How much set up work do you do on your own guitars?
Poll: How much set up work do you do on your own guitars?
Total Members Polled: 27
Discussion
I've done the top 3, did them all straight away to my Bc Rich Icon JRV Pat O'brien signature model as soon as I got it. For a guitar intended for extreme metal, E standard was no way to go, so it's currently in C standard.
I have not done any fret dressing, have never needed to cut a new nut and I've only ever had one pickup changed, had that done by a guitar tech years ago as I had it set up by him at the same time. I will be changing that same pickup to the one I originally removed from the guitar years ago, and I'll be doing it myself this time!
I have not done any fret dressing, have never needed to cut a new nut and I've only ever had one pickup changed, had that done by a guitar tech years ago as I had it set up by him at the same time. I will be changing that same pickup to the one I originally removed from the guitar years ago, and I'll be doing it myself this time!
I've done the top three. I don't like doing the truss rod, but one time I cocked up and took my guitar somewhere very cold and then somewhere very warm and the neck bowed back a bit. Lots of reading the internet and an ikea furniture allen key later I gingerly twisted it a single flat around and all was fine again. It didn't explode or anything. 
I have always worked on my guitars and basses myself but sometimes it is cheaper/easier to let a pro do the work. I am lucky to live near John LeVoi, he made and fitted a nut to my Strat for such a reasonable price that it just was not worth the effort to do it myself. John was the first person I have let touch my guitars in 40 years and it was worth every penny.
Everything except nuts and frets for me, I leave them to a pro. The other thing I didn't do recently was when I bought a Telecaster body which didn't have any holes drilled for the neck/bridge/scratchplate/controls etc. That went to the pro as well.
Edited by Evangelion on Thursday 1st December 00:10
I used to do all of the above in a professional capacity, so it wouldn't be appropriate for me to vote. I'll take the opportunity to say that, especially for things like nut cutting, a pro should already have the right tools for the job and so it should be cheaper/better to get him to do it than to buy them oneself or bodge it.
As long as one has a well fitting key, adjusting a truss rod is straightforward and should be well within an owner's capabilities.
An analogue meter is very handy for anyone fitting pickups themselves, in order to determine the polarity of the pickup put the meter across the output of the pickup, on the most sensitive dc volts scale, then put a piece of metal such as an allen key on the magnet of the pickup, then, watching the meter scale, jerk the metal away. The needle will twitch, and what you want to know is which direction it twitches in. As long as all the pickups jerk the same way, the pickups will be in phase.
As long as one has a well fitting key, adjusting a truss rod is straightforward and should be well within an owner's capabilities.
An analogue meter is very handy for anyone fitting pickups themselves, in order to determine the polarity of the pickup put the meter across the output of the pickup, on the most sensitive dc volts scale, then put a piece of metal such as an allen key on the magnet of the pickup, then, watching the meter scale, jerk the metal away. The needle will twitch, and what you want to know is which direction it twitches in. As long as all the pickups jerk the same way, the pickups will be in phase.
bennyboysvuk said:
Interesting to see that 7 people did nut cutting and fret dressing themselves. I haven't got the first idea about how you do fret dressing, but I'd like to try. Perhaps I need to purchase an ebay special to learn how to do it and see how I get on.
I haven't time to write a complete "how-to" on fret dressing, but just a couple of tips to be going on with-Don't do it if you don't need to. Dressing is indicated if one or more strings don't sound cleanly at a particular fret, but do sound ok on the frets above and below, also if the frets are notched. Make sure the truss rod is correctly adjusted beofre testing for dressing necesity. Check for loose frets and eal weith any found before starting this procedure.
Instead of files etc, use a FLAT piece of MDF etc and double-sided-tape a piece of 240 W&D to it. The piece only needs to be 200mm long at the most.
Carefully mark the top of each fret with black felt tip marker.
Take the nut off/out, having scribed around it with a shaprp blade to separate it from varnish. Be careful, they can break easily.
