The '5-STEP SETUP' every guitarist should know!

[@PaulDavids]

*IMPORTANT ADDITION* Always adjust the action after ensuring the neck is setup correctly. I named the action first, because sometimes that is all it takes to take a guitar from good to perfect. On the Novo I did not even touch or measure the neck, because everything feels right. Of course this doesn't apply for acoustics, where you should always do the neck before any adjustment. Cheers!

[@louiszaffino4071]

hey paul why are the strings on my acoustic buzzing? i just replaced the strings a couple weeks ago. LOVE UR VIDS 😘🥰

[@jwec9867]

Floyd rose set up please? Just a suggestion. Keep up the good videos!

[@MrKrankKopf]

TRAIN: Tune Rod Action Intonation Noodling

[@LexanderMiller]

@@louiszaffino4071 you may have put lighter gauge strings on the guitar than were on before, allowing the neck to bend back more than it was with the other strings.

[@JohnRitson78]

@@louiszaffino4071 Each set of strings has a variable tension rate and a subtle change can affect the neck and it sounds like you may need a slight adjustment of the truss rod to give it more relief and to compensate for the new strings, that being said if it was fine beforehand with the older strings. 1/8-1/4 at a time and allow 30 minutes before working on it again as this gives it time to settle.

[@hal_of_a_time]

As a mechanic, and Engineer. My experience is that If you adjust down (loosen) anything, always loosen farther then you need and work your way tighter. Adjustments last longer as you set a torque and tension rather then loosening. A good rule of thumb for any adjustment.

[@reaganharder1480]

I've always done this with tuning but never thought about it for truss rods.

[@Thirsty_Fox]

Interestingly it's the opposite for piano tuning, because the pins are set in the wood -- you always tune down because they will want to settle back up, but this is countered by the tension of the string.

[@nipperdog7777]

I would tend to agree with this, but guitars are little beasties. One guitar might work better adjusting to tight, and the next adjusting down. One way to tell is if you hear little pings when you adjust. If you hear the ping, go the other way (usually tight).

[@lemmy546]

@@nipperdog7777 The "Ping" sound just indicates that the string is not following the string relief or tension smoothly, and that is caused by a nut slot that is too tight (ie: friction, which is a bad thing in nut slots). That makes every move up or down hard to get right, and if you bend a string, problem can be that the string will not come down back in tune as the nut locked the 'over tension', and your guitar is out of tune (again).

[@HHSTuba]

Same thing with tuning the strings. Start low and tune up.

[@RemyLuciani]

I'm a pro "international system" for measurement units, but the fact you thought to put both metric and imperial units side by side is such a mark of professionalism. Quality of you work is really inspiring!

[@briandillon8041]

I am American and I’ve never heard of the Imperial sister before. We call it the English system.

[@no1philosopher]

@@briandillon8041 No we don't lol never once have I heard that, must be some east coast stuff!

[@al_kaloid]

@@briandillon8041 Gotta watch Star Wars then..

[@kh3rb]

@@briandillon8041 imperial sister? lol

[@ianmacpherson6093]

Technically I believe the American system is officially called U.S. Customary units, which differ from the imperial system chiefly in the number of fluid ounces making up a cup, pint, quart, etc... although you may correct me if I am wrong, this information was gleaned from a google search. And it is certainly common to refer to the system used in America as the imperial system. I have heard of people calling it the English system as well, but not in America.

[@yes-xw8cg]

Btw for anyone who doesn’t know, lemon oil is different from lemon juice. Lemon juice is corrosive and will literally make you frets and fretboard fall off. Lemon oil is a mix of mineral oils that moisturize the fretboard and make it play better. Lemon oil contains no lemons, it just smells like them

[@ErebosGR]

Lemon oil is extracted from the outside skin of the fruit, lemon juice comes from the inside. Lemon oil is not a mixture of mineral oils, it's a vegetable oil by definition.

[@jonartscc968]

@@ErebosGR there is absolutely no actual lemon in lemon oil

[@TheGrahammasterflash]

@@ErebosGR Correct, but the "lemon oil" that is sold for guitar fretboards is mineral oil. Yes it's stupid.

[@ErebosGR]

@@TheGrahammasterflash Only the Dunlop 65 one. Others use real lemon oil.

[@NeoRichardBlake]

@@ErebosGR Sorry Erebos, every wood rated (guitar or furniture) lemon oil that I've ever been able to find any information on is actually just scented mineral oil. Sadly, it's pretty hard to find this information. I may have found it in MSDS information. I don't recall, and I'm not doing all that work again to find it. I satisfied my own curiosity, and that was enough at the time. If you know of some specifics that do use real lemon oil, I'd be interested to see them though.

[@kibbles1053]

It always blows my mind how much a setup changes the sound of the guitar. If I ever start feeling uncomfortable or like the guitar isn't feeling right, I pay attention to what is missing, adjust, and we're back in love.

[@RicCrouch]

You’re so right! I was amazed the first time I did a full setup on my guitar how much better it felt and played.

[@wolverinemcstud194]

I’ve been playing guitar for almost 30 years and this is great information. The only tip that I could give if you haven’t covered it already is to stretch your strings after you put them on And play with it for about 20 minutes before you go on stage. It typically won’t go out of ttune or have any slips. I generally just pull the string at the 12th fret about an inch away from the fretboard a few times and then retune

[@jaxonfitch1105]

Yupp. Ive found that if you repeat this atleast twice on electric and three times on acoustic, they will stay in tune just fine.

[@Nichi-Ji]

I just bend the string at random frets up and down, retune and then bend again until I stop needing to retune it

[@scottbaekeland9750]

Good idea that really helps.

[@benmessner6971]

I've been in a few bands and seen the lead guitarist do it all the time. I like to play for a week on new strings to break them in and get comfortable with them before I'd go on stage. But then again he was way better than me haha

[@jackzeppelin4]

I read where Eddie Van Halen would boil his strings before putting them on his guitar. Hmmm....

[@ScottyWiard]

Always do neck relief first, then action, then intonation. Relief affects action, and both can affect intonation.

