Questions tagged [setup]

Professional adjustment and calibration of multiple parts of an instrument, by a qualified repair technician or luthier, in order to make sure that the instrument is easy to play and has the best intonation obtainable.

Filter by
Sorted by
Tagged with
21 votes
3 answers
3k views

How do I set up an electric guitar?

How do I set up the pickups, neck, etc. in an electric guitar? I'm not concerned with producing a particular sound as I am with keeping the neck from warping, prevent string buzz, improving ...
user avatar
14 votes
3 answers
4k views

Is my mandolin broken?

I read here that playing a string on the 12th fret will produce a note that is an octave above the note produced by playing the same string open (with no frets held down). For instance, if the bottom ...
Big McLargeHuge's user avatar
13 votes
3 answers
8k views

New guitar nut when changing to a lighter gauge?

I currently have a Fender Strat which I set up with 12-56 strings about 2 years ago and have been playing comfortably since, using mostly standard tuning. However, I've decided to switch my strings to ...
Nirvik Baruah's user avatar
11 votes
1 answer
3k views

How do I set up a bass guitar?

How do I set up the pickups, neck, etc. in an electric bass guitar? I'm not concerned with producing a particular sound as I am with keeping the neck from warping, prevent string buzz, improving ...
user avatar
10 votes
8 answers
28k views

Should you change the strings on a brand new guitar?

I'm a beginner to electric guitar, so I'm not sure what a proper guitar setup feels like. In attempt to execute my own setup, I've adjusted string action and tailpiece height to my preference (with ...
Megatron's user avatar
  • 269
9 votes
3 answers
3k views

What does 'Setting Up' my guitar actually mean?

Just this week I visited one my local music stores after a referral to the guy to have my Tanglewood acoustic guitar strings changed. Myself and a friend went in, he recommended a set of guitar ...
Adam McKenna's user avatar
9 votes
2 answers
784 views

What are your steps for setting up a guitar?

I'm just wondering what the ideal steps are to set up a guitar. For instance, it needs a complete setup, you're changing the string gauge, setting the action, getting it intonated. I'm not asking ...
random10101010's user avatar
9 votes
2 answers
6k views

Decking a Stratocaster bridge

I play a Standard Stratocaster with a six-screw (“vintage”) floating tremolo bridge. I practically never use the tremolo arm, and I’d like to experiment more with alternate tunings, so I’m thinking ...
Bradd Szonye's user avatar
  • 6,698
8 votes
7 answers
121k views

Guitar intonation issue - still flat but screw as far as it'll go

I am having a serious issue with my guitar and looking for some help. I recently had the guitar set up in a shop and in order to get the intonation right the guitar tech had to adjust some of the ...
user1526802's user avatar
8 votes
6 answers
53k views

Upgrading from 0.009 to 0.010 string gauge. Do I have to do a guitar setup?

I usually use the lightest gauge d'Addario's. And I've been thinking about trying out slinky 10 gauge strings on my guitar. I understand the differences in sound and playability about installing ...
user3789596's user avatar
8 votes
2 answers
3k views

One of the tuning pegs is at the end of its range on my Floyd-Rose guitar, what can I do?

After getting my Washburn serviced, including having the double-locking floating bridge re-floated with new strings, I'm reaching the point where one string is right at the limit of tightening using ...
Mr. Boy's user avatar
  • 9,860
8 votes
1 answer
4k views

Ideal Cowbell Placement

When I was younger, I had a cowbell clamp that I fixed to the top of my bass drum hoop. I wouldn't dream of doing that today. I have tried setting up a percussion array with my cowbell and woodblock, ...
Jason P Sallinger's user avatar
7 votes
2 answers
805 views

problems with fiddle tuning

I have been tuning my fiddle successfully for the past year (had about 4 months of lessons). Now my fiddle has gone kapluie on me. First my bridge went flying and that had to be re-installed. Then the ...
Mary's user avatar
  • 71
6 votes
3 answers
9k views

Fix loose bridge saddle screw

One of the bridge height adjustment screws keeps coming loose on my Precision Bass (leftmost screw in the picture). The screw doesn’t feel loose when the height is properly adjusted, but the E saddle ...
Bradd Szonye's user avatar
  • 6,698
6 votes
2 answers
5k views

Truss Rod Can't Get Any Looser

I'm trying to adjust the neck tension on an Ibanez electric guitar for some regular light gauge strings, but I've maxed out loosening the truss rod and the neck still doesn't provide enough relief and ...
Ampp3's user avatar
  • 914
5 votes
5 answers
9k views

Truss rod adjustment had no noticable effect

Today I adjusted the truss rod on my guitar, because the action was quite high and I found it difficult to play. I progressed slowly, and did 1/8 turns, but after each turn I had not noticed anything ...
StefanH's user avatar
  • 1,515
5 votes
3 answers
2k views

Should guitar strings be evenly spaced?

