! 👍
I like my action medium to quite high. It sounds more natural I find and plus you can't play slide with low action
Pro Co cables, good???
Try the 50`s wiring even in your Strat or Tele!
What do you like about it?
@@addictedtogear I tried it, and it sounded great, so it stays!
All of this is very good advice and surely will improve any electric guitar.
For a quick, instant improvement, raise the action a bit and lower the pickups. Want more volume? Turn up your amp. Also, use no more than a .10 set, .09 even better. Lighter strings move the overall harmonics higher and more in line with where electric guitars live. Bends and hand vibrato will be easier, more controllable, and more musical. Like a fatter sound? Use the tone controls on your amp and guitar.
Oh, and if you play so hard that lighter strings buzz out, learn how to play more gently. Everything will sound better.
Wrap over the stop tail on Gibson-style guitars and screw the stop tail all the way down to the body.
Optima Gold strings last a very long time and feel and sound great. Yeah, they're expensive, but you don't have to change them as often so they're actually economical - and they look so cool.
Thanks for the input
@@addictedtogear YW
if you want to do mods and upgrades on guitars and you've never done it before, use old or cheap guitar. we always learn by making mistakes.
Very good information!
What do you think about adding a Bigsby tremolo? Is it a bad idea and why?
All great advice..except for # 8. Many scientific studies have proven that it would be EXTREMELY difficult to hear the differences between very expensive and lower priced instrument cables. Likewise, gold plated ends do nothing for tone over standard ones, although the gold plating helps keep corrosion down (but keeping standard plugs clean does the same thing). Most medium priced cables are just fine, and won't "lose" any "tone" in comparison. The main reason to get decent (but not necessarily expensive) cables is durability. If you play at home, and don't need to roll up your cables every night, most mid-low priced cables will work just fine. If you're playing gigs & shows a lot, you might want a bit more durability (although I use lower cost Planet Waves cables with molded ends, and play several shows a month, and they last a LONG time!). To be safe, my wife (singer/guitarist) and always carry two cables in each of our instrument cases, so if we have a problem with a cord, we can readily deal with it.
Alan Parsons was asked about cables he used in the studio, if any had better signal and tone quality. He said the only thing he ever noticed was cable length; the shorter the better.
Really interesting , im retired now n have lots of time and would love to dig into these studies u speak of . Would u mind to share where these can b found plz ? Things like this are fascinating . Thk u .
#26 - when upgrading pickups, don't assume you need "hot" pickups, lower output pickups can be more toneful, depending on the style, of course. Those fat magnet poles may look cool but you might end up with toneless wonders.
I totally agree! Thanks for watching.
This has absolutely been one of the best instructional/info vids I have ever seen in regards to guitar tonality. Thank you!
Glad you like it
Hi! What can I do if the neck pickup is too muddy, in my telecaster standard? Is there any way to make it brighter?
You can get different capacitors for your tone knob. First try raising your pickup higher if it is low.
check underneath your pickup - if there's a magnet then that pickup was designed to have a thicker sound - you then might consider an Alnico 5 pickup - priced from $24 to $124 ...
Also you can try lowering the bass side of your neck pickup, it won’t be as hot
Thanks for all your tips. I have a good luthier at Murphy's who keeps my guitars in top shape-J
You're incredible.
100% agree on the guitar picks. Switching from those cheap flimsy tortex picks to dunlop jazz 3 XLs made a bigger improvement to my sound than any mod I could do to my guitar. The smooth contact with the strings reduces picking noise, and helps you play faster since they do not bend.
Jazz 3 are the best!
If you don't need a whammy bar buy a tele... it has more versatility tonally wise.
Not true.
How would a tele have more versatility than a strat? The bias on that statement is crazy lmao :P
It totally doesnt. The strat has 3 pickups, several pickup combinations, and you can add in/out of phase switches or series/parallel switching for tons of tones. Anything fits under the pickguard. The tele has less space for mods and pickups that arent as versatile. A tele sounds like a tele. A strat can sound like a tele, or any other guitar depending on amp/fx/pickups.
