Want Your Guitar to Sound Better? Master These 6 Techniques!

[@TomoFujitaMusic]

Thanks so much for having me!

[@stewmac]

We love it when you visit us and make videos with us. 😎

[@lets-allplay]

Truly enjoy the lessons you post on your channel. Thanks TomoFujitaMusic & StewMac !

[@TomoFujitaMusic]

@@lets-allplay Thank you so much!

[@7guitarras326]

You're great Tomo, it is always a pleasure to listen to all your experience and considerations about the guitar's world, thank you very much!

[@TomoFujitaMusic]

@@7guitarras326 Thank you so much!

[@robertclarkguitar]

I absolutely adore Tomo. He is the kindest truly passionate guitar /music teacher. Equally player. Insane the man can play anything but usually jazzy blues. So clean and precise with rare effects at all. Amazing musician. He isn't about selling you anything but introducing you to the guitar. Amazing gentleman.

[@robertclarkguitar]

@@VanMan83 totally agree. Also says a lot about bringing his mom and dad in on calls. I know they are so proud.

[@TomoFujitaMusic]

Thank you so much!

[@kwpowell0412]

I've been a student of Dan for more than 30 years. The man is a legend. I bet he's forgotten more than most of us will ever know!

[@scottmulrooney3130]

I’ve had the privilege to spend a few weeks with Dan about 30+ years ago. An absolute legend and one heck of a great human being.

[@tjsponik]

Dan has never been afraid to show everyone his "how to do it" tips and tricks. Skills die when you hide them from the rest of the world!

[@ronmorey3475]

These three together would make for a great regular show on the channel. Thanks!

[@KekmanForTheRestOfTheWorld]

Thank you so much for inviting Tomo Fujita!

[@ditchgator1]

Dan's book "How To Make Your Electric Guitar Play Great" gives all the wisdom of how to do just that...! Invaluable 😉👍 Thanks Mr. Erlewine😎👍❤🖖

[@stewmac]

It’s true! Highly recommend that book as an essential guide.

[@replicated]

This is the best Stewmac video I've seen in quite a while. This is absolutely great. Hope to see more of these guys.

[@stewmac]

We definitely want to get Tomo back to Athens to visit us and help us make more content!

[@tacmason]

These guys are true “Guitar Lifers” , a real pleasure to see them pass that love forward !

[@derekclacton]

Hats off to Dan Erlewine!

[@Bertdevries4865]

I am 57 years of age, and I am Dutch. So please forgive me if I make a mistake in spelling a word or sentence. OK, So I am a starting guitarist and have many things to learn. I am so glad there are a lot of learning and podcast like channels. I have my guitar for about 6 or 7 months. At first, I bought myself a semi acoustic guitar. I loved the sound of it. It was a guitar from BAX music shop. A local shop with his own brand. A wonderful piece of instrument it is. After a while, I wanted to have an electric guitar as well. So I bought a beautiful White single cut "Fazley" in the style of Les Paul. I noticed that playing a barre cord was much easier on my electric than it was on my semi acoustic. When I saw this video tutorial, my question was answered: "Why is my snare slipping after replacing the 2nd (B) string after replacing?" I did wind in the wrong way! This was because the string is without any structure. I mean, It was all flat steel with nickel. And winding it without putting it down after a whole turn, it will slip. Thank you for showing me that and also stretching the string 3 times. I bought a tool to stretch your strings easier. I also bought My equipment to measure the hide from the stings, a complete kit for maintenance of my guitar. Special oil for my fretboard and wipes to clean my strings and a stone to clean my frets. So I have everything to maintain and play my beautiful instruments. I learn a lot of these videos. Thank you for a thousand times. I just gave you a Big Thumbs up and subscribed to your channel. I am a fan of this KZbin channel. Really great. Sincerely, Bert from Hillegom, the Netherlands.

[@dankyboi6483]

What I really liked about this is that you have 3 pros with different backgrounds in guitar basically saying "here's how this works, here's a rule of thumb but in the end you do you, have fun". Great video, there is always a little something to learn, especially from the little anecdotes

[@stewmac]

Cool, thank you for the comment! It was special to have those three guys in one room talking shop.

[@MichaelSotoCE]

So great to see these guys together

[@MelodyMaker]

You too picked up the chemistry in the personalities.

