This guy just dropped more knowledge in 15 easy to understand minutes than every asshole guitarist I've encountered in 27 years that's got off on making guitar maintainence seem like a dark art. Zero gatekeeping, transparent explanations, no hard sell on anything other than knowledge: absolutely buying this guy a drink if I'm ever in Georgia! Thank you all for the video!
That just tells me you don't know anything about guitars..buy a book about maintenance dude, it's all in there..27 years and still knowing zilch...not good..
Been playing guitar for 44 years. Like most everybody here, this little 15 minute video has succinctly shown me where I've been making an arse of myself all this time.
For 40 years, I've done it the way Rhett does it: measure to the next tuning peg. But as is pointed out, it's roughly the same distance anyway. The "pull it back one fret" thing is new to me, as well. But where I may try the repairman's way is to clip the string *after* tuning it up. I put the crimp in the string after measuring, then break it off, leaving a stub, plus with the wound strings, an extra "burr" where the winding now stops. We all learn new stuff, and we are better for it!
Fretter and inlayer for a professional acoustic guitar company here! Looking down the neck helps great to see if your frets are all in line and level. When light catches a high fret it will shine before the rest of the frets as you bring the guitar up and down with your hand. That’s what it should be used for, not so much using it to spot the neck itself!
Also when buying a guitar it'll give you a quick easy way to quickly see if you're buying a turd. I'm mainly looking to see it's the same side to side, that the neck isn't twisted.
It will certainly tell you if there are big problems, but as far as fine tuning you need a good straightedge or use the string as a straightedge for relief.
anyone putting in frets knows that there is no such thing as "sighting down the tops" they ALWAYS check their work with a fret rocker guage. I wouldn't trust anyone's "eye sight method" does your mechanic align your wheels with eye sight method 😂😂😂
Hands down, this is the best, most informative, and clearest summary/demonstration of basic acoustic guitar maintenance I have ever seen. Wish I was closer to Atlanta-thanks guys, for this video.
WoW!! I'm 67, been playing since I was 13. I sure wish I'd learned from a master like this decades ago. Thanks so much, both of you. I will pass this on to my son.
I use the length to the next peg and pull back, then the first wrap over the tail and the rest under. About 2 1/2 wraps on the low strings and 3 on the highs.
@@jamesgardner2101same here except my dad taught me to just cut each string at the next peg and then string it up...the D and G just eyeball as though there was another peg past them.
Started playing acoustic guitar about the age of eight and I'm 68 now. that would have saved me years of grief restringing and other things. Best 20-minute guitar tutorial I've ever been treated to.
I could listen to him talk about guitars all day. He has that same easygoing demeanor that all of our favorite teachers had back in school, all the while dropping truth bombs.
I agree, it's a real pleasure hearing someone talk about something they love and are super knowledgeable about. Those crappy teachers lacked either the love or the internalized knowledge.
I had a whole discussion with a friend about how string saddles on electric guitars look like two "stair step" patterns. This is the first time I have ever heard anyone besides me talk about this relationship. Thanks for the validation! Keep up the good work, Rhett!
It is always good to have friends and colleagues who are not afraid to tell you the truth and back it up with common sense and logic. Great content as usual.
It’s crazy. I’ve been playing guitar for 71 years and this whole time I’ve been stringing my guitar as the following E string to the B machine head a string to the DD string to the e, G string to the low, B string to the G machine, head and the high E to the A. Ever since I discovered this revolutionary video. My guitar magically stays in tune. Unbelievable, what did I opener?
This is why I watch your channel. There are so many trends, breakthroughs, magic and bro science over the years that we need to take a fresh look at what we do every now and again. Great video.
A luthier friend taught me this trick to help with intonation: Fretted Flat Forward, meaning if the fretted note at the 12th fret is flat compared to the harmonic, move the saddle forward (towards the neck).
The way I remember is turn in the smae direction the tuner is showing when you check the intonation. So if the note is sharp then turn the screw to the right, if it's flat then turn it to the left like it shows on the display.
When i discovered using a feeler gauge for neck relief about 8 yrs ago after counless times of having my guitars and Bass guitars setup wrong by 4 different guitar techs from 4 different stores in my area! I learned too set up my Instruments myself with no headaches or dissapointments letalone $250 in setups while there guessing looking down the neck 😢 ! Benchmark with no guessing 😁
I've been playing acoustic guitar since 1964. This is the best information on set up I've even seen. I feel like I want to change all my strings now. Amazing information. Thank you!
I agree, he did a great job. If you want to see another very informative video on setup, go find the setup video from Rosa String Works (RSW). No, I"m not related to him!
@@1LouderSoundit's the "Gibson wrap" supposedly because guys started doing it trying to fight de-tuning. Which works. Which is why almost everyone does it. Like almost everyone. Just not Ben. I guess it's just personal preference. It does look a little better, and it's easier to get the string off. That's the only benefit. If Gibson, fender, Martin and countless people swear by the correct way to do it, I would suggest listening to them, not the guy slanging consignment guitars.
I think he was criticizing the Gibson knot technique from the perspective of a luthier. He doesn’t like having to undo the knot to remove the string. You know, because it takes sooooo long to do.
@@Fishing_Fiddlesisn’t the Gibson wrap where you wrap towards the top of the post? Like the opposite of the standard wrap but not necessarily the locking knot?
@@1LouderSoundDon’t hate the player, hate the game. That’s how you get tons of followers and views- make a provocative statement like how to “properly” do something. I bet if you made a video claiming the opposite and introduced yourself with your credentials you’d get good traffic too and people would learn the benefits of doing things as you’ve experienced. For example the great Rene Martinez shows how he winds strings. He does the locking wrap and aims for as few wraps as possible because the extra string length leads to more detuning as the string stretches over time. 👌🏻
Thanks for posting this video. This is probably the best "how to" basic advice on Proper Guitar Set-up that I have ever viewed (and I have seen plenty) Your concepts are logical, simple, and easy to follow and remember. The part that really sold me was the "nothing straighter than a string" when trying to measure action height. You are absolutely correct sir. As a land surveyor technician most of my life, I can attest to that. We used a string as a tool and unit of measurement to measure vertical plumb. In other words, you can tell if something is straight simply by hanging a string with a washer or a nut and compare using the ole "eyeball method". When you said that, I knew that you knew what you were talking about and that your information was trustworthy. Everything here makes a lot of sense. I will share this video with my friends. Thanks again. Mike V. Albuquerque, NM
I took a chance and restrung my guitar as suggested here. I played a gig yesterday outdoors near the ocean, and my guitar has NEVER stayed in tune so well. I mean, this has really changed the game. I'm shocked and delighted to have finally found a better method. PS ... I've been doing it wrong for 40 years.
@@TheDiaboliq666the biggest problem people have restringing is too much or too little wrap and getting wraps on top of each other rather than orderly under each other
Seriously! That was a Sledgehammer presentation. I got the feeling that Ben had been saving up those peeve’s since he learned the difference between “the right way” and WTF! Best 15 guitar-minutes I’ve spent in a while. Those info jewels will last a lifetime. Great video man! Thank you.
Interesting. I've never sighted down the neck to set relief, only to check if the neck was twisted. It's nice to have your habits affirmed by a pro. Ben's a cool dude and a good teacher!
It seemed like Rhett was talking about checking for a twist and the tech was thinking people who sight a neck do it to check relief, as I never ever heard of anyone sighting a neck for relief - only sighting for a twist.
The new trick here, for me, was "wiggle" the neck by its' head after turning the truss rod. Very cool. I've been setting up my own guitars for 15 years, but it was great to see that I do things the same way as this expert.
I have been an acoustic guitar player for over 20 years And I just learned more in the last few minutes Then in 20 years combined. Great video, thank you.
What a game-changing video. I've been terrified to do anything to my acoustic guitar and BOOM you and Ben just simplified things so much. I like to do some of the work on my electric guitars but never felt comfortable on the acoustic for some reason. You also made my day with a couple of things you showed that I have been doing correctly (I guess I watched the right videos... HAH HAH) on my electric guitars like how I have measured the relief and also with my rosewood fretboards NOT saturating them with a ton of oil and leaving it on there but instead wiping it off right away. One funny thing was when Ben said not to sight along the neck I really enjoyed the way you handled being shown something different than what you've done in the past. I have always respected you greatly, Rhett, and you increased my respect for you by showing a willingness to learn. Good on you, sir!!! And now I have to make a trip down to Big House Guitars since I live in the suburbs of Atlanta.
Ben is a properly knowledgeable dude, have to say mind was blown a little learning about why the saddles are arranged as they are for intonation to be spot on.
Best 'set up' video I've seen after 3 years of watching guitar videos on TH-cam. Would happily watch a full video on each of these points with you learning, along with us viewers, from Ben. Great stuff lads! 👍
Excellent video tutorial demonstration! This is so basically good for those who are more players than fixers. Because Ben don't play. He just lays it out and tells you the best and easiest, mosy common sense way to do it. And that's golden, because, hey, theres enough to worry about with guitars. Having the ability to do this for yourself in a pinch, really can economically change your life for the better. And me? I'm a tuning and intonation freak/perfectionist. So some of those tips are priceless time savers for me. I mean, most of this "is" what ive been doing since the age of 13 in 1979. But say, the "one fret back" rule for stringing, and the "dont look down the neck" bits are indeed helpful Love the common sense suggestions as well. Humorous. Like "don't leave the fluid on the fretboard and go to lunch" and the "don't scrub the against the wood" bits. Haha! Those, plus the .multiple intonation point testing is where im right in line, and always have been! So great video and Thank you, Ben! Marc ⚡
Ive been restringing my own guitars for decades and Ive never seen the back up one fret technique before. I’ve overthought this to death and its been this simple the whole time 😂
I've always held my hand perpendicular to the 12th fret with the string going over my hand to get the length. But now that I think about it, that would be a different total length for different sized hands. Will try this one-fret method next time.
I love this kind of stuff - I know a bit about setup and maintenance but always learn something every time I watch these kinds of shows. If I was a young man again I would go to lutherie school and make a career of guitar and amp repair/building.Just didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life back then. Ever wish you could go back and do it all over again with the wisdom you have now?