Work up and down the neck in short strokes, don't press too hard, rememeber that you are only trying to remove material from the high frets, you want to barely touch the low ones, and that you are only trying to level each fret to its near neighbours, not along the entire length. When all the frets are showing signs of having been touched by the abrasive across their entire width (felt tip makes this easier to see) STOP.
Round over the frets a little bit by using a strip of 240 held over a narrow piece of wood with a concave surface worked into one of its narrow edges (I'll see of I can draw something later). When you do this, you are only trying to take off any sharp edges that the levelling left. Polish the frets (if you want to) with maroon scotchbrite or similar (avoid steel wool or take great care to competely cover the pickups to stop them attracting the debris.
You won't need to mask the neck for the levelling procedure (just vacuum off the debris afterwards) but you will need a mask for the rounding over. I used to use a piece of thin plastic (from an ice-cream container lid etc) with a slot in it the width of a fret, and hold it over each fret while you are rounding it.
Edited by singlecoil on Thursday 1st December 09:02
I am new to this and have only begun to learn how to play, I haven't got a clue what you lot are on about.
Can I ask a question?
I notice that the low E string on my yamaha pacifica has a nasty habit of bouncing of the frets when played with anything more than a reasonable strum or pick, is this normal? And is just representative of my hamfisted attempts and should I try to ensure I strike it perfectly vertically to avoid this? Or does the string need to be raised slightly on the bridge adjustment?
Can I ask a question?
I notice that the low E string on my yamaha pacifica has a nasty habit of bouncing of the frets when played with anything more than a reasonable strum or pick, is this normal? And is just representative of my hamfisted attempts and should I try to ensure I strike it perfectly vertically to avoid this? Or does the string need to be raised slightly on the bridge adjustment?
I think you mean a buzzing noise? Fret buzz can be eliminated by relieving the neck by adjusting the truss rod and/or raising the bridge of the guitar, although if you're not sure what you're doing, get a tech to set it up for you. Raising the bridge will raise the action which most players dislike & adjusting the truss rod can throw the intonation out.
It may also be the case that the nut needs replacing/recutting. The best thing to do would be to take it to a reputable guitar tech & get them to give it a once over - not that expensive & a good one will transform the guitar.
It may also be the case that the nut needs replacing/recutting. The best thing to do would be to take it to a reputable guitar tech & get them to give it a once over - not that expensive & a good one will transform the guitar.
First, check that the neck is straight. Then check that the nut is the correct height (string fretted at the secod fret just clears the first fret). Then set the action height so that you have 2mm clear under the 6th string at the 12th fret (dropping to 1.2mm under the 1st string). Whatever buzz you are left with, as long as it's relatively consistent over the whole string, is native to that guitar/those strings/your technique. As long as you can't hear it through the amp, don't worry about it.
Justin Cyder said:
I think you mean a buzzing noise? Fret buzz can be eliminated by relieving the neck by adjusting the truss rod and/or raising the bridge of the guitar, although if you're not sure what you're doing, get a tech to set it up for you. Raising the bridge will raise the action which most players dislike & adjusting the truss rod can throw the intonation out.
It may also be the case that the nut needs replacing/recutting. The best thing to do would be to take it to a reputable guitar tech & get them to give it a once over - not that expensive & a good one will transform the guitar.
It may also be the case that the nut needs replacing/recutting. The best thing to do would be to take it to a reputable guitar tech & get them to give it a once over - not that expensive & a good one will transform the guitar.
singlecoil said:
First, check that the neck is straight. Then check that the nut is the correct height (string fretted at the secod fret just clears the first fret). Then set the action height so that you have 2mm clear under the 6th string at the 12th fret (dropping to 1.2mm under the 1st string). Whatever buzz you are left with, as long as it's relatively consistent over the whole string, is native to that guitar/those strings/your technique. As long as you can't hear it through the amp, don't worry about it.
Many thanks, very helpful.Gassing Station | Music | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff