Guitar setup tips and tricks

Self built and self assembly ;)

Moderators: Slowy, Capt. Black

User avatar
jeremyb
Chorus of Organs
Posts: 40878
meble-kuchenne.warszawa.pl
Joined: Sat Dec 06, 2008 9:03 am
Has liked: 7685 times
Been liked: 4157 times

Guitar setup tips and tricks

Post by jeremyb »

Heres a few I have to share...

1. To set a good baseline for pickup height, fret the lowest string at the highest fret, slip a 2.5mm allen key between the pickup poles and the string, use that to set the height for all pickups, on the highest string repeat but with a 2mm allen key. As you adjust either it messes with the heights so repeat until you have 2.5mm on the lowest and 2mm on the highest strings.

2. To get the right length of string for each tuner hold the string taut above its tuner, then with the other hand grab the string at the nut and pull it down to the second fret, cut the string at the tuner.

3. Avoid number 2 by buying locking tuners :rofl:
Slowy wrote: That's the problem; everything rewarding is just such hard work. Regret takes much less effort.

User avatar
NippleWrestler
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 2890
Joined: Sat Jan 02, 2016 5:05 pm
Has liked: 78 times
Been liked: 1064 times

Re: Guitar setup tips and tricks

Post by NippleWrestler »

A knife sharpening stone is a fantastic fret leveling beam. They're flat, abrasive, heavy enough, a good size, cheap, easy to clean.

User avatar
jeremyb
Chorus of Organs
Posts: 40878
Joined: Sat Dec 06, 2008 9:03 am
Has liked: 7685 times
Been liked: 4157 times

Re: Guitar setup tips and tricks

Post by jeremyb »

Want to make some neck level straight edges as I have some weird scale length guitars like 26.5" and the cheap ones are all for fender / gibbons, going to have a go at making one of these using some aluminium bar from mitre 10, he uses 4mm so hopefully the 3mm they sell is not too wobbly:

Slowy wrote: That's the problem; everything rewarding is just such hard work. Regret takes much less effort.

User avatar
Bg
Site Admin
Posts: 43187
Joined: Fri Sep 05, 2003 12:13 am
Location: Auckland
Has liked: 2254 times
Been liked: 3873 times

Re: Guitar setup tips and tricks

Post by Bg »

I just cut my own notches into 1m steel rules, easy as pie.

2 scale lengths per rule, one either side
So, is that low alcohol or no alcohol at all? mmmm, no alcohol, do you want to try it? Noooooooooo.

User avatar
Slowy
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 22638
Joined: Wed Sep 09, 2009 4:13 pm
Location: Orcland
Has liked: 1011 times
Been liked: 2465 times

Re: Guitar setup tips and tricks

Post by Slowy »

jeremyb wrote: Sun Mar 26, 2023 7:15 pm Heres a few I have to share...

1. To set a good baseline for pickup height, fret the lowest string at the highest fret, slip a 2.5mm allen key between the pickup poles and the string, use that to set the height for all pickups, on the highest string repeat but with a 2mm allen key. As you adjust either it messes with the heights so repeat until you have 2.5mm on the lowest and 2mm on the highest strings.

What pups and guitars are you talking about? 2.5 mm on a Strat sounds problematic to me.
Beyond a critical point within a finite space, freedom diminishes as numbers increase. This is as true of humans as it is of gas molecules in a sealed flask. The human question is not how many can possibly survive within the system, but what kind of existence is possible for those who so survive.

User avatar
jeremyb
Chorus of Organs
Posts: 40878
Joined: Sat Dec 06, 2008 9:03 am
Has liked: 7685 times
Been liked: 4157 times

Re: Guitar setup tips and tricks

Post by jeremyb »

Slowy wrote: Wed Apr 19, 2023 5:19 pm
jeremyb wrote: Sun Mar 26, 2023 7:15 pm Heres a few I have to share...

1. To set a good baseline for pickup height, fret the lowest string at the highest fret, slip a 2.5mm allen key between the pickup poles and the string, use that to set the height for all pickups, on the highest string repeat but with a 2mm allen key. As you adjust either it messes with the heights so repeat until you have 2.5mm on the lowest and 2mm on the highest strings.

What pups and guitars are you talking about? 2.5 mm on a Strat sounds problematic to me.
8 string with soapbar humbuckers :mental:
Slowy wrote: That's the problem; everything rewarding is just such hard work. Regret takes much less effort.

User avatar
Slowy
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 22638
Joined: Wed Sep 09, 2009 4:13 pm
Location: Orcland
Has liked: 1011 times
Been liked: 2465 times

Re: Guitar setup tips and tricks

Post by Slowy »

jeremyb wrote: Wed Apr 19, 2023 5:25 pm
Slowy wrote: Wed Apr 19, 2023 5:19 pm
jeremyb wrote: Sun Mar 26, 2023 7:15 pm Heres a few I have to share...

1. To set a good baseline for pickup height, fret the lowest string at the highest fret, slip a 2.5mm allen key between the pickup poles and the string, use that to set the height for all pickups, on the highest string repeat but with a 2mm allen key. As you adjust either it messes with the heights so repeat until you have 2.5mm on the lowest and 2mm on the highest strings.

What pups and guitars are you talking about? 2.5 mm on a Strat sounds problematic to me.
8 string with soapbar humbuckers :mental:
Now there's a world I'm unlikely ever to visit. :rofl:
Beyond a critical point within a finite space, freedom diminishes as numbers increase. This is as true of humans as it is of gas molecules in a sealed flask. The human question is not how many can possibly survive within the system, but what kind of existence is possible for those who so survive.