52 years old, been playing since I was 15, and I'm still learning new things (and loving it). Thanks, this was a great video. Informative, and well paced / well presented.
I love his fret trick, I'm gonna use that from now on. Another trick I learned from my mentor in my recording studio days was after you restring, tune the guitar, then pull every string at every fret and tune again. This is especially helpful for the studio or right before a show when you need to stay in tune
You should only need to stretch your string open, 5th, 12th, 17th (approx); more if you like, and a couple times up and down. Doing every fret is overkill. Try it next time, you'll be surprised. Once the string is stretched that's it, you shouldn't need to do it before a gig or anything either. A good trick to stay in tune is to always tune from flat up to the correct pitch, never down - it keeps the tention behind the nut. That drastically reduced how often tuned during a set.
Some pretty brilliant tips right there. I absolutely love how you're supposed to string to get the ideal number of winding. Even after almost 30 years, it was at times a bit of a guess, but that 'one-fret-back'-thing is super handy. Thanks guys!
Ben Calhoun… sounds like a real Cowboy name that John Wayne would have played😂. Learned more in 15 minutes than I have in 40 years of playing guitar. We need more content like this!! ❤❤
Great video and advice. Having played and worked on guitars for over 40 years, everything he said and showed is exactly the way I maintain every guitar I've ever owned or worked on.
I've changed strings hundreds of times over the past 40 years and it's nice to see that a professional agrees with the way I've changed them. I've had arguments about it over the years with other players that do all kinds of weird knots and there is just no reason for it.
As a furniture makers, going to let you in a secret. You are not going to risk your frets falling out from too much oil on the fretboard. You will however risk them becoming loose if you never oil your fretboard due to shrinkage of the wood from lack of moisture allowing the slots to open up. But like he said, you don't need to leave it on there for a long time. Just be sure to use a quality finish like Howards Butcher Block Conditioner and use it often. I pretty much do my guitars ever time I change strings. I just wipe it on, massage it with my fingers into the fretboard, then wipe it off.
GOOD on you, Sir! We used Watco back in the early '70s at my brother's music store and I still have the can. However, I have advanced to other things. I will try that Butcher Block Conditioner and see how it do!
As a guitar builder/repair man, you are wrong. Wood reaches an equalibrium, once it's dry it fluctuates slightly, but doesn't completely dry out. I have seen plenty of damaged fretboards from over oiling, I have never seen damage from not oiling it
@paulhopkins1905 Ok, I guess all the fine woodworkers are wrong and wood does not shrink when it looses moisture. Moisture in wood is relative to time and environment.
@@Reign_In_Blood_963 Yes, in this case you are 100% wrong. Secondly, you are no more of a "fine woodworker" than a luthier. I have seen loose and high frets caused by over oiling, several times. I have worked on pre WWII guitars, that had never seen a drop of oil in their lives with no issues at all. The FACT is that a properly dried piece of wood, especially a tight grained, oily wood like rosewood or ebony, which are what most fret boards are made of do not need to be oiled.
I’m not sure if it applies for the acoustic guitars but: 1. I saw some guy on youtube demonstrating how this knot thing really improves tuning stability on the strats with tremolo. He demonstrated with and without the knot, he was smashing tremolo like dive-bombing and the knotted strings were staying just in tune, while without the knot it immediately goes out of tune. 2. Lots of turns on the tuners can worsen tuning stability, especially when you have a tremolo system, as each turn can stuck/catch the metal and then suddenly get released. That’s why locking tuners exist, when you have just no turns, the string has no room to be caught either by other turn, or by the tuner itself.
I believe the "Gibson" knot he showed was not the same knot you are talking about at least looking at the way this luthier did it, the one you are talking about is the one I use and I believe it's the best way to do it.
Pulling the string back one fret is a great idea. It makes it so easy and allows for the proper amount of post windings to keep the string locked in place...!
Really good tips on acoustic guitar care and setup. Caveat: I do sight the neck when evaluating a guitar but I am not looking for relief, I am looking for twist or other significant neck problems. Those (I think) do show up when sighting down the neck.
Got my first guitar 4 months ago and this video provides so much information on the maintenance and care. I might not do it on my own yet, but at least I understand a lot more of what I'm looking at.
Another point when setting the intonation that I didn't hear mentioned: When comparing the 12th fret harmonic to the fretted 12th fret note, it's the fretted 12th note that you go by if there's adjustment needed. If the fretted 12th note is flat when compared to the harmonic, the saddle moves forward; think 'flat-forward' and 'sharp-back'. If the fretted 12th note is sharp, the saddle moves back (making the string longer). Ben didn't mention how to set the intonation on Rhett's acoustic because you can't. There's no saddles to move. However, you can lower the action if needed by sanding down the bottom of the saddle wood piece that the strings rest on. If the action is too low, just get a new saddle wood piece...Hope I didn't step on any toes just didn't hear this mentioned in the video...Thanks, Rhett and thank you, Ben, for a fantastic tutorial!... PS: If you are hearing impaired a bit or sometimes you can't tell if the fretted note is sharp or flat which can get so close, check it with a tuner. What you thought sounded in tune could be a few 'cents' off. And you'd be surprised how this can make a difference.
That's always been the first thing I do when I pick up an unfamiliar acoustic: ping the first harmonic and then fret the string on 12. If there's an audible difference, the guitar's unusable. Unless of course, the fretted note is a tad sharp and there's plenty of leeway for lowering the action as you suggest, in which case, it may be a viable instrument.
@@john564holloway I did. He explained what it is and how to adjust. IF a guitar does not have adjustable saddles , IE, this guitar, you cannot set it ! Also , to manipulate the ACTION on an acoustic, as long as it doesn’t need a neck reset, you adjust the truss rod along with lowering the saddle I. The bridge IE , pulling it out and sanding the bottom and putting it back in. Of course, unless you have some sort of bridge in the guitar that has full adjustability.
This guy knows how to put a string on a guitar. I've been doing that for 63 years. People who do that weird wrap over string kind of stuff and then say that's how it's done don't know what they're talking about.
Whenever anyone tries to overcomplicate a guitar, I just remember people figured them out in the 1100's and they aren't rocket science. This guy did a great job both illustrating that and sharing knowledge (always a great thing!).
Those "fret guards" can REALLY mess up your fretboard if you don't pay attention, also. Cheap ones have a bur on the edge so as soon as you lay it on that nice wood and start grinding it into your fretboard while you polish away, it leave a huge line thats dug into your nice fretboard parallel to the fret, from the burr on the edge. I know because it happened to me. I was SICK. All because I bought the $5 set of protectors instead of good ones from Music Nomad or somewhere.
I think that's going to depend on the set. It's easy enough to feel if there's a bur on them, and if there is, you don't use it or you file away the bur. I can't imagine the steel is very hard.
1 Lay a piece of sandpaper down on a table. 2 Pless fretguard flat onto paper. 3 vigorously move guard left and right a few times. 4. Grab a drink, job done
@@castleanthrax1833 it felt fine to me. But it still screwed it up. It may not have even been a burr but just a hard corner. Whatever the case, it did. Nobody warned me about that so I assumed they were fine to use since they felt fine. Boy was I wrong. Compared to the Music Nomad set I got later, there's a night and day difference but you don't notice that unless you have both sets in-hand. I didn't until I got the better set later.
@@feddomeijerwiersma6955 as I just posted, they felt fine. I wouldn't have just laid a burr down and ground it into my guitar. Since they felt fine to my fingers, I used them and it was only once I got some done that I realized what they were doing.
Years ago I used to just wipe the guitar down with all the strings off. No lemon oil/asses milk conditioner, no fret polishing, no fret guards from Stewmac etc.....just look at the f/board and give it a bit of a rub. Buying, setting up was just a matter of sighting along the neck from the nut end and in the vanished guitar stores, all the guitars had clean f/boards and frets etc, no crud or bogeys but no one ever thought about polishing the frets................ and nothing in this has changed. Most of us wash our hands and................that's enough. The tool box full of gizmos like radius checkers, sprays and lotions are just a load of gay stuff that no one needs. It's got to be said. This world of "flipping" guitars looking for the "keeper", huge guitar collections, makers bringing out "annual ranges" like Paris frocks and guys constantly "swapping out" p/ups is for the birds.
Finally a Pro repairman that agree's with me that sighting down the neck is not a good reliable method at all! 👍 I have always hated that method because as Ben said there are things like binding and your eyes playing tricks on you as well as you cannot do it in the playing position.
...and yet I see pros doing it in even high end shops in my area. I believe Ben here and personally use the capo method he demonstrated. Just makes me wonder what those guys are looking it.
The "sight down the neck" idea, in my experience, was more about buying used guitars, and making sure the neck isn't twisted, or bent towards the treble or bass sides. Especially when you're buying from some random guy, or a pawn shop maybe, rather than a reputable guitar store or dealer. It could have been kept in a backyard treehouse for the last twenty years, you never know. Yeah, I wouldn't expect to gauge the neck relief that way. Or measure anything else that required real accuracy. But I think it's still useful to quickly make sure you aren't buying an obvious hunk of junk. 🤷♂️
I'm happy the shop I bought my guitar, the guy working showed me all these things. To care for the fretboard. He told me and I knew but later on I learned it was pretty special to have a guitar plus knowledge how to care for it.
just realizing now that ive already been doing all of these little things with restringing and truss rod adjustments out of convenience, although i never knew the real reasons why the bridge intonation always stairsteps up like that but now im REALLY glad that i do. i had a moment of clarity after hearing about that, and now i know exactly why my electric guitars sound really weird with a wound G. i learned a LOT from this video, thank you so much.
Man, I'm trying really hard to understand what exactly he's referring to when revealing the stair stepping of the bridge and the pattern created, "with no exceptions" I was under the understanding intonation is indeed the length of the string, and where "center" is the 12th fret - So distance between bridge and nut is exactly twice the distance of nut to 12th fret, and bridge to 12th fret. So in my mind, its exactly the same distance from the nut to the 12th fret for all of the strings bc both the nut and 12th fret wire are straight. And if the start and middle distances are correct, then why wouldn't the bridge also be perfectly straight, just as the nut which you're measuring from, and the 12th fret, which is to be the center for all the strings??? Am I making sense or am I just not with it here?
