Set up your electric guitar in 5 simple steps
Does your electric guitar no longer play the way you’re used to? Are the strings rattling, is there fret buzz, does the action feel too high or too low, or do chords keep sounding off even though it’s perfectly in tune? Then it’s probably time for a thorough setup. Luckily there’s a lot you can set up yourself, as long as you know exactly what to look out for. In this blog we’ll take you through setting up your electric guitar in five easy steps, so it plays, sounds and looks like new again. Whether you’ve got a Stratocaster, Telecaster, Les Paul, SG or another model, these tips apply to all of them.
Step 1. Adjusting the truss rod
We’ll start with the heart of the setup: the neck. A neck with too much or too little relief almost always causes fret buzz. The most accurate way to check the neck is with a special truss rod ruler – a ruler that lets you measure the bow of the neck precisely. Don’t have one? Hold the guitar in playing position and tune it to your preferred tuning. Then press down the first and twelfth frets at the same time. The easiest way to do this is by placing a capo at the first fret. To judge the state of the neck, look at the gap at the seventh fret. The ideal distance between the fret and the string is about the thickness of a business card (roughly 0,25 mm).
If the gap is too big, the neck is in a forward bow (“U-shaped bow”) and the truss rod needs to be tightened clockwise. If there’s no gap at all, the neck is in a back bow (“N-shaped bow”) and the tension needs to be reduced slightly, anticlockwise. Always do this in small steps of no more than a quarter turn at a time and be sure to check the neck again in between adjustments.
Please note: on some vintage Fender models the truss rod sits at the body end of the neck, which usually means that the neck has to be removed from the body to access the truss rod.
Step 2. Cleaning the guitar
Is the neck set up correctly? Then it’s time to remove the strings and give the guitar a thorough clean. A rosewood fretboard is best cleaned with extra-fine (0000) steel wool. A lacquered maple fretboard is best cleaned with a slightly damp cloth, so you don’t damage the finish. Once all the grime has been removed from the fretboard, you can polish the frets. In our workshop we use special polishing cloths and sanding blocks. Be sure to protect the wood of the fretboard properly to prevent damage. Finally, you can condition the fretboard using our Fretboard Care Wax, a completely natural beeswax that keeps the wood in good condition. Don’t have any? No worries, you can order it via Wheel of Fifths. Make sure you don’t use beeswax on a lacquered fretboard – a lacquered fretboard doesn’t need feeding.
While the beeswax soaks in, you can clean the rest of the guitar. With the strings off, it’s easy to reach the spots where dust likes to gather, such as around the pickups and between the tuners. Use a slightly damp microfibre cloth to clean the body. Once everything is clean and dry, you can install new strings and tune the guitar to your preferred tuning.
Step 3. Adjusting the string action – the height of the strings
Now that you have a straight neck and a fresh set of strings, you can adjust the height of the strings relative to the frets. This is done at the bridge saddles. Although you can measure the action with a special gauge, in the end it’s mostly a matter of listening and feeling. Most guitarists aim for an action of around 1,6 mm (4/64 inch) on the low E side and 1,2 mm (3/64 inch) on the high E side, measured at the twelfth fret.
If it takes a lot of effort to fret a note, you can lower the bridge saddles slightly. If you hear rattling strings or fret buzz, increase the saddle height slightly. A little fret buzz is often only audible unplugged and generally isn’t a problem when you’re playing amplified. Above all, look for the sweet spot – the point where your guitar plays effortlessly without fret buzz.
Please note: in some cases fret buzz occurs when an open string is played. This is often a problem with the nut, which is difficult to fix yourself. In that case, book an appointment with one of our luthiers near you via the contact form on this page – we’ll be happy to help you further.
Step 4. Adjusting the pickups and checking the electronics
It’s time to plug the guitar into an amplifier. Pay attention to the volume and the balance between the pickups. A commonly used guideline for the height of the pickups relative to the strings is 2,4 mm (6/64 inch) on the bass side and 2,0 mm (5/64 inch) on the treble side of each pickup, measured with the string pressed down at the last fret.
Make sure you check the electronics too. Crackling potentiometers can be treated with Kontakt Chemie Tuner 600, a spray made specifically for electronics. Turn the knob back and forth several times until the crackle disappears. Avoid universal contact sprays, as they often do more harm than good.
Step 5. Making the guitar play in tune – intonation
The last step is perhaps the most important – setting the intonation of your instrument. This determines whether the guitar sounds in tune across the entire neck. Start with a tuned guitar in the playing position and compare the harmonic at the twelfth fret with the fretted note at the twelfth fret. It’s best to use a tuner pedal or a dedicated clip-on tuner for this. If the fretted note is sharper than the harmonic, the bridge saddle needs to be moved back slightly (clockwise), making the string longer. Because you’re lengthening the string, the midpoint of the string shifts. This way you make sure the midpoint of the string sits exactly above the twelfth fret. If the fretted note is flatter than the harmonic, the saddle needs to move forward instead, meaning you’re shortening the string (anticlockwise). Repeat this step for each string, until your guitar is perfectly intonated across the whole neck.
That’s all!
Congratulations! You’ve now given your electric guitar a professional setup. If you’ve carried out the steps above carefully, your guitar will play considerably better. Sometimes, however, you may find that certain problems persist. For instance, frets that aren’t quite level, a nut that sits too high or too low or a bridge or neck that needs specific attention.
Want to get the most out of your guitar? Our luthiers are happy to help. We’re specialised in all types of jobs – whether it’s fixing a broken output jack, replacing pickups, an extensive fret job or something else entirely. Book your appointment online via the contact form and drop by one of our nine locations across the country. You’ll find us in Amsterdam, Boxtel, Ewijk, Groningen, Heerenveen, Heino, Leeuwarden, Rotterdam and Utrecht. With every setup you’ll receive a maintenance booklet that details exactly how we’ve set up your guitar. We don’t work with waiting lists, so in most cases your guitar is ready to collect again within one to two working days.
