I've run through a lot of frequently-asked setup questions over the last few weeks. I figured it might be useful to round them up and present them as a list so they're a bit easier to find.
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If you play in dropped tunings or you detune your guitar, you'll probably want to give some thought to the instrument's setup. Do you set up for the dropped or standard tuning? What sort of setup adjustments should you worry about. What's the low-down?
Get it? Low-down. Ha. Click through for more info and fewer jokes.
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Different guides and instructions call for measuring string height/action at different places along the neck. The most common you'll hear is probably at the 12th fret, closely followed by direction to measure at the 17th fret.
So what's the best way to do it?
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There are a number of steps to a guitar or bass setup. Does the order these are performed actually matter?
Yes. Yes, it does.
Here's why…
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You've got a guitar you don't play much and you reckon you might use it for a bit of bottleneck. Wondering if you need to do anything to set it up differently?
Well, you could just go at it and persevere through the clunks of slides of frets until you're Duane Allman. That's definitely valid. Most of us will find things a little easier if we make a couple of adjustments.
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Are you going to damage the guitar by trying your own setups? You've probably heard you can break the truss rod if you try to adjust it.
I read this actual quote: “Do not try and screw around with the truss rod yourself. You will most definitely snap your neck.”
So, should you risk it?
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Continuing our Setup FAQ: Should you setup your guitar yourself or is it better you pay someone to take care of it for you?
Well, there are pros and cons, fors and againsts, plusses and minuses.
Before making the decision, consider the following…
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Do I need to re-setup if I change string gauge? What about string brand?
The TL;DR on this is, almost certainly, yes.
Here's a few considerations to help you make the assessment though.
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You've got a shiny new guitar and you're wondering why on earth you'd want to get it setup. I mean, it's new. Isn't it already perfectly set up?
Well, there's a chance that it is perfect for you.
And there's a really good chance that a setup might just be worth considering. Check it out…
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If you hang around with guitarists or bassists, you’ll probably hear them talk about setups. “I got my guitar setup and it plays great.” “I think my bass needs a setup.” “I think I’ll do my own setup on this one.”
Setups, setups, setups. From the time you start playing and hanging out with other musicians, you’ll begin to *absorb* the ‘setup’ thing. It’ll become part of the world.
I get a lot of questions on setup so this is the first in a series of Setup FAQ.
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TL;DR: It depends. Ok, see ya!
It really does depend, though. Here are a few things to consider.
Before we get too far, though…
First up, and most importantly, is to get to know your current setup. Once you’ve got that starting reference point, you’ll be in a much better position to gauge when it’s time for some setup tweaks.
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