4 Ways To Check Your Guitar For Proper Setup

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 00:45:00 +0000

A complete setup will help to ensure optimal performance and good tuning stability of your instrument and should be performed by someone who has the know-how & experience every couple months, depending on how much or how little you play. Chances are, if you are reading this it is because you do not have much experience making these adjustments. However, there are still things you can do to check to see if your guitar or bass needs adjusting.

Step 1. Observe the condition of the strings. Many players often overlook this very important factor of tuning stability. Yes, in fact changing your strings when they get old or begin to look dirty will greatly help your guitar stay in tune! Tech Tip: Sweat and grime will accumulate on the strings after each time you play, degrading string life. Make it a habit of wiping down the strings & fretboard with a cotton rag after each time you play, as this will greatly improve string life and put more money in your wallet!

Step 2. Take a look at your tremolo, if equipped. What do you see?? A piece of metal... yes that's correct, but there is much more to it. There are only 3 points in which the strings come in contact with the actual guitar - at the nut, the bridge, and when you fret a note. The rest of the time, your strings are suspended above the fretboard and must be high enough so that you don't encounter buzz, and low enough for comfort/playability. The first place to look is at the bridge and see if it sits too high or too low. For people with floating tremolos, in addition to looking at height, also make sure to check if the ANGLE is correct. Tech Tip: If you recently changed string gauges and you have a floating tremolo, the angle will need to be adjusted for optimal playability.

Step 3. Sight down the neck of your guitar from the body. There should be a slight amount of relief, but not much. If you can see the strings touching the frets at any point then there is too much back-bow and it need to be properly adjusted - same thing goes for relief. Tech Tip: If you don't know how to adjust a truss rod, DON"T! You can seriously damage the rod or other parts of your guitar. NEVER attempt to turn a stuck rod!

Step 4: Are your fretted notes sharper or flatter than they should be right after you just tuned?? You may need to have the intonation checked and adjusted. This is a tedious and precise process and is best left for a tech to perform. Tech Tip: Remember I have the lowest prices around and will setup your guitar for optimal playability, sound and comfort - so don't fret!

Choosing the right pickup for your guitar

Sun, 08 Jan 2012 07:05:00 +0000

Out of all the different pickup options and configurations available today, how does one choose which one to go with? Use this free guide to help you select the right pickip configuration for you!

So how does one choose which pickups to buy? First off, have an idea of what type of sound you would like to achieve. What style of music do you play? Is it Metal? Jazz? Fusion/Progressive? This is important to note because each style of music typically requires different sound qualities or tone. So for example, if you play Classic Rock you may want a pickup with a nice warm midrange and a medium-high output, like a P.A.F. humbucker found in old Les Pauls. You may find yourself in a situation which requires you to have more than one type of sound at your fingertips. In this case, you may want to install multiple pickups on your guitar (if you don't have them already) and/or wire up a mod to your existing configuration. Wiring modifications or 'mods' allow you to add many useful features to your guitar that may benefit your style of playing. There are almost too many mods to count but some of the more popular include: phase switches, kill switches, coil taps, and series/parallel wiring just to name a few.

So, once you've determined what style of music you will be playing and what sound you want to achieve from your current guitar (assuming you have the proper amp, effects, playing ability) you can now select the proper pickup for the job. There are many good pickup manufacturers out there who specialize in different pickups for different styles of music. DiMarzio, Seymour Duncan, and EMG are just a few of the bigger companies that produce a wide array of pickup options for today's players. Most of their websites have information on the sound and tonal qualities of their pickups so it is easy to find one that is right for you. If possible, before purchasing a new pickup, go to your local music store or find a friend with the pickup(s) you want and try it out. You'll have to take in account their current setup, quality of the installation, and other concerns, but at least you can get an idea of what it will sound like.

In the next article, I will explain the technical data behind a pickup's sound and go more in depth about making the right choice when choosing this very important part of your guitar.

If you have any questions/concerns/comments, email me or send me a message on Facebook and I will be glad to help you.

Alex Marucci Guitar Repair

4 Ways To Check Your Guitar For Proper Setup

Choosing the right pickup for your guitar