I decided to learn how to play the guitar so I bought one which arrived yesterday. At first it seemed okay although it did take a while to tune. However, it constantly sounds a bit off compared to ...
Toggy Smith's user avatar
5 votes
3 answers
4k views

Should I pay to setup a cheap guitar or buy a new one

I have a Fender guitar that I purchased from Costco years ago. I think the whole package including a stand, tuner, gig bag, strap etc was $200. I did not use it all these years and started learning ...
James Poovathummoottil's user avatar
5 votes
3 answers
392 views

More outputs on Fireface 800

I'm a proud owner of the Fireface 800 and I'm starting to build up my first professional recording-studio - but now I need more output-channels. Does anybody know, if it's possible (and a good ...
Matthias Burger's user avatar
5 votes
3 answers
4k views

Piano key sometimes suffers silent depress

I bought a used Steinway. Sometimes its keys don't always make a sound when pressed down. Is this my fault or the piano's? Should I contact the seller, or is it a minor problem that the tuner can ...
Teresa Walker's user avatar
5 votes
2 answers
1k views

2 x Mono vs 1 x Stereo Quality

Two-channel Stereo sound can be provided by two Mono cables, or a single Stereo cable. What differences, whether significant or not, are there between pairing each voltage lead with its own ground ...
ProductionValues's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
2k views

When adjusting the neck of an acoustic guitar, what bending might be normal?

Recently I bought a second guitar, before I had for almost 8 years just one guitar and did not noticed that its action was quite high. When I took the guitars of others I often wondered that they ...
StefanH's user avatar
  • 1,515
5 votes
1 answer
382 views

High E string on tele has "sitar tone"

I have a Nash Tele with the Bigsby B5 trem, which uses a jazzmaster style bridge and saddles. I have raised the action twice by adjusting the truss rod, but still get a tinny sitar like tone on the ...
Pine's user avatar
  • 51
4 votes
2 answers
3k views

Floyd Rose in Standard Tuning with .011 gauge strings

I have always played with medium to heavy gauge strings in standard tuning. I got used to that feel while in school for Jazz Studies and have stuck with it ever since. I'm interested in learning ...
Joe Cannatti's user avatar
4 votes
3 answers
2k views

Should I keep on the old strings when sending my guitar to be set up?

I need to repair the electronics on my Stratocaster, which will require me to remove the strings. I then want to get the guitar set up. Will sending a guitar to the workshop without strings affect the ...
Luke Allison's user avatar
4 votes
2 answers
22k views

Risks of adjusting a truss rod?

I know that you can break a truss rod by over-tightening it. Repair guides warn not to tighten the rod if you meet excessive resistance or hear squeaking noises. For example, from the Fender Bass ...
Bradd Szonye's user avatar
  • 6,698
4 votes
2 answers
254 views

Does changing acoustic guitar strings require a re-setup?

I'm currently using D'Addario EZ920 (0.12-0.54) and I'm planning to change to D'Addario EJ16 (0.12-0.53) which is slightly lighter. I'm wondering if this will affect the intonation and needs ...
loremipsum's user avatar
4 votes
4 answers
1k views

Reducing Neck Pickup Dissonance

A common problem with single-coil pickups is severe dissonance in the neck position, known by a few names like Stratitis. I know it can be reduced by properly adjusting the pickup height in relation ...
RICK's user avatar
  • 372
4 votes
1 answer
945 views

Where does the "knife edge" sit with respect to the pivot studs?

I am setting up an Ibanez RG350DX that I just bought. It looks like the trem (Edge III, I think) is sitting closer to the neck than it ought to. Having never set up a floating bridge before, I need to ...
C. Tewalt's user avatar
  • 143
3 votes
2 answers
310 views

Audio Interfaces: How to determine minimum requirements?

I have a few needs and want to build a home recording studio. I want to produce a podcast and have multiple mic working at the same time (with each guest wearing headphones). I'd like to pause us ...
Jasmine's user avatar
  • 131
3 votes
4 answers
22k views

Problem with choosing the right string gauge - switch from medium to extra light?

I am beginner acoustic guitar player .. My current guitar' strings are "medium" ,, but I found them hard to play, they make buzzing sound, that's why I hate my guitar now -_- and i'm thinking of ...
Eva's user avatar
  • 33
3 votes
2 answers
250 views

Best practise for setting up a home studio

I'm a guitarist and I'm looking for a better home studio setup. When I'm playing my guitar I go either directly in my amplifier or into my audio interface. When I go directly in my audio interface I ...
Bas's user avatar
  • 85
3 votes
2 answers
157 views

Finding guitar technicians

I’ve often seen advice to locate a good guitar technician or luthier to perform setups and routine maintenance. For example, Ali Maxwell advises, in “How do I set up an electric guitar?”: The first ...
Bradd Szonye's user avatar
  • 6,698
3 votes
2 answers
2k views

Are electric guitars more prone to fret buzz than acoustics?

