Here's everything I use in this video (affiliate link, not sponsored!): amzn.to/48e1Q6Q Chapters: 00:00 Intro 00:29 How often to set up your guitar 00:59 Tools required 01:51 Step 1: Change your strings 02:33 Step 2: Neck relief 05:17 Step 3: String height 07:16 Step 4: Pickup height 08:45 Step 5: Intonation 10:41 Final thoughts *Update* I've misplaced the decimal point in the neck relief tables! They should read: 7.25": 0.012" 9.5" to 12": 0.010" 15" to 17": 0.008"
I bought a new fender strat in 1987 -- played in bands and clubs for a long time -- finally someone offered to set it up for me - in 2015! I had never had it set up - things were different back then if you did not know someone or no one told you (the shop I bought it at should have said something) you did not know.....I was amazed when the action was lowered how much better it played!
Yep! That’s exactly how it is for me I’ve started playing when I was 7yrs old… I’m now 35yrs old. All self taught and never had any friends who were big into guitar or anyone who even knew things about guitar from the technical playing aspect to working on setting up a guitar so even after all those years of playing by ear theres Soo much I never learned about and I’m a lefty who started playing right handed guitars upside down!
I've always been a bit nervous of playing with the setup of my guitars, but your guide is really user-friendly and easy to follow, so it's time to give it a try. Thanks for sharing.
Bought my first electric guitar last week from someone who never played it. Your guide really helped me to set up my guitar as a guy who only had experience with acoustic guitars only. Thanks a lot Conor you Rock 🤘.
I check set up every time I change strings (and check it again a couple of days later after playing on them) and every seasonal change and every time I take a guitar travelling with me when I get to a new location. I definitely agree with the order you recommend (relief, action, intonation). And good tip about keeping fender style saddles level - so many people think tilting the saddles is part of matching the fretboard radius, and that is just wrong. A titled saddle can rob you of tone, sustain, and tuning stability. I never bothered with feeler gauges for adjusting relief - I just hold a string down at the 1st fret and where the neck joins the body and tap at about the 7th fret to see how much movement there is. IMO there is no "right or wrong" - it depends on how hard you play, the string gauges you use and the type of music you play (a little fret buzz will never be noticed with high gain playing but might be bothersome for a rich clean tone). I adjust PU height for sound. Some folks might prefer balanced volume when changing from neck to bridge - some may prefer more output. As long as they are not too close to the strings, I feel it is a matter of taste and sound (for example, on strat style guitars I tend to keep the middle PU a lot lower - I just prefer the sound I get in positions 4 and 2 that way). I would suggest never to adjust the truss rod more than 1/4 turn without checking, and if it is not good enough after two adjustments, wait a day or two before going further. I agree completely that anyone serious about guitar should learn to do this. And I would add that, a lot of nubes seem to think getting a "pro set up" is good for life. Wrong. Guitars change. And setting up to "factory specs" is a compromise. Playable by anyone but optimal for no one. The only person who can dial in the perfect set up for your style, sound, and choice of string is you.
This was absolutely perfect and exactly what I was looking for. So many videos make it overly complicated but this was very simple. My 92 strat sounds better than it ever has!! Thanks!!!!
It's so cool to get back into this. I've been a guitar player for 14 years now and i just got back into playing seriously again, and bought a new guitar. Refreshing myself on my setup always feels good.
Thank you a very thorough lesson. I,m glad you shared you didn’t use the capo when setting the strings height. I just got done setting up my Fender Stratocaster. I just followed your advice. Thanks again for sharing.
Ive got a new one coming in the mail shortly and def saving this to use! You made it very approachable and not as intimidating as I thought it would be. Thank you!
This should be a beginners first encounter with a TH-cam guitar lesson. This has helped my quality of sound and ease of use immensly. Cannot overstate it enough. Thanks a tonne. You have my sub.
Thank you a very thorough lesson. I,m glad you shared you didn’t use the capo when setting the strings height. I just got done setting up my Fender Stratocaster. I just followed your advice. Thanks again for sharing.
It me right now having this issue and i feel like i need to do something new such a good set up after long times played..ive been searching for a weeks to select the best teacher tutorial at youtu..and today i just found my good teacher for what i need..thanks bro for sharing this even its just a basic lesson but its give me so so much satisfaction about how to set up the guitar..thank you agains.
Brings to mind: "The wheels of commerce are greased by profit, not thrift.". I recently went to local place, where I'm usually outnumbered by store employees 4 or 5 to 1. I said I wanted 11 strings. Salesman proceeded to introduce me to accessories on the counter and guitars behind me. I said I would be back later when I knew better about what I wanted. He said to bring the guitar. I don't think so. 11 strings, brand name, material and brand model name of material is what I'll ask for next time. He never asked acoustic or electric.
@@DavidBostock-ti2fv Look you need to say EXACTLY what you want otherwise they will try to sell you either the most expensive one they have or just something you dont even need... 😂
@@GamrokFeddythat's how it is most places. Luckily I live in a small town and the owner of the local guitar shop is super nice and always finds exactly what you need and never tries to up sell or get you to buy what you dont want or need
The guitar center nearest to me- you could probably stand in one place picking your butt for 4 hours straight and nobody would notice. The staff seems to us an avoid at all cost strategy. 😂😂
This a nice summary. There are many videos on TH-cam covering the same topic but most of them go way too long. There are a couple of less common things that could be added. One, setting floating bridge/spring tension, which might be relevant if you change string gauge. Two, setting bridge pivot post height for a two-point tremolo.