[@ChadWorthman]

I came here to say the same. I always thought neck relief was first. Neck relief affects action, but saddle height doesn't affect neck relief.

[@jeffblackwell5493]

TRAIN - Tune, Relief, Action, Intonation (Can't remember 'N')

[@PaulDavids]

True! Mentioned action first because sometimes it can be the first and only step.

[@ScottyWiard]

@@jeffblackwell5493 Noodle ;)

[@ripcordian]

@@jeffblackwell5493 Neck? (Cleaning) Edit: oh, wait, it actually is Noodle :) thanks google.

[@trevelyanjoelpakkari1720]

How to set up a guitar: Open this video everytime you need to do it.

[@PaulDavids]

Good for the algorithm.

[@louiszaffino4071]

@@PaulDavids lol

[@M4Y0_]

@@PaulDavids Sounds like the robot overlords are already here 😂

[@ricos1497]

And then read the pinned comment....

[@nickharding1616]

Algorithms matter but a solid guitar setup matters more, quality video again Paul👍🤘

[@ChrisBuckGuitar]

There I was, feeling pleased with myself for finally figuring out how to add filters in Final Cut and then a second Paul appears 🙄

[@Owtyg23]

Paul beating us all as guitarists and editors!

[@chrismccarter6875]

Chris we don't watch your videos for the camera work!

[@valebliz]

Well i mind more about your playing than your editing skills lol

[@CoffsRice]

I have to agree, Paul's video skills are the gold standard.

[@shankrl1]

There they were, 9 other guitarists feeling pleased with their solos over Pauls backing track, then your solo popped up..

[@MisterTee]

I use John Suhr’s method of setting intonation. That is I don’t use the open string and 12th fret. I use the third fret as my open reference and the 15th as my octave reference. This sweetens the intonation and makes it a little more accurate

[@navigator3744]

I'm going to try that.

[@danielstaples982]

I'm not going to try that.

[@edeledeledel5490]

What does "sweetens the intonation" mean exactly?

[@williamwhelan997]

@@edeledeledel5490 i know doing both methods and finding a happy middle will give you the "truest" intonation, but it's not exactly necessary, no matter what you do, a guitar is naturally going to be ever so slightly out of tune on certain frets, most of the time, its not noticeable by ear.

[@edeledeledel5490]

@@williamwhelan997 If more manufacturers used a zero fret instead of a nut, there would be no reason to use the third fret for intonation. Most problems with intonation using open strings are caused by the nut grooves being too high. A zero fret reduces this possibility to almost nothing. Most amateurs are reluctant to file away at their nut, particularly if it's an expensive guitar for them. How you fret changes the intonation anyway. If you fret right behind the fret with a lot of pressure, It changes the tension in the string, and sharpens the note. If you fret further back, lightly, this doesn't happen as much. If you don't believe this, try using a capo with a strong spring just behind the fret, and then a capo with a weaker spring in the middle of the space between the frets. If you hit the strings very hard, you might need more pressure and to be nearer the fret, so horses for courses. Death metal doesn't need to be in tune, anyway.

[@ftlbaby]

I have watched 273 guitar setup videos and you are the first to say that the 12th fret should be exactly in the middle for the intonation to be correct. That helps me so much in terms of visualization and also guitar construction. Brilliant ; ) THANK YOU!

[@edeledeledel5490]

Theoretically true if the string is vanishingly small. As soon as you have thicker strings, especially wound ones on the lower strings, it is not true any more. On any modern guitar, the length of the lower strings is longer than the higher strings, so the 12th fret can only be in the middle on one or possibly two strings. For two strings one will be wound and one unwound.

[@1Pandemoonium]

It sounds dumb, but this is exactly what I’ve been after. I’ve always been too worried to touch these things with my guitars out of fear of doing something I can’t come back from, and a lot of other guides always seem to assume some prerequisite knowledge. This was great, cheers Paul!

[@mgcnashville6615]

Buy a really cheap, beater guitar. Use that to practice on. Better to learn on a guitar you don't mind making mistakes on. This is how I started. Now I'm building guitars. Tbh, all of this is much easier with a bit of practice, and realizing just how resilient a guitar is.

[@deriktofil]

Same. This video has genuinely been very useful to me.

[@mma1st105]

@@mgcnashville6615 exactly. I bought a bullet Tele for 117 bucks brand new. I wound up learning a bunch and did some upgrades and now I love the guitar. I'm not that worried about it being stolen or broken while playing in bars either.

[@5000rgb]

"fear of doing something I can’t come back from" You can learn your limit and just back away when you approach it. Just be cautious, you usually have to go a ways past reasonable to mess stuff up.

[@mgcnashville6615]

mma 1st funny how once you learn to tech/build, it seems so obvious and simple. And you can make cheap guitars play well even if they're made with cheap parts. Can also buy good quality parts/wood and build a guitar every bit as good as a $5k guitar for a fraction of the $.

[@sedona687]

Thanks! I stay at the Sky Ranch when I am in Sedona.

[@Ohsnapitskenny]

"The capo is not only for Wonderwall" I Laughed out loud

[@70mjc]

Why? It wasn’t funny....

[@aaronfairchild923]

I literally clapped haha

[@jordanparker7407]

Real men barre wonderwall with there thumb

[@joe_fish143]

@@70mjc boooo, be nice

[@ErenTheGunman]

bought my capo for that song LOL

[@marc.lepage]

You've heard of Les Paul, this video has Mor Paul.

[@yorgenthesmorgen4405]

Lol that made me laugh, thank you

[@punkisinthedetails1470]

Hey Monsieur Le Page. Thats Les Paul. This is Le Paul. There is only one.

[@claudevieaul1465]

#groan

[@punkisinthedetails1470]

@@couchpoet1 Bulk Hogan

[@greenvelvet]

You're a brave man. BRAVO!!👍

[@lignitedaze]

What a fantastic tutorial. I love the calm, steady, quiet and methodical way you approach the subject. I've always been a bit anxious about trying a full set-up on my guitars, but now I'm really keen - confident, but not overly so - to attempt it. Thank you.