[@Cayiguitar]

Dan’s humor is priceless, throughout all of StewMac’s videos. “…something with a truss rod hopefully 🤞🏼 “ 😹😹😹. 10:16 Thank you StewMac for making us better everyday.❤🎸

[@embee1706]

I love the vibe the lads have going! There seems to be a lot of mutual respect and I just love them sharing their knowledge with us. Thank you!

[@Raggo12345]

Agree! I love that there is also a pro guitarplayer in the video, a fantastic guitarplayer, that is! To get a professional guitarist's view on these things is so refreshing. And StewMac is StewMac!

[@neilsmith9473]

What a pleasure to watch three such knowledgeable, friendly gentlemen and experts in their own fields talking guitars. The perfect combination of characters and know-how. I really enjoyed this; a genuine pleasure and I learned a great deal. Thank you, guys. Just subscribed to the StewMac and TomoFujitaMusic channels.

[@stewmac]

Thank you kindly! 🤘😎

[@bisekibun]

We've learned a lot from Dan over the decades. Especially during the COVID shelter-in-place period, DIY guitar tune-ups have significantly improved our lives. As fans of StewMac, we would like to express our appreciation to Dan. We deeply value your passion and craftsmanship.

[@dannfeltrin]

I've been keeping my guitars clean and checked for about 15 years (would always spend money with pros before that afraid of screwing up my guitars), and the tips here were great! Glad I'm already doing most of it, so I had that moment to be proud of myself hehe Also, Dan and Tomo are legends! So great to hear from them directly. Great video!

[@stewmac]

Awesome, keep it up! And thanks for the comment 🙂

[@mikeposka5751]

For my Gibson guitars I put the strings over the top of the tailstop and wind the strings up the tuner post so the angle isn't as extreme as the headstock angle. For Fenders I wind them normally because of no headstock angle. For both styles I take a pencil and shave off a little bit of graphite to lubricate the string slots on the nut.

[@darko714]

I’m the opposite. I dust under the strings but that’s about it. Oh, and tighten that nut that holds the output jack in place when the connection starts to skip. I’m the guy who needs to watch the video.

[@kennwan9917]

Dan seems like the sort of guy everyone would want to sit and have a coffee with. Some people really do emit an aura that makes them instantly likeable.

[@johnfeole1971]

Thanks Gene, Dan,, Tomo for the clear, useful info..

[@stewmac]

Our pleasure!

[@autodidacticprofessor869]

4:44 FINALLY somebody talks about string diameter and the post-post length issue!!

[@vayabroder729]

What a great video; love seeing Dan in his element along with a great player and educator and a great host. Thank you!

[@stewmac]

It was a fun shoot with these fellas. Thanks for the comment!

[@sirvicemanone]

@@stewmac you should do more videos like this about other topics .your collective knowledge and love of music and guitar is what made this video great 👍♥️

[@allabouttheU1662]

I like 8s

[@LunarWolf]

That was extremely helpful. Thank you so much.

[@carlkerkman7028]

Tons of great info - these steps took me years to learn (well prior to the easy access to info that the internet has provided). Thanks for sharing them in an easy to digest format - lots of good reminders and some "new" info for an old dog.

[@thisperfectworld]

This video is going to become my go-to reference for every electric guitar student I have from now on! The tip about intonating not just to the octave, but to chords above and below the 12th fret, is gold!

[@itsianlol]

Great video, excellent chemistry between all 3 hosts, a real treat! Thanks for the tips!

[@stewmac]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@richarde3378]

I love any and all videos with Dan in it. Thanks for all your guitar wisdom, Dan! 😀

[@stewmac]

Glad you like them!

[@ross302ci]

Gene is guitar repair Tom Hanks. Thanks for the great video! Really helpful to see experts talk about the essentials.

[@Lovell93]

Don't disrespect him like that. Tom is a creep.

[@theo9789]

Wow the collective knowledge here, is priceless! Thank you gentlemen.

[@yoping00]

There is so much wisdom in this session. Thank you!

[@gillesthibodeau7078]

Very interesting! Been playing guitar for 50+ years. Still learning from this good blog! Thanks to you 3! :)

[@keithcarter9396]

Thank you for this Tutorial, it was good to be reminded of the basics of guitar maintenance. It is good to have a prompt to care for our instruments,

[@ross3818]

It's great to see Dan. All the best.

[@RaccoonHenry]

I'm an "ok" player at best, nowhere near the levels of Mr. Fujita's students, but I know how to do all of these things pretty well and even do it for my guitar and bass player friends often. I can't fathom being enrolled at Berklee and not being able to do these things on your instrument!! it's worth mentioning that this channel, and Dan in particular, have taught me A LOT, so huge thanks are in order!