@@jabawokidingdong1360 I'm assuming it has to do with the tension of each string individually. A wound D and unwound G strings have such a sharp jump in tension that's pretty noticeable when swapping out the G for a wound string instead. He mentioned it has to do with the core of each string itself, which might play a huge factor in the force needed to hold down the note at the 12th fret. I always do a quick intonation check on my guitars after restringing with a different gauge set, since the tension of the strings change a fair bit, and that middle point can move around slightly.
I absolutely love the Gibson knot! When I got my first gig at a music store here in Seattle that was called Guitarville, on my very first day I restrung and tuned over 25 guitars as part of my hazing! I remember at the end of the day they brought me a 12-string Martin with the slotted headstock and I was like hell no that's not happening! Lol I think I earned some measure of respect from the guys for refusing to restring that martin! Other than that it was a wonderful job and I got to see everything from blackguard Tele's to legit 58, 59 and 60 Sunburst Les paul's! So I can actually say I played the Stradivarius of vintage guitars! I miss those days!🎸🔊🎵😜🌈🎸💯💖
I am also a big fan of the Gibson knot. The string never slips. I am not going to change just because some tech dislikes it. Otherwise, he has some good tips.
I certainly feel better about how I do adjustments and re-stringing on my guitars now. Everything that Ben has shown here is exactly what I have been doing for years, mostly out of intuition and common sense. And, the truss rod IS your friend. Do not be afraid of it.
Hi can you help me find this "truss rod" he is using is it a brand? When I go to Amazon they give me little rulers. His looks like an L hex lock key unless that's not what it is. Thanks
This was a very informative video. I've been playing guitar for 40 years (non-professional just for fun) and I learned a lot such as his simple stringing method, how to clean the frets and fretboard properly, and his simple explanation of how intonation works. Good stuff.
As a tech myself I've noticed a positive difference in tuning stability if you do a turn over and the rest under vs doing them all under like this guy does. Gibson knot works well and isn't that much of a pain to take off. High grit sandpaper, fret erasers or micromesh polishing pads are way superior to steel wool. It's cleaner, doesn't fuck with pickups and has a better result and more control over the polishing. Also, if you're gonna use a fret guard, which you should, why polish perpendicular to the frets? They won't shine as much and be harder to polish. Start with 1000-1500 grit and go up. As for the relief, it's just another adjustment tool. Someone who really hits the strings hard might need more relief than someone who taps a lot and has a light touch. Really mediocre tech & info in general.
I’ve always used as few wraps as possible and never really had issues with tuning stability even with heavy bending. I’ll try the over under string wrap next time, keen to experience the difference
The intonation position of the saddles positions being related to the core guage of the strings makes so much sense. In 40 years I have never thought of the saddles position in this way. A revelation, every day is a school day. Top tip for sure especially explaining why electrics ( 3,3 ) differ from acoustics (4,2) . This was a lightbulb moment, thanks guys. 1 Reply
Here's my B&C line-up Top of the list is a crazy-glued nut. Next is an acoustic saddle that's been glued into the slot. My least favorite job is setting up a 7 or 8 string Floyd. And honorable mention goes to those Tronical type auto tuners. I charge double to do that work. But these are the exceptions. After 20 years, I still love what I do. No greater satisfaction than getting a guitar that's beat to hell and virtually unplayable, and giving it back looking and playing great. Excellent video btw. I like that first fret string gap trick to pre-determine wraps. Gonna give it a try. Thanks!
For me the reason to sight down the neck is to check for neck twist. It something I always do when I’m considering purchasing a new guitar. I would never even think to do it in order to assess neck relief… I don’t see how that could ever be an accurate or meaningful way of doing that, so well said Ben 👍🏻
@@Emhartain and why exactly is that? You can definitely see if the nut and lower frets are out of parallel with the upper frets and bridge (and then consider how the bridge is set with respect to the body on its bass and treble sides) by sighting down the neck in that way. The human eye is very good at detecting when things are out of parallel in that way. I’ve spoken to a number of guitar techs who have spoken about similar checks. But I’m sure you’ve got a thorough explanation of why it doesn’t make sense and wouldn’t just be making a superficial and unexplained comment just to be contrary, right? 🤔😉
One thing that always annoys me, the vintage split post tuners on Fenders like the Mustang are literally the best design for a tuner and ease of stringing. Why did this stop and why aren't all tuners like this? Honestly blows my mind.
In my humble opinion I cant see them changing from split post to eye hole tuners just for adding a few grams of metal if that. Its a safe bet to say no one will be able to feel the difference in weight anyway so it has to be for either function or form, perhaps it just wasn't stylish, or the closed version being shiny chrome. instead of speculation I'm certain there's an article on this very topic! I hope you're just being facetious. @@user-bl3si3kq6x
I agree the fender vintage split tuners are fantastic. Leo fender was not a musician but he definitely listened to musicians opinions on what improvements could be made.
I just wanna add my two cents on neck relief. I always set up mine based on fret buzz. If I get more buzz on the lower frets, then the neck needs more of a curve (looser rod). If I get more buzzing higher up the neck, then it needs less curve and a tighter rod. I keep adjusting it (as well as the action at the bridge) until I'm just about clear of buzzing all across the neck, and that gives me the lowest action possible. This method makes sense to me because the purpose of the relief is to eliminate buzzing, so why not actually set it up based on the buzz you get? I've always done it that way, and I can get really good setups on my guitars.
Well, would you rather a guitar have level frets or not? The neck doesn't need relief, the frets need to be level. You achieve this by compensating the neck with the truss rod to account for string tension. Fret ninja can skip this step. However much relief was in the neck when it was leveled is the right amount. Any other amount will unlevel the frets. Imagine paying money for a high end fret job and then adding relief so the middle frets are no longer level with the end frets.
@@user-bl3si3kq6x Yeah... nah. You do want the frets to start out flat when the neck is not under string tension, no dispute there. However, having a curve in the fret plane under string tension is not the same as uneven frets that cause bum notes. The strings vibrate in an elliptical shape and having some amount of neck relief allows for that. Adjusting the truss rod until you even out the attack "twang" all the way up the neck is the way to optimize that curvature. Some necks assume a more ideal curve than others; those are the proverbial "good ones". A perfectly straight neck actually needs a higher action overall to avoid buzz on the low frets.
This is the way to find the optimal relief. Setting it to some measurement as described in the video is a good way to get closer sooner, is all. Sort of like setting static ignition timing on an engine to just get it running, then using a timing light to get it bang on when running (yes, I am that old).
@1011010100011 the geometry of the guitar accounts for this already with break angle becoming higher as you move up the neck . The 'fretbuzz' you are referring to is based on someone strumming hard enough to cause the string to touch the frets. This is action based. You can make that type of buzz on the best neck in the world regardless of relief and changing the relief absolutely unlevels the frets in relation to each other. If you get buzzing from strumming (vs fretting aka doesn't buzz during legato), Your playing is too heavy. The nut which should be slotted level to the frets(zero nut,using a capo ever) may be the issue or generally saddle height. If you have a perfectly level board with a perfect nut height and it still buzzes, you are playing to hard for that action height. Why pay to level the frets if you are going to change the aligment?
Lots of good info here. I love the simplicity of the “pull it one fret for the wind” method, then the overkill of the Dewalt drill with the string winder bit.
He seems a cool bloke and very knowledgeable. The thing I was most excited to see was how you intonate an acoustic. Sounds like yours didn't need it doing so he showed electric examples which are straightforward. I still don't know how to intonate an acoustic properly. Could you maybe do a video one day explaining that process please? Great video as always
Not possible in the same way; you have to rely on the manufacturer getting it right on the bridge/ bridge inserts. If you have removable bridge inserts you can reduce the bridge height, by sanding the bottom, or raise it by inserting shims. Or buy your own inserts and hand fashion the point of string contact to imitate the back and forth adjustment of string length, but... not easy. Changing string gauge from the recommended one may cause problems, or string height at the nut; if it is too high, when you fret at the lower frets (1,2,3 etc) you are stretching the strings much more than at the higher frets, because you have to press the string down more. This makes the note slightly sharp. I suggest getting a luthier to change the height if necessary, as you have to file down each slot to the right height and filing too much off is worse than having the nut too high. You can replace the material with baking powder and superglue, apparently... but I've never tried it, and it is obviously fraught with dangers, particularly on an expensive guitar.
@@edeledeledel5490 Thanks for all the info! That does sound a lot harder than my abilities currently allow. I hadn't thought of string height being the problem though so thanks. I probably need to find a luthier by the sounds of it! cheers
@@edeledeledel5490 Hmm... sounds pretty tough! Thanks for such a detailed comment! :) Because of work, I deal with a lot of cheap crappy instruments (and not even that cheap anymore these days) Often, the manufacturer doesn't even get the fret positions right. I swear most of those beginner ukuleles, for example, are impossible to fully tune. You can be in tune at the open strings, or at the 3rd-5th frets; but not both, lol.
I had a pretty bad intonation on the 5th and 6th strings. Using the quick and easy matchstick method the E string needed the matchstick placed at about a quarter of a fret. The action was pretty bad, which was the cause of the bad intonation. Taking the plunge I lowered the bridge and adjusted the truss rod. I did this in 3 sessions, each time measuring how high the action was etc. putting the strings back and playing for a couple of weeks, I was scared of taking off too much in one go. Now I am much much happier with the feel and sound of my guitar and the intonation problem is cured.
4/5 for me. I hybridize his method and employ the “Gibson knot”. He mentions how he doesn’t snip the string until he winds it cuz it could slip out sometimes… the knot ensures that it doesn’t do that, and it isn’t really any extra effort to remove it to change strings. Utilizing the knot also insures greater stability with alternate tunings, particularly those that like to switch between standard and Drop-D Tech for 8 years, so not a veteran by any means, but I do what works for me and my clients and he does what works for him and his. Try both, see what you like best I will say, I REALLY liked his explanation of the intonation and why it’s done the way it is. I appreciate that he explained that deviations in normal intonation stems from a nut issue
I also use the knot method but not the way that he showed. What’s important to me is the number of wraps. I’ll do no more than 1-1/2 wraps around the post on both nylon strings and steel strings. It’s been very stable and easy to fine tune and get to pitch quickly. This method has been working for me for 50+ yrs.
