He isn't that good. Why? When working on a saddle there is no need to have to tie up the strings as he did (and he still got them tangled up anyway!) Simply loosen the strings off, put a capo on at the 1st fret and this ensures that the strings stay nice and in place on the machine heads. THEN remove the pins and work on the saddle. Also it's always a good idea to put the pins back in each hole as you remove each string. This way you're keeping the pin in the correct place instead of jumbling them up by removing them all (the grooves in the pins are different sizes for the different string gauges and so stay constant) A much more elegant method wouldn't you agree?
Great video, excellent instructions. One thing I do different, before pulling the saddle I'll install a capo on the ninth fret before loosening the strings. For me, it helps to keep the strings in order without having to loop them together. Thanks for the tips!
You did a great job laying out all the basic steps that go into setting up an acoustic, including putting a string on which is usually not mentioned. I've been setting up my own (electric and bass) guitars for years now but have learned a lot watching this video. Appreciate the clear explanations and attention to little details!
Just started learning guitar a couple weeks ago and my instructor suggested I get my guitar set up (after I mentioned it's been sitting in its case for 10 years barely used). I wanted to know what was involved in the process before I take it in and this has been very informative.
I have been able to set electric guitars action no problem I own a Washburn dreadnought and the action was quite high. followed your instructions to the tee, and the improvement was fantastic.. Lower action, intonation is smack on!! I even took the extra time to polish the frets,, didnt have to mess with the nut when all was said and done,,thanks for the info..
Fabulous video. Ive looked at so many tutorials but never felt like I had it. Your video has cemented the theory and procedural steps. Ill be using this always as reference. Very grateful
Very informative tutorial Yorel, hello from Wales, UK. As i'm about to start work on my Yamaha FG400 Acoustic, admittedly not the best in the world but this one has a very nice ringing sound and has been well looked after over the years by the previous owner, so i feel it's worth doing. I've been watching your string replacement part at the beginning and i'm not sure if you are "trapping" the string, as you wind it around the post, as i was always taught to do years ago, so prevent slippage. I thread the string through the hole and then then bring it back underneath the string and hold it up vertically, as it shows at 1:47. Then whilst holding the slack as you are doing, start winding the tuner and as the string goes round the post, it "traps" the vertical portion and thereby once fully tightened and tuned, there's unlikely to be any slippage and de-tuning. Obviously the string will need to stretch a little, as it is a new string and that is the nature of them (Joe Walsh tends to pull quite hard on the strings over the soundhole to initially "bed them in"), as i saw on one of his tutorials and as you also do in the video. So, do you agree that the trapping of the string is good practice, or do you feel it's not overly that important? Take care.
Well Damn! In 30 years and Many guitars, from cheapos to Gibson 335, Ovation Original etc.etc. I Always thought the action was way too high. Some 'Expert' once said that All acoustics are Too High at the Factory door. I believe that ! (Never touched a Martin though) So, All these years later, I Stumble onto This and one Other one, a little less equipped with 'Special Files'. (What are they called and Where available??) Amazing! I have just used a Capo on 1st or 3rd Fret for years, But a Capo seems to Dull the whole sound of a guitar, to me. I *never* heard of Anybody touching the Nut, Ever! Damn! Only ever saw people and myself adjusting Truss rod or shaving the bridge down, which was Never enough! Thankyou Sir!!!
Hi Yorel ! I`ve watched so many Acoustic Guitar Setup Tutorials these past few yrs, and without a doubt, yours here is the best i`ve seen !! Bravo & Thanks Alot !! :)
Your welcome I've had these vids for awhile and thought why keep them to myself when I can share them to others like me who don't want to pay alot to get there guitar fixed but I'm glad you like them
@@yorelzaid3251 very generous and helpful to a lot of people. I always preferred to set up my own guitars rather than have a big store do a quicky on it. Learned something each time, but learned quite a bit here tonight. My biggest struggle on most acoustics is always on the b string intonation. So many go slightly sharp at 12 and drives me crazy. I've ruined a few saddles learning how to correct that and not doing small adjustments like you show here. A+for patience!