@@SRNF The Telecaster is most definitely more versatile than a Stratocaster. Although a Strat has more pickups, the Tele has much more tonal range. There are many Jazz players using Teles, but I'll bet you've never seen a Jazz player using a Strat (with the exception of the great Eldon Shamblin in the Bob Wills band). Ever seen any Chicken Pickin' on a Strat?? I play behind my wife (Jill & Kevin), and we play Country, Western Swing, Jazz, Rockabilly, Blues, and other genres. I couldn't do all that on a Strat, but my Teles cover all that and more. I've seen Rock, Metal, Punk, and on and on, all played very successfully on Telecasters.
@@pineapplej7310 read my reply to SRNF above. The Tele is unquestionably more versatile than a Strat.
I love learning stuff great tips, thanks!
Great video,thanks!
Thanks
Callaham hardware reminds me of high priced speaker wire for audiophiles. Yes I have tried them!
Love your vids man much love from Nova Scotia
Nice of you to say. thanks!
Awesome thank you for the advice 💯💯
Any time!
Cool 🦾✅✅✅✅
Thanks for this - learnt a few things. On the string height / string thickness, clearly it's a matter of experience and choice - I saw the great Robben Ford discuss this one time and he admonished super light strings and low action - it might be easier / faster to play but he felt beginners should aim for 10 / 11 gauge strings set a little high encouraging the left hand to work harder. By having to dig in more against the fret, he suggested a fuller tone results with a wider variance possible and the left hand is strengthened over time. My son who is decent guitarist at 18, followed this advice and began on a Taylor acoustic with Elixir 10's - he finds it relatively easy now on electric as he is beginning to find his own tone.
The other great advice we had (not a guitar mod) is to invest in a decent amp before messing with pots, pickups, nuts, pedals etc. We bought a Marshall DSL Vintage and then had an amp builder swap out the valves and improve one or two internal components. Even a relatively cheap guitar like a stock Epiphone Casino sounds great through this and a decent guitar like a USA Standard SG with '57 (reproduction) humbuckers is truly epic without any mods.
Thanks again.
bLa bla bla. Taylor, Marshall...name dropper. People that have to have a Taylor...usually can't play worth a damn.
What did you say to get at #22 ?
It's a tone bleed circuit. It will make your guitar sound better when playing at low volumes.
Hi tony ,, u may kno this 1 . My sg has a treble bleed ,, cts 500k pots and pearly gates , a cap n resistor in parallel and the volume is alot more like an on off switich . What ya think ?
No. 2, You're so correct. I too love a low action however it's touch and go and unless you just enjoy working on your guitar instead of playing it I agree haha, raise the action a tad bit 🤙
Enjoyed your video, thank you.
Absolutely!
Nice job. Thank you
#26 If you have a bolt on neck, slacken the screws 1/4 of a turn & hear the neck 'click' into the neck pocket snugly giving more tone/sustain. Tighten screws & retune. :)
Interesting! thanks for watching
Yeah. That actually improves tone. Sounds like nonsense, but I've done it and it works!
IO Odyssey Don’t forget to adjust the intonation too 👍🏼
DO THESE THINGS APPLY TO MY YAMAHA 600 ACOUSTIC ELECTRIC GUITAR ?
Yup change the wiring to a 50's gibson style and make sure to wrap the springs of your whammy with a piece of cloth to remove buzz
You should learn how to setup your guitar. You should have a little tool box with all your little tools and trinkets. The Guitar Player Repair Guide by Dan Erlewine.
Read some books and develop some vocabulary. Yes have a pro setup your guitar expect to spend $75 to $150. Listen to your guitar. Compare your setups to the pros.
This was a really great video.
Thank you for all the Hot Tips.
Learn to play your guitar, amplifier, cabinet, and signal modification as a unit. Build your "Rig" and study the rigs of professionals.
By your guitars tuned, and buy a lot of them. Remember the strings go on the outside. Take care and be well.
Fantastic thank 🤩🙏
Thank you too!
Thanks man!
You are welcome.
Learn to do your own set up. Why? Because as the seasons change, humidity and temperature change and the setup changes. Once you know how you can always keep your guitar setup to your exact preferences, oh and it's also a fact of life that your preferences sometimes do change.
