Guitar set up

RebelRebel

Hi,

When people talk about getting a guitar set up - what actually in involved? I normally set the intonation of my own guitars - is this what is being referred to or is there much more to it.

I've read somewhere that the electrics on fenders is not great from the fender factories and there is a better electric set up. Is this something luthiers would know about and do?

Anyone used a luthier in dublin or could recommend one? And finall any idea what the cost would be approximately?

Thanks,
RR

Voodu Child

A setup is tweaking the basic mechanical parts of the guitar - intonation, action, truss rod adjustment, levelling the trem. More complicated stuff might be changing the angle of the neck, or the height of the nut. That's about it...

Thats what i think of as a setup. Just simple stuff that anyone can do. Theres obviously other more complicated stuff like fretwork etc, but while they're aiming to do the same thing (get the guitar playing better) i probably wouldn't label them under a 'set up'.

Blackhorse Slim

If you're talking about setting the pickup height, that could be considered part of a setup, but it's really about personal taste. Replacing the pickups is going beyond a setup IMO, but on most guitars it's not difficult. Anyone who can use a soldering iron can do it. If you have a Fender strat or Tele it's simple enough, you can find guides online that show you how.

darrenw5094

Voodoo Child is dead right. Setup would first of all setting up the intonation.....so that when you have fitted an exact string gauge, the notes sound in tune from the first fret to the last. If it's not correct, then you will sound out of tune when you play high up the fret board.....eg. the intro for Sweet Child O'Mine. The action is a personal choice....low for ease of play....higher for better sound and sustain. If you go too low, you will hear buzz when playing single notes. Pickup height would have to be adjusted with the string action.

Truss rod is to make sure the neck is straight as opposed to warped.

Rocky Racoon

Hey

I don't trust myself / my ear to do a good job of setting-up. any recomendations as to where to go in dublin - I rang one dude who quoted 90 squid which seemed a bit excessive

Thanks

Rocky

darrenw5094

What 90 squids!!!!!!!!!

For a fricken setup....he must be changing your hardware for gold plated stuff.

Try someone else.....even an experienced guitarist could do it for free.

Rocky Racoon

yip - 90 clams.
so for 90 fedoras - he said the full works - nut adjustment, truss rods etc - polishing....
http://www.theguitarworkshop.net/website.swf

not slagging him off as i'm sure he must be very good but it does sounds like a good business to be in...
so more pocket-friendly suggestions???

feylya

Ah, Derrick Nelson's doing it. Yeah, €90 is worth it to get him to look at it.

ball ox

feylya wrote: »

Ah, Derrick Nelson's doing it. Yeah, €90 is worth it to get him to look at it.

I have to be honest, I dont see how anyone can justify charging that much for a setup regardless of how good they are and its not like he will throw in additional services for that price. I brought a new Tele to him recently for a setup. He also replaced the nut with a bone nut and it came to €150. What gets me though is that he said I should see him again some time to sort out a very slight bow in the neck and 1 slightly loose fret, neither of which were should be of any concern at all (his word).... shouldnt the bow in the neck have been adjusted as part of the setup?
I'm not trying to badmouth Derek Nelson, I think he is an amazing luthier but it seems that a lot of people on here will pay him whatever he wants because they give him God like status.

€90 for a basic setup. i'd imagine he gets in about 3+ setups a day + his own builds...
The guy must be minted.

In fairness though, he did let the guy ahead of me go free of charge as he said it was a small job... maybe he was a regular

Johnny Storm

I'm as confused as usual: the guy that RockY RAcoon linked to is NOT Derrick Nelson. Make of that what you will :pac:

Red Sleeping Beauty

darrenw5094 wrote: »

Voodoo Child is dead right. Setup would first of all setting up the intonation.....so that when you have fitted an exact string gauge, the notes sound in tune from the first fret to the last. If it's not correct, then you will sound out of tune when you play high up the fret board.....eg. the intro for Sweet Child O'Mine. The action is a personal choice....low for ease of play....higher for better sound and sustain. If you go too low, you will hear buzz when playing single notes. Pickup height would have to be adjusted with the string action.

Truss rod is to make sure the neck is straight as opposed to warped.

the intro to Sweet Child of Mine is out of tune? hah!

Johnny Storm wrote: »

I'm as confused as usual: the guy that RockY RAcoon linked to is NOT Derrick Nelson. Make of that what you will :pac:

yeah, it's yer man down South Circular road - Eugene his name is. I had him repair a broken Les Paul neck last year. cost a bomb, but it's fixed!


Is there a list of repair guys in dublin ?