[@reverberation_9]

This video is just gold. Thank you for sharing all this knowledge.

[@billhenderson511]

I learn so much from you cats! Happy to know I've been doing it right but you always throw in the extra perfect advice! Cheers!

[@geertverholen9382]

Thanks, nice overview! Tomo your always real practical!

[@steveY2K1]

Thank you all for the info, I learned a lot and have some things to check on my guitar !

[@stewmac]

Great to hear it was helpful!

[@robertstanley3253]

Thank you for this very informative and easy to understand video!

[@coreybagley5579]

Thank you gentlemen for going over those 6 things. They are very important.

[@flashy5150]

When I put a new string on, I put it through the tubing peg, then, tune it roughly to pitch, then grab the string at around the 7th fret, pulling up about an inch or so, enough that it won’t break the string, then tune it to pitch again and rinse and repeat until the string keeps it’s tuning without falling flat. Stretching new strings is the most important to staying in tune. Then once it holds it’s basic tuning, then I start string height and intonation. It’s worked for me for over 40 years.

[@IainFrame]

Defo agree with using a tuner for adjusting intonation and don't press too hard when you're doing the fretted note.

[@chrismosquad1056]

Phenomenal! Thanks, for putting this out guys!

[@nuclearhotel2172]

Wonderful video. Great tips from seasoned techs. I learned a lot of things I wish I knew decades ago.

[@sixslinger9951]

Two of my favs, Dan and Tomo.

[@joevaldivia6733]

I’ve been playing for 60 years and you guys are spot on👍

[@benh9350]

@26:00 the guys share a thought about why the guitar is a great instrument! The guitar is more human than say a piano because of its imperfections and its ability to be adjusted to a player's own preferences. The whole video is great and helpful but I really liked that moment of philosophy

[@HughesandKettneramps]

excellent video - every guitarpalyer should have a look - thanks guys!

[@fmh357]

I learned a few things. Thank you.

[@ronstewart2871]

Thanks guys, this video was a BIG help to me and my Strat and Taylor!

[@presentalinkwalterbak2426]

This video should be watched again and again! You guys are almost as awesome as I am! LOL

[@JoeandAngie]

Layman here, but my son is extremely good. Just got full ride to study music outside Nashvegas . I can more understand his language now! Thanks, men. Great presentation...we never stop learning. (You'll hear my son's name someday...dad speaking)

[@KeritechElectronics]

Nice tips! I'm only taking my baby steps with a guitar, bought my first one (a secondhand Washburn X10 that I named "Rat-O-Caster") and the first thing I did was rusty machine head replacement, fretboard cleaning, fret polishing, restringing, electrical overhaul and a full setup. Learned tons of stuff!

[@stewmac]

That's awesome you are diving right in! Keep it up.

[@martinlee6694]

One of the best video I have seen very informativ.😁😁😁

[@rodneyfrothingham2579]

This overview is so helpful for understanding these basic features and areas of maintenance and or adjustment for the guitar player. I will be sharing this with others often.

[@stewmac]

So glad it was helpful - thanks so much for sharing!

[@jd3410]

Great video! Thank you. FYI: I have a target humidity of 40%. Once 50% is reached, mold can start to grow and cause all sorts of health problems. I find that keeping the humidity and temperature stable, I rarely have to adjust my trust rod and my guitars stay in tune for days up to 2 or 3 weeks. This allows for more playing a less fussing.

[@michaelk5507]

Tomo is a really excellent teacher because he sounds like he's willing to learn as well, as he teaches. He isn't cocky or arrogant, pretending he knows it all already, which can easily demoralize students and make them feel like they know nothing.

[@migueldahlstrom]

Best part was Tomo playing in the end. Great video.

[@LaMusicade4]

That stringing up an Epiphone was very cool. And the scanner wrench is now a must have for me

[@rongroves9620]

That was such a fantastic video that I will be watching it again soon.

[@karl1949]

Much appreciation fellas, awesome stuff!

[@Hector-yl1kh]

This video should be standardised as a summary education piece used everywhere that explains these fundamental elements of setting up a guitar. The point by Dan about a kink in the string in front of the bridge depending on setting the saddles back was a revelation. I will add this vid to another of his videos on the logic of using locking tuners to remove string winds which impact the tuning. It's also nice to know I was already doing plenty of things the right way but there is always something new to learn. Fantastic guys. Thank you so much.

