Generic Guidelines for a Basic Setup

Please help me establish some generic guidelines for a basic setup by providing your feedback on the specs below:

Neck Relief (capo 1st fret).
Fret last fret and adjust relief at 8th fret to .010".

Action (no capo).
Adjust action at 12th fret to 4/64" (treble side) and 5/64" (bass side).

Pickup Height (no capo).
Fret last fret and adjust gap to 3/32" (treble side) and 4/32" (bass side).


Thanks, guys.

1. I adjust the neck to flat and level tuned to pitch. I never adjust relief. I Check relief when all else is done maybe but adjust for flat and true using a high quality straightedge. Like gas mileage, relief is a measurement of how well everything else is working as far as adjustments go.
2. I adjust the action to as low as possible with no buzz tuned to pitch after flattening the board. I do this by adjusting the saddle height at the bridge end and the string slots at the nut end. Over do it on one and you have to start over or raise the other too high. The strings should be similar in string height throughtout the length of the board within a thou or 2.
3. I adjust pickup height by ear and generally keep them lower than most do.

That's how I do it anyway and it makes me very happy.

This has given me a relief of .004" and .003" on the last 2 necks I built. I like a tiny bit of fallaway very gradually from the 12th fret to the heel as well. Just .001" to .002" which probably helps achieve a low relief measurement as well since I am actually lowering that last fret .002" or so which in and of itself takes a couple thou from the relief measurement.

With a proper level and crown you should be able to get way below .010" although I understand this is the Fender spec. I don't believe that would be optimal. .010 is just a manufacturer tolerance to cover a lot of guitars sold in my opinion. The spec for relief on a Gretsch is .008" for instance. It is still a guitar neck like any other. It is quite honestly just a better manufacturing tolerence and even that can be improved on. The .010 and .012 Fender spec is a Maximum tolerance and not a minimum or ideal tolerance in my humble opinion.

It's kind of like when the Harley dealer told me when I complained my front disc brake rotor was too warped for my liking. I measured it at .015" out of true. The dealer advised me that the Harley spec was .015" and wouldn't warranty the item because it was within spec. I bought another rotor and installed it and achieved .004" runout. The brake thump of the out of true rotor was gone although the dealer had the ammunition to send me on my way with no warranty for my brand new (at the time) bike's rotor.
I realize that I am relatively inexperienced but I can say one thing for sure. Once you feel a .004" relief with no Buzz, you'll wonder how you ever lived at .010".
It takes a darn perfect neck to achieve the low numbers though. No high or low frets allowed.
This is just my way of doing it which I pretty much learned right here and over the years.
There is no reason to change what seems to work great for me.
Rule # 1. Level and crown to eliminate high and low frets on a perfectly flat board if required before adjusting anything. (add some fallaway if you want which helps get the string height down without buzzing).
A good Luthier is worth his/her weight in gold I'd wager. Not enough people use them and really don't know what they are missing.
I'm no luthier but I AM a wannabe Luthier. LOL.

Please help me establish some generic guidelines for a basic setup by providing your feedback on the specs below:

Neck Relief (capo 1st fret).
Fret last fret and adjust relief at 8th fret to .010".

Action (no capo).
Adjust action at 12th fret to 4/64" (treble side) and 5/64" (bass side).

Pickup Height (no capo).
Fret last fret and adjust gap to 3/32" (treble side) and 4/32" (bass side).


I think that's a good generic guideline. A good tolerance for the neck relief would be .007 in. +/_ .003" in. IMO

With a proper level and crown you should be able to get way below .010" although I understand this is the Fender spec. I don't believe that would be optimal. .010 is just a manufacturer tolerance to cover a lot of guitars sold in my opinion. The spec for relief on a Gretsch is .008" for instance. It is still a guitar neck like any other. It is quite honestly just a better manufacturing tolerence and even that can be improved on. The .010 and .012 Fender spec is a Maximum tolerance and not a minimum or ideal tolerance in my humble opinion.

I know that a manufacturer has to have tolerances to achieve an overall production product that has certain amount of acceptable quality. I've worked within the manufacturing field (not with guitars) but with very tight tolerance in order to achieve the highest quality product. I would think .010" in. would be a somewhat loose specification. But since wood is not the most stable material in the world I would say .010" in., for most people would be a good guideline. In my mind when I buy a guitar I have to check the whole thing and change what I think will help me out in playing the instrument. IMO

BTW, I love the way you describe your process in setting up.

Looks good to me RAY. Next (last) would be intonation.

Looks good to me RAY. Next (last) would be intonation.

Yep. I intentionally left that one out because it's not open for interpretation. It IS what it IS.

Thanks, Steve.

Ya, I just thought it should be mentioned (for future reference) to be correct in the order of things as some try to do that right away. Proper set up is how you have it there, in THAT ORDER.

Also to say that naturally a person should have whatever strings you are going to be using on there as well, not the factory ones if it's new for instance.

Please help me establish some generic guidelines for a basic setup

All looks well for what I guess you would call an "off the shelf" guitar----like setting one up for a music store not knowing who the end use will be. Far better than a lot of new instruments, but not customized for the individual.

Any thoughts as to a "generic" figure for nut slot depths?? Most new ones on imports leave the strings way high.

All looks well for what I guess you would call an "off the shelf" guitar----like setting one up for a music store not knowing who the end use will be. Far better than a lot of new instruments, but not customized for the individual.

Any thoughts as to a "generic" figure for nut slot depths?? Most new ones on imports leave the strings way high.

For Fender's, the distance between the string and the top of the 1st fret is .020" for strings 2-5 and .018-.020 for the 1st string (high E)

To measure, take a .020" feeler gauge and slide it under the string, parallel to, and directly over, the first fret, then measure the gap. Just tap the string with your finger while the gap gauge is in place. You'll know right away if you're too high or too low.

Fender specs are just a starting point, just bought a new Fender straight from box the set up is terrible, i checked the specs and they are spot on according to thier rule. However you cant play without it buzzing everywhere, ya gotta tweak em to suit your own style and if ya unlucky to get a dud neck then ya have no hope! My advice is if you are unsure, take your guitar to a good luthier.... Good luck!

Fender specs are just a starting point, just bought a new Fender straight from box the set up is terrible, i checked the specs and they are spot on according to thier rule. However you cant play without it buzzing everywhere, ya gotta tweak em to suit your own style and if ya unlucky to get a dud neck then ya have no hope! My advice is if you are unsure, take your guitar to a good luthier.... Good luck!

Interesting. I purchased 2 new Fender FSR Tele's over a 4-month period, sight unseen, through a well known on-line retailer. Both were very useable, out-of-the-box, but I did fresh setups on both and have not had issues with either one.