Thank you brother for the tutorial,I'm a pro drummer and have always been fascinated with the guitar. So I bought one and am definately a beginner, while pounding the skins I've always watched both of my guitarists work magic. Never figured my fingers had the flexibility for the neck, so, I've learned something benificial (pardon the spelling). I just subscribed and look forward to more vids. Rock Steady! "IronWolf". Drummer for "SunCat & the IronWolf".
two things: I only turn the bridge and pick up screws 1/2 turn at a time then re-measure or re-test. I also make a clear mark on the screwdriver shaft ( you can also put a piece of blue tape on the shaft and mark it there) so I can actually see how far I have turned it. thx
Thanks for the excellent video! I have to admit I'm a bit nervous to dive into this but I always wanted to learn to do it. I bought all the tools months ago (including a few not mentioned here) to work on a beat up old strat knockoff but haven't had the courage to start yet but you have given me some confidence to give it a try. Wish me luck, cause I bought 4 new PRS SE guitars in the past 3 months and only 1 of them came with a full setup. The other 3 need quite a bit of attention 😳 Thanks again for the inspiration. 😎
hey this video was super useful, thank you for putting it together. I bought a $5 feeler gauge and was able to avoid paying >$100 for a setup when my frets started to buzz.
Great vid!!! Hopefully it was on youtube as simply explained as this when i started out. Ended up with a Strat bridge falling away from the body from very little spring tension, looks kinda funny. Also useful for a LP or such. I recall my LP came tuned to F and the strings were very high, what a pain on the left hand... Greetings
When it comes to a very picky setup, I feel that shimming the nut, bridge saddles (on a floating bridge), neck joint all come into play, and there's a certain point where probably sending it off to a PLEK machine is the only way to get things to where you like it. For me, it comes with hours over months of tiny adjustments to finally get a guitar playing like I'd like it to.
For string height, I didn't have a ruler that went smaller than 1/16th increments and there was some buffer distance, but I realized that a medium Fender 351 pick (the classic kind of red, white, blue, and black picks) are .6-.8mm thick, so averaging to .7mm is 0.02756. 3/64ths of an inch is 0.046875, 4/64ths is 0.0625, and 5/64ths is 0.078125, so you could roughly use the edge of 2-3 picks stacked as a measurement on the fly!
The guitar center tech set up my squire Telecaster when I had it restrung after first purchasing it. Beyond that it hasn't really been set-up. The neck pickup won't move it's built into the pick guard. I'm picking up my first Strat on Thursday. I might have it set up I might not. It felt fine in the store. I really want to play it.
Thank you for a great lesson. I have a question do you remove all your strings at one time when cleaning your guitar neck or do you do one at a time. I have always heard your neck could go out of adjustment if you took all the strings off at one time. I really respect your opinion. Thank you. Have a great day .
Thanks for your kind words and your question! Personally, I take all my strings off at once as it gives me better access to everything I need to clean, especially the electronics. I've never had a problem so far. But, I do understand the rationale for doing one at a time. If you're doing a full setup anyway, then I'd say take them off as you'll be tweaking the neck anyway!
Yup, either the fretted note or harmonic! With the harmonic, you don't risk bending the note with excess pressure like when you fret, which is a bit of a plus! 😊
I also had issues when messing with my intonation because individually my strings sounded in tune but when I would play like an A chord or E chord it sounds off like my A string and middle strings sound off and when I use a digital chromatic tuner the needle wouldn’t change from being a tiny bit sharp even after I loosened the saddle screw so I couldn’t figure out how to get my intonation right by using a tuner. So I tried just by ear and got close to tuned correctly but it’s still off
Can i just measure the height on the 8th fret like there were shown in the spreadsheet or do i have to do it with passing a ruler through. I´m kinda confused what the spreadsheet is for. Nice Video btw👍
Thanks for your question - and liking the video! 😊 The spreadsheet shows the ideal size of the gap between the top of the 8th fret and the string, depending on your guitars fretboard radius. These measurements are really, really small and can't accurately be measured by a ruler. For example, my guitar with a 9.5" fretboard radius need a 1/100th of an inch gap at the 8th fret. So, I use a feeler gauge that's 1/100th inch thick to feel the gap. If the gauge doesn't make contact with the fret and string (while the capo is on and the fret at the neck depressed) then I'll know it's too big. Likewise, if it's too tight I need a bigger gap. Ideally, the gauge should be in contact with both the fret and string and able to pass through smoothly. Hope that answers your question!
You can do it! 😊 Just take your time and don't force anything. But, if it's really not something you want to do - taking it to a pro is a great option!
@roundtable audio I would do it if I had all the feeler guages and whatnot, plus I'm a real early stage beginner. I'm putting a partscaster together, but when all the pieces are screwed together, I'll bring it in to a local pro to properly check things like neck relief, intonation and fret levels. Eventually, I'll get to the point where I can do it all myself.
thanks for this. whats confusing to me is that some measure the string action at 12th fret, others at 17th, and also, should you capo the first fret yes/no?
No worries! 😊 Personally, I don't use a capo when setting the string height, and I've not had any problems so far! I measure at the 17th fret (or wherever your guitar's neck meets the body) as this removes any neck bow from the measurement, and therefore should be the closest the strings are to the fretboard. But, you can measure it wherever! You'll just need a slightly different measurement. These are only start measurements anyway, you can always adjust to preference afterwards!