I like to use the pinch method when restringing acoustics and electrics. That’s where the first wrap goes around the peg above the cut end of the string. Then when you wind the string , the cut end gets pinched between the top two wraps around the peg. Then, if it’s a Gibson style headstock, I wind the G string going up the peg, unlike the other five strings that wind going down the peg. This solves the G string’s issues with staying in tune. You don’t get the steep break angle from the nut, resulting in less tension on the string and more tuning stability. All this stuff is subjective though. If your way of doing things works fine with no issues, there’s no real reason to change it. Do you. ✌️
Probably have a different perspective because I usually play classical, but if you don't do the "knot thing" on classical guitars, the strings literally won't stay on the guitar. Muscle memory and consistency means I like to string all of my guitars the same way. The one fret trick though for getting the right number of windings is nice. I always sort of just did that by feel and intuition and get mixed results.
A bigger thing to know about classical guitar restringing is bringing it up to pitch slowly, you can instantly ruin the intonation of a new set of strings by bringing it up to pitch to fast, slow it down!
@@kenwittlief255 it has the largest break angle from nut to tuning post. Hurts intonation as well. Minimize this string angle as much as possible winding inside. I go extreme and carve out some wood in this area to get an even better angle for better intonation which also gives it less chance of breaking. Also lube up!
@@morganst.pierre yup also as you progress i was taught to litteraly pull up on th strings to help stretch other wise could take forever to get to 440 , almost impossible to change strings on a classical i and be & Stay in tune if you have somewhere to play shortly after
@@glennrosa234 ironically once your classical strings are staying in tune for long periods they’re about dead and it’s time to change them. Pulling on them will help them ‘stay’ in tune quicker but can kill the intonation and life of them. I thought I had intonation issues and started carving my nut to fix because I just put new strings on but I really had just ruined intonation pulling them up to pitch to fast. I did it slowly and it corrected the issues. I see almost no one talking about this potential hiccup but learned from Douglas Neidt. Incredible reason for all things classical for example this and his insanely in depth nail filing and shape technique
Ben is absolutely great, these video's are awesome and i think Ben should start his own channel if he doesn't have one yet. The only thing i missed here is how to actualy change the intonation on an acoustic guitar. I don't have any issues with mine but now i'm wondering how to do it if ever needed.
I believe you actually need to reshape the bridge with a file, probably best done by a professional, but unless your acoustic is pretty old or subject to wild changes in humidity, it shouldn't be intonated poorly.
Exactly. He gets to the bit I really want to see and reaches for an electric guitar which mostly have adjustable saddles. If you file the saddle of an acoustic incorrectly there is no undoing as he suggests. New saddle. Gently gently is the rule. Yep it is a pain having to slacken string, file, tighten string, check intonation...repeat, repeat until it is correct, but is there another way? Don't think so.
I have always been totally anal about how the strings look around the pegs. I learned this method years and years ago from Taylor’s website after I got my Taylor acoustic. Always very consistent and clean looking. Also glad to see an experienced guitar tech say that sighting down the neck is BS. I have never been able to discern neck relief that way, and always wondered what I was missing or doing wrong. I’ve always done the capo at the first fret and holding the string down at the 12th and measuring relief at the sixth. That leaves no room for interpretation. You know exactly what you’ve got every time. Nice video. I always like this guy’s content
What he calls the “Gibson knot” is something I learned when I bought my first good guitar, a Martin D-28. It came with a pamphlet titled “The Care and Feeding of your Martin Guitar.” The pamphlet had a diagram showing how to do exactly that little fold of the string. It isn’t even a knot, it is a fold-around. Later, I learned it is also called a “Luthier’s knot.” I use it on all my guitars, and it gives better tuning stability, especially if you change tunings fairly often, and bend strings. What it does is squeeze the end of the string between the tuning post and the first wrap, securing it. Securing it with pressure equal to the full string tension, i.e. for a light-gage .023” G string that is almost 28 lbs. Just bending it up doesn’t do that, at best you are pressing the end of the string up against the ceiling of the post hole, with maybe a couple pounds of force at most. I don’t find it hard to take off - sometimes I use a needle-nosed pliers and that makes it simpler. If you are re-stringing 50 guitars per day, I can see how it might get a little annoying taking off that many Luthier’s knots. But if you are re-stringing maybe a guitar per week, it is no hassle and is worth it for the enhanced tuning stability. Martin told me to secure the strings that way, and I figured they knew what they were talking about. Pretty sure I have seen videos of Leo Kottke, John Martyn, and a few others replacing strings during performances, and most appear to do a Luthier’s aka Gibson knot.
Looking down the neck helps tell you if the neck is warped. Don't abandon the technique, @Rhett Shull -- just recognize what information you are getting from the exercise.
Great video. I’m amazed at how much attention his comment about not liking the aGibson/luthier’s knot got on the Internet forums. Most disagree with him. I think it boils down to “It’s actually helpful for tuning stability but makes changing strings take longer.”
I'm 71 been playing since I was 15, it seems I took a lot of advice to heart that wasn't quite right. Tremendously good vid clear , concise and logical. Some can do but the best can do and teach.
My guess is you are probably acoustic Jesus and do everything perfect and this video isn't useful to you. There is a whole host of us normies that got bad or misguided advice somewhere along the way and this guy is just saving us time and frustration by dispelling some myths and making the process more straight forward.
Cool info! I always make the first wrap over the top, then the rest under. I've experienced slipping of the strings when not over wrapping. Maybe it's just me? But I've only been playing guitar for 55 years. On and off stage.
I always do the first wrap over the top as well. I feel like it's the only reasonable lock on non-locking tuners, and I just like the way it looks. And I use the "next peg" technique Rhett does. Always works for me!
Been playing since ‘66, or ‘67. Twenty years ago began building acoustics (archtops, folk). Every so often people bring me their guitars for repair. I always tell them, I build, I don’t repair. Building, and repairing are two different disciplines. I have mad respect for even a semi-decent repairman. Repair is a real art.
Yeah, and I think that applies to most, if not all, disciplines. Obviously there's skill overlap but I think anywhere that the best builder isn't the best at repair and vice versa.
Man, why can't all setup vids be like this? Straight to the point, plain English, nothing superfluous. Bravo. Keeping this.
Because there’s people that speak other languages
@@Zach-ls1if clearly! 😅 I just meant it's simple and clear. I've nothing against other languages, I promise you.
@@johndinsdale4454 I know, I’m just being a dork and trolling, cheers and thanks
@@Zach-ls1if ha ha! Got me. Have an awesome day chap 😎
Weeell Gibson did do a great job with their video
Been playing guitar for over 20 years, building guitars for around 10, and the "just pull it back one fret" trick just changed my life.
right???
Amen , great advice.
I've always used the old pinky on the body, string on the index and spread the gap more the smaller the string. I'm gonna have to try this.
Dude… same and same.
Same. I learned the trick he used to wind the string but I could never get the amount of winds right.
This guy just dropped more knowledge in 15 easy to understand minutes than every asshole guitarist I've encountered in 27 years that's got off on making guitar maintainence seem like a dark art. Zero gatekeeping, transparent explanations, no hard sell on anything other than knowledge: absolutely buying this guy a drink if I'm ever in Georgia! Thank you all for the video!
Totally agree!
That just tells me you don't know anything about guitars..buy a book about maintenance dude, it's all in there..27 years and still knowing zilch...not good..
Been playing guitar for 44 years. Like most everybody here, this little 15 minute video has succinctly shown me where I've been making an arse of myself all this time.
I have learned more here in ten minutes than I have during the last 40 years of playing, stringing, and fooling around with guitars. Thank you!
Me too! Great info!!
Same for me except 20 years instead of 40.
I love that pull it back one fret trick. It's so simple, effective, and consistent. I wish I knew that 25 years ago.
For 40 years, I've done it the way Rhett does it: measure to the next tuning peg. But as is pointed out, it's roughly the same distance anyway. The "pull it back one fret" thing is new to me, as well. But where I may try the repairman's way is to clip the string *after* tuning it up. I put the crimp in the string after measuring, then break it off, leaving a stub, plus with the wound strings, an extra "burr" where the winding now stops. We all learn new stuff, and we are better for it!
This guy = no BS and doesn't over complicate things. Awesome.
Yep. Best vid ever on these topics.
😢😢
You sir, are a mind reader.
This vid was nice, usually he chats so long I can’t be bothered, but this is good info
BALONEY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Fretter and inlayer for a professional acoustic guitar company here! Looking down the neck helps great to see if your frets are all in line and level. When light catches a high fret it will shine before the rest of the frets as you bring the guitar up and down with your hand. That’s what it should be used for, not so much using it to spot the neck itself!
I’ve always sighted down the neck like that to see if the neck is twisting.
Also when buying a guitar it'll give you a quick easy way to quickly see if you're buying a turd. I'm mainly looking to see it's the same side to side, that the neck isn't twisted.
It will certainly tell you if there are big problems, but as far as fine tuning you need a good straightedge or use the string as a straightedge for relief.
Thank you! Very helpful!
anyone putting in frets knows that there is no such thing as "sighting down the tops" they ALWAYS check their work with a fret rocker guage. I wouldn't trust anyone's "eye sight method"
does your mechanic align your wheels with eye sight method 😂😂😂
Hands down, this is the best, most informative, and clearest summary/demonstration of basic acoustic guitar maintenance I have ever seen. Wish I was closer to Atlanta-thanks guys, for this video.
Love hearing from Ben, he should have his own channel. If I lived in the area I would absolutely immediately switch to him for all my guitar work.
WoW!! I'm 67, been playing since I was 13. I sure wish I'd learned from a master like this decades ago.
Thanks so much, both of you.
I will pass this on to my son.
😂
This is gold ... please feature Ben as often as he is willing!
Yes he’s great to watch
Agreed
I'm out here like, when's Ben making his own channel? I'd be patreon sub for this quality of content.
I’ve always struggled to get the right amount of wraps for a string and the 1 fret trick is the best thing I’ve seen!
I use the length to the next peg and pull back, then the first wrap over the tail and the rest under. About 2 1/2 wraps on the low strings and 3 on the highs.
