Set-ups

[otterhound]

I finally got around to attempting set-ups on my builds . All I can say is WOW . I have learned a valuable lesson . Transformed each and every one .

[Ricky D.]

Otterhound, you've got that right! I'm a recent convert. I could not spend the money now to buy a decent guitar and not get the best setup I can afford. I don't have the skills/tools to do it all myself, so I do get some help.

For 40 years I thought that setting neck relief, string height, pickup height, and intonation was a complete set up, and I did my own. Any difference in playability after that was just the difference between a good and a not-so-good guitar.

Then I took a guitar to Mellicaster for "tweaking" last year. Here's what I found out: I can't set up a guitar as well as a pro like Tony can, any more than I can play like Ted Greene or Brent Mason. When Tony's done it's as good as the best I've ever played,.

[lonewolf]

Thanks Ricky D.! Finally somebody has said it on a forum. I can't hardly believe it! The general opinion of guitar tech's on most forums, is dismal. Some even make it sound as though none of them could possibly do anything to my guitar, that I couldn't do myself. It's true that there are a lot of wanna-be's out there, posing as guitar repairmen. But much like any other profession, there are some that really know there stuff, and have spent many years learning there trade. You wouldn't assume that you could do a heart transplant, just because someone else can. I guess that comparison is a bit silly, but you get my drift, none of us can do it all. I also see a lot of people who talk about not being able to afford a professional set-up. Unless things are very different here in my part of the U.S., it's really pretty cheap, when you consider the price of your instrument. My average charge for a "complete" (and I mean complete) setup, is from $45.00 to $55.00. That isn't as much as the cost of the average pickup upgrade, that most players seem to think they must make as soon as they purchase a new guitar. Getting a really good personalized set-up, is just about the only part of your guitar hero's lifestyle, that you can afford to copy! Finding a truly good tech, and getting to know him, is one of the best investments in the whole guitar biz.
Gene Warner
repairman 40 years