Yes set your strings to a medium or even slightly high action,. Not just to avoid fret buzz as the seasons change but for better tone. I learned just how important this really is many years ago. I was a young man and a violin student. One day I had the 'bright" idea to lower the string height by sanding down the wooden bridge. I did a great job as the strings were really close to the fingerboard and not having frets my violin had no "fret buzz". However when I actually played my violin all, and I mean "ALL" the volume and tone were gone. So I purchased a new wooden violin bridge and set the string height higher and instantly the volume and tone returned with that one single change in the set up.
Old time Jazz players say "Two Dimes" thickness at the 12th fret. Meaning you should be able to fit two dimes stacked one upon the other between the 12th. fret and the underside of the string, with slight contact, slight friction when moving the dimes back and forth. You can go a little lower if the high string height bothers you. I sometimes do. Tone is the subject here, right?
Don't ever pay someone to do what you do need to learn how to do for yourself. Because guitars are affected by the season and you can stay ahead of the situation when you know what to do. Teach yourself. Look it up here on youtube. Draw pictures, write things down and keep the notes for future reference.
Great advice.
Thank you for this!
Yes. There's no substitute for practice!
When I first started playing I always wanted to have a super low action but after a couple of years I realised that I actually prefer a medium string height. I think that often we just assume that a low action is best. Sometimes it is but don't just assume that's the case.
My wife must think what your T-shirt says when I talk about the guitar player of a song playing in the car. Girls just wanna have fun.
😂😂😂
great tips ...
1 & 2 which are really the same, are the best tips
Do your own set-up, only you know how you want it to play. I don't want to adapt to someone else's idea of what a good set-up is.
So true!
Did you know all 25 tips before watching this video? Nope.
Re: #17 - be sure the shielding foil is grounded.
@@fallingalice2601 technically it will be grounded if you have a good contact with the control plate on the tele. Usually, when I can, I try to have a little screw/washer going through the foil somewhere (into the wood) and then a wire soldered to a central grounding point where other grounds meet. Any back of a pot works.
Actually, the guitar does not transmit tone. It transmits electro-magnetic signals. And how well your amp converts those signals into tone is based on how good the signal is.
Nice
Cheers!
Tip #1 Don't be poor.
Epic shirt
some great advice there!
Prices on Fender Telecasters
Prices on fender telecasters
Subscribed
Thank you Brian!
1-paying for a setup, tons of materials out there for DIY, learn it, get better at it and don’t pay 60 bucks every couple of weeks, plus it’s more fun, 2- higher action ? It’s a personal preference, depends on your playing, hands, style, …… etc etc… 3- haven’t passed tip 2 cuz I got bored of this.
Peter green out of phase is wonderful
#26: Save all of that money, and work on your hands.
It's not a coincidence that all the great players that are known for their tone, sound just like themselves, no matter what kind of guitar they are playing. It's because tone is in your hands, not in a bunch of pricey upgrades.
Jimi. Stevie. Eddie. Carlos. It's all in their hands!
Bucket
tiny b...I don’t think I agree. A lot of a players tone comes from their hands, but a crappy instrument will sound like a crappy instrument no matter who’s hands it is in.
tiny b check out any famous blues players they dont use picks just thumb and fingers
Absolutely.
Yeah a good player sounds good and there is no doubt that skill level is the major part of the equation, but if you think they don't spend time to dial in their gear including their amp to get their "Tone" you would be mistaken. All one has to do is look over a site like TGP's amp section where they obsess over their vintage tubers, and then get back and tell us it's all in their hands.. lol..
Good Tone is the sum of many parts..
'Pro' is broad term which applies to basically anyone who has a job doing a specific activity ...so obviously there's a lot of room for qualitative variation with this term.
It's like a pro mechanic ...are all equal? ...can all be trusted to do the right work for the right price? ...naturally the answer is 'no' ...they come in a variety of ability, experience, and motivations.
I would say serious guitarists should at least educate themselves on what goes into a good setup, then find the right pro tech that has the tools, wherewithal, and care to do it.
The tech should ask questions about how you like your setup, rather than assume ...if you have an atypical need, then make it known ...then you can either perfect how to ask for 'your setup' or build a relationship with a pro who knows how to deliver what you want.
If you do decide to go with a tech, give them some professional leeway ...don't direct them, just recognize good and not-so-good work.