[@t3hgir]

I taught myself guitar setup not too long ago and radically improved the playability of my Dad's handed down American strat. Local guitar shop did a "setup" last year and didn't even polish the frets or adjust the intonation and relief. There was ALOT of neck relief, whereas I prefer a super straight neck with low action like Allan Holdsworth. I also was able to file down the nuts a bit on my new Charvel tele and Jackson 8 string to get better intonation on the lower frets, soo much better. There's something so great about patiently working on the setup and getting the instrument in a much more playable, intonated and stable state. To anyone still afraid of adjusting guitar or bass setup, don't !!! take your time and understand what you are doing!

[@michael_caz_nyc]

I Stopped bringing my guitars to the: "So-called Experts in NYC" and started doing all my own Set-Ups and Maintenance about 7 years ago = I've Never been Happier with the Playability of my instruments. They look & sound fantastic, and I'm enjoying Playing much-more. ( if you want something done right . . . Do It Yourself ) - Fantastic explanation Paul.

[@michelthibodeau8550]

Can't agree more !

[@michael_caz_nyc]

@@michelthibodeau8550 I've had friends bring guitars to "Repair Shops" (no names mentioned) - where the Music is Blasting Loud all day. How can the Guitar Tech Listen for any Fret Buzzing, Grounding issues, Pickup Hums, Dead-spots on the neck - if they can't hear themselves think? People Trust this process ???

[@snubb3d]

same here. the "expert" in my area installed an under-bridge pickup for my acoustic. forgot to sand down the bridge. I played with 4 mm action for 3 years and eventually bought a new guitar. even my teacher did not try and help. He was the one who got the pickup installed, yet failed to notice the change. Just 3 weeks ago, I noticed and did it myself.

[@michael_caz_nyc]

@@snubb3d During this unfortunate Covid Lockdown in NYC, - I have honestly watched over 40 hours of "Do It Yourself" - guitar repair, set ups and maintenance videos and also read 2 books by: Dan Erlewine: Guitar player repair guide & How to make your electric guitar play great. Also check: Frudua TV (from Italy). Paul does a fantastic job with delivering his information - too.

[@valebliz]

Pretty much the same experience. I always did my own setups. A few weeks ago I had to bring a partscaster to a luthier because some frets needed dressing and i can't do it, it came back with two string trees even if it has staggered tuners and needed one at most and the worst damn setup i ever seen, like 3-4mm action at the 12th fret...

[@HenryPipes]

Paul Waller from Fender’s custom shop has a cool acronym for setups. It’s T.R.A.I.N. (Tune, relief, action, intonation, noodle) he recommends doing a setup in that order.

[@t3hgir]

I follow T.R.A.I.N for setups too, it works well.

[@joshuaspencer432]

Also, play some Train songs after you set it up. :)

[@ΟΟύτις]

What noodle means.Sorry im from Greece.

[@t3hgir]

@@ΟΟύτις just messing around on the instrument, playing your favorite licks and riffs. Seeing how your adjustments impacted the feel. check this out from Fender Custom Shop kzbin.info/www/bejne/m3W4aaGnhsmLnNk

[@joshuaspencer432]

@@ΟΟύτις Pick a key and play a few licks on your guitar... :)

[@SuperML1995]

Thanks!

[@espedale]

You covered ground that it took hours of watching other videos to understand; yet you somehow managed to do it perfectly in under 20 minutes. Amazing!

[@nmunir]

100s of confusing videos later Paul to the rescue. You are one of a kind!! Please keep at it Paul, the world needs you!

[@jarnobot]

Tip: If you want rough measurements for the action, but you don't have any proper around to measure the distance between the fret and the string, you can use the same alan wrench you're using to adjust the bridge. On a strat, this wrench is probably a size 1.5 mm (it is on my Squier Bullet, so I guess this is pretty universal). That's exactly the action I'm aiming for on the low E. So when you lay the wrench on the fret it should either * have a gap ( = action is higher than 1.5) * have no gap while (only just) touching the string, without moving/bending the string ( = the action is about 1.5mm. * touch the string while also bending it ( = action is lower than 1.5mm. It's not perfect, but it give a pretty good estimate. Just adjust based on what feels good to you from there on.

[@holygeneration7]

"don't have any proper " ???

[@hemyavraham292]

תודה!

[@tuulofdstrxn]

Great video, all very useful tips, essential even. One thing I would add is taking care of a binding nut. Especially on cheap guitars with plastic nuts, wound strings can dig into the plastic and bind to it, leading to unstable tuning that's impossible to dial in just right. You can tell if your guitar is doing this if the wound strings make pinging noises as you tighten them. This can be remedied by taking the string out of the string slot, using an old string of the same thickness, and rubbing it back and forth in the nut slot like a string file. This will smooth out the grooves left by the wound string, and will allow you to tune the guitar more accurately. For avoiding string binding and ensuring smooth tuning, you can try lubricating the nut slots. For a quick fix you can just use a regular old graphite core pencil or mechanical pencil, just rub the graphite into the string slots generously. But that won't last very long, and what I really suggest to do is grind the graphite to a powder in a separate container, and put in a small dollop of vaseline and mix them together, then use a toothpick to put a little bit of this graphite paste you've just made into the nut slots. In addition to making tuning slicker and more accurate, it will help to prevent the strings from binding again as the graphite-vaseline mixture is filling the texture of the wound strings.

[@skurdibbles7913]

Have you tried "dry" lube spray....it's made for pad locks and machines that you want to keep clean while lubed.

[@thrasherftw]

Also, even just using a pencil in the nut slots can help with this.. the graphite lubricates them.

[@charleyeastman1795]

This is the most helpful guitar video I have ever seen in my entire 50 years. Thank you so much!

[@devonull8784]

I agree. I've been doing all this forever and Paul just teaches everybody so clearly.

[@jvin248]

*Make sure to do all measurements and tests with the guitar in playing position* (especially intonation checks open vs 12th fret). Tune a guitar on it's back or sitting in a neck jack and then recheck in playing position and the tuning will be a long way off target -- Gravity!

