This Is Not A Gibson Problem

[@schlep4730]

A correctly cut nut is worth having.... makes the playing experience better / easier / more in tune. Once you have it done to a guitar with a poorly cut / slots too high, you'll have it done to all of your guitars. Makes a diff....

[@Brewhound77]

I honestly think as long as your neck angle is right, first 3 frets are level, nut height is the first step, then neck relief, then fine tune the action, and intonation is the very last step in a good setup

[@RideAcrossTheRiver]

I'm learning to spot high frets and get them level. Have to take care and measure constantly to get a proud fret in line with its siblings, but it's great when you find the buzzer or choker and subdue it! I just use a fret rocker and Sharpie to find and mark the offender. Then masking tape, flat jeweller file, fret crowning file, and 3000-grit to polish. I notice pro 'luthiers' have about ZERO interest in this kind of repair even though you'll pay them for it. So why bother with them? Also, it's done in an evening!

[@shadowminister4090]

Great reminder about the order of setting up a guitar. Thanks Dylan

[@TheTCClark]

A day late Dylan! (Ha!). I was setting up one of my guitars that just had way too high action. Made adjustments from relief to saddle height, etc. nut was pretty close to perfect (absolutely not enough to chance over cutting on one stroke of file), but certain frets just choked/ hard buzz on E and A. Lost my mind, even after adjusting crappier action than I started. Worried I needed to fret level. Changed strings and started over. Perfection. Mind boggled looked at old strings, damaged near dead frets!…. New Strings First, then TRAIN. Let rest and check train again.

[@bretrich]

I swapped my original bridge on my LP Special for the lightning bridge and found that I had to adjust the screws way too far out. The bridge felt like it was going to fold forwards over the studs. Maybe the studs were drilled too close, but it just wouldn't work. Later I found the Faber TPWC which has the breaking point further down so that it doesn't need to be adjusted so far away from the studs. Big improvement in overall fit, feel, and intonation.

[@TommySG1]

I own two Gibson Specials and I went down this rabbit hole, two things I thought I’d mention to save some grief for anyone else. If you pic with a fairly heavy hand ( like I do usually ) be very careful when filing those nut slots down and particularly on the D and G strings. I’ve found I leave a hair more on the slot before taking them down all the way because there’s a good chance you’ll get some fret buzz when hitting those two strings open and it can be pretty annoying. On my two I finally went with the bridge made by John Mahn, it’s a pretty expensive bridge however I found them to be just fantastic. They do look like PRS style bridges though so if that ‘look’ Will bother you then obviously don’t get one but they really are exceptionally nice. Spot on intonation, no harsh metal feel if you rest the heal of your hand on it either. Lastly, I’ll mention this too honestly… if your Special is equipped with the factory OEM bridge ( The SG or the Les Paul Special - they are indeed different, the Les Paul is simply an arched piece of aluminum with no intonation ledges for the strings however that one is mo-muted to the body at an angle where the SG bridge is just mounted straight hence having the other style bridge. ) I’d just leave that one, it’s an expensive endeavor and the intonation using them even if not ‘bang-on’ it’s damn close enough lol.

[@jonkerr2050]

Great video. I'm actually really happy to hear that the way I've been setting up my guitars is correct.

[@waynebake1123]

People like to argue over the stemac tool cause of price, but it is definitely better than feeler gauges. I've lost count of how many guitars I own, why would I quibble over a few extra bucks for a tool to get my setups bang on?

[@SonovaBish]

I have a different one and it's helped me get consistently low action on my guitars.

[@shanetx81]

Which tool are you referring to?

[@waynebake1123]

@@shanetx81 Stewmac calls it the Neck Relief Gauge.

[@BillNelson-OU812]

“The nut is the heart of the guitar.”

[@jeffmancuso2715]

I used to do do whatever my nuts told my heart

[@onusgumboot5565]

The second time you measured, you were measuring from the 13th fret. How does that work out.

[@DylanTalksTone]

No lol. I used the 12th fret. I understand your desire to try to find things I do incorrectly… but you will fail.

