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Hello there in guitar land, thank you all for your comments and feedback to my column and to the WEBCAST hosted by
Eastwood guitars.
This month I will be discussing a much overlooked aspect of guitar playing and appreciation, the professional setup.
As I always say - this is not MY Guitar until it is setup to my specifications. I think perhaps 90% of today's guitar
players do NOT have a personal guitar repair technician that they work with. People have a favorite video / music
store with a favorite clerk that helps them with selections, a tailor, a banker, a doctor, a dentist, a lawyer...
yet they don't have a favorite guitar tech. Why? Here are three scenarios that will exemplify this point.
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Scenario #1: My Seagull sounds better then my Martin!
How many times have I heard this story, "I bought this cheap guitar at a local music store for $200 bucks, and it
really needed a good setup and strings, and afterwards it sounded amazing!" The truth is that this is no urban legend
- the professional setup is the real deal - and can make a decent guitar play and sound very good and sometimes even
great. This is true for electrics and acoustics equally, although the most obvious is the acoustic as they are usually
more prone to neck and body adjustments due to heat and humidity (or lack thereof). But, the electric guitar also needs
a good setup as well.
Scenario #2: Music store guitars.
In my 30+ years of perusing music stores I have rarely entered a music store where the guitars were maintained w/
fresh strings and a good setup. As a matter of fact they are rarely even in tune to concert pitch (A440). I know -
the profit margin, the man hours, blah, blah, blah - the truth is Mr. Music Store owner you will sell more guitars
if they are maintained. Truth be told unless you are talking about a high end guitar shop where they have to sell
guitars to pay the rent, guitars are usually hung up on the wall and expected to sell themselves.
So if you are really interested in buying a guitar in a music store, ask them to restring it and set it up for you.
I mean don't be an idiot and jerk the guy around for no reason, but you should know what it sounds like before you
buy it. For a guitar under $1,000? Probably not. But for something more expensive, you bet.
For all you vintage guys out there how many times have you picked up that prehistoric Strat and were disappointed with
how it played, knowing full well that it probably has been sitting for a long time without the benefit of some needed
tweaking. Most dealers will say, "dude I left it as I found it" like that is a favor to you, how convenient! It's really
a disservice to those who'll plunk down 20 G's for a piece of guitar history, because these fellas know as well as we
know, that just because it was made 50 years ago don't mean it's a good guitar, and the only way to know is? You guessed
it, if it's setup professionally.
Scenario #3: Online Purchases.
Online mega stores, Ebay auctions, direct sales, mom and pop sellers, third party sellers, yes my friends this is
where a majority of guitar and guitar related commerce is done, online.
I must confess that I was one of those "I ain't buying what I can't play" guys. The idea of paying for a guitar that
I had not seen gave me chills, and even more frightening to this paranoid guitar buyer was the fact that I was buying
one of many guitars in that model that they had in stock. Who was going to pick the one I was getting? Beavis or
Butthead? Or what does "very good condition" mean? Now we deal with words like "vibe" "correct" and "players" guitar -
and are supposed to know what that means. I know what new means, it means new! I know what a demo is, it's a demo! Alas,
now I have learned how to buy guitars that I cannot play, one way is to buy from someone who is reputable and has a
track record. Another is to buy what you know, a 1970 ES 335 (if it has no issues) is a 1970 ES 335, you will pay for
it, and 99 times out of 100 get what you expect (from a reputable dealer or seller).
BUT... Now please my friends, pay attention here because this is the gospel as I know it. Never take a guitar out of
a box after it has been shipped to you, and expect it to play right. To me that's an unreasonable expectation. You buy
a guitar on the merit of its sound, playability and pedigree (where and who it comes from). Like I said earlier, you
can't expect the store owner to take a lower cost guitar, re-string it and setup to your specifications, just for you
to try it out. All players have different ideas about string gauges and low action etc, etc. That is why you need to
find your own local technician, who will begin to understand your personal preferences and expectations. These guys can
make a $500 guitar play like a $5000 guitar, and the more they know about you the better a job they can do for you.
So, as soon as you get your guitar, inspect it for shipping damage and for flaws. As far as flaws are concerned, be
reasonable, as far as I am concerned my expectations on a guitars fit and finish are directly related to its price.
Here is what I believe are the necessary parts of a good setup.
A neck adjustment (if needed)
Intonation
Action adjustment
Fret work (leveling if needed)
Pickup balancing
Nut filing (a way underrated aspect of tuning issues)
New strings
Cleaning scratchy pots (used guitars)
These tasks should be done by a qualified guitar repairman. You should have a local guy who knows your likes and
dislikes. I personally like a flat neck adjustment with almost no bow and a higher action then most would like.
You have your own expectations for a setup, communicate these to your local repairman and than enjoy your guitar.
I will say again - any guitar I own is not truly mine until it is setup to my specifications.
So in closing my friends I respectfully say don't decide whether a guitar is a good guitar or not until it is setup
professionally.
So many guitars, so little time.
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