[@stewmac]

Thanks so much for watching and sharing! Dan always sneaks in some amazing tips 😎

[@myflyisopen.8732]

After stringing (bass guitar), tuning, stretching a few times, and re-tuning, I place my palm over the bridge saddles and press down. It creates the "witness point" on the saddles and helps with intonation, tuning, stability, and string action. It gets it nicely leveled.

[@andrewswetz157]

This is really informative stuff as a newer player and gonna be getting a Squire Strat 70s Vintage Pickups, and this stuff has made me feel more confident about how I can set it up. I never dne it, but like you said, just gradual things. I am still learning my play style, but honestly, I love how each person here brings something important and vital to the conversation. Also, Tomo is just so wholesome and well versered in all of the setup and mode work. It's very humble all of you guys. I am getting mine from Sweetwater, which they have a good setup for all of their guitars for the most part. I am also looking forward to getting my first Strat. Sorry for the rant. I've been watching a lot of videos on this but Stew Mac really is impressive stuff.

[@eclecticexplorer7828]

I have played acoustic since I was a kid. I am now in my early 60s and just starting to get into electrics, so this was very helpful to me. Thanks.

[@stewmac]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@The9thChord]

Thanks Stewmac and Tomo!

[@doyleallen3762]

Great information. Thanks!

[@ArapuniWizard]

About pickup height adjustment, I usually set each pickup and listen to it individually until it sounds best, do that with all (or both) pickups, then listen to them in combination with the other(s). After that, I adjust for the best combined sound, also taking into account whether more bass or treble is required for a balanced sound. A good basic setup video.

[@jlc904ubc]

Great video! Thanks guys!

[@douglaschristine8387]

I love how easy Tomo plays his guitar. A true master. Did you ever have John Mayer as a student?

[@sirvicemanone]

Yes Tomo taught John at Berkeley and other well known guitarists. Tomos own channel is a priceless resource on many levels of both playing guitar and even developing life skills in thinking and applying myself . Highly recommended!

[@douglaschristine8387]

@@sirvicemanone thankyou ,I will. In know all you guys from you tube. Your all good at what you do.

[@TheOlmecindian]

Coming home from a hard days work this makes my day a 35 min stew Mac video with tomo 😊

[@ppgwhereeverett4412]

Just goes to show you young folks. This guy's been teaching at one of the world's TOP music schools for Thirty years and even He is still leaning !! The wrench he's never seen. KEEP LEARNIN' !!!

[@kirkp_nextguitar]

Suggestion: Instead of pulling on the string to prestretch, tune the string about a whole step high, then return to standard tuning. That gives you much better control of how much the string is stretched and how evenly. There is less risk of damage to the string and it does no harm to the guitar. This method occurred to me a few years ago and it works great.

[@phillosopherguitarist2673]

Yep, that's my method.

[@JohnHorneGuitar]

Valuable info. I'll be sharing this video with all of my students. Also, it's good to see more of Gene in recent StewMac videos. The repair work he's done on my instruments and the info he's shared with me has been so helpful!

[@russtyruss_i-Invest]

Great video, informative for new and experienced guitarists. Cheers!

[@organism-gk9rj]

This is a masterclass, so simple to understand!

[@martyjones2679]

What a great video! I string my guitars the same way. Been playing a long time so I've mastered stringing and stretching my strings but I haven't really tried setups much. I leave that to my son. This video makes me more confident that I could do setups myself. Maybe I will buy my own gauges instead of bugging him. Dan and Tomo are legends! Thanks for always sharing great info with us! Well done guys!

[@matthewderosby713]

What a great video! Thank you! 😊

[@felixVanDiemen]

Thank you for the excellent info gents!

[@fordsrestorations970]

Hello all you guys , good tips and information! hey I live just right over the way so I'm hoping to be there in your area this spring .🙂

[@JALNIN66]

Excellent video. That Jack the Gripper tool is something I never knew existed but it's so necessary for every strat player. Thanks. Nice to hear the toothpick trick is used by pros too.

[@tjsponik]

Very good instruction for the players. It's amazing how many players are afraid to do simple adjustments.