[@onusgumboot5565]

@@DylanTalksTone I have no desire to find things wrong. But look at the video. The second time you measure, it sure looks like the one, which you use as a starting point is on the thirteenth fret. Not the twelfth. It didn't seem to matter. The guitar sounds great at the end. Good job there. I just found it odd.

[@TommySG1]

Definitely agree with pretty much everything you mentioned as well Dylan, that initial setup is certainly key 🤙 if you’re out somewhere else your intonation will be as well. Using those tools to do this is ‘right’ is a good idea, even though the proper files and gauges get costly in the long run they’ll return that extra money you spent. Saving you a hell of a lot of time and the end product of your set up will be spot on. A well set up Gibson Special plays like a dream, I love both of the ones I currently own.

[@scotthutchens1556]

Sounds so good! I would like one of these but with two pickups.

[@StavrosECC]

The BEST tailpiece for these are made by Music City Bridge....bar none.

[@jimmyhartman573]

Try a Music City Bridge . . i think its the savoy . . works perfectly

[@TheBreydonjanzen]

Man I wish I had this vid 15 years ago great job

[@timothypotter2137]

I love that guitar. I have a kit SG in the works and I may do it as a single/Junior...w/the world's best P90 of course.

[@steveoneal5257]

great vid Dylan

[@zanzabar4ky7]

I wish Gibson had a version of the Ibanez short stop II. Prs has one now and it is such a huge improvement over a tom or a wrap around with Tom like saddles.

[@ChrisEck13]

Gibson came out with the TOM in the '50s. Everyone has copied it, or in some cases even buys the same bridges Gibson uses. Fender for example uses the same TOM as Gibson on some guitars and the same as Epiphone on some guitars. Every major brand that comes to mind uses a TOM on at least some of their guitars, even Ibanez. Definitely one of the most copied bridges ever made. For something to be so universally used and copied, it must work just fine.

[@TribalGuitars]

There's no reason Gibson can't fix their tailpiece's intonation issue. 3mm is a lot when most makers are sending them out with 2mm at the 12th these days. I'm with Tim Piece on the relief thing - I want my neck flat. But to each their own. My daughter loves your SG Jr. She's really into dogear P-90s. We didn't hit the lottery so she's making do with an Epiphone SG with the soapbar P-90s we got her for her birthday. Great vid as always!

[@shanewalton8888]

Yeah, Dylan just looks at Gibson with rose-colored glasses these days.

[@christopherguzzi1316]

I seem to recall when you bought this guitar you spoke about the nut height and explained that Gibson does this intentionally because every player is different and it is part of the setup after a new guitar is purchased? Or do I recall incorrectly???

[@DylanTalksTone]

I did. And then I never fixed it for myself lol

[@Roland7676-te2qc]

At a certain point, after all the adjusting, fixing, modding, praying, etc, just to get the thing to play in tune, you start to realize that you should’ve bought a tele 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@DylanTalksTone]

I have a tele… it’s awesome. The same principles apply to them

[@christopherguzzi1316]

That is funny because a standard Tele cannot be accurately intonated.😂😂😂🤗😘😉

[@joseislanio8910]

​@@christopherguzzi1316 it can, but it involves bending the saddle screws. Kind of an unorthodox way, but valid nonetheless

[@DylanTalksTone]

Yes it can. It’s easy.

[@Brewhound77]

The first thing I did on my tele was the "Joe Strummer mod" ie 6 barrel saddles. Tele tone but in tune everywhere, as much as a guitar can be.

[@AlJohnsGuitar]

I'm not trying to be a jerk I didn't even know you're supposed to check in nut heights. I just didn't know.

[@timcobb1752]

Set up is quite dependent on the player, there are other parameters that can cause necessity of a different setup for a player based on silly things like how hard that persons strum is... For me a lower action is problematic because I get a lot of fret buzz with a low setup... one like you are describing...

[@nbs-spike5822]

Because you fell in love with it. It's all you needed.

[@capturelightmedia]

I strongly believe that nut height, neck relief and intonation is something that should be done by the end user on every single guitar, new or old, regardless of the price. There's too much at play for these manufacturers to "get it right" from the factory. Everyone has different preferences with string gauges, string height, relief etc. The manufacturers have an obligation to set things up at a good starting point and that is it.

