A Great Guitar Setup

adjusting your guitar truss rod for straightness at the guitar head stock

A great guitar setup is……

When your guitar is setup properly it’s Gig-Ready and it sounds great. Most importantly the feel is very comfortable and responsive. Every fret will be solidly in tune. With a fret level “string buzz” is eliminated. You can identify a good guitar setup because all of the strings are the same distance from the top of each fret, thus the action can be set much lower with “no buzzing”.  All strings will be uniform and able to overcome the next fret without touching the top of the fret. Your guitar playing will be effortless. Guitar strings will last much longer because they wear evenly. All notes will be at the same volume. They will be clean and clear.

Haywire Custom shop double cutaway guitar with a wide 1-7/8″ neck.

What you should experience…

You’ll experience exactly what pro players seek for their absolute best playing performances. Your performances will have the same feel as a pros guitar. Each note will be in tune with the entire guitar all the way down the fret board. The pressure on the strings to produce a note will be the same on each string because of the uniformity gained by a great guitar setup. There will be no need to treat any string differently because it requires no difference in technique or pressure to form a perfect note. When a guitar setup is completed properly, you won’t want to put it down! It just feels great.

Haywire Custom Guitars – We offer set-ups to your specs!

A Few Words About Guitar Setups……

When is it necessary to “set up” a guitar?

When a guitar is set up properly you’ll notice: The guitar will feel and sound its best.  All strings will sound exactly the way they are supposed to. All notes will sound correct when played at each fret up and down the neck. The guitar will be easy to play with a light touch. Strings will break less frequently. If a guitar plays easily and sounds its best then it’s easy for the player to feel the music and play naturally. Notes and chords will sound sweet.

Haywire Custom Guitars Brent Mason Style Telecaster wiring.

What difference does a guitar set up make? 

When a guitar is not set up properly you’ll notice: 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. Strings will break more often. A heavier touch is required with more pressure from each finger. Chords will sound sour.

How is a set up accomplished?

Adjusting action at the bridge:
Adjusting the action at the bridge for easier play makes a difference.  The bridge saddles should be lowered if the string action is too high, that is, the strings are too high up off the fret board. In some cases it may be desirable to raise the saddles for a higher string action. This is sometimes the case with very heavy handed players. Lower action encourages, quick agile movement with little effort. Faster and accurate playing will result.

Saddles too low may cause might rattle against certain frets causing fret buzz (this may or may not be inconsequential on an electric guitar; listen through an amplifier). In more extreme cases, pressing a string against one fret might actually fret the string against a different fret, usually the one under the intended one. In both cases, leveling the frets will alleviate the problem.  In some cases, simply raising the saddle a small amount on the string with the problem should be fine. If not, thorough fret leveling is recommended.

Telecaster 3 barrel vintage bridge with guitar action and intonation adjustments

Filing frets

Fret filing should only be done by a qualified Luthier or repair person and only to correct problems with frets buzzing.  Technique will always be in play. If the player is competent with good technique and the guitar is set up properly it will sound excellent with now fret buzz. Be vigilant that the guitar is not always the culprit in dead sounding or poor sounding notes. It’s always best to have a pro test the guitar thoroughly to be sure it is in fact the guitar with issues.

Nut Filing

Filing the nut should only be done by a qualified repair person. It’s used to reduce pressure at the nut to allow a heavier gauge of strings to be used. The action will be lower after filing and subsequent play will be much easier, strings will be in tune and playing speed increased.

acoustic guitar nut

Neck/truss rod adjustment

This particular adjustment has been known to ruin guitars when performed incorrectly, and referral to a professional repair person is highly recommended. A guitar will need a truss rod adjustment if the neck is not straight. One way to check the straightness of the neck is to play 12th and 19th harmonics on the low and high strings. After sounding each harmonic, fret the note there and play it again: it should be exactly the same pitch. If it is not, the neck may be in need of adjustment. However, this may be indicative of an intonation problem as well, give the guitar to a repair person. The best method for checking neck straightness is always to site down the fretboard from the headstock end. Compare the string to the fretboard and you’ll see a bow or hump evident. It’s quick and reliable. Then a small adjustment can be made in the necessary direction.

How a guitar truss rod works in the guitar neck.

Adjusting Intonation

You may notice each string on the bridge sits in a “saddle”. Depending on your setup, you might notice the saddles may be in different positions: some might 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 the aid of an electronic tuner, making sure the open strings are perfectly in tune. Play the string open then play a fretted note at the 12th fret.

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.

Haywire Custom Guitars Nashville Number 1 guitar with 6 adjustable saddles.

A great guitar setup, according to Haywire Custom Guitars, is a comprehensive process that ensures a guitar’s neck, frets, action, intonation, and hardware components are properly adjusted for optimal playability and sound. Key steps include 4-axis neck alignment, inspecting and lubricating tuning gears, leveling and polishing frets, setting correct string height (action), and adjusting the bridge for proper intonation. The setup should be tailored to the player’s comfort and preferences, with a focus on achieving balance, eliminating buzzing, and maintaining tuning stability. 

Haywire Custom Guitars Super Strat Mod guitar with Floyd and perfect setup!