How is your guitar playing?

Some guitars have never been properly set up. Even top-end guitars may require some adjustment after they have left the factory before they play and sound as good as they could. If you are plagued by buzzing or an uncomfortable playing experience from a new or old guitar, a set-up may be the solution.

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Performance Tuning

Set-Ups

Due to constantly changing temperature and humidity, changes in string tension, normal wear and tear, and accumulation of dirt and grease, routine maintenance and adjustment of an instrument is often necessary.

This involves cleaning the fretboard and polishing the finish as well as cleaning any electronic parts that may be contributing to a noisy or intermittent signal, but is mainly focused on increasing the playability of the instrument. The straightness of the neck and the height of the saddle(s) may be adjusted to allow more or less relief between the fretboard and the strings, thereby adjusting the various break angles from the frets and allowing the strings to vibrate as freely as possible. The higher the action—or distance of the strings from the frets—the harder the string can be plucked or strummed without the frets buzzing. This also allows for the agitation of more air with an acoustic instrument and greater interaction with the magnetic field(s) of an electric instrument’s pickup(s). Higher action results in a richer, fuller tone.

On the other hand, the action may be adjusted lower to allow for an easier playing experience. A set-up should be seen, first and foremost, as balancing the ease of play with the quality of sound.


Your guitar should be a pleasure to play. Email me for an estimate!