[@SeemsLikeSomething]

Paul, great video. You explain things in a way everyone can understand. Well done sir! I wanted to just mention how a surprising amount of issues can be caused by the nut. You mentioned that but I think it’s one of the most common problems and one of the harder ones to deal with. The height, angle, width, at which the strings enter and exit the nut are SO key to a good setup. Intonation becomes seriously impossible if the strings do not exit onto the fingerboard at the correct height. If you intonate and chords sound out of tune still, this is absolutely the issue. Some players feel comfortable doing filing work on the nut but it is a bit advanced because of how finicky of a process it is and how many variables matter. I would recommend having a guitar tech do that part if you don’t know how or don’t have the correct tools. Don’t try to shortcut it with the wrong tools!

[@skorpion.3571]

Hey paul for the past 9 months i couldn't get my guitar to play well the strings were too high or too low i even gave it to the luthier but he said that this guitar is cheap and theres no reason for me to pay money and it's better when i learn it myself . I watched your video and tried for 4 hours straight to get the guitar to play like i want to and it helped . Now i am super satisfied how it turned out . Thank you soo much for this tutorial 😁😁😁

[@Roger-rm3fz]

Tack!

[@adequtemaster6802]

I'm here to report that apart from music film making is an amazing art, as such i just watched the beginning part at half speed and that mask is so good it makes it clear to me that Paul is an amazing guitar player and also a terrific film maker that clearly puts a really long time into making his videos. Love you paul.

[@jeff4310]

On guitars with bolt-on necks, always ensure that the screws are snug: DO NOT over tighten, however! Loose neck screws can cause a whole host of issues.

[@pastureexpectationsfarm6412]

Loose necks cause wrecks

[@nwimpney]

An important note, is that you're checking that they're not loose, you're not tightening them. Many people will tighten them a little bit every time they check, which just leads to stripping them out eventually.

[@TheAlanSaunders]

The term 'bolt-on neck' annoys me! They invariably use woodscrews. Ideally, the neck socket should have threaded (bronze, brass or stainless steel) inserts allowing machine screws (or bolts) to be used. Best practice would be to tighten to a torque figure in in*oz or hundredths of N*m. BTW, when re-inserting woodscrews and even small machine screws, it is important not to 'cross thread'increases

[@reaganharder1480]

@@TheAlanSaunders I believe I've seen a few bolt-ons with proper machine screws, though I never removed those necks to confirm. I had a cheap bolt on myself where one of the wood screws snapped one day, and the 3 screws that remained allowed a full step of tuning adjustment just from pushing the neck up or down...

[@jackhammer111]

@@nwimpney You mean if they are Duffi (plural of Duffus). Here's an idea, If they're not loose, don't tighten them. Only a Duffus thinks you have to make the screw turn every time you put a screwdriver on it. So, don't be a Duffus.

[@robertsteinberger]

This is the best guitar setup video I've ever seen, and FINALLY takes the guesswork out of it! I've done many guitar setups in my time, but I've still learned something here.

[@Vexatedcanicus]

I count myself as a beginner guitarist and maybe about 2 or 3 years back I bought a cheap electric guitar (Jackson JS11 Dinky). I heard many things from reviews saying it was great for the price range. I bought the guitar from an online retailer and was kind of disappointed... So many things just felt wrong but I didn't know what it was. I just thought maybe I had too much expectations from watching all those videos on said guitar. Almost the end of 2023 and here we are... I now know what went wrong. - Pickups were way too high, making sustain impossible - neck had a severe backbow - action was too high, making my playing absolutely janky. It felt like i was lagging but I thought thats just because I sucked 😅 - intonation was all over the place, which made me sound like i was tone deaf... Because of this video, my guitar sounds and feels exactly as the reviews described. Phenomenal work Mr. Davids! I wish I stumbled on this video sooner... Thank you very much for this video!

[@AlicatMusic101]

Thank you Paul for this extremely useful guide. Being able to do these things myself has not only improved the playability of my instruments, but has also saved me from the frustration and cost of having to rely on the mercy of my local music store for help. An unexpected result is that I have a more intimate relationship with my guitars. That may sound a bit odd, but as a result, I get more enjoyment out of my practice sessions which means my playing has noticeably improved. -Thanks again.

[@robertblankenship1856]

I agree 100%

[@DaveKaplowitz]

This is super helpful, Paul. I have recently started doing my own setups after years of taking my guitars to a luthier. And your explanations of these adjustments are the clearest that I have seen anywhere. Getting ready to adjust the truss rod and the pickup height on my tele so this is great timing. Thanks!

[@Golder_10]

By far the best and most detailed guitar set-up explanation, but at the same time kept it simple in a way that helps understand everything easily. Have been looking for a good video that explains the bridge's saddle intonation so that I could mess with mine properly

[@JosephVFitness]

Out of 4 Stars I give Paul Davis FIVE! Thank you, Paul. As usual, this detailed and well articulated descriptive and visually supportive video is super helpful and valuable for we guitar lover/players with limited tech exposure. I (we all) greatly appreciate you. BE WELL, BE JOYFUL, AND BE PROSPEROUS IN ALL WAYS, ALWAYS. Joseph

[@popsfereal]

Except he has the guitar in the wrong position the whole time.

[@IgorHatesEverything]

Is it just me or does this guy have one of the most soothing voices on the planet?

[@Legend7131]

I play this at night to go to sleep

[@punkisinthedetails1470]

but never boring.

[@svenjansen2134]

Plus heavy Dutch accent.

[@IgorHatesEverything]

@@svenjansen2134 The Dutch are amazing with languages. They speak better English than most of us Americans do.

[@emuk5543]

Bob Ross of guitar stuff.

[@E.T.musics]

There are lots of videos in youtube about how to set up a guitar. But this has been the one the simpliest , informative and a practical one. One must understand a guitar is a very personal item. its an organic device. The strings and the body is changes its volume dependimg on the ambient , the usage and time. So it needs to re adjusted. Setting up the pick ups closer to the strings you get a louder sound but with less dynamics in my opinion. Its like you raise the gain knob of an amplifier or a pedal just not that obvious. Lower action is good it gives you much more freedom on the fretboard and gives you easeness of playing. But you loose the harmonic depth and you loose the sustain. I think one learns all those with experience. Like anything else .

[@Dark-cy2db]

Paul out here saving lives

[@Rick-uu5yo]

Great content Paul: A few small corrections/omissions: - Action: The goal is to measure action about half way along the neck, i.e at the 12th if open. If a capo is on the 1st fret then halfway is around 13th or 14th fret not 17th. Why 17th Paul? - The goal of intonation is to make the 12th fret tune to an exact octave above the open string but this does not mean that the 12th fret is "exactly half way along the string"; this is why the bridge is angled instead of simply having a fixed bridge perpendicular to the strings at exactly twice the length of the nut-to-12th fret. Intonation compensates for string gauge and subsequent string flex. Scale length is technically, the length from the nut to the centre of the 12th fret multiplied by 2 and used to compare guitars from different manufacturers and choose string gauges accordingly. - No mention of pole piece height adjustment. A few "next time" suggestions: - How to string a guitar at the tuners - people do the weirdest things; double threading, loads of excess string windings, leaving sharp, downward pointing string ends to cut circles in the lacquer, leaving long, messy eye-spikers. I'm interested to know what Paul does. - How to set-up a guitar with a tremolo - always a lot of fun. - String gauges - influence of scale length, use of tunings, ease of play

[@AtOdinsCall]

"How to set up a guitar with a tremolo - always a lot of fun." It's easy, you just pay somebody else to do it and play fixed bridge for a while.

[@j_freed]

AtOdinsCall - once you master the Floyd Rose setup, you pretty much own vibrato bridge setups like Fenders.

[@davelightman]

I've been looking for a simple explanation for this, and this is hands-down the best example I've seen. Thanks for doing this Paul.

[@carlgray9746]

That´s some sick camerawork Paul! And a beautiful guitar : )

[@travisjones75]

I've found that the graphite pencil is a secret weapon. Any time I do a string change or adjustment, especially with a Bigsby or trem system, I use a mechanical pencil-----I advance the graphite and rub it into the slots in the nut then rub the saddle and the area of the string where it meets the saddle. Tuning magic!!!

[@dcthegreatest24]

Of course, a luthier is most qualified with the knowledge and ability for the finest adjustments/modifications with all of the proper (and quite expensive) tools, however, these tips can get most people in the ballpark with minimal knowledge and tools. This is golden information. Thank you, Paul!

[@sebastianschmidt6136]

Great video Paul. In Spanish we call the truss rod "Alma", which means "Soul", because it's like the fundation of the guitar.

[@666thsense]

important to note that after adjusting a neck, it will need to settle in to its new home. wood is organic and will give and take a little on its own after initial adjustment. hence why anyone who is decent and doing a setup for you will give you at least a few days window. general setups take 5-15 minutes, but they need to rest and settle afterwards and then be rechecked again.

[@CR3271]

Great video, with one additional point about intonation: if you have a guitar with a floating tremolo, don't check the intonation with the guitar laying on the workbench. You need to check the intonation in playing position, because picking up the guitar and turning it sideways causes the bridge to shift slightly.

[@AndrewBeveridge461]

And not with the headstock resting on the bench. It can bend the neck forward enough to pull everything slightly flat, depending on the weight/geometry of the guitar.

[@fredhandl7011]

Hello Paul, I am a pianist, but I have been playing guitar for the better part of my life. I have never paid much attention to how my guitars were set up. I always thought that ... well, that's just the way they are built. UNTIL ... I brought my (not so good guitar) to a shop to have it set up. When I picked it up, I was holding an entirely different instrument. For the better! Since that moment, I wanted to learn how to do that myself. And I have been watching videos and reading books about setting up a guitar and I now stumbled upon this video. Thank you so much. Still a total noob, I am, but thanks to your video, I finally dare to actually do some work on my planks! Thanks for the your addition in the comments! And, most of all, thanks for this great vid! (I hope the guy you pushed from his stool is doing okay)

[@fredhandl7011]

Oh, and I had a question .. since I am all new to this and have no idea ... how is that blue 'cushion' called, that you lay your guitar on?

[@ares8553]

My guitar now plays like a dream. You're the best, Paul; be well my friend.

[@zealforhumnity]

I just found this video and it’s the best I’ve seen on the subject. Thank you for your hard work.

[@KoPlaysGuitar]

Classical guitarists: ‘You guys can adjust things?’

[@stevekirby7333]

Neck bow on classical guitars is done the same way as old Martins. By playing with the fret slot width and the width of the fret tang. A tighter fit will back bow the neck while a looser fret will allow for relief. Usually the fret slots are made clean and consistent, and then the fret tangs are crushed or bent wavy as required based on previous observations of the neck. This is something best left to a very experienced luthier.

[@KoPlaysGuitar]

@@stevekirby7333 I didn’t know that! Thanks for this information! (:

[@j_freed]

Steve Kirby - and these electric guitar players bitch about restringing a Floyd Rose while it's still floating, they are such pussies when with a classical you have to compensate for the varying resistance of the neck wood in opposition to string tension...

[@peasant502]

@@j_freed lol, u mad bc electric guitar players can entertain people under 70 with their playing?

[@peasant502]

@Mark Seymour entirely agree. i was being kinda (majorly) hyperbolic. love classical guitar. all guitar music can be good really, and only people who don't have an actual appreciation for music would say things like that in earnest. the fact is, regardless of circumstance people have different tastes, and while some people may be whiny about neck size or whatever, I think the majority of people just wanna have fun and play music. also, all classical guitarists are vampries. so yeah, while I understand what he's pointing out, I think that his view on the topic is not a good one. Another case of a silent majority being subject to the reputation of the loud minority. The same attitude is carried towards people who skateboard, people who aren't straight, and formerly people who play video games, although that one has faded in recent.

[@maxwellchiu9934]

Best guitar setup video on the Net. You were so right during the first 30 seconds of the video. This is something nobody should be afraid to do. Kudos.