@@jamesgardner2101same here except my dad taught me to just cut each string at the next peg and then string it up...the D and G just eyeball as though there was another peg past them.
Started playing acoustic guitar about the age of eight and I'm 68 now. that would have saved me years of grief restringing and other things. Best 20-minute guitar tutorial I've ever been treated to.
I could listen to him talk about guitars all day. He has that same easygoing demeanor that all of our favorite teachers had back in school, all the while dropping truth bombs.
I agree, it's a real pleasure hearing someone talk about something they love and are super knowledgeable about. Those crappy teachers lacked either the love or the internalized knowledge.
This is seriously one of the greatest videos ever. As a working musician for many many years I can’t tell you how useful this has been.
I had a whole discussion with a friend about how string saddles on electric guitars look like two "stair step" patterns. This is the first time I have ever heard anyone besides me talk about this relationship. Thanks for the validation! Keep up the good work, Rhett!
It is always good to have friends and colleagues who are not afraid to tell you the truth and back it up with common sense and logic. Great content as usual.
It's one of the major criteria I base my selection of actual, real friendship on. ; ) Rock on, everybody!
Been doing repairs for 46 year and You show a few thing. Well done! Right to the point.
It’s crazy. I’ve been playing guitar for 71 years and this whole time I’ve been stringing my guitar as the following E string to the B machine head a string to the DD string to the e, G string to the low, B string to the G machine, head and the high E to the A. Ever since I discovered this revolutionary video. My guitar magically stays in tune. Unbelievable, what did I opener?
WTF ? That's extremely illogical..or where you just messing with us ?
This is why I watch your channel. There are so many trends, breakthroughs, magic and bro science over the years that we need to take a fresh look at what we do every now and again. Great video.
A luthier friend taught me this trick to help with intonation: Fretted Flat Forward, meaning if the fretted note at the 12th fret is flat compared to the harmonic, move the saddle forward (towards the neck).
"Sharper is shorter", is how I've always remembered it.
@@doctorjones278 Correct ; )
The way I remember is turn in the smae direction the tuner is showing when you check the intonation. So if the note is sharp then turn the screw to the right, if it's flat then turn it to the left like it shows on the display.
@@joegriffithsmusic that makes sense!
@@tomgorycki7176 haha it's just cause I always forget which direction makes the string shorter or longer lol
Wow. One of the most helpful guitar videos I’ve ever seen! I learn so much every time Ben is featured on here.
Agreed.
Yeah Ben much respect and a truly nice guy
Seriously. I want a TH-cam channel where he explains everything
Ben is one of the most knowledgeable people on gear you will ever meet. He has done work on a number of my electrics. All play and sound incredible.
When i discovered using a feeler gauge for neck relief about 8 yrs ago after counless times of having my guitars and Bass guitars setup wrong by 4 different guitar techs from 4 different stores in my area! I learned too set up my Instruments myself with no headaches or dissapointments letalone $250 in setups while there guessing looking down the neck 😢 ! Benchmark with no guessing 😁
I've been playing acoustic guitar since 1964. This is the best information on set up I've even seen. I feel like I want to change all my strings now. Amazing information. Thank you!
I agree, he did a great job. If you want to see another very informative video on setup, go find the setup video from Rosa String Works (RSW). No, I"m not related to him!
Same here. I bookmarked this. Fantastic information! I'm changing the strings tomorrow, and putting oil on the fretboard.
The best part is that he puts to rest that "luthier's knot" bullshit right at the beginning.
Having seen Ben in many videos over the years, he seems like a really cool and knowledgeable guy. Always glad to see him here.
Ben is the man!
@@1LouderSoundit's the "Gibson wrap" supposedly because guys started doing it trying to fight de-tuning. Which works. Which is why almost everyone does it. Like almost everyone. Just not Ben. I guess it's just personal preference. It does look a little better, and it's easier to get the string off. That's the only benefit. If Gibson, fender, Martin and countless people swear by the correct way to do it, I would suggest listening to them, not the guy slanging consignment guitars.
I think he was criticizing the Gibson knot technique from the perspective of a luthier. He doesn’t like having to undo the knot to remove the string. You know, because it takes sooooo long to do.
@@Fishing_Fiddlesisn’t the Gibson wrap where you wrap towards the top of the post? Like the opposite of the standard wrap but not necessarily the locking knot?
@@1LouderSoundDon’t hate the player, hate the game. That’s how you get tons of followers and views- make a provocative statement like how to “properly” do something. I bet if you made a video claiming the opposite and introduced yourself with your credentials you’d get good traffic too and people would learn the benefits of doing things as you’ve experienced. For example the great Rene Martinez shows how he winds strings. He does the locking wrap and aims for as few wraps as possible because the extra string length leads to more detuning as the string stretches over time. 👌🏻
Thanks for posting this video. This is probably the best "how to" basic advice on Proper Guitar Set-up that I have ever viewed (and I have seen plenty) Your concepts are logical, simple, and easy to follow and remember. The part that really sold me was the "nothing straighter than a string" when trying to measure action height. You are absolutely correct sir. As a land surveyor technician most of my life, I can attest to that. We used a string as a tool and unit of measurement to measure vertical plumb. In other words, you can tell if something is straight simply by hanging a string with a washer or a nut and compare using the ole "eyeball method". When you said that, I knew that you knew what you were talking about and that your information was trustworthy. Everything here makes a lot of sense. I will share this video with my friends. Thanks again.
Mike V.
Albuquerque, NM
I took a chance and restrung my guitar as suggested here. I played a gig yesterday outdoors near the ocean, and my guitar has NEVER stayed in tune so well. I mean, this has really changed the game. I'm shocked and delighted to have finally found a better method. PS ... I've been doing it wrong for 40 years.
Wrong how?
Remember, good technician never work in a store. He is just a storyteller.
@@ourjob6629Yes, of course THAT makes sense.
NOT!
@@TheDiaboliq666the biggest problem people have restringing is too much or too little wrap and getting wraps on top of each other rather than orderly under each other
Same hear bro i would wrap it manually bottom up same results but waste time th 1 fret w winder cant go wrong ....
Seriously! That was a Sledgehammer presentation. I got the feeling that Ben had been saving up those peeve’s since he learned the difference between “the right way” and WTF! Best 15 guitar-minutes I’ve spent in a while. Those info jewels will last a lifetime. Great video man! Thank you.
About 35 years playing guitar and I just learned a few things from Ben. That's so awesome - thanks guys!
Interesting. I've never sighted down the neck to set relief, only to check if the neck was twisted. It's nice to have your habits affirmed by a pro. Ben's a cool dude and a good teacher!
It seemed like Rhett was talking about checking for a twist and the tech was thinking people who sight a neck do it to check relief, as I never ever heard of anyone sighting a neck for relief - only sighting for a twist.
@@ev25zvsame here
The new trick here, for me, was "wiggle" the neck by its' head after turning the truss rod. Very cool. I've been setting up my own guitars for 15 years, but it was great to see that I do things the same way as this expert.
Hands down one of the most useful guitar setup videos I've ever seen! Thank you
I learned more in fifteen minutes with this video than in ten years of playing guitar with teachers. Thank you!
I have been an acoustic guitar player for over 20 years And I just learned more in the last few minutes Then in 20 years combined. Great video, thank you.
What a game-changing video. I've been terrified to do anything to my acoustic guitar and BOOM you and Ben just simplified things so much. I like to do some of the work on my electric guitars but never felt comfortable on the acoustic for some reason. You also made my day with a couple of things you showed that I have been doing correctly (I guess I watched the right videos... HAH HAH) on my electric guitars like how I have measured the relief and also with my rosewood fretboards NOT saturating them with a ton of oil and leaving it on there but instead wiping it off right away. One funny thing was when Ben said not to sight along the neck I really enjoyed the way you handled being shown something different than what you've done in the past. I have always respected you greatly, Rhett, and you increased my respect for you by showing a willingness to learn. Good on you, sir!!! And now I have to make a trip down to Big House Guitars since I live in the suburbs of Atlanta.
Ben is a properly knowledgeable dude, have to say mind was blown a little learning about why the saddles are arranged as they are for intonation to be spot on.
Best 'set up' video I've seen after 3 years of watching guitar videos on TH-cam. Would happily watch a full video on each of these points with you learning, along with us viewers, from Ben. Great stuff lads! 👍
Excellent video tutorial demonstration! This is so basically good for those who are more players than fixers. Because Ben don't play. He just lays it out and tells you the best and easiest, mosy common sense way to do it.
And that's golden, because, hey, theres enough to worry about with guitars. Having the ability to do this for yourself in a pinch, really can economically change your life for the better.
And me? I'm a tuning and intonation freak/perfectionist. So some of those tips are priceless time savers for me.
I mean, most of this "is" what ive been doing since the age of 13 in 1979. But say, the "one fret back" rule for stringing, and the "dont look down the neck" bits are indeed helpful
Love the common sense suggestions as well. Humorous. Like "don't leave the fluid on the fretboard and go to lunch" and the "don't scrub the against the wood" bits. Haha! Those, plus the .multiple intonation point testing is where im right in line, and always have been!
So great video and Thank you, Ben!
Marc
⚡
Ive been restringing my own guitars for decades and Ive never seen the back up one fret technique before. I’ve overthought this to death and its been this simple the whole time 😂
I've always held my hand perpendicular to the 12th fret with the string going over my hand to get the length. But now that I think about it, that would be a different total length for different sized hands. Will try this one-fret method next time.
Same here . 12 fret bend string. Then tighten
Learned that one early on. Not sure where I picked that up
@@HowieStephens Same! pulling back one fret is so much more simpler!
Imagine me using the pull the string up from the fretboard a fingers length...with four inch fingers. 😂
Thank you, Ben and Rhett, for the clearest explanations of these set-up issues!
I love this kind of stuff - I know a bit about setup and maintenance but always learn something every time I watch these kinds of shows. If I was a young man again I would go to lutherie school and make a career of guitar and amp repair/building.Just didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life back then. Ever wish you could go back and do it all over again with the wisdom you have now?
I’ve been playing guitar for 20 years. This is one of the most informative guitar set up videos I have seen. Learned a lot. Nice work! Thanks!
