Setup Tips
Guitar Setup Tips
Guitar Neck Relief
Check your relief by pressing the string down on the first and last fret of your guitar and noting the distance between the bottom of the string and the top of the fret - Mid Neck. (we recommend doing this on the G string)
* Too big a gap under the strings (Too much relief) will leave the action feeling and playing high in the middle of the neck and will cause buzzing in the frets toward the end of the neck where the slope of the fret board curves back up toward the strings.
*Too little gap (completely flat) and the guitar will buzz all over.
*We are looking to get a small gap that is between those two scenarios.
Note: It is important to check the relief of the neck without the bridge or nut height being factored in. For this reason we Capo at fret 1 and push down on the last fret. There we can see and measure only the neck relief and not the overall string action.
Using a String Action Gauge (Stew Mac item #0670) and using the G string for reference, adjust your relief (First frets Capo’d/last fret pushed down) until the .020" line is just above the G string mid neck. (We measure above the string for ease. It’s hard to see the lines of the gauge below the string.)
*Too Much Gap - Turn truss rod nut clockwise to flatten.
*Neck Flat or too little gap - Loosen the truss rod nut counter clock to increase the gap.
The result should be a small gap under the strings that is not too flat or too big.
Climate, humidity, travel, and change in string gauge can all necessitate adjustment of the truss rod.
Guitar Action
High E and B String:
At the 15th fret, you should be able to bend the string up one whole note without “fretting out” (buzzing/not getting a clean clear note). You want it to fret out just past one clean whole note bend. If you cannot, then you need to raise the action of that string. This technique applies to both the high E and B strings.
Low E and A String:
At the 15th fret, bend the string two whole notes without “fretting out”. You want the string to fret out just past one whole notes. If you cannot, then you need to raise the action of that string. This technique applies to both the low E and A strings. The reason these strings action is set a little higher is that the larger strings tend to vibrate and buzz more.
G and D Strings:
Set saddle height a hair above the B and A saddles. If the height is correct, there should not be any buzzing of the G and D strings. If the G and D strings are buzzing, raise the saddle height.
The radius of your bridge saddles should be slightly flatter than the radius of the neck.
Guitar Intonation
Select the neck pickup (if available), and roll the tone all the way off.
Tune string.
Press down with normal playing pressure at the 12th fret (octave).
If the octave is sharp, adjust the saddle away from the neck. If the octave is flat, adjust the saddle toward the neck.
Repeat steps 2-4 until the octave reflects an accurate tuner reading.
On T Model bridges apply this technique to the high E, G and A strings.
On S Model bridges apply this technique to all strings.
Bass Setup Tips
Bass Neck Relief
Check your relief by pressing the string down on the first and last fret of your guitar and noting the distance between the bottom of the string and the top of the fret - Mid Neck. (we recommend doing this on the D string)
* Too big a gap under the strings (Too much relief) will leave the action feeling and playing high in the middle of the neck and will cause buzzing in the frets toward the end of the neck where the slope of the fret board curves back up toward the strings.
*Too little gap (completely flat) and the guitar will buzz all over.
*We are looking to get a small gap that is between those two scenarios.
Note: It is important to check the relief of the neck without the bridge or nut height being factored in. For this reason we Capo at fret 1 and push down on the last fret. There we can see and measure only the neck relief and not the overall string action.
Using a String Action Gauge (Stew Mac item #0670) and using the D string for reference, adjust your relief (First frets Capo’d/last fret pushed down) until the .020" line is just above the G string mid neck. (We measure above the string for ease. It’s hard to see the lines of the gauge below the string.)
*Too Much Gap - Turn truss rod nut clockwise to flatten.
*Neck Flat or too little gap - Loosen the truss rod nut counter clock to increase the gap.
The result should be a small gap under the strings that is not too flat or too big.
Climate, humidity, travel, and change in string gauge can all necessitate adjustment of the truss rod.
Bass Action
G String:
At the 15th fret, bend the string up one half to one whole note without “fretting out” (buzzing/not getting a clean clear note). You want it to “fret out” just past one clean whole note bend depending on your playing style.
Low E:
At 15th fret, bend the string one whole note without “fretting out”. You want the string to “fret out” just past one whole note.
A and D Strings:
Set saddles a hair above the E and G saddles so that at the 15th Fret, a half to whole note bend on either string is attainable without fretting out.
The radius of your bridge saddles should be slightly flatter than the radius of the neck.
Bass Intonation
Select the neck pickup (if available), and roll the tone all the way off.
Tune string.
Press down with normal playing pressure at the 12th fret (octave).
If the octave is sharp, adjust the saddle away from the neck. If the octave is flat, adjust the saddle toward the neck.
Repeat steps 2-4 until the octave reflects an accurate tuner reading.
On Bass bridges, apply this technique to all strings.