Great video but one small detail that I would suggest you change. You moved the middle strings out of the nut groove to give you room for the allen wrench. then you tightened and checked the neck. The two middle strings should be returned to their grooves in the nut before checking the neck alignment.
Great video man, learned more about my guitar in this video than I have in ten years of mucking around with them just asking mates etc I'm from a small town with no qualified tech. Good stuff thumbs up
if your eye's struggle to see the 64ths may I suggest you get bit of hardwood machined with a mark for 7/64 + 3/32 if that is the most common settings you use, hope this helps, from someone who struggles to see inches lol
Wondering if I should file the nut grooves on a slight angle downward towards the head. Are there a specific number of degrees that would be recommended when filing the string grooves in the nut.? Thank you for sharing your very interesting video.
Always crimp the end of the wound strings into itself before tightening...this will prevent the center wire of the string from pulling loose inside the winding causing the string to lose brightness
Hello there, for my D18 (2021) I use 13 gauge. Now I mostly play with fingers including the strumming. What in your opinion should be the numbers at the 12th fret. Note: I often downtune ½ or 1 step. Thank you.
Good video, thanks! But two things would have made it better. 1. The initial winding of the string on the tuning post was too fast and unclear. 2. The very abrupt ending of the video kinda spoiled it a bit for me...just saying. Again, thank you.
Only think I'm curious about is... what is "stressing the frets"? Never heard of this. Though in fairness it may be something I do that I didn't have a name for lol.
He was talking about getting the frets dressed, not stressed. Dressing the frets involves levelling them with the strings off and the neck set dead straight - often called stoning the frets as it can be done with a whetstone - and then using a fret file to put the crown back on them and finally taking off any sharp edges on the sides of the fretboard.
this is a very informative way to setup an acoustic guitar the best i have seen is that a chinese? guild there is nothing to criticize about this video great a real Julius Sumner Miller of the guitar world
Your type of bridge saddle is called a "compensated" saddle. These are used to assist in proper intonation between strings. In the case of a compensated saddle, height adjustments will need to be made from the bottom of the saddle in order to not disturb the compensated top of the saddle. Using sandpaper over a dead flat surface is important as well as holding the saddle firmly and perfectly straight from side to side and end to end while sanding it. This will help to keep the bottom of the saddle true to the saddle slot and piezo pickup element in the bridge, which is very important. There are fairly inexpensive tools available online to assist you in holding the saddle while sanding it, that work like a "holding clamp" type of arrangement. Some sellers call these tools "guitar bridge saddle clamps". Another method of holding the saddle tightly would be to use a pair of 1" C-clamps with small pieces of hardwood used like clamping cauls on either side of the saddle, to help hold it steady while you sand. If you have never done this before, I would suggest practicing with a scrap of hard plastic cut into an approximate saddle shape to get a feel for holding it steady and true to the sanding surface before working with your guitar's saddle. Hope this helps answer your question. Work slowly and good luck.
"open d will give you a great set up which will stay the same when tuning up to standard". Down tunes guitar. "see how much that's moved" Yeah I'm done here
Yeah, but I think he’s, like, wrong. If you’ve measured the action and you know how you want to alter it, mark the bottom of the saddle with a straight line and sand down to it. If you can’t maintain square as you do so, practice on scrap until you can. Sanding the top is for matching the radius of the fret board and shaping the edge so that strings leave the saddle cleanly without buzzing.
@@michaelsablan8772 That's OK. I was able to follow it on one viewing. I just don't agree with that one point. I did hear what he said about the pickup. That's one reason it's important to keep the bottom of the saddle flat and square, which is a less demanding skill to master than that of maintaining radius and correct bevel on top of the saddle. This gets even more complex when the saddle is compensated.
Bad video. You should indicate how to wrap the string. Either above the hole or below. Remember there are kids that just received a guitar as a gift & they dont know. Breaking off the string is not a good ideas either. C- for this video.
This is a full setup. This is not beginner thing and no beginner should attempt this. There are hundreds of videos out there specifically for restringing an acoustic guitar.
Even the smallest details are included in your explanation of each step. You're a very good teacher!
& He's a fine repair Tech! Great video.........
He isn't that good. Why?
When working on a saddle there is no need to have to tie up the strings as he did (and he still got them tangled up anyway!) Simply loosen the strings off, put a capo on at the 1st fret and this ensures that the strings stay nice and in place on the machine heads. THEN remove the pins and work on the saddle. Also it's always a good idea to put the pins back in each hole as you remove each string. This way you're keeping the pin in the correct place instead of jumbling them up by removing them all (the grooves in the pins are different sizes for the different string gauges and so stay constant) A much more elegant method wouldn't you agree?
OMG This guy is really awesome. His patience to explain us how to set up an acoustic guitar is olympic. This vídeo deserves a really good coffee ☕!
Ive playing for a number of years and you taught me things i did not know. I thank you for your help.
This is the best tutorial I have seen on guitar setup the difference between a good and bad teacher
I've watched quite a few set up videos and this one is truly the best so far.
Easily the best Acoustic Guitar setup video I've seen. You are an excellent teacher and I love that you pay attention to the details.
Great video, excellent instructions. One thing I do different, before pulling the saddle I'll install a capo on the ninth fret before loosening the strings. For me, it helps to keep the strings in order without having to loop them together. Thanks for the tips!
@Sevenblackswans SwanSong I agree. I'll try that next time!
great info on always loosening the truss before ever tightening it, I preach that hardcore! good stuff man!
Yoh Randy is here!!
You did a great job laying out all the basic steps that go into setting up an acoustic, including putting a string on which is usually not mentioned. I've been setting up my own (electric and bass) guitars for years now but have learned a lot watching this video. Appreciate the clear explanations and attention to little details!
Just started learning guitar a couple weeks ago and my instructor suggested I get my guitar set up (after I mentioned it's been sitting in its case for 10 years barely used). I wanted to know what was involved in the process before I take it in and this has been very informative.
Wonderful tips for beginners and more experienced. I will remember these next time I do a set up. Thanks!
Thank you! Great video, very well explained. You're like the Bob Ross of Luthiers.
Sitarring is such an excellent word for that phenomenon
I have been able to set electric guitars action no problem I own a Washburn dreadnought and the action was quite high. followed your instructions to the tee, and the improvement was fantastic.. Lower action, intonation is smack on!! I even took the extra time to polish the frets,, didnt have to mess with the nut when all was said and done,,thanks for the info..
Fabulous video. Ive looked at so many tutorials but never felt like I had it. Your video has cemented the theory and procedural steps. Ill be using this always as reference. Very grateful
Im glad you liked it and benefited from it
@@leroyadiaz9287 --I notice your name spelled backwards now on the Video heading.
Very informative tutorial Yorel, hello from Wales, UK.
As i'm about to start work on my Yamaha FG400 Acoustic, admittedly not the best in the world but this one has a very nice ringing sound and has been well looked after over the years by the previous owner, so i feel it's worth doing.
I've been watching your string replacement part at the beginning and i'm not sure if you are "trapping" the string, as you wind it around the post, as i was always taught to do years ago, so prevent slippage.
I thread the string through the hole and then then bring it back underneath the string and hold it up vertically, as it shows at 1:47.
Then whilst holding the slack as you are doing, start winding the tuner and as the string goes round the post, it "traps" the vertical portion and thereby once fully tightened and tuned, there's unlikely to be any slippage and de-tuning.
Obviously the string will need to stretch a little, as it is a new string and that is the nature of them (Joe Walsh tends to pull quite hard on the strings over the soundhole to initially "bed them in"), as i saw on one of his tutorials and as you also do in the video.
So, do you agree that the trapping of the string is good practice, or do you feel it's not overly that important?
Take care.
I like the way you set up the acoustic guitar. It is complete from the very beginning. Thanks for sharing it Yore!
Your welcome
Best setup tutorial I have seen yet.
Well Damn! In 30 years and Many guitars, from cheapos to Gibson
335, Ovation Original etc.etc. I Always thought the action was
way too high. Some 'Expert' once said that All acoustics are Too
High at the Factory door. I believe that ! (Never touched a Martin
though) So, All these years later, I Stumble onto This and one Other one, a little less equipped with 'Special Files'. (What are they
called and Where available??)
Amazing! I have just used a Capo on 1st or 3rd Fret for years, But
a Capo seems to Dull the whole sound of a guitar, to me.
I *never* heard of Anybody touching the Nut, Ever! Damn!
Only ever saw people and myself adjusting Truss rod or shaving the bridge down, which was Never enough! Thankyou Sir!!!
Hi Yorel ! I`ve watched so many Acoustic Guitar Setup Tutorials these past few yrs, and without a doubt, yours here is the best i`ve seen !! Bravo & Thanks Alot !! :)
Your welcome I've had these vids for awhile and thought why keep them to myself when I can share them to others like me who don't want to pay alot to get there guitar fixed but I'm glad you like them
@@yorelzaid3251 very generous and helpful to a lot of people. I always preferred to set up my own guitars rather than have a big store do a quicky on it. Learned something each time, but learned quite a bit here tonight. My biggest struggle on most acoustics is always on the b string intonation. So many go slightly sharp at 12 and drives me crazy. I've ruined a few saddles learning how to correct that and not doing small adjustments like you show here. A+for patience!
Great video but one small detail that I would suggest you change. You moved the middle strings out of the nut groove to give you room for the allen wrench. then you tightened and checked the neck. The two middle strings should be returned to their grooves in the nut before checking the neck alignment.
Definitely worth a like and a subscribe!
Great video man, learned more about my guitar in this video than I have in ten years of mucking around with them just asking mates etc I'm from a small town with no qualified tech. Good stuff thumbs up
if your eye's struggle to see the 64ths may I suggest you get bit of hardwood machined with a mark for 7/64 + 3/32 if that is the most common settings you use, hope this helps, from someone who struggles to see inches lol
Great advice, good point. This is the way I was taught and it has always worked perfectly for me, and my aging eyes really appreciate it now. ;>)
Wondering if I should file the nut grooves on a slight angle downward towards the head. Are there a specific number of degrees that would be recommended when filing the string grooves in the nut.? Thank you for sharing your very interesting video.
Always crimp the end of the wound strings into itself before tightening...this will prevent the center wire of the string from pulling loose inside the winding causing the string to lose brightness
Very professional.
Awesome video! Thank you!
Bob Ross of the guitarworld.
I have used a set of welding tip cleaners instead of buying a set of nut files. Just use a caliper on the string and match the wire cleaner to it.
Hello there, for my D18 (2021) I use 13 gauge. Now I mostly play with fingers including the strumming. What in your opinion should be the numbers at the 12th fret. Note: I often downtune ½ or 1 step. Thank you.
Thanks, Awesome...
I think your the best instructor. Just saying. Thanks Yoel Zaid!
Have you written a book on this yet? I'd buy it
I never hit a tuning fork on a fully solid object. Your knee is the best thing to use.
That's why he hit it on the pad the guitar is on.
He didn't hit the guitar, just held it on the top to resonate.
Does Anybody Know Who He Is?His Brilliant At What He Does
thank you! this is a great teaching
I wish for a Marvel Superhero called Captain Metric.
Thanks for teaching the craft to us wannabes.
Holy moly. What witchcraft just happened at 2:38 ?
Good video, thanks! But two things would have made it better. 1. The initial winding of the string on the tuning post was too fast and unclear. 2. The very abrupt ending of the video kinda spoiled it a bit for me...just saying. Again, thank you.
Only think I'm curious about is... what is "stressing the frets"? Never heard of this. Though in fairness it may be something I do that I didn't have a name for lol.
He was talking about getting the frets dressed, not stressed. Dressing the frets involves levelling them with the strings off and the neck set dead straight - often called stoning the frets as it can be done with a whetstone - and then using a fret file to put the crown back on them and finally taking off any sharp edges on the sides of the fretboard.
Thanks!
How can you sand the compensated saddle?
Why a tuning fork and not an digital tuner?
Love the demonstration quality but why did you upload in 240p resolution?
The reason y is because when I recorded it was suppose to be for dvd
Was anyone else's life just changed when he trimmed the end of the string by just winding it a bunch?
this is a very informative way to setup an acoustic guitar the best i have seen is that a chinese? guild there is nothing to criticize about this video great a real Julius Sumner Miller of the guitar world
as all guitars that I have ever played are.
hahaha....nice one.... You always have those that criticize or for that matter criticizing and don't know what the h*** they're talking about lol
Good job..