If I had a "pro" set up my guitar it'd be all messed up. I set mine how I like it. Doesn't always mean textbook and no one knows my guitars better than me.
You're right!
Indeed
Amen to that!
Fret strings with finger on top of the fret to soften and sweeten your tone.
90% of tone comes from you. Not your gear.
I wouldn't say 90%, but it is over 65.
Coated strings are a scam. What matters is your tone and coated strings tend to have
a flatter tone response. Changing strings more often is the answer and the cost is
pretty much a wash, all things considered. Good quality uncoated strings give the
clearest and best range of tone, in my opinion, and this is particularly true on electric
guitars. As with most things guitar oriented, it's a matter of what an individual prefers.
I don't mind changing strings - in fact it's kind of a ritual and I always feel I'm going to
get the best tone for the next few gigs, and that makes me happy. Coated strings
are not just "more expensive." They are a LOT more expensive and not worth it, imho.
Coated strings are great on acoustic guitars but not so much on electrics in my experience. String cores can matter. There are hex core strings but DRs for instance aren't hex. My guitar dealer faults DR for not having hex cores but I like the sizzle of the low end windings compared to hex. Pure nickel versus strings featuring steel definitely effects tone. I go for the nickel. DR "Pure Blues", GHS Nickel Rockers rock. Don't waste your money on gimicks like Dean Markley "Alchemy" acoustic strings or their "cryogenic" blue steel. They are duds--especially Alchemy. Elixir and Cleartone are best for acoustics IMO.
If you want super low action, you need... Level frets, first and foremost. This is not part of a normal setup. unless you buy a high end guitar this is done at the factory. Still it is not uncommon for the fret level to change as the fretboard changes naturally over time.
Second, proper neck relief, but on the straighter side. Too much relief is no good because you will fret out when it starts curving back up, If it's too little, you will buzz.
Third, the fatter your strings, the better. Fat strings vibrate less wildly because they are under much higher tension. It makes bending hard though.
It's actually a pretty simple recipe. Good luck.
For 16 minutes and 46 seconds, you bored me to death ;-)
haha
a text summary would be useful
5 he's talking about "audio taper" or logrithimic pots.
You don't set the bridge so low that you get fret buzz and the string hits the pups. A properly set low bridge will increase sustain and harmonics.
If it's half decent guitar just play it. Get it set up and go. Forget this navel gazing stuff, nice guy but all the great players could make a $200 guitar sound fine.
hi...setting up a guitar, as i see it, is like asking the commuter if he fixes his own car.
thankfully, i do both, and have a "decent idea" of what he reefers to. some don't. they just play, which is fine. that said, i also know when I am beyond the limitations of my skills...like, when i'm working on acoustic instruments, and have no clue as to how to progress...that's when i call "the guy".
all that said, i have much admiration to y'all who are providing me useful information. I am having fun learning more and more....
thanks,
cisco..
It ain't the arrow...it's the Indian.
A $200 guitar can sound awesome. But if it isn't properly set it will sound like crap, regardless of price. I tend to think this video is just a gimmick to get people to buy this guys gadgets or services. Most of what's needed can be done at home. Pretty much, if you set your action properly, intonate properly, keep strings clean and new, and have a well made amp, you can use almost any guitar and make amazing music.
Tone is in the hands.
@Pete TheMan tone is in the entire chain. From the hands trough the gear and into the listeners ears. A crate-15w is never ever going to sound like a cranked jmp-50.
#26 send me all your gear when you give up.
Right on the money! Hilarious!
Buy a good guitar to start with.
el loco There are lots of great guitars out there that you can buy but most of them are still poorly set up from the shop. If you own a guitar you should know the basics.
Build* a good guitar to start with
It ain't the arrow...it' the Indian.
Yeah, get a professional guitar, like a First Act.
300-600 dollars seems to be the sweet spot to me.
dead on.
now, fret leveling and crowning is not exactly cheap
If you don't know what you are doing then get a guitar tech to setup your guitar. Then learn to make adjustments yourself, that is the only way to find what you like. Once you learn how to make adjustments and learn what the difference between changes, no tech will ever adjust the way your own ears and hands feel.
jess d I could not agree with you more. In fact most guitar adjustments are quite simple once you get the hang of it. You can save yourself a lot of money and as you said you can adjust it precisely to what you like.
