Setting Up Guitars

Without a doubt, the most common job in our repair shop is what's referred to as a "set up." These instruments are brought in for repair because they don't play well. What surprises some folks is that all new guitars need a thorough set-up as well. Even when an instrument is perfectly set up at the factory, between the normal settling that new guitars do and the travails of shipping, instruments frequently need a good going-over. When we sell an instrument, we've set the instrument up when it arrives, make adjustments just as it leaves here, and for customers in the area, invite folks back so that we can check to see if the instrument needs a bit more tweaking.

Here's the procedure we follow. (Click on thumbnail photos for enlargements.)

Unpacking, checking over the guitar (assisted by Traveler)

The set-up process begins even as the guitar is unpacked. The case and the instrument itself are checked for any signs of shipping distress.

	Tuning	Once the guitar reaches the bench it is tuned to pitch and the neck relief is checked. Relief is the tiny amount of forward curve required in the neck to allow proper playability and action. Too little relief and the strings will buzz in the lower positions; too much and they will buzz in the middle and higher positions and the action will be poor. Relief is controlled by means of the adjustable truss rod found in almost al modern steel string guitar necks. Most classical guitars and many older steel guitars do not have adjustable necks. In these instruments relief is controlled by the inherent stiffness of the neck. While these necks can be adjusted, it is a more difficult process. The adjustable neck makes it possible to control relief with ease and accuracy. This is the sole function of the truss rod.
	Checking neck relief
	Adjusting the truss rod

	Checking the nut	Next, the string height at the nut is checked and adjusted. If the nut is too low the open strings will buzz, too high and the guitar will be hard to play in the first position even with low action. The slot for each string is individually adjusted.
	Adjusting the nut

Measuring the action

Once these adjustments are done the action can be measured accurately. It is measured from the top of the 12th fret to the bottom of the strings. Correct adjustment here allows the guitar to play easily and cleanly.

	Marking the saddle for adjustment	The action is adjusted by raising or lowering the saddle. If the saddle is high it can be carefully sanded to the proper height. If it is too low, the saddle may need to be replaced.
	Adjusting the saddle

	Replacing the saddle and strings	After the saddle has been adjusted and the guitar restrung and tuned, the guitar is played and checked in all positions. Any tiny unevenness in the frets will show up as a slight buzz or dull note. To correct this the frets are first leveled using a long flat file, then returned to their proper shape (recrowned) using a specially modified triangle file. Note the aluminum guards to protect the top.
	Testing
	Leveling the frets
	Recrowning the frets

	Final cleaning	Once this is done, the instrument is restrung, tuned and tested again. A final cleaning and it's ready to go. (And no, we don't know what that chord is, but Adam knows 'em all.)
	Ready to play!

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