Very straightforward advice thanks. I've just tried your linked items and it says not available in the UK do you have any other suggestions ? Many thanks Ryan
Thank you! I don't use feeler gauges for strong height, but I start around 4/64ths to 5/64ths on the low E string side, and 3/64ths to 4/64ths on the high e side - and then adjust it to taste!
Hey, i just got my first guitar. I tuned it and noticed, that the neck was bending big time. I tryed to losen the truss screw and it kinda worked but it was rlly difficult to losen. Then i heard a loud crack, kinda like the wood split or smth but i couldnt see any damage. I stopped and retuned my guitar but its still bend a lot. Should i return it or pay someone to set it up for me?
Hi, thanks for your comment - and congrats on getting your first guitar! Some creaking or cracking sounds are perfectly normal when adjusting the truss rod as the wood shifts. From what you've described, I wouldn't be worried. I don't think there's anything wrong with your guitar from the sounds of it. But, as you've just bought it, you can always take it back to the store and get them to check it out, for your own peace of mind. Any decent guitar store should take a look for free as part of their after-sales service (most places I've been to will even do a free set up!). In your situation, I think starting with the guitar shop makes the most sense - only because it's a good opportunity to get a pro look at it. Otherwise, I'd try making the adjustment again - following all the precautions (small turns, not forcing it) - and seeing how you get on. If it's still being tricky, then taking it to the store is a must. Good luck, and let me know how you get on!
That's fine, too! The open string and a natural harmonic at the 12th fret will be the same pitch - so you can use either/or to compare it to the fretted 12th!
PSA: This guide only works, if the nutslots are cut correctly for your string-gauge and your guitar doesn't have any high frets. Otherwise, you can't get a buzz free set-up or in case the string height at the nut is too height, it's hard to fret the strings and you face intonation issues.
This is a great guide. Been scared to do my strat. Only thing not covered is curved neck. Do string height have to be set according to neck curvature or should they be all same height? That's what I always worry about.
Thank you! I touch on this around 5:50. I set them each string to the same distance from the fretboard - which will follow the curve of the fretboard radius. Then, I'll adjust the string height to taste! Edit: one thing worth adding, the saddles themselves should be level! (If you have the kind of saddles that are adjusted individually!)
I just looked up my guitar specs but it doesn’t say anything about the fretboard radius….. it just tells me the scale length the nut width and just the dimensions of the guitar. I have feeler gauges but I don’t have a capo and I don’t know which gauges I need to use to start to measure my intonation and the action on my guitar to tell if it’s far too high or too low and where’s like an average measurement for a low action without the buzzing and for intonation. And it screws me up when you tighten the saddle screw to the left it’s suppose to give you more string length I always thought if you tightened the saddle screw it was shortening the string length so I had that backwards. My guitar is a cheap brand Strat knockoff from Glarry guitar GST model I can’t get my intonation quite right and my string height seems too high for the action too
Sorry to hear that. I'm not one to disparage a guitar brand, I think you can get some great affordable entry-level guitars, but unfortunately the build quality on Glarry guitars specifically really isn't that great - which means I think you'll have a hard time getting everything set up right. I'd also guess that it's a 9.5" fretboard radius, being a Strat copy. Hope this helps!
@@ConorRocksYT thanks, and yea I wasn’t expecting something amazing I just wanted my first left handed guitar for cheap as possible but yea that does help me, thanks!
Conor, I always set up my acoustic string height at the 12th fret; can you explain why you set the height at the 17th on the electric? This is my first electric and I'm curious. Cheers.
Good question! I use the 17th out of preference, and I think it's the way Fender set up their guitars. The 12th fret is perfectly fine to use as well (although it'll likely have a slightly different measurement!)
@@ConorRocksYT Thanks - I actually saw the same idea elsewhwere, but with the capo on the first fret (but as you said, you wanted the nut height in there too). You're right, the 12th and 17th give very similar results. What I DO do that does not seem to be widely used, is to use a magnifying glass to read the steel ruler/string gauge. The measurements really pop out clearly.
Question mate. Does an acoustic guitar need to be set up in a similar way as well? Gonna try and attmept to set up my guitars shortly and I want to know if you can set up an acoustic guitar as well.
Hi Rei, thanks for your question! I use the GrooveTech StageHand Kit (GTSH1) (sometimes listed online as "CruzTools"). This contains all the tools I used in the video, except for the truss rod key, strings, and tuner. The truss rod key came with my guitar, it's sized 3/16ths. For Strat's you'll either need a 1/8th hex key (mostly USA Strats) or 3/16th's (most Made-in-Mexico Strats). For what it's worth, you can pick these hex keys up pretty cheap. The tuner is a Boss TU-2, the strings are Ernie Ball Super Slinky's.
I have a question about setting the intonation. When I play a note on the 12th fret it seems like it's double of the frequency of the open string. Is that supposed to be the case? Or does it actually need to be the exact same sound? Sorry for the dumb question, I'm completely new to this.
Not a silly question - I can see how the wording can be tricky! You're right that it's meant to be twice the frequency (or round abouts!). They're both meant to be the same type of note (for example an "E" on the 6th string) but the 12th fret is an octave higher in pitch.
@@ConorRocksYT Thank you very much for the quick answer! Just got the intonation correctly set! I got a Larry Carlton S7 as my first guitar, very helpful video to let me set it up right away. One of strings broke immediately after tuning, so I put on a new set right away. Only thing I still noticed just now is very slight fret buzz (I think) on the A and D strings. Going to tighten up the neck slightly to see if that'll help.