User avatar
jeremyb
Chorus of Organs
Posts: 40878
Joined: Sat Dec 06, 2008 9:03 am
Has liked: 7685 times
Been liked: 4157 times

Re: Guitar setup tips and tricks

Post by jeremyb »

Slowy wrote: Wed Apr 19, 2023 5:30 pm
jeremyb wrote: Wed Apr 19, 2023 5:25 pm
Slowy wrote: Wed Apr 19, 2023 5:19 pm

What pups and guitars are you talking about? 2.5 mm on a Strat sounds problematic to me.
8 string with soapbar humbuckers :mental:
Now there's a world I'm unlikely ever to visit. :rofl:
Which is exactly why you should! You have a 6 string in standard, a 7 string in standard, a baritone in B standard (drop the G down to F#), and an 8 string in standard all in one guitar!
Slowy wrote: That's the problem; everything rewarding is just such hard work. Regret takes much less effort.

User avatar
Slowy
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 22638
Joined: Wed Sep 09, 2009 4:13 pm
Location: Orcland
Has liked: 1011 times
Been liked: 2465 times

Re: Guitar setup tips and tricks

Post by Slowy »

jeremyb wrote: Wed Apr 19, 2023 5:38 pm
Slowy wrote: Wed Apr 19, 2023 5:30 pm
jeremyb wrote: Wed Apr 19, 2023 5:25 pm

8 string with soapbar humbuckers :mental:
Now there's a world I'm unlikely ever to visit. :rofl:
Which is exactly why you should! You have a 6 string in standard, a 7 string in standard, a baritone in B standard (drop the G down to F#), and an 8 string in standard all in one guitar!
Mate, I can barely handle the 6 strings on my current guitars. I agree they're versatile, I just don't have the ability.
Beyond a critical point within a finite space, freedom diminishes as numbers increase. This is as true of humans as it is of gas molecules in a sealed flask. The human question is not how many can possibly survive within the system, but what kind of existence is possible for those who so survive.

User avatar
Bg
Site Admin
Posts: 43187
Joined: Fri Sep 05, 2003 12:13 am
Location: Auckland
Has liked: 2254 times
Been liked: 3873 times

Re: Guitar setup tips and tricks

Post by Bg »

Bg wrote: Wed Apr 19, 2023 3:29 pm I just cut my own notches into 1m steel rules, easy as pie.

2 scale lengths per rule, one either side
Just watched the video. 1m steel rules, sharpie, dremmel, 3 mins. Bosh!
So, is that low alcohol or no alcohol at all? mmmm, no alcohol, do you want to try it? Noooooooooo.

User avatar
jeremyb
Chorus of Organs
Posts: 40878
Joined: Sat Dec 06, 2008 9:03 am
Has liked: 7685 times
Been liked: 4157 times

Re: Guitar setup tips and tricks

Post by jeremyb »

Ok, so nerded out and thought I might try 3d printing one first :rofl:
Attachments
341081096_198781932917406_2913099935440798193_n.png
341081096_198781932917406_2913099935440798193_n.png (50.3 KiB) Viewed 22292 times
Slowy wrote: That's the problem; everything rewarding is just such hard work. Regret takes much less effort.

User avatar
jeremyb
Chorus of Organs
Posts: 40878
Joined: Sat Dec 06, 2008 9:03 am
Has liked: 7685 times
Been liked: 4157 times

Re: Guitar setup tips and tricks

Post by jeremyb »

The truth about toan capacitors :mental:

http://zerocapcable.com/?page_id=224
Slowy wrote: That's the problem; everything rewarding is just such hard work. Regret takes much less effort.

User avatar
jeremyb
Chorus of Organs
Posts: 40878
Joined: Sat Dec 06, 2008 9:03 am
Has liked: 7685 times
Been liked: 4157 times

Re: Guitar setup tips and tricks

Post by jeremyb »

Had a bit of a thought, when I install my push pull pots in the 8 string I could use one of the poles of the switch to change tone capacitors as well, so when its split it uses 0.047uF and normally in humbucker mode it uses 0.022uF, seem like a good idea?
Slowy wrote: That's the problem; everything rewarding is just such hard work. Regret takes much less effort.

User avatar
jeremyb
Chorus of Organs
Posts: 40878
Joined: Sat Dec 06, 2008 9:03 am
Has liked: 7685 times
Been liked: 4157 times

Re: Guitar setup tips and tricks

Post by jeremyb »

If you’re after some budget locking tuners you’d be hard pressed to find anything as good for twice the price as these Guyker ones from AliExpress! < $50 shipped for a set of 6!
Attachments
E6B777D5-ACE1-47BB-B061-9B0681263564.jpeg
E6B777D5-ACE1-47BB-B061-9B0681263564.jpeg (3.95 MiB) Viewed 21909 times
Slowy wrote: That's the problem; everything rewarding is just such hard work. Regret takes much less effort.

User avatar
Bg
Site Admin
Posts: 43187
Joined: Fri Sep 05, 2003 12:13 am
Location: Auckland
Has liked: 2254 times
Been liked: 3873 times

Re: Guitar setup tips and tricks

Post by Bg »

Mate, you got 2 free!
So, is that low alcohol or no alcohol at all? mmmm, no alcohol, do you want to try it? Noooooooooo.

Post Reply