[@Fa11out]

I havent played guitar in 10-12 years but I'm about to get my first one since and I'm doing all kinds of research to refresh my mind and I love how clear and to the point this video is. Thanks for making this

[@bruceday8464]

From my experience, sanding a saddle back and forth can cause it to form a curved bottom. It's best to push sand it in one direction only and keep constant pressure.

[@scottgain604]

I prefer a fresh 8 or 10 inch fine mill or bastard file, one that's never been used on metals. This can produce very good flatness that I believe is important to transfer string vibrations to the sound board (top) of the guitar. I'll also tap the nut off and do the same with it.

[@RC32Smiths01]

Being inside nowadays, I think learning to be more creative and more skills is a really great thing, especially learning how to improve a guitar. Cheers!

[@trevelyanjoelpakkari1720]

You are everywhere I go

[@RC32Smiths01]

@@trevelyanjoelpakkari1720 Ahh ye haha

[@trentkraemer7109]

@@trevelyanjoelpakkari1720 yes he is

[@brisleeadams]

Me too ;)

[@pedroconforti]

Wow! After a lifetime of bad advice, trial and mostly errors in my DIY guitar setups, THIS VIDEO taught me how to do it right. Just got a perfect low string setup in my Frankenstrat build. You videos are awesome and an inspiration. Thank you!

[@jamesnicholson9392]

JAMES SCOTT NICHOLSON, ONTARIO, CANADA 🇨🇦 I JUST GOT TO SAY, “YOU KEEP IT REAL WITH HUMOR AND YOUR ACCENT TO US MAKES IT FUNNIER.PLUS I LIKE THAT YOU’RE ALWAYS LETTING THE MUSICIANS KNOW,NOT TO BE AFRAID OF THEIR INSTRUMENTS,ESPECIALLY FOR BEGINNERS.” TOP LEFT

[@neon1363]

Now im setting Paul Davids content quality as target for my guitar videos. Not to ignore those camera shots and editing. top notch content

[@ArturBrzozowski444]

You've dropped this video right when I was about to walk off doing setup on LP I'll be back after a walk

[@savedbyasong4627]

I have always been intimidated by these setup steps but you explained it better than any other video I have watched on this subject and actually make it seem do-able. Trying this on my Jazzmaster which feels like the action is very high for me. Thanks for this vid! Awesome!

[@CorduroyNinja]

I just started playing a month ago, and I wanted to learn how to adjust and maintain my guitar. I have watched at least a dozen videos and read many articles regarding set up and maintenance. And this video was the easiest to follow and made the most sense to me. Thank you for posting this information you have made a new player much more confident and happy. Awesome job!

[@garyhunt1546]

The average guitar player or beginner has no idea how important the setup is. It is more important than the brand or price. An inexpensive guitar can play like a dream or a great guitar can be horrible, depending on the setup. This goes for all fretted instruments. I have all my guitars set up at least once at a good shop, then tweak as needed. This was a really useful video!

[@Noctureal]

This is really important. Especially if you order from online, usually things are quite messed up because of transportation. Playing chords was super hard for me (been playing couple weeks for now). My problem was that action was really super high (around 5mm). I lowered it and suddenly playing chords became so much easier. I don't need to push strings so lot anymore which helps me to make chords play more clearly.

[@jicklesjingles8134]

I can highly recommend the order of setup by Fender Master Builder Ron Thorn: T-R-A-I-N 1. Tune 2. Relief 3. Action 4. Intonation 5. Noodle (or nut if you like)

[@MarMoHau]

That's the ONLY right way to do it. Setting the action before the relief is non-sens!

[@xAnkhh]

N U T

[@josephdoiron3246]

So cut the nut if it needs it last???

[@jicklesjingles8134]

@@josephdoiron3246 yes

[@RedeyeRaccoon]

I love my fenders. I enjoyed his facts, wish him well. It was minimalistic, however. Before you start on your DIY, you will research, get second opinions. He did a great job simplifying things. However, don't go at it on your own. Ask around and have a pro set it. Ask if you can watch and ask questions. There are reasons for these experts run the world. However there are many self proclaimed professionals, and ya gambled.

[@nickgerow]

or if you like to SIT 'N' SPIN, it will be easy to remember this guitar setup acronym! Stretch strings until In tune; Truss rod relief; Nut slot depths; Saddle heights & action; Pickup heights; Intonation; Noodle.

[@davebutler3905]

Superb explanation of basic set up. The order you do this is so important! For example, If you set intonation before you adjust action height you'll have to do it again. Fit new strings of favourite guage first. Then truss rod/bridge... They interact! Only additional tip... When cutting the nut slots, hold a string down at the third fret and measure the gap above the first fret. Aim for almost no gap. Cut slightly and check often!!!

[@nyinblick6676]

One thing I like to add when you set the string height is that you also bend as many steps as you normally do, because the radius of the neck can kill the tone if the action is to low even if it sounds perfect without the bending. Great video! :)

[@edeledeledel5490]

Whether this is an issue depends upon the guitar make - Fenders, especially old ones, tend to have a smaller radius which is what causes the problem. Generally not so much of a problem with acoustics, as they tend to have a large radius to make using capos easier, amongst other reasons, and who bends much on a acoustic; you don't usually go for a whole tone bend, just a bit of a tweak.

[@ericwoodard7005]

Someone said this guy is like the Bob Ross of guitars and that’s one of the best analogies I’ve heard all year

[@ashleyking2761]

Honestly this comment made my year. He should have that as his slogan.. 'the Bob Ross of the guitar world'. I couldn't help but picture Paul with Bob's hair as a result.. thank you for this 😂🤘🏻

[@philodonoghue3062]

After years of trawling through KZbin guitar tutors and experts, finally I’ve found the ‘go-to guy’. And if all Dutch spoke English as smooth as him ... :-)

[@johnnyennis9864]

When checking the neck relief and testing intonation, it's helpful to do it in the playing position as it removes any pressures caused by resting the guitar against a surface (i.e. the force applied to the back of the neck from the caul or desk). That way you know that the outcome is a result of the instrument itself (the neck, truss rod, strings, saddles) and not an outside force. It helps ensure the best possible accuracy, which is important when dealing with measurements that are this fine.