@@ConorRocksYT Everything seemed fine, but there was still buzzing on the low E string (when played a bit louder). Even after I tried to tighten the rod. Then I tried to just make the action of just that string a bit higher, and that seems to make it better. Was that the right way to approach it?
@@MichaliSarris yup, that's what I'd do! As long as the action on that string is still easy to use (as in it didn't have to be raised super high). If it's too high, the buzz might be caused by an uneven fret (or frets) - in which case a fret dressing would fix that (that's something you'll need done by a shop!)
Why is your "Neck Relief at 8th Fret - in inches" blank? Not very helpful. Now take the correct feeler gauge for your radius, ok, why didn't you display what the correct feeler gauge is? GEEZ. Why don't you tell your viewers what the neck radius is of the guitar you're working on and the correct feeler gauge. This should be elementary info provided if you're making one of these videos..
Here's everything I use in this video (affiliate link, not sponsored!): amzn.to/48e1Q6Q
Chapters:
00:00 Intro
00:29 How often to set up your guitar
00:59 Tools required
01:51 Step 1: Change your strings
02:33 Step 2: Neck relief
05:17 Step 3: String height
07:16 Step 4: Pickup height
08:45 Step 5: Intonation
10:41 Final thoughts
*Update*
I've misplaced the decimal point in the neck relief tables! They should read:
7.25": 0.012"
9.5" to 12": 0.010"
15" to 17": 0.008"
As a self taught casual player and the only person in my family or friend circle who plays, this was incredibly helpful. Thank you!
That's awesome, glad I could help! 😊 Keep it up!
Yes this was very useful, it's exactly what I am doing right now. All the best from Holland.
I bought a new fender strat in 1987 -- played in bands and clubs for a long time -- finally someone offered to set it up for me - in 2015! I had never had it set up - things were different back then if you did not know someone or no one told you (the shop I bought it at should have said something) you did not know.....I was amazed when the action was lowered how much better it played!
Holy shit. It must have been like finding the fountain of youth or something lol.
Yep! That’s exactly how it is for me I’ve started playing when I was 7yrs old… I’m now 35yrs old. All self taught and never had any friends who were big into guitar or anyone who even knew things about guitar from the technical playing aspect to working on setting up a guitar so even after all those years of playing by ear theres Soo much I never learned about and I’m a lefty who started playing right handed guitars upside down!
I've always been a bit nervous of playing with the setup of my guitars, but your guide is really user-friendly and easy to follow, so it's time to give it a try. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks, glad it's useful 😊 let me know how you get on!
The blanked numbers at 3:50 are
NECK RADIUS
7.25"
9.5"-12"
15"-17"
RELIEF
.012” (0.3 mm)
.010” (0.25 mm)
.008” (0.2 mm)
Thank u
It’s very helpful, specially for mm)
Why is it blanked out though?
Bought my first electric guitar last week from someone who never played it. Your guide really helped me to set up my guitar as a guy who only had experience with acoustic guitars only. Thanks a lot Conor you Rock 🤘.
That's awesome! Enjoy your new guitar 😄
I've literally never set up my guitar... Oops! Thank you, this was helpful!
Thank you, happy to help! It's a handy skill to have - good luck giving it a go!
Nor have I. I've always just played it (badly) straight out the box!
Until I've watched this and then hopefully it'll play and sound a lot better?
Hahahahaha yeeeah me two 😅
Great step-by-step guide. Thanks for making this a simple exercise.
Thanks Michael, glad I could help!
I check set up every time I change strings (and check it again a couple of days later after playing on them) and every seasonal change and every time I take a guitar travelling with me when I get to a new location. I definitely agree with the order you recommend (relief, action, intonation). And good tip about keeping fender style saddles level - so many people think tilting the saddles is part of matching the fretboard radius, and that is just wrong. A titled saddle can rob you of tone, sustain, and tuning stability. I never bothered with feeler gauges for adjusting relief - I just hold a string down at the 1st fret and where the neck joins the body and tap at about the 7th fret to see how much movement there is. IMO there is no "right or wrong" - it depends on how hard you play, the string gauges you use and the type of music you play (a little fret buzz will never be noticed with high gain playing but might be bothersome for a rich clean tone). I adjust PU height for sound. Some folks might prefer balanced volume when changing from neck to bridge - some may prefer more output. As long as they are not too close to the strings, I feel it is a matter of taste and sound (for example, on strat style guitars I tend to keep the middle PU a lot lower - I just prefer the sound I get in positions 4 and 2 that way). I would suggest never to adjust the truss rod more than 1/4 turn without checking, and if it is not good enough after two adjustments, wait a day or two before going further. I agree completely that anyone serious about guitar should learn to do this. And I would add that, a lot of nubes seem to think getting a "pro set up" is good for life. Wrong. Guitars change. And setting up to "factory specs" is a compromise. Playable by anyone but optimal for no one. The only person who can dial in the perfect set up for your style, sound, and choice of string is you.
This was absolutely perfect and exactly what I was looking for. So many videos make it overly complicated but this was very simple. My 92 strat sounds better than it ever has!! Thanks!!!!
Thank you! 😄 Glad I could help!
It's so cool to get back into this. I've been a guitar player for 14 years now and i just got back into playing seriously again, and bought a new guitar. Refreshing myself on my setup always feels good.
that's awesome 😊 enjoy your new guitar!