I'm mostly an acoustic player, but I recently picked up an electric. Seems like there's fret buzz everywhere! I checked the setup by measuring the action and the neck relief, and it seems to be ...
Anna Dickinson's user avatar
3 votes
4 answers
911 views

Tried Eb alternate tuning but guitar intonation is off and I'm unsure how to fix it

I have a fender mexican strat, with 10s. I have never changed string gauge, I only tuned all the strings down half a step to Eb from E. The issue I am running into is that the low Eb, Ab, Db, and Gb ...
regalix_'s user avatar
3 votes
2 answers
271 views

Roland pt-3100 Piano with Yamaha HS50M Troubleshooting

My friend lent me his pair of Yamaha HS50M monitors to output my Roland pt-3100 digital piano (2 x speakers to L and R phone output). He instructed me to buy balanced cables for the setup so I bought ...
GeneralN00b's user avatar
3 votes
2 answers
10k views

Under-saddle pickup not picking up the low E string

Recently, my under-saddle B-Band pickup has gone silent, but only on the low E. Acoustically, everything sounds just fine. The saddle hasn't been removed recently and everything appears sound. Any ...
Paul Roub's user avatar
  • 131
3 votes
3 answers
2k views

Boss RC-300 low microphone volume issue

I am using Boss RC-300 to loop acoustic guitar and vocals. I have no issues with the guitar signal on the line input. The gain knob is turned to approx. half of its maximum input and I have a lot of ...
Michal Gacka's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
101 views

Electribe ES-1 and Mbox 2

I have a Korg Electribe ES-1 MKII and an old MBox 2, using Ableton Live 9 as DAW. I want to set up the ES-1 via Midi and Audio to my DAW. The MBox only has 2 Inputs and Monitor, Headphone and SPDIF ...
chenino's user avatar
  • 31
3 votes
3 answers
4k views

Setting up an electronic drum kit; volume differences for each component

In setting up an electronic drum kit; what sort of volume differences should I apply to each component? When using earphones I tend to have everything cranked up to the max, but on amping up, it's ...
Rob Thomas's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
546 views

Setting twelve string guitar for country blues

I was thinking of making a blues box out of my twelve string guitar; since it's a modern dreadnaught I don't expect a perfect tone, but I think something nice may come out. My idea was to put on ...
Fabio's user avatar
  • 61
3 votes
2 answers
589 views

Horrible resonant frequencies at certain frets

I'm having a really annoying issue with my American Deluxe Strat - when I pluck the strings at certain frets (mainly on the 2nd string) I hear an awful resonant frequency. I've added a link to a WAV ...
James Laidler's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
1k views

How to set guitar neck relief for different playing styles

I own several acoustic guitars and am learning about setting them up because I live in the middle of nowhere and it is impossible to send my guitar in for set-ups. I got some feeler gauges and have ...
user avatar
2 votes
4 answers
2k views

Should my fret be buzzing on my recently bought guitar?

I bought a Cordoba F7 Paco classical guitar last week and a few of the frets were slightly buzzing on the D string frets. After the tech setup my guitar, he said it's because of my form/technique and ...
Kamilski81's user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
10k views

Connecting multiple instruments into 2 headphones?

My friend and I are trying to find a way to practice as quietly as possible,because we live in an apartment with lots of people complaining. So we were wondering if it were possible to connect an ...
user2752798's user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
2k views

Avoiding small, beginner amp problems

I just started playing around with a Fender Frontman 10 W amplifier and I find it hard to use consistently. First, the biggest annoyance is the constant hum and static. I've read that the static ...
waylonion's user avatar
  • 145
2 votes
3 answers
10k views

Does 12-54 to 13-56 gauge change require a re-setup?

I'm thinking I should switch to a slightly heavier set of strings for a better "rounded" tone, especially on the lower strings. Currently I use Martin Phosphor Bronze .12-.54 gauge, the one I'm ...
Pratik Gautam's user avatar
2 votes
5 answers
5k views

Guitar rig: the switch from beginner to intermediate

A couple of years ago, I brought a cheap Yamaha electric guitar (a pacifica 112j). The guitar is a pretty solid beginner level budget guitar, and was a very good start. Unfortunately, I had to run it ...
Malfunction's user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
222 views

Which strings should be used for smoother guitar chord formation?

I am playing guitar for a year and half and till now I am not able to play barre chords smoothly as i can not form it with proper pressure and my hand starts to pain in 2 mins. What kind of acoustic ...
kashminder's user avatar
2 votes
3 answers
966 views

Tuning My Violin High

Usually violinists tune it to G3-D4-A4-E5. I play on a Gba violin, very basic. Can I tune it to D4-G4-D5-G5? I know it sounds crazy but I play Carnatic violin and this is how all instruments are tuned....
Tarun's user avatar
  • 171