[@rakentrail]

Some good tips Paul. Couple tips. Always de-tune when you tighten a screw or nut on your guitar. Saddle screws are tiny and can strip easily. Same with the truss rod. If you see any rust clean and lube ASAP before they cease to turn at all. Paste wax can help keep the rust away. In my shop I see too many corroded guitar parts that could have been avoided with just some minimal care. Too many people leave the truss rods loose and in time the neck may take on a "permanent" underbow that's hard to correct so always try to make sure your guitars are kept in tip top shape. You practice a lot to play like Paul but you will need a properly set up guitar to get there!

[@bertram-raven]

For intonation it is important to perform the adjustment several times. That is adjust all strings, go back and start again, and again, and again until no adjustment is required. You will never get it exact and it will change after playing, but the change of tension on the neck means the adjustment you made on one string will be affected by the adjustment on another.

[@joesharpe7685]

No offense, but it really isn't. It's important to keep all strings perfectly in tune to the tuning you plan on intonating for. And you should always check your work and make adjustments after if it's off. But if done well, there's absolutely no need to go back and do it several times over.

[@curtrod]

joe is wrong, you are right for sure for sure

[@ousiavazia]

after 26 years playing, finally i understand. thank you, thank you, thank you.

[@guilhermearoeira8900]

When Paul said he likes the action LOW, I knew: he's a true man of culture.

[@j_freed]

But like many guitarists he sometimes takes whatever action he can get. 👹

[@mattpackard7684]

I've been taking my guitar to shops all my life and today I said hell with it I'm going to learn this and you sir, are a gift to the community thank you for your time and expertise

[@hambo0ogerman584]

Paul David’s got the best videos for guitar. Other videos I watched before this barely explained anything.

[@clutchshot3306]

Thank you so much for this detailed video! I'm very thankful on how clear and detailed you are in your explanations! Definitely earned my subscription! I'm 37 and just got back into my guitar but honestly never got serious. My passion has been sparked again and am practicing more consistently! The passion you have for music definitely comes through on your videos! Keep up the great work, and again, thank you for putting up content like this for the masses! Best Wishes John

[@missjennystevens]

This is an absolutely AMAZING video! I've played guitar for years but never looked into setting up myself. I just bought a 3/4 Squier Fender Strat and I think it would benefit from a little bit of tweaking, and after watching this video, I feel confident enough to do it myself rather than sending it to a Luthier. Thank you so much! 🙏

[@GozoAya]

Hi Paul! A bit confused around 5:10 (acoustic). It measured 3mm. You wanted lower, so you reduce the saddle by "twice the amount you want". You then take off 1.5mm, then measure and get 2.5mm and declare it "perfect". If you wanted to lower action by .5mm, should you not have reduced saddle by 2 x .5mm? So 1mm?

[@samel88]

that's what i've been wondering too... i guess that's because he said "AROUND 1,5mm" ... Not sure either! My low E is at 4mm right now, and i want to sand it down too, to 2,5... does that mean I have to sand down 3mm?? That sounds like a little too much... or not?

[@medicinecircus]

I’m just learning how to nicely set up my guitars and I appreciate the generalization in this vid. Great info, thank you.

[@matthewtrow5698]

Some wonderful advice here. Paul jokes at the beginning "dangerous" - and he's right, it isn't. But it can get out of control if you don't pay attention. I'd say write down every action you take as you do it - remember what you have done, so you can backtrack. It's all too easy to forget which way or by how much you have adjusted. Acoustic is really hard - I still struggle a little bit with them. That's the only time now I consider a Luthier - when the adjustments require sanding things down - ok, now we're into expert territory! Levelling up from where Paul leaves off here, is ... fret levelling. That's when you probably want a Luthier - but a very common problem where doing adjustments to action feels like it _should_ work but you still get buzz in some positions is very often related to this. On cheap guitars or on guitars that haven't been maintained well, sometimes the levels of your frets can differ along the length of an individual fret and differ substantially from one fret to the next. This can be infuriating if you don't know it's why you maybe getting fret buzz. To make matters even more complicated, it may not even be the fret levels, but the fact that at the bridge / neck the individual string height is wrong - gosh, now it's complex! I'd say, as a rule of thumb, if you are following everything Paul has demonstrated here and measuring properly when adjusting action and you are still having fret buzz problems, a Luthier is usually your best option. Or, you can learn on a cheap electric guitar - which is what I did. I got myself a $100 guitar, replaced everything, bought the tools I needed to do more advanced setup and ended up with some amazing results. My $100 telecaster clone ended up sounding and playing so close to a real one ... and sure, it cost me about the same amount when I was complete, but it was fun. I learned a LOT - and I now very rarely require a luthier, except for more extreme acoustic guitar adjustments. I'd still rather a professional luthier adjust those for me.

[@Rick_Johnson82]

You know the basics is always something everyone needs to brush up on. No matter how well you play.

[@robertporter113]

I always use a graphite pencil on the nut so strings don’t stick on it when tuning

[@Nocturnnum]

my first guitar instructor almost 20 years ago showed me that when he taught me how to change the strings :) good tip

[@arooscroocked]

Me: trying to set proper intonation on a guitar My 3-saddle Tele: let me introduce you to the realm of despair

[@paullund8022]

JD knew a thing or two about passing a Tele... www.seymourduncan.com/blog/latest-updates/saddle-up-your-telecaster-by-jerry-donahue

[@andre95guitar]

There are 3-saddle sets that compensate for that. Much better than the original ones

[@kilgoretrout321]

This sounds like a great alternative: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fXnUYpKGlKqpd6c

[@chipsterb4946]

@@andre95guitar yes indeedy! www.callahamguitars.com/tele_body_enhancedvintage_catalog.htm

[@TheAhmedAlshamy]

This is the video I exactly needed as a beginner. I think this is the best video on the whole matter. Period.