Great guide. I used it to set up my electric guitar and it plays really well. Thank you .
Thank you a very thorough lesson. I,m glad you shared you didn’t use the capo when setting the strings height. I just got done setting up my Fender Stratocaster. I just followed your advice. Thanks again for sharing.
Thanks for your kind words, Dan - glad I could help! Happy playing! 😊
Ive got a new one coming in the mail shortly and def saving this to use! You made it very approachable and not as intimidating as I thought it would be. Thank you!
Glad I could help! Enjoy your new guitar 😊
@@ConorRocksYT thank you, super excited 🤗
Very kindness and fabulous guiter maintenance move I ever see.
Thank-you sir.
Thank you! 😊
Thank you for making this video it really helped me out. This is the most in depth set up video in youtube.
Thanks for your comment Austin, I really appreciate it! I'm glad I could help 😊
I bought a guitar for $25. I had to replace the missing bridge and strings. I followed this guide and the sound difference is night and day!
$25?! What a steal! Glad I could help, enjoy your new guitar! 😊
This should be a beginners first encounter with a TH-cam guitar lesson. This has helped my quality of sound and ease of use immensly.
Cannot overstate it enough. Thanks a tonne. You have my sub.
Thanks Matt, good to have you around! 😊
Credit where credits due man 👍🏻
I'm gonna have a play and flick the G-string tonight , I'll do it to your content 😅
Thank you a very thorough lesson. I,m glad you shared you didn’t use the capo when setting the strings height. I just got done setting up my Fender Stratocaster. I just followed your advice. Thanks again for sharing.
Glad I could help! 😊
Very informative especially for beginner builders and beginner players! Thank you.
And your slight accent is very nice to listen to.
Thank you! 😊
It me right now having this issue and i feel like i need to do something new such a good set up after long times played..ive been searching for a weeks to select the best teacher tutorial at youtu..and today i just found my good teacher for what i need..thanks bro for sharing this even its just a basic lesson but its give me so so much satisfaction about how to set up the guitar..thank you agains.
Thanks, Kamarul! Enjoy your newly set up guitar! 😊
The only thing I don’t agree with in this video is when he said “ f you want it to be perfect take it to your local guitar store”
Brings to mind: "The wheels of commerce are greased by profit, not thrift.". I recently went to local place, where I'm usually outnumbered by store employees 4 or 5 to 1. I said I wanted 11 strings. Salesman proceeded to introduce me to accessories on the counter and guitars behind me. I said I would be back later when I knew better about what I wanted. He said to bring the guitar. I don't think so. 11 strings, brand name, material and brand model name of material is what I'll ask for next time. He never asked acoustic or electric.
@@DavidBostock-ti2fv Look you need to say EXACTLY what you want otherwise they will try to sell you either the most expensive one they have or just something you dont even need... 😂
@@GamrokFeddythat's how it is most places. Luckily I live in a small town and the owner of the local guitar shop is super nice and always finds exactly what you need and never tries to up sell or get you to buy what you dont want or need
@@mageminx7551 Beautiful rare exeptions....
The guitar center nearest to me- you could probably stand in one place picking your butt for 4 hours straight and nobody would notice. The staff seems to us an avoid at all cost strategy. 😂😂
I’m coming back to this video when I buy my first electric😌👌 Thanks for this great video😌🙃
Thx . I played pro for years and my strat was never set up properly. Understand that now . We just played. Great video.
Thank you! 😊
This a nice summary. There are many videos on TH-cam covering the same topic but most of them go way too long. There are a couple of less common things that could be added. One, setting floating bridge/spring tension, which might be relevant if you change string gauge. Two, setting bridge pivot post height for a two-point tremolo.
Thank you! 😊 I'll get a video on floating bridges (and two points!) on my list!
Great job with this. Very thorough & clearly explained. I enjoy doing my own set-ups and maintenance. oNe LovE from NYC
Thank you brother for the tutorial,I'm a pro drummer and have always been fascinated with the guitar. So I bought one and am definately a beginner, while pounding the skins I've always watched both of my guitarists work magic. Never figured my fingers had the flexibility for the neck, so, I've learned something benificial (pardon the spelling). I just subscribed and look forward to more vids. Rock Steady! "IronWolf". Drummer for "SunCat & the IronWolf".
That's great, hope it helped! Drums are like magic to me - hope to learn them one day! 😊
two things: I only turn the bridge and pick up screws 1/2 turn at a time then re-measure or re-test. I also make a clear mark on the screwdriver shaft ( you can also put a piece of blue tape on the shaft and mark it there) so I can actually see how far I have turned it. thx
Thanks for the excellent video! I have to admit I'm a bit nervous to dive into this but I always wanted to learn to do it. I bought all the tools months ago (including a few not mentioned here) to work on a beat up old strat knockoff but haven't had the courage to start yet but you have given me some confidence to give it a try. Wish me luck, cause I bought 4 new PRS SE guitars in the past 3 months and only 1 of them came with a full setup. The other 3 need quite a bit of attention 😳
Thanks again for the inspiration. 😎
Thanks Jim, as long as you take it slow you'll be completely fine! Enjoy your new guitars - PRS SE's are a great choice! 😊
you have earned a sub, i've enjoyed your videos on pedals. i hope you cover more of them!
Good to have you around! ☺️
Very well explained.... excellent and very useful video.
Thanks Russell, I appreciate it! Glad you found it useful!
