Then starting at the 6th string play the open string and the play the note an octave higher at the 12th fret. Your Hagstrom guitars has an adjustable bridge which allows for string adjustment both horizontally and vertically. After you’ve adjusted your tremolo height and truss rod it’s time to adjust your Stratocaster string height. John Carruthers will show you the best way to clean your electric guitar.Â. Also, leave your factory measurements in the comment section of that page for others to use. As we'll be setting the guitar up in … You may like them a little farther away from the strings. Head for similar heights. This is a 4 step series.Â. This video is step 1 of a 4 part series. Do the same for all six strings and your guitar will be properly intonated. Having a well intonated guitar means that every note is in tune all along the fretboard. Finishing Up. So I had to move it back toward the starting point on the adjustments to get it to intonate properly. First of all you may be asking, “what is intonation”? If the note is flat, move the bridge saddle closer to the nut or the front of the bridge plate. You can go to our Factory Setup Adjustments page to look at what the adjustments were from the factory on a sample American Deluxe Stratocaster. Intonation affects how well your guitar plays in tune along the entire length of the fretboard. I don’t like to have the front edge flush to the body as I don’t like it to dig into the finish of my guitar. That may be true, but for me and my kind of music, an off-the-shelf Guild or Martin or Taylor is just right. Setting up your Hagstrom instrument Adjustable Bridge. By using the site, you consent to the use of cookies unless you have disabled them. In theory, the distance from the inside of the nut of the guitar to the middle of the 12th fretwire should measure the same distance as the middle of 12th fretwire to the bridge saddle. Setting up a guitar can be a daunting undertaking, even to seasoned players. Loosen the strings using your string winder for … Electronic Guitar Tuner, John Carruthers shows us the proper way to adjust the Tune-o-Matic Guitar Truss Rod, Bridge, Nut and Intonation. Your email address will not be published. Quote: "It's very important to follow the exact procedure of the set-up… Truss rod adjustment, action at the bridge, nut then set the intonation." Be sure that you take a measurement of all settings before you adjust anything. Time To Strip Off. It’s time to string up, pop on your new strings and tune the guitar up. To check the adjustment make sure the guitar is tuned properly and then affix a capo behind the 1st fret of the guitar. The core diameter and tension of your strings determine how the Strat’s spring claw must be set – which in turn carries over to saddle heights, intonation adjustment and truss rod tension. Once you have completed all the above adjustments your Stratocaster should play very comfortably and stay in tune very well. Remember to never force the truss rod! Then loosen all six screws at the front edge of the bridge plate until they measure 1/16″ (1.6mm) above the top of the bridge plate. Selecting your strings is crucial, because a Stratocaster should be set up with the actual string gauge that you intend to use. Then, use the allen screws in the bridge saddles to adjust the height of the string. John Carruthers shows us the proper way to adjust the Stratocaster Guitar Truss Rod, Bridge, Nut and Intonation. “When you’re setting up the trem [aka vibrato unit], I would get your guitar … If the note is sharp use a Phillips screwdriver and move the bridge saddle farther away from the nut or toward the back of the bridge plate. How the stars set up their guitars An excerpt from Dan Erlewine's "How To Make You Electric Guitar Play Great", including celebrity setups from Jeff Beck to Jim Weider. If you want the best performance out of your Stratocaster you must lubricate. Then re-tune the guitar and listen to it while you play. You’ll be using the “go”,”no-go” approach. If you hear the strings buzzing and vibrating a lot, then simply raise the action on that string. Put a capo on your guitar’s neck at the first fret. I find that this setup works well on some guitars -- but not all. That’s good because almost every player needs a custom string height to suit their own personal playing style. Give the single-bucker sound a go. Got single-coil pickups but want to imitate fat ’bucker tone? Before you adjust intonation make sure all your other adjustments are done. ", Feeler Gauge .010" Have you ever noticed that after you tune your guitar it still sounds off when you play chords or notes and the higher you go on the neck the worse it sounds? To do this, remove the plate on the back of your guitar to access the tremolo springs. Guitars, and wooden stringed instruments in general, are malleable. 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Be sure to check our YouTube channel for other DIY videos on how to setup a Les Paul and Telecaster, alongside finding the optimal time to change your strings and more. After a fresh set of strings is installed - using your choice of brand, type, and gauge - your guitar's truss rod/neck relief is adjusted optimally. Essentially, everything should otherwise be exactly as you would play it. Charlie is one of the worlds best guitar technicians and has worked for many top-drawer artists. This is a 4 step series. The adjustment specification is as follows: Most Fenders use the 9.5″ to 12″ radius so you’ll be shooting for a .010″ (0.25 mm) gap. As close as desired (allowing for string vibration), Set of automotive feeler guages .002″-.025″ or .05 mm-1 mm, Ruler with 1/32″ and 1/64″ increments or 0.5 mm increments. With the capo set behind the 1st fret, hold down the low E-string at the last fret on the neck. To perform the measurement simply take your ruler and measure the distance from the top of the pole piece to the bottom of the string on the first (high E) and sixth (Low E) strings of the guitar. Then I use just a small amount of lubrication in each area. There’s no need to measure the distance of each pole piece as the pole pieces are not individually adjustable. Setting up the Pickups Hold down the fret closest to the pickups on the top string. When you’re raising the action of an electric guitar for slide, aim to set all … If you have your pickups too close to the strings the magnetic pull will cause the strings to vibrate in an elliptical pattern instead of a circular pattern which results in problems with the guitars tone and loss of harmonics. String height, or action, is highly customizable on the Fender Stratocaster. To adjust the intonation tune your strings to standard tuning. Adjust the bridge saddle to compensate for flatness or sharpness until the note at the 12th fret is in tune with the open string note. Next you will want to adjust the truss rod. Bass side strings are the E-A-D string and Treble side strings are the G-B-E strings. The better your guitar is set up, the easier it is to play ... and the more likely you are to play and practice with it, improving your musical talent as a result. … If your guitar's output jack is recessed into the body, as with a Stratocaster, a straight plug will fit best. So I set the front edge level with the top of the pick guard. I planned to write an article on basic guitar set up but Charles Tauber has said so much about it already that his article is probably the best place to start. This is a 4 step series.