Guitar Setup Questions:

Is a full and comprehensive setup on a brand nee guitar reasonable?

  • Yes

    Votes: 12 70.6%

  • No

    Votes: 5 29.4%
  • Total voters
    17
I also follow the Biddlin method, however (this is probably my error...), I find it slightly easier getting the truss rod set so the first couple of frets are not buzzing and are easy to press down and get nice notes. Just as a starting point (maybe I've just had a couple of guitars turn up where the relief was way out) then I do exactly the Biddlin method from there. At the very end, I do get the measuring stick out at teh 12th fret just to see that the unfretted height is within manufacturers guidlines, but this is more out of interest than anything else, and I've always been within the guidlines from following the Biddlin goodliness...
 
Robert Herndon said:
I ended up using my supply of orange oil...it was on the shelf and smells good too...I ran tape along the side of the board so the oil could "hang out" near the fret ends...loaded the board up last nigh and let it sit until morning. That board drank up every drop...and guess what??? The sharp edge on the frets has almost completely disappeared and the board now has a more ebony-ish appearance...
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I never said to make a fretboard trough, fill it with orange oil, and let it soak in over night. That may not have been the best course of action for reasons that may, or may not, "arise" at a later date.
Best of luck.
 
^^ fully agree with that.

I was petrified of setting up until I saw the Biddlin method and had a go; a couple of weeks later, two friends gave me there guitars to set up and reckoned they were the best they'd ever played (and I really do not know what I'm doing). It's a simple and effective way although for some reason (I think it's because I'm stupid) I just cannot see the neck bend at all and always start off turning the truss rod the wrong way... :confused:
 
ivan H said:
Follow Biddlins setup method. It is the quickest & easiest way to get the guitar properly set up to suit your personal playing style. I read it a couple of years ago on another forum & tried it. Then had one of those "why didn't I think of that" moments. Now I swear by it. Cheers
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I'm not the smartest fellow. I just kind of found what works for me and keep doing it. If I change things around, or try to follow someone else, I might get lost...
 
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Thatbastarddon said:
I never said to make a fretboard trough, fill it with orange oil, and let it soak in over night. That may not have been the best course of action for reasons that may, or may not, "arise" at a later date.
Best of luck.
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Well, let's see....years ago, we did this with Scott's Liquid Gold. I first saw it done in Grover Jackson's garage workshop....so it's not my method, neither is it anything new, I was just surprised how it helped with the fret edges.... :-)
 
Thatbastarddon said:
I sincerely hope that you don't get any other surprises out of the method you chose.
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Tell you this...it really made the guitar feel so much better. The board took on a much darker, slicker feel and its even more pleasant to play without the fret edges biting you...I have to assume that the Gibson is made better than my 1987 Squirecaster, and that fretboard has been oiled with Scott's Liquid Gold at every string change for over 30 years. So far, no proud frets, no loose frets, so I guess we will see. No matter what happens, It's just a guitar. I have more than one....
 
My 335 has been giving me fits with the weather changes here. Last night I sat down and worked through Biddlin's setup method. Now I have much more neck relief and much higher action that I would consider ideal (for both), but the guitar plays and sounds much better. :hmmm:

I will let it settle in for a few days and see where I go from here.

Thanks, Bids! I wasn't getting anywhere with my usual setup method. My SG Classic has a similar setup and plays like a dream. I would never consider messing with that guitar unless it stops playing so good.
 
Just joining in on this thread and skipping all the posts, except for the intro.

Is a full and comprehensive setup on a brand new guitar reasonable?

IMO, on any guitar more than $1K, I say NO. A truss rod adjustment and tuning is not full and comprehensive, and should be maintained by the dealer. From the manufacturer, the frets should be level and smooth including the ends. Intonation should be spot on with a low action with whatever type of stings chosen by the manufacturer. And the nut should be optimum, too.

However, if the buyer prefers different gauge strings or higher action, then that would have to be considered as an additional setup.

Now, I'll catch up on all those posts that I skipped.
 
My 2016 Gibson SG T Series has very low action...very easy to fret and buzz free. Of course, I measure everything....even when baking... :)

I even set pickup balance with a VU meter....and i record all my settings. Lazy I suppose, but its fast and repeatable.
 
ivan H said:
I measure everything for baking also, but you know, my cakes or cookies are never as good as my old grandma's, who used "about that much" of this & "about this much" of that, & a pinch of this. Cheers
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Oh, I agree! I just stick with my old way of doing things so I can easily grasp the methodology.
 
eSGEe said:
set ups are for losers coffee is for closer now go CLOSE SOMETHING IVAN!
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I've read this post more than 10 times now. I tried compensating for misspellings. Experimented with adding accidentally left out words. The only thing left to do is to get drunk, cuz I can't figure out what the F Adrian is saying here... :BH:
 
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