Change of seasons, moving from Florida to New York...
hey this video was super useful, thank you for putting it together. I bought a $5 feeler gauge and was able to avoid paying >$100 for a setup when my frets started to buzz.
Awesome! Glad it helped 😄
Worth learning how to set up on a cheap guitar. It’s easy to cause small problems that can be hard to unpick if you’re not used to doing it.
Awesome video ❤
Thank you, Julio! 😊
This is a wonderful and clear guide. Thank you 🙏🏻
I will sure use it i my next strings change.
Thank you! 😊 Let me know how you get on!
Very good information and description of what to do. I just built a kit guitar and need to set it up.
Glad I could help! Enjoy your new guitar! 😊
Great vid!!! Hopefully it was on youtube as simply explained as this when i started out. Ended up with a Strat bridge falling away from the body from very little spring tension, looks kinda funny.
Also useful for a LP or such. I recall my LP came tuned to F and the strings were very high, what a pain on the left hand...
Greetings
Thanks, Javier! I appreciate it 😊
Thanks for the tutorial. I just Subscribed and liked.
Thanks, James! 😄
Best video ever, I truly appreciate it!
Thanks Diego! 😊
One of the best quick in details explanation on the entire youtube library 👍
Thank you! 😊
This was a great explanation…I’ve come to the conclusion I rather pay someone to do this for me 😂
That's fair enough! 😆
this is perfect, thanks so much
Decent chap who knows what he's doing ...G...
It's not so easy when you want an action lower than Doggerland haha! Brilliantly well presented video.
When it comes to a very picky setup, I feel that shimming the nut, bridge saddles (on a floating bridge), neck joint all come into play, and there's a certain point where probably sending it off to a PLEK machine is the only way to get things to where you like it. For me, it comes with hours over months of tiny adjustments to finally get a guitar playing like I'd like it to.
great video ,very helpful ! thank you !
Great stuff! Thank you. I can apply this easily to my standard American strat. Great work!
thanks!
Excellent video! Very helpful info. I have a new guitar on the way.
Thank you, glad it helped! Enjoy your new guitar! 😊
Cool man. 🎸 Thankyou for sharing 🎸. Yep ilv got reset my axe today 🎸 fret buzzing ECT . The hole shuobudel 😂🎸. From New Zealand 🌏
Thanks! Glad it helped 😄
OMFG someone who actually knows how to correctly check neck relief! I can hardly believe it! Thanks for the video.
I set them up every season, specially here in New York where we go from scorching earth in the summer to way below zero in winter
Great idea! I do the same in England... when we move from rain to a slightly warmer rain!
Really helpful ! Thank you !
Try setting up a floating bridge like Floyd rose and the intonations and the saddle level and the fretting and so on 😅😅😅
Looks like I’m taking my guitar to the shop
Thank You.
great video. is there such a video for telecasters too?
Thanks, I haven't made one for Tele's but the same principles will apply!
For string height, I didn't have a ruler that went smaller than 1/16th increments and there was some buffer distance, but I realized that a medium Fender 351 pick (the classic kind of red, white, blue, and black picks) are .6-.8mm thick, so averaging to .7mm is 0.02756. 3/64ths of an inch is 0.046875, 4/64ths is 0.0625, and 5/64ths is 0.078125, so you could roughly use the edge of 2-3 picks stacked as a measurement on the fly!
The guitar center tech set up my squire Telecaster when I had it restrung after first purchasing it. Beyond that it hasn't really been set-up. The neck pickup won't move it's built into the pick guard. I'm picking up my first Strat on Thursday. I might have it set up I might not. It felt fine in the store. I really want to play it.
Great video and I've jumped aboard by subscribing. If others pointed this out - sorry - Your card link for cleaning the guitar does not appear :)
Thank you very much! 😊 and thanks for pointing that out - I didn't know! I'll get that sorted 😊
lol i just realized i have the same style guitar as yours, but mines a dark red and dark grey marble instead of beige and white 😀
Thank you for a great lesson. I have a question do you remove all your strings at one time when cleaning your guitar neck or do you do one at a time. I have always heard your neck could go out of adjustment if you took all the strings off at one time. I really respect your opinion. Thank you. Have a great day .
Thanks for your kind words and your question!
Personally, I take all my strings off at once as it gives me better access to everything I need to clean, especially the electronics.
I've never had a problem so far. But, I do understand the rationale for doing one at a time.
If you're doing a full setup anyway, then I'd say take them off as you'll be tweaking the neck anyway!
Great, ig I'll just take it to my local guitar shop
Surely you gotta include the metric system when measuring!?
When setting the intonation is it useful to play the 12th fret harmonic?
Yup, either the fretted note or harmonic!
With the harmonic, you don't risk bending the note with excess pressure like when you fret, which is a bit of a plus! 😊
I also had issues when messing with my intonation because individually my strings sounded in tune but when I would play like an A chord or E chord it sounds off like my A string and middle strings sound off and when I use a digital chromatic tuner the needle wouldn’t change from being a tiny bit sharp even after I loosened the saddle screw so I couldn’t figure out how to get my intonation right by using a tuner. So I tried just by ear and got close to tuned correctly but it’s still off
Thanks
P.s. excellent video on set-up..
Thanks Rob! 😊
Can i just measure the height on the 8th fret like there were shown in the spreadsheet or do i have to do it with passing a ruler through. I´m kinda confused what the spreadsheet is for. Nice Video btw👍
Thanks for your question - and liking the video! 😊
The spreadsheet shows the ideal size of the gap between the top of the 8th fret and the string, depending on your guitars fretboard radius.
