Electric Guitar Setups
by John Levan

If your electric guitar isn't playing its best, it probably needs a setup. A good setup can make even an inexpensive guitar play great. Likewise, a poor setup can make an expensive guitar sound horrible.

What is a setup?

A setup is a series of adjustments that keep all of the components of your guitar playing in proper balance. In other words, a setup will make your guitar play its best. By adjusting the neck (trussrod), bridge, nut, pickups and intonation, your guitar can play better than it did fresh from the factory.

Why is a setup important?

Most players don't like a factory setup; that's because we all play differently. I have customers who have a super-light playing style; as a result they can perform well with low action. If I play their guitar it rattles and buzzes, but it doesn't when they play it. Likewise, there are a lot of heavy-handed players out there who must have higher action in order for their guitars to perform as desired. This is especially important for those who like to play slide guitar. Slide players need a higher action to produce solid notes and prevent their slide from hitting the frets.

If you play an archtop or semi-hollow body, there is a different way of setting these guitars up to maximize their performance. Jazz players typically use flat-wound strings; therefore, their instruments are intonated differently than someone who plays with round-wound strings.

Rock and heavy metal players have different needs as well. They tend to bend their strings more than other players and may use a tap & legato to accent their tunes. Many of these players tune their guitar down a half or whole step (to Eb or D). Even those who play the blues need a special setup to accommodate that particular style of music. In fact, many great blues players like Stevie Ray Vaughn used heavy-gauge strings and tuned their guitars below standard pitch.

All of this is important when adjusting a guitar. Knowing how to adjust the guitar to the player is the key to a great setup! I can't stress enough how we all play differently and need our guitars adjusted to our individual playing style. This is one of the reasons why I wrote the FAQ book series for Mel Bay Publications. In fact, I teach Guitar Setup & Repair workshops to help players, guitar techs, guitar sales specialist and luthiers to better understand how to perform a custom setup.

You can learn more about my workshops at: http://www.guitarservices.com/Workshops/workshops.html.

Does my guitar need a setup?

Yes! Even if you guitar is brand new, you probably need a setup. Again, the purpose of a setup is to adjust the guitar to the player, so even a new guitar can be tweaked to sound better and play more easily.

Each change of the seasons will affect a guitar. All wooden instruments are greatly affected by weather changes. Temperature and humidity can be helpful or damaging if not properly controlled. To think otherwise invites a virtual Pandora's Box of problems that can plague your favorite axe! Low humidity can cause sharp fret ends, cracks in the fretboard and body, as well as loose frets and dramatic changes to the action.

Sharp changes in temperature have been known to cause finish checking (cracks in the finish) and changes to the neck. If you change string gauges, you'll need a setup. The difference in the string tension can cause the trussrod, string action and intonation to be out of balance. If you change the bridge, you need a setup. Why? Because every time you change a component on your guitar, you should adjust it and the other components accordingly.

Many bridges (such as a Tunematic) need the saddles re-cut in order to match the string gauge used. Failing to do so will cause string breakage and tuning problems. If you change string gauges, you need to adjust the trussrod and bridge, re-cut the string nut and set the intonation in order to get maximum performance from your guitar. If you keep the same string gauge, you only need to set up your guitar every season. This will keep your guitar playing easy, in tune and buzz free.

Where do I go to get a setup?

Until now, you have had to find a qualified repair technician or luthier to get your guitar set up. With the proper training, anyone can learn to set up a guitar. In fact, I have produced a DVD that does just that. My new DVD, FAQ Electric Guitar Care & Setup, demonstrates step by step exactly how to properly adjust your guitar to match your specific playing style.

In order to understand your playing style and set up your guitar properly, a good technician will ask you all of the right questions- like the tuning you use, pick size, string gauges, strumming techniques and whether you play rhythm, lead or both. In my new DVD, you will learn all of these skills as well as the technical processes to set up your guitar like a pro.

The DVD also explores the tools and materials needed to do the job right the first time. In addition, the video includes interviews with industry professionals sharing helpful advice and experiences. You won't want to miss the interviews with veteran guitarist Wolf Hoffman from the band Accept, for example, or with world famous producer Michael Wagener who has produced such acts as Janet Jackson, Alice Cooper, Skidd Row, Ozzy, Bon Jovi and countless others- all filmed on location at WireWorld Studio just outside of Nashville.

Wolf and Michael talk about the importance of a great setup as well as offering advice on how to prepare before going into the studio or on the road. You can find these DVDs at www.melbay.com. They are also available for live-streaming over the internet via the Mel Bay web site.

Click here to view a video introduction to John Levan FAQ Electric Guitar Care & Setup.

I encourage you all to check out the Mel Bay FAQ series on guitar care and setups, written by yours truly. Packed full of photographs and diagrams, this four-book series offers a step-by-step guide on setting up a guitar like a pro, carving a saddle or a nut, as well as addressing other important upgrades and repairs. Of course, I include detailed instructions on how to control temperature and humidity. I even have a chapter on the top ten signs of a problematic guitar. This chapter explores the defects to look for when you're thinking about buying a guitar. The information in that chapter alone could save you from buying a lemon!

Each of the FAQ books is specific to the four most common types of guitars: acoustic, electric, bass and classical.

Click here to view a video introduction to John Levan FAQ books.

MB 21031 FAQ Electric Guitar Care and Setup. Book $7.95 I know that you will find these books to be informative, fun and an excellent investment in you're guitar's future. To order, go to www.guitarservices.com or visit any Mel Bay dealer.

Enjoy!
John M. LeVan
Copyright © 2007 John M. LeVan. All rights reserved.

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About the Author

Beginning his guitar repair career in 1985, John LeVan studied under many different guitar repairmen to learn the trade. Having decided to enter the guitar repair business professionally, he trained with various manufacturers such as Tom Anderson at Guitarworks and Taylor Guitars. John launched his own guitar repair business in Auburn California in 1990 and later relocated to Nashville Tennessee where he has a successful business today.

In 1997, John inaugurated www.guitarservices.com and Guitar Services Workshops. These workshops provide hands-on training in various types of guitar repair and are directed towards players, guitar technicians, retail guitar store and distribution warehouse employees, and guitar manufacturing employees.

Using photographs, diagrams and sketches, John has fine-tuned his Guitar Services Workshop Manual to provide a true hands-on guide. He has produced two best-selling books with Mel Bay Publications that illustrate step by step how to professionally setup and repair a guitar. The books include diagrams and photographs provided by several guitar and component manufacturers. In addition, John has produced several DVDs on guitar care, maintenance and repair. In 2006, he helped create six new instructional films for the D'Addario String Company which can be viewed at www.daddario.com. Watch for John's workshops at various bluegrass festivals and trade shows as well as on the web.