52 years old, been playing since I was 15, and I'm still learning new things (and loving it). Thanks, this was a great video. Informative, and well paced / well presented.
I love his fret trick, I'm gonna use that from now on.
Another trick I learned from my mentor in my recording studio days was after you restring, tune the guitar, then pull every string at every fret and tune again.
This is especially helpful for the studio or right before a show when you need to stay in tune
You should only need to stretch your string open, 5th, 12th, 17th (approx); more if you like, and a couple times up and down. Doing every fret is overkill. Try it next time, you'll be surprised.
Once the string is stretched that's it, you shouldn't need to do it before a gig or anything either.
A good trick to stay in tune is to always tune from flat up to the correct pitch, never down - it keeps the tention behind the nut. That drastically reduced how often tuned during a set.
@@MattMeNotYou I just pinch the string by the bridge and slide up to the nut while pulling up and down. This method is faster and better results IMO.
Some pretty brilliant tips right there. I absolutely love how you're supposed to string to get the ideal number of winding. Even after almost 30 years, it was at times a bit of a guess, but that 'one-fret-back'-thing is super handy. Thanks guys!
Ben Calhoun… sounds like a real Cowboy name that John Wayne would have played😂. Learned more in 15 minutes than I have in 40 years of playing guitar. We need more content like this!! ❤❤
Great video and advice. Having played and worked on guitars for over 40 years, everything he said and showed is exactly the way I maintain every guitar I've ever owned or worked on.
I've changed strings hundreds of times over the past 40 years and it's nice to see that a professional agrees with the way I've changed them. I've had arguments about it over the years with other players that do all kinds of weird knots and there is just no reason for it.
As a furniture makers, going to let you in a secret. You are not going to risk your frets falling out from too much oil on the fretboard. You will however risk them becoming loose if you never oil your fretboard due to shrinkage of the wood from lack of moisture allowing the slots to open up. But like he said, you don't need to leave it on there for a long time. Just be sure to use a quality finish like Howards Butcher Block Conditioner and use it often. I pretty much do my guitars ever time I change strings. I just wipe it on, massage it with my fingers into the fretboard, then wipe it off.
GOOD on you, Sir! We used Watco back in the early '70s at my brother's music store and I still have the can. However, I have advanced to other things. I will try that Butcher Block Conditioner and see how it do!
As a guitar builder/repair man, you are wrong. Wood reaches an equalibrium, once it's dry it fluctuates slightly, but doesn't completely dry out. I have seen plenty of damaged fretboards from over oiling, I have never seen damage from not oiling it
@paulhopkins1905 Ok, I guess all the fine woodworkers are wrong and wood does not shrink when it looses moisture.
Moisture in wood is relative to time and environment.
@@Reign_In_Blood_963 Yes, in this case you are 100% wrong. Secondly, you are no more of a "fine woodworker" than a luthier. I have seen loose and high frets caused by over oiling, several times. I have worked on pre WWII guitars, that had never seen a drop of oil in their lives with no issues at all. The FACT is that a properly dried piece of wood, especially a tight grained, oily wood like rosewood or ebony, which are what most fret boards are made of do not need to be oiled.
@@paulhopkins1905 So glad you know so much about me and so little about wood. You do you. Don't belittle others that don't agree with you.
I’m not sure if it applies for the acoustic guitars but: 1. I saw some guy on youtube demonstrating how this knot thing really improves tuning stability on the strats with tremolo. He demonstrated with and without the knot, he was smashing tremolo like dive-bombing and the knotted strings were staying just in tune, while without the knot it immediately goes out of tune. 2. Lots of turns on the tuners can worsen tuning stability, especially when you have a tremolo system, as each turn can stuck/catch the metal and then suddenly get released. That’s why locking tuners exist, when you have just no turns, the string has no room to be caught either by other turn, or by the tuner itself.
I believe the "Gibson" knot he showed was not the same knot you are talking about at least looking at the way this luthier did it, the one you are talking about is the one I use and I believe it's the best way to do it.
This is why locking tuners are the best!
Pulling the string back one fret is a great idea. It makes it so easy and allows for the proper amount of post windings to keep the string locked in place...!
Really good tips on acoustic guitar care and setup. Caveat: I do sight the neck when evaluating a guitar but I am not looking for relief, I am looking for twist or other significant neck problems. Those (I think) do show up when sighting down the neck.
And fret sprouts, too
Got my first guitar 4 months ago and this video provides so much information on the maintenance and care. I might not do it on my own yet, but at least I understand a lot more of what I'm looking at.
Another point when setting the intonation that I didn't hear mentioned: When comparing the 12th fret harmonic to the fretted 12th fret note, it's the fretted 12th note that you go by if there's adjustment needed. If the fretted 12th note is flat when compared to the harmonic, the saddle moves forward; think 'flat-forward' and 'sharp-back'. If the fretted 12th note is sharp, the saddle moves back (making the string longer). Ben didn't mention how to set the intonation on Rhett's acoustic because you can't. There's no saddles to move. However, you can lower the action if needed by sanding down the bottom of the saddle wood piece that the strings rest on. If the action is too low, just get a new saddle wood piece...Hope I didn't step on any toes just didn't hear this mentioned in the video...Thanks, Rhett and thank you, Ben, for a fantastic tutorial!...
PS: If you are hearing impaired a bit or sometimes you can't tell if the fretted note is sharp or flat which can get so close, check it with a tuner. What you thought sounded in tune could be a few 'cents' off. And you'd be surprised how this can make a difference.
That's always been the first thing I do when I pick up an unfamiliar acoustic: ping the first harmonic and then fret the string on 12. If there's an audible difference, the guitar's unusable. Unless of course, the fretted note is a tad sharp and there's plenty of leeway for lowering the action as you suggest, in which case, it may be a viable instrument.
@@Maltloaflegrande Absolutely.
Well, I’m assuming they didn’t discuss intonation because the saddles are not adjustable on this acoustic
@Delmarevans Didn't you watch the video?
@@john564holloway I did. He explained what it is and how to adjust. IF a guitar does not have adjustable saddles , IE, this guitar, you cannot set it ! Also , to manipulate the ACTION on an acoustic, as long as it doesn’t need a neck reset, you adjust the truss rod along with lowering the saddle I. The bridge IE , pulling it out and sanding the bottom and putting it back in. Of course, unless you have some sort of bridge in the guitar that has full adjustability.
This guy knows how to put a string on a guitar. I've been doing that for 63 years. People who do that weird wrap over string kind of stuff and then say that's how it's done don't know what they're talking about.
15 min of absolute guitar gold. I never knew about the curve of the fret board but its obvious when its explained well. Cheers dude
Whenever anyone tries to overcomplicate a guitar, I just remember people figured them out in the 1100's and they aren't rocket science. This guy did a great job both illustrating that and sharing knowledge (always a great thing!).
Ben really knows his stuff. I’ve been using his methods for the last six years. 👍
Those "fret guards" can REALLY mess up your fretboard if you don't pay attention, also. Cheap ones have a bur on the edge so as soon as you lay it on that nice wood and start grinding it into your fretboard while you polish away, it leave a huge line thats dug into your nice fretboard parallel to the fret, from the burr on the edge.
I know because it happened to me. I was SICK. All because I bought the $5 set of protectors instead of good ones from Music Nomad or somewhere.
I think that's going to depend on the set. It's easy enough to feel if there's a bur on them, and if there is, you don't use it or you file away the bur. I can't imagine the steel is very hard.
1 Lay a piece of sandpaper down on a table. 2 Pless fretguard flat onto paper. 3 vigorously move guard left and right a few times. 4. Grab a drink, job done
@@castleanthrax1833 it felt fine to me. But it still screwed it up. It may not have even been a burr but just a hard corner. Whatever the case, it did. Nobody warned me about that so I assumed they were fine to use since they felt fine. Boy was I wrong. Compared to the Music Nomad set I got later, there's a night and day difference but you don't notice that unless you have both sets in-hand. I didn't until I got the better set later.
@@feddomeijerwiersma6955 as I just posted, they felt fine. I wouldn't have just laid a burr down and ground it into my guitar. Since they felt fine to my fingers, I used them and it was only once I got some done that I realized what they were doing.
Years ago I used to just wipe the guitar down with all the strings off. No lemon oil/asses milk conditioner, no fret polishing, no fret guards from Stewmac etc.....just look at the f/board and give it a bit of a rub. Buying, setting up was just a matter of sighting along the neck from the nut end and in the vanished guitar stores, all the guitars had clean f/boards and frets etc, no crud or bogeys but no one ever thought about polishing the frets................
and nothing in this has changed. Most of us wash our hands and................that's enough. The tool box full of gizmos like radius checkers, sprays and lotions are just a load of gay stuff that no one needs.
It's got to be said. This world of "flipping" guitars looking for the "keeper", huge guitar collections, makers bringing out "annual ranges" like Paris frocks and guys constantly "swapping out" p/ups is for the birds.
Finally a Pro repairman that agree's with me that sighting down the neck is not a good reliable
method at all! 👍 I have always hated that method because as Ben said there are things
like binding and your eyes playing tricks on you as well as you cannot do it in the playing position.
...and yet I see pros doing it in even high end shops in my area. I believe Ben here and personally use the capo method he demonstrated. Just makes me wonder what those guys are looking it.
@@odelljl I have "Heard" you can see if the neck has a twist using this method?
@@Murphy_R9 that could be. Next time I work with them I'm going to ask... Nicely of course!
The "sight down the neck" idea, in my experience, was more about buying used guitars, and making sure the neck isn't twisted, or bent towards the treble or bass sides.
Especially when you're buying from some random guy, or a pawn shop maybe, rather than a reputable guitar store or dealer. It could have been kept in a backyard treehouse for the last twenty years, you never know.
Yeah, I wouldn't expect to gauge the neck relief that way. Or measure anything else that required real accuracy. But I think it's still useful to quickly make sure you aren't buying an obvious hunk of junk. 🤷♂️
@@joshbariola1393exactly. It’s just a simple way to quickly see if the neck has major issues.