These measurements are really, really small and can't accurately be measured by a ruler. For example, my guitar with a 9.5" fretboard radius need a 1/100th of an inch gap at the 8th fret.
So, I use a feeler gauge that's 1/100th inch thick to feel the gap. If the gauge doesn't make contact with the fret and string (while the capo is on and the fret at the neck depressed) then I'll know it's too big. Likewise, if it's too tight I need a bigger gap.
Ideally, the gauge should be in contact with both the fret and string and able to pass through smoothly.
Hope that answers your question!
@@ConorRocksYT Ohh yeah that makes a lot more sense thx for explaining it to me 🙏
The biggest thing I learned from this is I need to bring my guitar to a professional to get set up. 😂
You can do it! 😊 Just take your time and don't force anything.
But, if it's really not something you want to do - taking it to a pro is a great option!
@roundtable audio I would do it if I had all the feeler guages and whatnot, plus I'm a real early stage beginner. I'm putting a partscaster together, but when all the pieces are screwed together, I'll bring it in to a local pro to properly check things like neck relief, intonation and fret levels. Eventually, I'll get to the point where I can do it all myself.
@@indiedavecomix3882 that's fair enough! Enjoy making your partscaster - that's something I'd like to do myself one day!
Great video, but no mention of the tremol?
thanks for this. whats confusing to me is that some measure the string action at 12th fret, others at 17th, and also, should you capo the first fret yes/no?
No worries! 😊 Personally, I don't use a capo when setting the string height, and I've not had any problems so far!
I measure at the 17th fret (or wherever your guitar's neck meets the body) as this removes any neck bow from the measurement, and therefore should be the closest the strings are to the fretboard.
But, you can measure it wherever! You'll just need a slightly different measurement.
These are only start measurements anyway, you can always adjust to preference afterwards!
Very straightforward advice thanks. I've just tried your linked items and it says not available in the UK do you have any other suggestions ? Many thanks Ryan
Man. This is a lot of work. I'd rather have a professional do it for me.
hi thanks for a great video really helps..question can u tell me the gauges size for string height to measure on 17 fret, thanks
Thank you! I don't use feeler gauges for strong height, but I start around 4/64ths to 5/64ths on the low E string side, and 3/64ths to 4/64ths on the high e side - and then adjust it to taste!
Great video! What size hex key you use for the string saddles?
Thanks! I'm using a .059" for this Strat. But, my other Strat (and I think most modern ones now) take a .050" hex.
Hey, i just got my first guitar. I tuned it and noticed, that the neck was bending big time. I tryed to losen the truss screw and it kinda worked but it was rlly difficult to losen. Then i heard a loud crack, kinda like the wood split or smth but i couldnt see any damage. I stopped and retuned my guitar but its still bend a lot. Should i return it or pay someone to set it up for me?
Hi, thanks for your comment - and congrats on getting your first guitar!
Some creaking or cracking sounds are perfectly normal when adjusting the truss rod as the wood shifts. From what you've described, I wouldn't be worried. I don't think there's anything wrong with your guitar from the sounds of it.
But, as you've just bought it, you can always take it back to the store and get them to check it out, for your own peace of mind. Any decent guitar store should take a look for free as part of their after-sales service (most places I've been to will even do a free set up!).
In your situation, I think starting with the guitar shop makes the most sense - only because it's a good opportunity to get a pro look at it. Otherwise, I'd try making the adjustment again - following all the precautions (small turns, not forcing it) - and seeing how you get on. If it's still being tricky, then taking it to the store is a must.
Good luck, and let me know how you get on!
@@ConorRocksYT thank you!
Intonation : What are your thoughts on playing the harmonic at the 12th fret and then comparing it to the fretted note at the 12th fret?
That's fine, too! The open string and a natural harmonic at the 12th fret will be the same pitch - so you can use either/or to compare it to the fretted 12th!
PSA: This guide only works, if the nutslots are cut correctly for your string-gauge and your guitar doesn't have any high frets. Otherwise, you can't get a buzz free set-up or in case the string height at the nut is too height, it's hard to fret the strings and you face intonation issues.
Why are the measurements for neck relief blurred out??? Kinda important lol
It's in the pinned comment
This is a great guide. Been scared to do my strat. Only thing not covered is curved neck. Do string height have to be set according to neck curvature or should they be all same height? That's what I always worry about.
Thank you! I touch on this around 5:50. I set them each string to the same distance from the fretboard - which will follow the curve of the fretboard radius.
Then, I'll adjust the string height to taste!
Edit: one thing worth adding, the saddles themselves should be level! (If you have the kind of saddles that are adjusted individually!)
strat has tremolo bridge, hello?
My guitar is muting randomly while i play after i changed the pickups, what did i do wrong?
Try wiggling the pickup switch, does that cause it to come back on? (Most of my pickup problems are switch related!)
Interesting! 👍
I just looked up my guitar specs but it doesn’t say anything about the fretboard radius….. it just tells me the scale length the nut width and just the dimensions of the guitar. I have feeler gauges but I don’t have a capo and I don’t know which gauges I need to use to start to measure my intonation and the action on my guitar to tell if it’s far too high or too low and where’s like an average measurement for a low action without the buzzing and for intonation. And it screws me up when you tighten the saddle screw to the left it’s suppose to give you more string length I always thought if you tightened the saddle screw it was shortening the string length so I had that backwards. My guitar is a cheap brand Strat knockoff from Glarry guitar GST model I can’t get my intonation quite right and my string height seems too high for the action too
Sorry to hear that. I'm not one to disparage a guitar brand, I think you can get some great affordable entry-level guitars, but unfortunately the build quality on Glarry guitars specifically really isn't that great - which means I think you'll have a hard time getting everything set up right.
