Haywire Custom Guitars Nashville Number One

Haywire Custom Guitars – We offer guitar tuning to your specs!

Haywire Custom Guitars Slimbody Guitar

When is it necessary to “set up” for perfect guitar tuning?

Guitar tuning and setups especially relevant to good music.  Since we set up guitar properly, as a result you’ll notice: The guitar feels and sounds its best. All the strings sound with exactly the notes they are supposed to. All guitar notes sound correct when played at each fret up and down the neck. First of all the guitar tuning will proper and guitar be easy to play.  Secondly, strings will break less frequently. In addition if a guitar plays easily and sounds its best then it’s easy for the player to feel the music and play well.

What difference does a guitar set up make? 

A guitar not set up properly you’ll notice:  While yet, the guitar may not feel or sound quite right. Some notes may sound correct while some others may sound sharp or flat. The guitar may be difficult to play. Because strings will break more often when guitar action is too high we lower it.

Haywire Custom Guitars 5   String Bass Guitar

How is a set up accomplished?       

Adjusting action at the guitar bridge for better guitar tuning:

Haywire Custom Guitars Violator 2

Since adjusting the action at the bridge is easily done.  As a result, easier guitar playing makes a difference.  The bridge saddles should be lowered if the guitar string action is too high, that is, the strings are too far up off the fret board. In some cases it is desirable to raise the saddles for a higher string action.

Lower Saddles For Closer Action

Lower the saddles too much and your guitar strings might rattle or “buzz” against certain frets (this this does not always translate through an amplifier). In more extreme cases, pressing a string against one fret might actually fret the string against a different fret.  It’s usually the one just next to the original one.  As a result, filing or leveling the frets will fix the problem. Consequently the saddles should be a comfortable height. Radius all guitar strings to the neck. Raising the saddle on the other hand a small amount, and the problem should be fine.

Filing frets

Filing frets should only be done by a qualified repair person.  Do this only to correct problems with very high frets. Then consequently buzzing on the strings will stop. Much as we’d like to think, it doesn’t always solve the problem of accurate guitar tuning.

Filing the nut

We file the nut. This should only be done by a qualified repair person and will reduce pressure at the nut to allow a heavier gauge of strings to be used. Proper filing will allow free movement of the guitar string and better guitar tuning. When the nut is not filed correctly then “pinching” of the guitar string will occur. If this happens, accurate tuning will not be possible.

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Neck/truss rod adjustment

The particular adjustment will ruin guitars when performed incorrectly, so here referral to a professional repair person is highly recommended. We give the guitar a truss rod adjustment if the neck is not straight. One way to check the straightness of the neck is to Site down the side of the neck and check if there is a dip. Sound the open note and the fretted 12th fret note. It should be exactly the same pitch. If it is not, the neck will  need adjustment. However, this may be indicative of an intonation problem as well, give the guitar to a repair person.

Adjusting intonation

We check each string on the bridge sits in a “saddle”. Depending on your setup, you can tell the saddles may be in different positions: some will be pushed forward and others might be pushed back, sometimes slightly. The positioning of the saddle effectively changes the length of the vibrating string. Tune the guitar to concert pitch with an electronic tuner, making sure the open strings are perfectly in tune. Play the open string and 12th fret harmonics, then play the fretted notes. If the fretted notes are sharp, the string is too short and the saddle needs to be pushed back toward the base of the bridge. If the note is flat, the string is too long and the saddle needs to be pushed up toward the nut. Repeat this procedure for each string.

Adjusting the intonation should be done every few months or at least twice a year. We can do it for you.

Ordering From Haywire Custom Guitars

If you would like to order this or any other custom guitar, please contact us and we will be happy to discuss your guitar needs.

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