Great video thanks. My Taylor plays better than it has in years! Now I need to catch up. ✌🏻🇺🇸
When you are measuring string height at the junction of the body and the neck, are you measuring from the bottom of the string?
When you measure the string height measure from the top of the fret and to the bottom of the string.
thank you
Get a measuring tool from Stew mac.
My bridge is has some shape to it on each string, so any work has to be done at the bottom?
Your type of bridge saddle is called a "compensated" saddle. These are used to assist in proper intonation between strings. In the case of a compensated saddle, height adjustments will need to be made from the bottom of the saddle in order to not disturb the compensated top of the saddle.
Using sandpaper over a dead flat surface is important as well as holding the saddle firmly and perfectly straight from side to side and end to end while sanding it. This will help to keep the bottom of the saddle true to the saddle slot and piezo pickup element in the bridge, which is very important.
There are fairly inexpensive tools available online to assist you in holding the saddle while sanding it, that work like a "holding clamp" type of arrangement. Some sellers call these tools "guitar bridge saddle clamps". Another method of holding the saddle tightly would be to use a pair of 1" C-clamps with small pieces of hardwood used like clamping cauls on either side of the saddle, to help hold it steady while you sand.
If you have never done this before, I would suggest practicing with a scrap of hard plastic cut into an approximate saddle shape to get a feel for holding it steady and true to the sanding surface before working with your guitar's saddle.
Hope this helps answer your question. Work slowly and good luck.
@@k9er233 Cheers...I've found the only dumb question is the one I didnt ask. I hava a ground steel measuring table, that shold do.
"open d will give you a great set up which will stay the same when tuning up to standard".
Down tunes guitar.
"see how much that's moved"
Yeah I'm done here
nice video, nice instructions. If only I knew what 5/30 second means in mm ...
Just google the conversion from inch to mm..
Thank you
wich gauge do you recomended me for no unglued bridges and his troubkes please?
I just use standard ones
oh geez - my strings are at about 5.5 mm that's almost twice that height
Be eye examination, the saddle height has a lot of room to get it further down ie. The Action is far too high at this moment.
Like the video, not so much the definition at 240.
Sie Wissen schon das die Leere A Saite 110 Hz hat und nicht 440 Hz?
440 Hz hat z.B. Die Dünne E-Saite 5. Bund!! Das ist a der 2gestrichenen Oktave
Sanding the saddle on the top part to lower the action????
Yeah, but I think he’s, like, wrong. If you’ve measured the action and you know how you want to alter it, mark the bottom of the saddle with a straight line and sand down to it. If you can’t maintain square as you do so, practice on scrap until you can. Sanding the top is for matching the radius of the fret board and shaping the edge so that strings leave the saddle cleanly without buzzing.
uh....I think you like....need to watch the video 10 times
@@michaelsablan8772 That's OK. I was able to follow it on one viewing. I just don't agree with that one point. I did hear what he said about the pickup. That's one reason it's important to keep the bottom of the saddle flat and square, which is a less demanding skill to master than that of maintaining radius and correct bevel on top of the saddle. This gets even more complex when the saddle is compensated.
@@thinkbear So True! ;>)
+David DeMello: I agree with your comments, particularly if the top of the saddle is the 'compensated' type.
3/32s = 2.38mm
Sottotitoli in ITALIANO,grazie .
I ALWAYS USE A FORK, AND NOBODY FOOLS WITH MY GIBBY.. A 12 GUITAR OWNER, 4 AMPS
I just fired my luthier
0:31 without context. 😏
Dreadnut:-)
Bad video. You should indicate how to wrap the string. Either above the hole or below. Remember there are kids that just received a guitar as a gift & they dont know. Breaking off the string is not a good ideas either. C- for this video.
+Paleo Man: You are 100% correct. It was disappointing the way he moved so fast and didn't take the time to explain your point.
This is a full setup. This is not beginner thing and no beginner should attempt this. There are hundreds of videos out there specifically for restringing an acoustic guitar.