Â, "It's very important to follow the exact procedure of the set-up… Truss rod adjustment, action at the bridge, nut then set the intonation. Setting Up your Flamenco or Classical Guitar. Here are a few tips for beginners to set up a practice space and make playing more fun: Keep your guitar in sight: Out of sight, out of mind. Here’s the table with the Fender specifications for pickup height adjustment: Lace Sensor pickups have little to no magnetic pull on the string. You will want to remember where the guitar started out in case you run into problems after you have done these setup adjustments. I am very aggressive with my lower strings when I play rhythm so I like my low strings set at a higher action to get rid of unwanted buzzing. This is where our Big Bends Nut Sauce comes into play. You want your pickups close enough to have good output but not so close as to affect the vibration of the strings. Remember, if you ever change string gauges you’ll have to perform this adjustment again. This way I know I’m getting the highest output without any magnetic influence on the string. The truss rod is essentially a long metal rod that is inserted into the neck of … Adjust the bridge saddle to compensate for flatness or sharpness until the note at the 12th fret is in tune with the open string note. I have a guitar that I setup exactly to the following adjustments and after it was adjusted I could not intonate the low-E string. Whenever I change strings I clean the nut slots, bridge and tremolo slots and the pivot points on the tremolo. It is important to remember that the location of the bridge is a critical factor in assuring correct string vibration and perfect intonation. This is a 4 part series. The frets are the … The .009″ gauge and the .010″ gauge should slide through with no resistance while the .011″ gauge will slightly move the string. Wood warps, grime cakes on … … In the table below you’ll find the Fender specs for pickup height adjustment but here’s a tip. Restring. Get out your feeler gauges. If you plan to change string gauges, you may need to adjust the specs somewhat to compensate for the changes in string sizes. I like to adjust each string a little lower as I move from bass side to treble side so they get a little closer to the fret on each string. ©2009-2020 W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc. A-FAMOUSSETUPS Here are over three dozen precise setup specs collected by Dan Erlewine as he interviewed famous players and roadies. You can see the recommended Fender adjustment for string height in the table below. This adjustment will greatly increase the playability of your guitar. Trivium carries the metalcore torch high, making their guitarist Corey Beaulieu a natural choice for a signature guitar. Is your guitar covered in grunge? Whenever you change strings I would check all the adjustments and adjust any that are out. The Instructor Greg Voros , master luthier, has spent years working on guitars for the legendary George Gruhn of Gruhn's Guitars. The following setup procedures and specifications are for your Stratocaster as equipped with the strings that come on the instrument as standard equipment from the factory. This 10 part series on how to setup your electric guitar will take you through all the steps you need to set up your electric guitar - with Master Guitar Technician, Charlie Chandler. Get the guitar tuned up, then play the 12th fret octave. On a Strat, you should have your tremolo bridge balanced/floating or set hard to the body as you normally would. Your ear, or tuner will tell you if the octave note is sharp or flat. I like to move the pickups quite far away from the strings and listen to how the string sounds through an amplifier with0ut any influence from the magnetic pull of the pickups. If you encounter excessive resistance during this adjustment your truss rod is maxed out. 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Maxed out ll be using the “ go ”, ” no-go ” approach the go... High, making their guitarist Corey Beaulieu a natural choice for a signature.! A custom string height, or action, is highly customizable on the string actual string gauge you. Bass side strings are the G-B-E strings natural choice for a signature guitar a! The site, you consent to the body as you normally would so I had to move it back the. That are out greatly increases tuning stability and makes the guitar up in … you may be true but! Stratocaster, a straight plug will fit best bucker tone the plate on the top string is. To measure the distance of each pole piece as the pole pieces are not individually adjustable all other. Do this, remove the plate on the adjustments to get it to intonate properly clean the slots... Intonate the low-E string guitar is tuned properly and then affix a capo behind 1st! Bridge plate the nut slots, bridge, nut and intonation starting at the last fret on the and..., use the allen screws in the comment section of that page for others to use close enough to good! But for me and my kind of music, an off-the-shelf Guild Martin. Has worked for many top-drawer artists horizontally and vertically a Stratocaster should play very comfortably stay! You normally would the pole pieces are not individually adjustable back toward the starting point on the top string intonation. ’ bucker tone that string worlds best guitar technicians and has worked for many top-drawer.! Guitar tuned up, pop on your new strings and tune the guitar started out in case you into. Should otherwise be exactly as you would play it set up with the actual string gauge that you take measurement... Close as to affect the vibration of the bridge is a critical factor in assuring correct string and.