[@slakoff007]

im a beginner at guitar i changed my strings and cleaned and oiled the fretboard and it feel so good I recommend u do it as early as ur comfortable with it makes me feel as though I'm playing way better and also slides is easier too

[@JohnOhkumaThiel]

21:31 I start with factory standard pickup height, and move them higher or lower to personal taste. Shop mechanics tend to set up guitars to their personal preferences, so it's best to learn how to do things yourself, especially in Japan.

[@pfkmsandiego]

incredibly informative. 'gonna share with all my students and guitar friends :)

[@douglaschristine8387]

Thanks so much guys. Alot of excellent information. I've always had a problem with barring strings high up on the neck I can't get the b and high e strings to ring no matter how hard I push down because my neck is a little concave, not flat and I think I can fix it at the bridge now. It's bother me for four years. Most the time I'll only barre the first four high strings so I can still play the chords I need. Time to buy some tools. Great 👍 stuff. Cheers

[@billysmether6237]

Wow you guys have made an awesome video! Thank you so much!!!

[@stewmac]

Glad you enjoyed it, cheers!

[@nikolaki]

Very entertaining video. Thanks guys!

[@cobbdan]

Great information shared by experts - thanks. What would make this even better for me is if you used the power of video and SHOWED more of the concepts you're discussing. The best example is when the string action gauge was shown at 13:50. More close ups, more visual comparisons of neck radii, etc. The more you use just words and dialog, the more this might as well have been a podcast. The visuals are what bring the words to life and solidify the concepts being discussed. Thanks again!

[@stewmac]

Thanks for the comment! Yes, this video was an overview of the concepts - more of a roundtable discussion than an in depth how-to. In the description of the video, you'll see links to each method with greater visual detail. Hope you can check them out!

[@jinbyun]

There's one trick I picked up from youtube, which I always do to my bolt on guitars. After setting the neck up, tune the guitar to pitch and loosen the neck plate screws a quarter turn each. Tune the guitar again (can go slightly above) and tighten the neck plate. I don't know if it's a placebo, but to me, after this trick, the guitar becomes more resonant. It's worth trying since it's not so hard, unless the screws are too tight.

[@acdclexu6296]

Tomo is such a cool dude love watch his stuff

[@TheFRiNgEguitars]

Great video.. but not mentioned is the string nut. The nut should be cleaned between string changes, and perhaps re-apply some nut sauce. The nut is essential to intonation, and tuning stability. The nut greatly affects the action.. String height too high at the first fret destroys intonation, and raises overall action with no benefit to clarity. String height too low at the first fret can cause buzzing open notes, and makes no allowance for gradual slot wear.. Sometimes the nut can be poorly cut out of the box, and require touching up by a tech. The Low E and A (gauges from .032 to .052 may sometimes not seat at the toe of the nut, so if anyone has an unresolvable intonation problem, the trouble may be at the nut. Slot cutting should be done by a tech, and when possible cut to the gauge of strings you are using.... in some cases nut replacement may be necessary.

[@JHil35]

This video should shown with beginner lessons for students. Excellent source ! Thanks Guys !

[@kurstone8511]

At 10:47 , can anyone tell me what that ruler laying next to the guitar is used for and where I can purchase one? Thanks!

[@yamxv750]

Hi Kirstone, it’s a straight edge and one of its uses is to check the neck for straightness or also the frets. I bought mine fromStewMac along with a notched straight edge, which has notches that fit between the frets thereby taking any fret height difference out of the equation when checking for straightness.

[@kurstone8511]

@@yamxv750 thank you so very much! I appreciate your reply! I will order one 🙏

[@JohnOhkumaThiel]

5:35 I only cut when I'm finished, but I use locking tuners. Each string, I literally hang the guitar by the string, lock it, bend it 90 degrees from the body, tune it up two or three times as the strings settle, then cut.

[@DaringDan]

Tomo's the man!

[@sirvicemanone]

Great video!

[@benirodriguez9516]

In Norway, newer houses are very dry inside (like 20-25% RH), after some years of havingt troubles with my guitars, I realized this, and got myself a Humidifier with Hygrostat, meaning that I can set how much $ humidity I want (45-50), and it regulates itself to keep at that. Only I have to fill it up all the time... it shuts down if its low on water though, which is a great safety precaution.

[@the1khronohs40]

Brilliant video! Loved it! ❤

[@MarcCarriage121]

Thanks for the great video. I tried to use 10's on my Telecaster and it didn't like it so I had to change back to 9's . Experimenting some times pan out , some times it doesn't.

[@thebreakfastmenu]

I wish these three could get together and make longform conversation videos more often.