I'd also guess that it's a 9.5" fretboard radius, being a Strat copy. Hope this helps!
@@ConorRocksYT thanks, and yea I wasn’t expecting something amazing I just wanted my first left handed guitar for cheap as possible but yea that does help me, thanks!
How can I find out which feeler gauge to use, based on my guitars radius (14")?
Fender says a .008" or 0.2mm! (Source: www.fender.com/articles/maintenance/how-to-measure-neck-relief-on-guitar-or-bass)
Conor, I always set up my acoustic string height at the 12th fret; can you explain why you set the height at the 17th on the electric? This is my first electric and I'm curious. Cheers.
Good question! I use the 17th out of preference, and I think it's the way Fender set up their guitars. The 12th fret is perfectly fine to use as well (although it'll likely have a slightly different measurement!)
@@ConorRocksYT Thanks - I actually saw the same idea elsewhwere, but with the capo on the first fret (but as you said, you wanted the nut height in there too). You're right, the 12th and 17th give very similar results. What I DO do that does not seem to be widely used, is to use a magnifying glass to read the steel ruler/string gauge. The measurements really pop out clearly.
Tremolo?
Good video, but palm muting on that strat must be brutal! 😅
Question mate. Does an acoustic guitar need to be set up in a similar way as well? Gonna try and attmept to set up my guitars shortly and I want to know if you can set up an acoustic guitar as well.
That's right - acoustic guitars can be set up, but they'll follow a slightly different process!
@ConorRocksYT cheers mate 👍🤘
why are the recommended neck relief/height numbers for each neck radius blanked out in the video?
I messed up a decimal place! They're in the pinned comment 😊
I have the same electric guitar, what things did you use specifically (like brands etc)
Hi Rei, thanks for your question!
I use the GrooveTech StageHand Kit (GTSH1) (sometimes listed online as "CruzTools"). This contains all the tools I used in the video, except for the truss rod key, strings, and tuner.
The truss rod key came with my guitar, it's sized 3/16ths. For Strat's you'll either need a 1/8th hex key (mostly USA Strats) or 3/16th's (most Made-in-Mexico Strats). For what it's worth, you can pick these hex keys up pretty cheap.
The tuner is a Boss TU-2, the strings are Ernie Ball Super Slinky's.
Is it an highway one ?
It's a 2008 Made in Mexico Standard 😊 it's a really cool guitar!
The string moves when you slide a feeler gauge under the string. Would it be better to use the edge of a long metal ruler?
Please what do I do about my guitar it makes buzzing noise when connected to Flat amplifier even when it not being played
Sorry to hear that, Peter! Can I check - does the buzzing go away when you touch the strings? (Not playing, just resting your hand on it)
I have a question about setting the intonation. When I play a note on the 12th fret it seems like it's double of the frequency of the open string. Is that supposed to be the case? Or does it actually need to be the exact same sound? Sorry for the dumb question, I'm completely new to this.
Not a silly question - I can see how the wording can be tricky!
You're right that it's meant to be twice the frequency (or round abouts!). They're both meant to be the same type of note (for example an "E" on the 6th string) but the 12th fret is an octave higher in pitch.
@@ConorRocksYT Thank you very much for the quick answer! Just got the intonation correctly set! I got a Larry Carlton S7 as my first guitar, very helpful video to let me set it up right away. One of strings broke immediately after tuning, so I put on a new set right away. Only thing I still noticed just now is very slight fret buzz (I think) on the A and D strings. Going to tighten up the neck slightly to see if that'll help.
@@MichaliSarris that looks like a great guitar! Hopefully a little adjustment should get rid of that buzzing!
@@ConorRocksYT Everything seemed fine, but there was still buzzing on the low E string (when played a bit louder). Even after I tried to tighten the rod. Then I tried to just make the action of just that string a bit higher, and that seems to make it better. Was that the right way to approach it?
@@MichaliSarris yup, that's what I'd do! As long as the action on that string is still easy to use (as in it didn't have to be raised super high).
If it's too high, the buzz might be caused by an uneven fret (or frets) - in which case a fret dressing would fix that (that's something you'll need done by a shop!)
You didn’t state where to measure the string height in the relief section. You showed 7th, but didn’t say
It is on the 7th or 8th fret
Are you tuning the guitar to standard tuning with the capo on at 5:05 or no?
You'll want to remove the capo first! But yeah, I'm tuning to standard.
Ok lets start this comment by me saying "I want to play and sound like Satch".
He's a great player!
Lol... there's a little more to properly setting up a guitar! Well maybe a lot more!
Why is your "Neck Relief at 8th Fret - in inches" blank? Not very helpful. Now take the correct feeler gauge for your radius, ok, why didn't you display what the correct feeler gauge is? GEEZ. Why don't you tell your viewers what the neck radius is of the guitar you're working on and the correct feeler gauge. This should be elementary info provided if you're making one of these videos..
Check the pinned comment ⬆️ the table was wrong
OK thanks for following up. Maybe edit your vid? Thanks again.@@ConorRocksYT