BLT is my TLC
Hes trying to help... some things are preference..String height is a personal..a how you like it thing...Arguing high/low...not real bright...Guys hear things different...but some good advice..
Sorry, but most "professional guitar techs" don't even know how to properly set up a guitar. So you should rephrase most of these tips that require to see a "pro". I should know... I'm an experienced luthier. A better tip is to learn how to set up your guitar and repair it.
how many guitars have you built? pro guitar techs know how to set up a guitar properly. most luthiers don't know how to properly set up a guitar. luthiers build them. a tech's job is to set them up and do minor repairs. you think someone who learns to do their own guitars, and will have done maybe a dozen setups when it is all said and done, will be better at setting up than someone who does that every day, maybe 40-50 guitars a week? i used to do all my own setups, and i was pretty good at it. until i played a guitar set up by this pro tech, and since then i have all my work done by him. we are talking about a guy where the fender custom shop sends their artists' guitars to have them set up after they were set up at the factory by a master luthier. to the average player this will make no discernible difference. but it certainly does to eric johnson, his guitars are set up there.
Defiantly, every musician should know how how to set up and maintain and repair their instrument.
My my my
It's so nice to have an expert around who can tell us underlings what it's all about.
Correct me if I'm wrong, please?
...but I don't recall him saying "see a pro" very often. A few times.... but most of these tips were DIY.
..and if most techs don't know how to set up a guitar properly. Hell, generally speaking that could be 60% or more.
...so how would one learn to set up a guitar themselves if over half the people they could be learning from don't know what the hell they are doing?
..and how would anyone know the difference between someone who knows what they are doing and someone who doesnt? That would take prior knowledge of guitar setups! ...which someone learning is not very likely to have.
That means at least half the videos on youtube are just BS too!
But we know this much....
Bad information is just as easy to repeat as good information.
It doesnt fall short until it doesn't work.
Even a novice knows a fail when they see one.
Maybe they should let that be the litmus test on who knows what they are doing and who doesn't?
Success is self evident truth.
rohadt Anyad who is the tech?
Rohadt Anyad. Really dipshit? Are you from the US? Ill make you a deal. .we'll have a competition. Ill go to gc and pay a 'tech' to set a guitar up. Ill set up its twin. Guarantee mines actually intonated and in tone. I was going to offer you a bet but i get that youre just some.. little dude with a cheap strat who doesnt know what that "intonation" thing i just said means.
Is ur logo trademarked? It would be the perfect tattoo either for the top of my hand or my wrist. I will definitely give serious props to ur channel...I’m dead serious..🤘🎸🎼🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶
For a minute there,
You bored me to death
Love the tshirt
Thanks for watching
sorry but man u look like Leonard from big bang theory or David from Roseanne.
This is awesome BUT.. if your tones good.. dont change to a bone /brass/whatever nut because you heard theyre better .Theyre MUCH brighter than tusq , etc etc.
STRINGS. ive been experimenting a lot. Want bright? cobalt. want deep and wide? Pure nickel.
What he said about cables is utter fucking bullshit. dont believe me. ask an electronics engineer. The only things that matter are a: they insulate the cable as much as possible from outside emf. b: the connectors are good. Thats it
re shielding paint: you can also buy aluminum tape at the nearest hardware store. Often called HVAC tape
I was hoping for instructions on how to make these modifications myself. I therefore did not find being told to take my guitar to a luthier very helpful. Sorry...
Get better fingers.
Oh and a great amp.
If you play guitar everyday then imo it’s not possible to own just one guitar. Every guitar ever built sound different . Two strats that are identical in every way play and sound different. My justification for owning so many guitars is that it’s my hobby and I love playing them all, but if I had to choose just one guitar out of all the guitars i own then it would have to be my Gretsch G5420T electromatic.
I can play this guitar acoustically and it sounds great, plug it in to anything and it kicks arse, fortunately I don’t have to choose .
lol I have that shirt
Learn how to play. Listen to music. Clapton just plugs into an amp.
He said bone nut.🙃
Title is misleading. Some of the ways like changing picks can CHANGE tone but may not necessarily improve tone
More girth and more lube.