doing your own set up

[oscar100]

I got fed up shuttling back and forth to the repairer for set ups - so im going to brave it!

i got the dan erlwhine 'better electric guitar book with the radius tool cut outs

the neck on my cobra is fine so now to the set up

i set top string at 1/64 and bottom string at just over 1/64 at last fret but i dont see how touse the radius guage....

do i hold it under the strings and then bring the 2-5 strings down until they touch the guage?

seems a bit arbitrary - want a smooth low action/.....as shipped from TA.....teh shops ive tried here dont seem toreplicate it....

also looking at 1/64 measurements on teh ruler is really fiddly!

suggestions?

:rolleyes:

[dpeterson]

radius gauges are ususally used for setting the curvature of the bridge saddles so it is the same as the neck. I usually eyeball it to be honest, on floyds you cannot easily change it, need to use shims.

My idea of a good setup, is usually totally different from someone elses, thank god all this stuff is adjustable :) Some of the action adjustment is also neck relief on the truss rod too, so dont forget to get that right, thats where i usually start. In the end, just go with what feels right to you.


Dave

[Joel]

That's super low action there so much so that you'll probably fret out if you bend. What fret are you measuring this at? I usually go for 3/64 at the 12th fret. Maybe you are measuring from a different spot or measuring with the string fretted somewhere.

I started setting up my own guitars a couple of years ago. I started with my McInturffs following Terry's guide.
http://www.mcinturffguitars.com/05-ShopTalk/TerrysCorner/TerrysCorner_2.asp

I find that a truss rod adjustment will get you 90% of where you need to be. I very rarely have to adjust the height of the bride saddles.

Just jump right in and do it. It gets easier everytime. I'm at the point now where I don't even use rulers or gauges. JoeB63 has played a couple of my guitars that I set up and had some positive comments on the setup even though the action was too low for him.

Joel

[oscar100]

thanx for that

i was following wat tom said in anotehrthread about 1/64 at teh last fret unless i misunderstood

the whole set up thing is really scary and thanx for your suggestions - ill dive on in and see what i can do.....gulp[


:eek:

[JoeB63]

Yes, Joel is the master of low-action set-ups. Heed his advice young jedi.

[tom]

oscar, it's suposed to be 1/16", but like i have said before, i like mine a bit higher. we do get people saying they want it lower than our 1/16". can't play that myself.

[oscar100]

thanx tom

i thought id done something wrong!:rolleyes:

can u create self setting up gtr?

:D

[tom]

maybe that transtune thing could do that with all those servo's in the guitar. but would we want to play it?

[oscar100]

why not?
\
its only the gtr equivalent of britney spears!

:D

[pluto]

Originally posted by Joel
That's super low action there so much so that you'll probably fret out if you bend. What fret are you measuring this at? I usually go for 3/64 at the 12th fret. Maybe you are measuring from a different spot or measuring with the string fretted somewhere.

I started setting up my own guitars a couple of years ago. I started with my McInturffs following Terry's guide.
http://www.mcinturffguitars.com/05-ShopTalk/TerrysCorner/TerrysCorner_2.asp

I find that a truss rod adjustment will get you 90% of where you need to be. I very rarely have to adjust the height of the bride saddles.

Just jump right in and do it. It gets easier everytime. I'm at the point now where I don't even use rulers or gauges. JoeB63 has played a couple of my guitars that I set up and had some positive comments on the setup even though the action was too low for him.

Joel

Joel, thanks for the link. Great info. Excuse my ignorance, but what's an automotive feeler gauge and where do you buy something like that (I'm assuming a hardware store)? Thanks, Mark

[Joel]

Hey Mark,

It's also known as a spark plug gap gauge. Here's a link to one:
http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?vertical=TOOL&pid=00940804000&bidsite

I think I got mine at Wally World or Autozone. I had more problems finding the little metal ruler that had marks for 32nds of an inch.

Thanks again for the Cobra S. I'm really loving it.

Joel

[pluto]

Originally posted by Joel
Hey Mark,

It's also known as a spark plug gap gauge. Here's a link to one:
http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?vertical=TOOL&pid=00940804000&bidsite

I think I got mine at Wally World or Autozone. I had more problems finding the little metal ruler that had marks for 32nds of an inch.

Thanks again for the Cobra S. I'm really loving it.

Joel

Thanks for the link, Joel. I'll try the McInturff method and see how my set-up goes-usually I just have my local dealer set up my guitars since it's free. I'm glad you like the HCS and thanks for buying it! Take care, Mark

[tom]

the mcinturf method looks much the same as what we do. except he is setting the height at the 12th fret instead of the 21st fret. that will give you a slightly higher action.

[oscar100]

well i tried



AND IT WORKED - FEELS GREAT

THANX ALL FOR TEH HELP

:D