[@17YuNgA]

I found a good fun way to learn much of this and more, with help of you tube tutorials was to buy one of those cheap e-bay strat kits. And after much twiddling, tweaking, adjusting, upgrading, I now have a nice home built strat and can maintain all my other guitars and my friends if needed. I just wish I had Paul's playing skills, and his videos are always so pleasant and well presented. I would love to meet you and chat over a drink, you are a real gentleman. Keep up the great work, you are one of the best on youtube, in my opinion.

[@Schlumpf.Meister]

Golden rule: TRAIN - tune, relief, action, intonation, noodle, in this order ONLY. learned that from another YT vid, and it always works.

[@arsenlupencarnojeviciv2978]

Can you gew as the link

[@Schlumpf.Meister]

@@arsenlupencarnojeviciv2978 somewhere in here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qZasaXWejdV1iKM, interview with Ron Thorn from Fender Custom Shop

[@anthonybullard4441]

This was an excellent video! I've always been intimidated by the thought of doing setup myself. Wondering how much this differs for the bass. I know the mechanics are the same, but I was wondering, for example, if the advice about ideal pickup height being lower than factory setting might be different.

[@reaganharder1480]

Pickup height is gonna be something you want to experiment with anyway, as most issues of tone are a matter of personal preference. I will note that the ideal action on a bass is almost certainly going to be higher than on a guitar though...

[@theragingplatypus4743]

Can you imagine Paul high? He's already the mellowest person ever.

[@KelticKabukiGirl]

He's cool, but its actually kind of annoying to my Northeast USA Ear. Not everyone in Europe has a cool accent. Ola Englund, Stefan Fast, and Collin of CSGuitars all have pleasant voices.

[@theragingplatypus4743]

@@KelticKabukiGirl I live in Europe. I know. Lots of accents are grating. But I like Paul so much that I've come to like thenaccent because he is my real reference to it.

[@KelticKabukiGirl]

@@theragingplatypus4743 oh, there are way more annoying accents in the States for sure

[@theragingplatypus4743]

@@KelticKabukiGirl Sure, I don't like New York or Boston accents.

[@theragingplatypus4743]

@@KelticKabukiGirl That's opinion

[@kasperdenouden7650]

Heel duidelijke uitleg, waar zelfs een beginner mee aan het werk kan. Respect, man. Je kan duidelijk zien hoeveel liefde je hebt voor dit instrument in het algemeen en je eigen gitaren in het bijzonder. (Al was die kus op het rond misschien wat erover)

[@charlesflint9048]

As I’ve just completed a guitar kit, and need to set it up, this is the best tutorial I’ve seen on how it all works and how to adjust it.

[@hijmestoffels5171]

Remember this when adjusting the truss rod: “Righty Tighty, Lefty Loosey”.

[@frantisca]

Although for some rare models (Kauer) it can be the contrary…

[@meadish]

True for single action truss rods. But in many (most?) modern electric guitars it seems like double action truss rods (that can bend the neck both convex and concave) are common. Double action truss rods also tighten to the right and loosen to the left - to begin with - but if you keep turning left, they start to tighten again.

[@frantisca]

@@meadish I didn’t know that: so if you go beyond a certain limit on a double action truss rod and you keep on turning left, it will tighten again… up to which point is it safe ? Is there a risk to jam/deteriorate the truss rod ?

[@meadish]

​@@frantisca I'm not an expert by any means, but I try to learn from luthiers online and from books, and I also do my own setups since a little while back. As far as my experience goes: The more you turn to the extreme left or right, the more stress you place on the wood in the neck. So the basic truss rod rule of no more than a quarter turn at once applies. Some resistance is normal, but you should not need to exert a lot of pressure. If it feels very stiff, better take it to a luthier. You do run the risk of stripping the nut of the truss rod if you use the wrong size allen wrench/key.

[@frantisca]

@@meadish Yep, cool. My experience is such as well. I turn even less : 1/8 turn at a time. I was surprised it had an unexpected effect on the Kauer, then I found out from Doug they used single action truss rods on their earlier models. Thus the setting was inverted. 😊👍🏻

[@charliebabbit4325]

Important, when setting a guitar up, do adjustments in player position, if adjusted whilst laying flat tuning will change a few points when switched from laying to player position, I learned this from Eddie Van Halen’s tech. He made a tutorial showing this effect. Gravity, physics at their simplest form. I’m not trying to sound like I am more knowledgeable than I am, purely wish to have everyone of us have the best result.

[@hydrothermalworm7778]

This video changed my guitar!!! It's a black epiphone SG G-400 that's been with me since I was a teen through many a move causing busted nuts and scrapes and all sorts of issues. A fresh nut and this video and the sustain and tone is UNREAL now it has never sounded as good as it does now! thank you!!

[@buckdashe2571]

Great video, as usual. The only thing I would add is when making neck adjustments, after you’ve tweaked the truss rod, let it sit for a bit before you re-check. I got this advice from a luthier who was older than dirt…he said it allows the wood to “relax.” About 15 minutes should do the trick.

[@gustavoadolfobedoyalopez1607]

13:42 Paul: "And now your guitar will sound in tune, no matter where you play on the neck, high, and low" 13:50 Also Paul: "More or less 😅" Hahahahaha

[@The_Exploding_Moth_From_Hell]

*13:42 and 13:50

[@gustavoadolfobedoyalopez1607]

@@The_Exploding_Moth_From_Hell yeah, you're right bro, thanks

[@Halliday7895]

sounds close to mine ears

[@lone-wolf-1]

I‘m late to the party, but there is a certain sequence for adjusting: First of all tune the guitar. Then check: 1.- the nut slots 2.- neck relief (truss rod) 3.- saddle height (action) 4.- intonation 5.- pickup height

[@everettlethem6747]

I can never tell if the second paul is an evil twin or what. The result of an identity crisis? What is the solution to this mystery...join us next time on dragon ball Z.

[@shibimihi]

😂

[@philiprose2784]

very good!

[@jeffmckinnon5842]

IDK but one of them needs a shave...