I'm happy the shop I bought my guitar, the guy working showed me all these things. To care for the fretboard. He told me and I knew but later on I learned it was pretty special to have a guitar plus knowledge how to care for it.
just realizing now that ive already been doing all of these little things with restringing and truss rod adjustments out of convenience, although i never knew the real reasons why the bridge intonation always stairsteps up like that but now im REALLY glad that i do. i had a moment of clarity after hearing about that, and now i know exactly why my electric guitars sound really weird with a wound G.
i learned a LOT from this video, thank you so much.
Man, I'm trying really hard to understand what exactly he's referring to when revealing the stair stepping of the bridge and the pattern created, "with no exceptions"
I was under the understanding intonation is indeed the length of the string, and where "center" is the 12th fret - So distance between bridge and nut is exactly twice the distance of nut to 12th fret, and bridge to 12th fret. So in my mind, its exactly the same distance from the nut to the 12th fret for all of the strings bc both the nut and 12th fret wire are straight. And if the start and middle distances are correct, then why wouldn't the bridge also be perfectly straight, just as the nut which you're measuring from, and the 12th fret, which is to be the center for all the strings??? Am I making sense or am I just not with it here?
@@jabawokidingdong1360 I'm assuming it has to do with the tension of each string individually. A wound D and unwound G strings have such a sharp jump in tension that's pretty noticeable when swapping out the G for a wound string instead. He mentioned it has to do with the core of each string itself, which might play a huge factor in the force needed to hold down the note at the 12th fret.
I always do a quick intonation check on my guitars after restringing with a different gauge set, since the tension of the strings change a fair bit, and that middle point can move around slightly.
@@Mayyde yes, I see. Thank you for that simple clarification.
I absolutely love the Gibson knot! When I got my first gig at a music store here in Seattle that was called Guitarville, on my very first day I restrung and tuned over 25 guitars as part of my hazing! I remember at the end of the day they brought me a 12-string Martin with the slotted headstock and I was like hell no that's not happening! Lol I think I earned some measure of respect from the guys for refusing to restring that martin! Other than that it was a wonderful job and I got to see everything from blackguard Tele's to legit 58, 59 and 60 Sunburst Les paul's! So I can actually say I played the Stradivarius of vintage guitars! I miss those days!🎸🔊🎵😜🌈🎸💯💖
I've no issues with the Gibson knot, either. But I do like the 'fret' measurement better than the 'tuner to tuner' measurement.
I am also a big fan of the Gibson knot. The string never slips. I am not going to change just because some tech dislikes it. Otherwise, he has some good tips.
I certainly feel better about how I do adjustments and re-stringing on my guitars now. Everything that Ben has shown here is exactly what I have been doing for years, mostly out of intuition and common sense.
And, the truss rod IS your friend. Do not be afraid of it.
Hi can you help me find this "truss rod" he is using is it a brand? When I go to Amazon they give me little rulers. His looks like an L hex lock key unless that's not what it is. Thanks
@@PaulReveres No, the truss rod is in the neck. It's the thing he's adjusting with the tool, and the tool he's using is a basic hex-shaped allen key.
What a fabulous guitar tech Ben is! Great video. Super-informative, clear, and easy to like.
The guy speaks with the authority of someone who has been doing it for a while. Good video!
This was an extremely valuable video! Great work, guys. Ben is so articulate and no-nonsense, so refreshing!!! He should have his own channel!
This was a very informative video. I've been playing guitar for 40 years (non-professional just for fun) and I learned a lot such as his simple stringing method, how to clean the frets and fretboard properly, and his simple explanation of how intonation works. Good stuff.
As a tech myself I've noticed a positive difference in tuning stability if you do a turn over and the rest under vs doing them all under like this guy does. Gibson knot works well and isn't that much of a pain to take off.
High grit sandpaper, fret erasers or micromesh polishing pads are way superior to steel wool. It's cleaner, doesn't fuck with pickups and has a better result and more control over the polishing. Also, if you're gonna use a fret guard, which you should, why polish perpendicular to the frets? They won't shine as much and be harder to polish.
Start with 1000-1500 grit and go up. As for the relief, it's just another adjustment tool. Someone who really hits the strings hard might need more relief than someone who taps a lot and has a light touch. Really mediocre tech & info in general.
100% 😀👍
I’ve always used as few wraps as possible and never really had issues with tuning stability even with heavy bending. I’ll try the over under string wrap next time, keen to experience the difference
Useful and no BS video. Love it!
The intonation position of the saddles positions being related to the core guage of the strings makes so much sense. In 40 years I have never thought of the saddles position in this way. A revelation, every day is a school day. Top tip for sure especially explaining why electrics ( 3,3 ) differ from acoustics (4,2) . This was a lightbulb moment, thanks guys.
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Here's my B&C line-up
Top of the list is a crazy-glued nut. Next is an acoustic saddle that's been glued into the slot. My least favorite job is setting up a 7 or 8 string Floyd. And honorable mention goes to those Tronical type auto tuners. I charge double to do that work.
But these are the exceptions. After 20 years, I still love what I do. No greater satisfaction than getting a guitar that's beat to hell and virtually unplayable, and giving it back looking and playing great.
Excellent video btw. I like that first fret string gap trick to pre-determine wraps. Gonna give it a try. Thanks!
For me the reason to sight down the neck is to check for neck twist. It something I always do when I’m considering purchasing a new guitar. I would never even think to do it in order to assess neck relief… I don’t see how that could ever be an accurate or meaningful way of doing that, so well said Ben 👍🏻
same ^^
Looking down the neck for relief is near damn impossible.. and if you wear glasses, forget it, it'll be either distorted or blurry lol
that being said, sighting down the neck to 'check for twist' is about equally useless.
@@Emhartain and why exactly is that? You can definitely see if the nut and lower frets are out of parallel with the upper frets and bridge (and then consider how the bridge is set with respect to the body on its bass and treble sides) by sighting down the neck in that way. The human eye is very good at detecting when things are out of parallel in that way. I’ve spoken to a number of guitar techs who have spoken about similar checks. But I’m sure you’ve got a thorough explanation of why it doesn’t make sense and wouldn’t just be making a superficial and unexplained comment just to be contrary, right? 🤔😉
@Emhartain it will be obvious if it's very twisted. If it's out a tiny bit. Sure.
Look at it from the side for relief. If it's decked flat or bowed even slightly in either direction you'll notice.
One thing that always annoys me, the vintage split post tuners on Fenders like the Mustang are literally the best design for a tuner and ease of stringing. Why did this stop and why aren't all tuners like this? Honestly blows my mind.
Because they can't charge as much and the guitar won't weigh as much or feel as substantial.
In my humble opinion I cant see them changing from split post to eye hole tuners just for adding a few grams of metal if that. Its a safe bet to say no one will be able to feel the difference in weight anyway so it has to be for either function or form, perhaps it just wasn't stylish, or the closed version being shiny chrome. instead of speculation I'm certain there's an article on this very topic! I hope you're just being facetious. @@user-bl3si3kq6x
Well…they might be the best for non-locking tuners.
Locking tuners are easier, and better still.
I agree the fender vintage split tuners are fantastic. Leo fender was not a musician but he definitely listened to musicians opinions on what improvements could be made.
Because it's not a good design.
I just wanna add my two cents on neck relief. I always set up mine based on fret buzz. If I get more buzz on the lower frets, then the neck needs more of a curve (looser rod). If I get more buzzing higher up the neck, then it needs less curve and a tighter rod. I keep adjusting it (as well as the action at the bridge) until I'm just about clear of buzzing all across the neck, and that gives me the lowest action possible. This method makes sense to me because the purpose of the relief is to eliminate buzzing, so why not actually set it up based on the buzz you get? I've always done it that way, and I can get really good setups on my guitars.
I like your thinking
Well, would you rather a guitar have level frets or not?
The neck doesn't need relief, the frets need to be level. You achieve this by compensating the neck with the truss rod to account for string tension.
Fret ninja can skip this step.
However much relief was in the neck when it was leveled is the right amount. Any other amount will unlevel the frets.
Imagine paying money for a high end fret job and then adding relief so the middle frets are no longer level with the end frets.
@@user-bl3si3kq6x Yeah... nah. You do want the frets to start out flat when the neck is not under string tension, no dispute there. However, having a curve in the fret plane under string tension is not the same as uneven frets that cause bum notes. The strings vibrate in an elliptical shape and having some amount of neck relief allows for that. Adjusting the truss rod until you even out the attack "twang" all the way up the neck is the way to optimize that curvature. Some necks assume a more ideal curve than others; those are the proverbial "good ones". A perfectly straight neck actually needs a higher action overall to avoid buzz on the low frets.
This is the way to find the optimal relief. Setting it to some measurement as described in the video is a good way to get closer sooner, is all. Sort of like setting static ignition timing on an engine to just get it running, then using a timing light to get it bang on when running (yes, I am that old).
@1011010100011 the geometry of the guitar accounts for this already with break angle becoming higher as you move up the neck . The 'fretbuzz' you are referring to is based on someone strumming hard enough to cause the string to touch the frets.
This is action based. You can make that type of buzz on the best neck in the world regardless of relief and changing the relief absolutely unlevels the frets in relation to each other.
If you get buzzing from strumming (vs fretting aka doesn't buzz during legato),
Your playing is too heavy.
The nut which should be slotted level to the frets(zero nut,using a capo ever) may be the issue or generally saddle height.
If you have a perfectly level board with a perfect nut height and it still buzzes, you are playing to hard for that action height.
Why pay to level the frets if you are going to change the aligment?
That is a REAL GUITAR TECH! 😮 I wish more guitar players would take time to talk and get help like this. Great video. Cheers!
Lots of good info here. I love the simplicity of the “pull it one fret for the wind” method, then the overkill of the Dewalt drill with the string winder bit.
These tips are invaluable. Ben is awesome! Always love seeing him in your videos.
He seems a cool bloke and very knowledgeable. The thing I was most excited to see was how you intonate an acoustic. Sounds like yours didn't need it doing so he showed electric examples which are straightforward. I still don't know how to intonate an acoustic properly. Could you maybe do a video one day explaining that process please? Great video as always
Yeah, me too i woulda liked some clearer explanation, or an example, of how he fixes bad intonation, especially for acoustic strings.
Not possible in the same way; you have to rely on the manufacturer getting it right on the bridge/ bridge inserts. If you have removable bridge inserts you can reduce the bridge height, by sanding the bottom, or raise it by inserting shims. Or buy your own inserts and hand fashion the point of string contact to imitate the back and forth adjustment of string length, but... not easy.
