Do you set up your own guitars?

[DrKev]

I've been doing my own set ups pretty much since I started playing, 20 years ago and started other people's guitars in the last 10 years. Last year I set up about 2000 guitars, working as a tech for the biggest music store in Paris. Planning on opening my own workshop next year.

I highly recommend one of Dan Erlewine's books as a good place to start but for really all you need is the right set of tools (engineers rule, feeler gauges, full sets of allen wrenches and screw drivers), some time, patience, and thought. There is a lot of good info on various forums too but there is a lot of CRAP out there touted by people who claim to know better so be careful.

 

[Hoffmann]

When I started to play the guitar I had a friend who was known to be the setup guru in town and he would set up my guitars without asking money for it. However I was not really satisfied with the things he did. The action was super super low, but on the other hand I had lots of lots of fret buzzing, loss of sustain and especially the tremolo was very unstable. So I started to correct the things I didn't like and found it very difficult at first, as I had to correct things backwards. Also I didn't understand at first how the different things interact.

Starting with the neck, then doing the saddles and then the intonation helped me a lot, also because concentrating on one thing at the time makes it more accessible and also easier - if the neck is adjusted well it makes things simpler. And the neck adjustment with the truss rod is so much easier! MMs are pro guitars, but their features also make it easier to adjust and play them for beginners!!

However, I still am in a learning process and quite careful..

 

[fbecir]

Planning on opening my own workshop next year.

You have to give us more information !

 

[mikeller]

I try to do as much as I can - wouldn't do fret or nut work, but certainly do the truss, intonation, action etc.

 

[alf cockle]

I do as much as I can..which is everything...when I first started playing,I would take my guitars to a shop,but that didn*t last long,as it was absurdly expensive,and not really satisfactory.I feel closer to the instrument knowing it*s set up right.There are lots of U-Tube videos,and books to coach you thru.The more you do,the easier it gets.

 

[DrKev]

You have to give us more information !

Well, I'll have the best brass and woodwind guy in the business with me (another Irishman as it happens) so tell all your sax and trumpet friends! When I have any more info, you'll all know about it. Getting this kind of thing off the ground is always a slow process, even slower in summer in France!

 

[paranoid70]

OK I'll admit, if the guitar is really out of whack, I will take it to one of my local shops for a setup. They definitely do a better job than I can. I think the one place in Long Beach charges $55.

 

[doesitmtter]

I can do truss rod adjustments, action adjustment, intonation, pickup changes, string changes, strap locks. But I never feel I do them 100% right. It might be psychosomatic, but it always feels better set up by a tech.

 

[Roubster]

I do my setups for some time now since I had a bad experience with a tech at GC changing my pickups in a ibanez I had some time ago. This was my first really nice guitar, and wanted to put in the old JP pups he used to use, and it was a mess. The guy overheated the pot and it was all scratchy and unusable. Also when I had the pups changed in my first Silhouette they decided to start dressing the frets on a brand new guitar. When I got it back the action was so damn high. So basically I did as much research as I could and just not afraid of trying out things by trial and error. I got pretty good at setting up my guitars just the way I like it. Of course I will leave the fretwork and nut work to someone that knows exactly what they are doing if I need that kind of work in the future.

 

[ZeRaskolnikoff]

It would cost me $50-100 at the local music shop for a basic set-up (closer to 50 unless there is a bigger issue).

I would suggest you get a hold of a cheap used guitar (or two) and teach yourself what you can. Bring your work to the local shop for some good old fashioned critisim - try not to go on a busy Sat afternoon. I have found better luck with the smaller, locally owned shops for this kind of thing.

Your skills will be useful to youself for the rest of you life!

I also live in Toronto and so far I met only one tech whose did a good set up for me. I'm more inclined towards doing my own setup... You just gotta learn how to do it once and then save yourself some good money

 

[aleclee]

I'll do everything up to fret leveling. I've been doing setups since I was a teenager. Living in an arid climate, I've even gotten in the habit of knocking off fret sprout.

 

[ScoobySteve]

.........i've been known to...

lol... Come on Tommy. We all know you're still practicing on the Ukelele.

Next time he'll be telling us he sets up Morse's guitars. LOL

 

[ozzyrules]

Does anyone have a 'self-made' guitar workbench? Any pics?

 

[e.mate]

Since some guy from a shop spoiled my settings in the mid 90s and justified it with "no, that is perfect now, the action has been much too low, believe me, I know the STANDARD settings", I'm doing it all by myself. Except for anything electrical....I'm too stupid for that bit

 

[Gefilte-Up Fish]

or do you have someone else do it professionally and whats a good price to pay when having it done by a pro?

I set up my own, but I have to admit, the factory setup from Music Man makes it really easy. I just file the nut a bit using the appropriately gauged files, slap my favorite strings on there (Ernie Ball Beefy Slinkys for my Albert Lees and my SG's with a swapped out 20 gauge G String and Not Even Slinkys for my other guitars...also with a swapped out 20 gauge G String) and adjust the intonation. The pickup height is perfect already and the string height and truss rod usually need very little tweaking if any.

These are mine and they play like a dream. Hands down, the best playing and best sounding guitars I have ever owned.