Changing string gauge from the recommended one may cause problems, or string height at the nut; if it is too high, when you fret at the lower frets (1,2,3 etc) you are stretching the strings much more than at the higher frets, because you have to press the string down more. This makes the note slightly sharp. I suggest getting a luthier to change the height if necessary, as you have to file down each slot to the right height and filing too much off is worse than having the nut too high. You can replace the material with baking powder and superglue, apparently... but I've never tried it, and it is obviously fraught with dangers, particularly on an expensive guitar.
@@edeledeledel5490 Thanks for all the info! That does sound a lot harder than my abilities currently allow. I hadn't thought of string height being the problem though so thanks. I probably need to find a luthier by the sounds of it! cheers
@@edeledeledel5490 Hmm... sounds pretty tough! Thanks for such a detailed comment! :)
Because of work, I deal with a lot of cheap crappy instruments (and not even that cheap anymore these days) Often, the manufacturer doesn't even get the fret positions right. I swear most of those beginner ukuleles, for example, are impossible to fully tune. You can be in tune at the open strings, or at the 3rd-5th frets; but not both, lol.
I had a pretty bad intonation on the 5th and 6th strings. Using the quick and easy matchstick method the E string needed the matchstick placed at about a quarter of a fret. The action was pretty bad, which was the cause of the bad intonation. Taking the plunge I lowered the bridge and adjusted the truss rod. I did this in 3 sessions, each time measuring how high the action was etc. putting the strings back and playing for a couple of weeks, I was scared of taking off too much in one go. Now I am much much happier with the feel and sound of my guitar and the intonation problem is cured.
4/5 for me. I hybridize his method and employ the “Gibson knot”. He mentions how he doesn’t snip the string until he winds it cuz it could slip out sometimes… the knot ensures that it doesn’t do that, and it isn’t really any extra effort to remove it to change strings. Utilizing the knot also insures greater stability with alternate tunings, particularly those that like to switch between standard and Drop-D
Tech for 8 years, so not a veteran by any means, but I do what works for me and my clients and he does what works for him and his. Try both, see what you like best
I will say, I REALLY liked his explanation of the intonation and why it’s done the way it is. I appreciate that he explained that deviations in normal intonation stems from a nut issue
Haven't had an issue with the Gibson nut, either.
I also use the knot method but not the way that he showed. What’s important to me is the number of wraps. I’ll do no more than 1-1/2 wraps around the post on both nylon strings and steel strings. It’s been very stable and easy to fine tune and get to pitch quickly. This method has been working for me for 50+ yrs.
Also doesn't help that he did it backwards
I’ve been doing this to my guitars and mandolin for a long time, because it works. I’ve never heard it called a “Gibson knot” until about a month ago.
been playing 30+ years, never learnt so much in a short amount of time! excellent video guys!
the way this guy explained everything made so much of the scary acoustic maintenance stuff look way less complicated and elusive.
I like to use the pinch method when restringing acoustics and electrics. That’s where the first wrap goes around the peg above the cut end of the string. Then when you wind the string , the cut end gets pinched between the top two wraps around the peg. Then, if it’s a Gibson style headstock, I wind the G string going up the peg, unlike the other five strings that wind going down the peg. This solves the G string’s issues with staying in tune. You don’t get the steep break angle from the nut, resulting in less tension on the string and more tuning stability. All this stuff is subjective though. If your way of doing things works fine with no issues, there’s no real reason to change it. Do you. ✌️
Probably have a different perspective because I usually play classical, but if you don't do the "knot thing" on classical guitars, the strings literally won't stay on the guitar. Muscle memory and consistency means I like to string all of my guitars the same way. The one fret trick though for getting the right number of windings is nice. I always sort of just did that by feel and intuition and get mixed results.
A bigger thing to know about classical guitar restringing is bringing it up to pitch slowly, you can instantly ruin the intonation of a new set of strings by bringing it up to pitch to fast, slow it down!
the bigger question on classical guitars: WHY does the D string always break?
@@kenwittlief255 it has the largest break angle from nut to tuning post. Hurts intonation as well. Minimize this string angle as much as possible winding inside. I go extreme and carve out some wood in this area to get an even better angle for better intonation which also gives it less chance of breaking. Also lube up!
@@morganst.pierre yup also as you progress i was taught to litteraly pull up on th strings to help stretch other wise could take forever to get to 440 , almost impossible to change strings on a classical i and be & Stay in tune if you have somewhere to play shortly after
@@glennrosa234 ironically once your classical strings are staying in tune for long periods they’re about dead and it’s time to change them. Pulling on them will help them ‘stay’ in tune quicker but can kill the intonation and life of them. I thought I had intonation issues and started carving my nut to fix because I just put new strings on but I really had just ruined intonation pulling them up to pitch to fast. I did it slowly and it corrected the issues. I see almost no one talking about this potential hiccup but learned from Douglas Neidt. Incredible reason for all things classical for example this and his insanely in depth nail filing and shape technique
Ben is absolutely great, these video's are awesome and i think Ben should start his own channel if he doesn't have one yet. The only thing i missed here is how to actualy change the intonation on an acoustic guitar. I don't have any issues with mine but now i'm wondering how to do it if ever needed.
Just dropping in a comment, in case someone explains how to set the intonation on an acoustic. 😅
I believe you actually need to reshape the bridge with a file, probably best done by a professional, but unless your acoustic is pretty old or subject to wild changes in humidity, it shouldn't be intonated poorly.
@@ShinMadero Ah! I believe due to humidity, my acoustic guitar has a bump around (besides?) the bridge part. Is there any way to fix that?
Exactly. He gets to the bit I really want to see and reaches for an electric guitar which mostly have adjustable saddles. If you file the saddle of an acoustic incorrectly there is no undoing as he suggests. New saddle. Gently gently is the rule. Yep it is a pain having to slacken string, file, tighten string, check intonation...repeat, repeat until it is correct, but is there another way? Don't think so.
This guy knows his business, always a pleasure to learn from a master.
I don't get the .006" relief. Fender is .010 and Gibson .012".
Best explanation of guitar set-ups I've ever seen! Rhett bring this guy back to do more.
I have always been totally anal about how the strings look around the pegs. I learned this method years and years ago from Taylor’s website after I got my Taylor acoustic. Always very consistent and clean looking.
Also glad to see an experienced guitar tech say that sighting down the neck is BS. I have never been able to discern neck relief that way, and always wondered what I was missing or doing wrong. I’ve always done the capo at the first fret and holding the string down at the 12th and measuring relief at the sixth. That leaves no room for interpretation. You know exactly what you’ve got every time.
Nice video. I always like this guy’s content
What he calls the “Gibson knot” is something I learned when I bought my first good guitar, a Martin D-28. It came with a pamphlet titled “The Care and Feeding of your Martin Guitar.” The pamphlet had a diagram showing how to do exactly that little fold of the string. It isn’t even a knot, it is a fold-around. Later, I learned it is also called a “Luthier’s knot.” I use it on all my guitars, and it gives better tuning stability, especially if you change tunings fairly often, and bend strings. What it does is squeeze the end of the string between the tuning post and the first wrap, securing it. Securing it with pressure equal to the full string tension, i.e. for a light-gage .023” G string that is almost 28 lbs. Just bending it up doesn’t do that, at best you are pressing the end of the string up against the ceiling of the post hole, with maybe a couple pounds of force at most. I don’t find it hard to take off - sometimes I use a needle-nosed pliers and that makes it simpler. If you are re-stringing 50 guitars per day, I can see how it might get a little annoying taking off that many Luthier’s knots. But if you are re-stringing maybe a guitar per week, it is no hassle and is worth it for the enhanced tuning stability. Martin told me to secure the strings that way, and I figured they knew what they were talking about.
Pretty sure I have seen videos of Leo Kottke, John Martyn, and a few others replacing strings during performances, and most appear to do a Luthier’s aka Gibson knot.
Yes, and I find that it’s easier to keep in tune
Agree!! @@Whatmeister
He even talks about his strings slipping out... BS tip from his part. I agree with you
Looking down the neck helps tell you if the neck is warped. Don't abandon the technique, @Rhett Shull -- just recognize what information you are getting from the exercise.
Great video. I’m amazed at how much attention his comment about not liking the aGibson/luthier’s knot got on the Internet forums. Most disagree with him. I think it boils down to “It’s actually helpful for tuning stability but makes changing strings take longer.”
I'm 71 been playing since I was 15, it seems I took a lot of advice to heart that wasn't quite right. Tremendously good vid clear , concise and logical. Some can do but the best can do and teach.
Good info. It’s a miracle my acoustic has lasted for 24 years in almost perfect condition without doing any of this 😂
Exactly.
My guess is you are probably acoustic Jesus and do everything perfect and this video isn't useful to you. There is a whole host of us normies that got bad or misguided advice somewhere along the way and this guy is just saving us time and frustration by dispelling some myths and making the process more straight forward.
Ben is the man! So informative and packed full of guitar maintenance. Great video Rhett
Cool info! I always make the first wrap over the top, then the rest under. I've experienced slipping of the strings when not over wrapping. Maybe it's just me? But I've only been playing guitar for 55 years. On and off stage.
I do the same thing.
I always do the first wrap over the top as well. I feel like it's the only reasonable lock on non-locking tuners, and I just like the way it looks. And I use the "next peg" technique Rhett does. Always works for me!
For me, his last two sentences made watching this whole vid worth it. Thanks Rhett. Watched a million intonation videos, none mentioned the staircase
Love it when the host just lets the expert geek out and keeps rolling til they're done!
Been playing since ‘66, or ‘67. Twenty years ago began building acoustics (archtops, folk). Every so often people bring me their guitars for repair. I always tell them, I build, I don’t repair. Building, and repairing are two different disciplines. I have mad respect for even a semi-decent repairman. Repair is a real art.
Yeah, and I think that applies to most, if not all, disciplines. Obviously there's skill overlap but I think anywhere that the best builder isn't the best at repair and vice versa.
Thanks to Ben for sharing his knowledge and doing it a way that simple folk like myself can understand. legend !