[@mdshack6371]

Try thinking of your American made automobile with that logic.. too much work and money to produce a good finished product. Next.

[@capturelightmedia]

@@mdshack6371 That's a false equivalence. But that's cool though. It's pretty difficult to prevent your own intellect and bias from tricking your ability for reason. Not to mention that it is very important to fine tune high performance vehicles straight off the lot specific to the driver. But let's forget high performance for now. When you get in a car for the first time do you adjust the mirrors? How about the seats or the steering wheel? Those are adjustable features that were designed to cater to the individual. Guess what else is adjustable? A nut. Neck relief. Intonation. Do you know why those things are adjustable? Because the player matters. The strings matter.

[@2DclanSnipingTeam]

@@mdshack6371 , A guitar is just wood and metal under tension. Every single new build on the planet will change after initial factory set up.

[@shitfer]

​@@mdshack6371 In another life of mine maintaing your equipment was the only way to get your stuff to perform how you wanted. Musical instruments are similar. Using your automobile comparison, that would be the equivalent to changing oil, air in the tires, adjusting your seat and mirrors in your car. Things need maintenance. It's not that hard of a concept.

[@ROBERTCLAVIN]

This ☝️. So many people forget this. Wood and metal are dynamic materials and they move. Any review that goes on about how "it wasn't set up right" out of the box loses some credibility with me. I mean, what do you expect? It's been shipped hundreds or thousands of miles through different temperatures and humidity. Of course it isn't going to be "set up right". I think it's rare to buy an unplayable, unsetupable guitar these days. ...and don't get me started on people who complain about tuning out of the box...

[@sharkair2839]

why is the bridge not angled like on most gibsons?

[@StuCrombie]

Because you.d have the high E like 2 steps out, this is a SG junior without adjustable bridge, its a strange design, means the maker has to make it spot on amazing to be in tune

[@AuntAlnico4]

Because it's a standard Gibson USA SG junior and not a custom shop so they do it wrong at the $1700 price point hoping you'll spend the extra $3000 on top of the$1700 for the custom shop version that is correct.😮 Gibson is disgusting and that's one of the many reasons. My dad has the 2021 SG jr just like in this video and I'd say it's a piece of shit but looks pretty . I don't know how good the setup was but it was pretty flat on the intonation and the frets were like worse than Epiphone.

[@trev3971]

The standard bridge is angled to give more relevant adjustment room at each end. Since the Junior uses a non-adjustable lightning bar with the angle built into the saddles, a straight alignment is more useful.

[@bobparks1505]

What is the measurement tool for nut string height?

[@RideAcrossTheRiver]

Capo at 3rd fret. There should be MAXIMUM .004" between each string and 1st fret. If you can get away with .002", you'll have a nice slinky feel.

[@rayfabris2512]

what tool is that i don't have my glasses on 😅 seriously

[@ramencurry6672]

Gorgeous guitar

[@StuCrombie]

I thought it was gonna be a neck dive video, and say it cant because its just a bridge p90 😂

[@GIBKEL]

What are ya saying….I can’t see 1 thousands of an inch. Oh yeah, I’m old I can’t. It hurts, just a little.

[@garycrant4511]

Hatred for the 2015 Gibsons was so over the top, that most guitarists failed to understand just how brilliant an innovation the adjustable zero fret nuts actually were. Those adjustable nuts should have become widely adopted as a standard fitting by the entire guitar industry.

[@randrothify]

So true. The problem is that they don’t look period-correct, and that kind of messes with the look. If you love Gibsons, as I do, then you probably also love the 50s and 60s vibe and don’t want to screw it up. But boy wouldn’t it be great if they could make it look vintage but function modern. Or at least offer a choice by incorporating those features into the Modern line. I’m sure they eventually will.

[@garycrant4511]

@@randrothifyI'm an old guitarist, definitely into the 50s and 60s. Here in the UK we grew up used to vintage British and European guitars made with zero frets. My own first solid body electric I bought half a century ago had a zero fret. So I had no hesitation buying two 2015 Gibsons, including a Les Paul Traditional, because of the adjustable nut. It's one of the easiest to set up guitars with the lowest playable action I've ever enjoyed owning.

[@randrothify]

@@garycrant4511 I wasn’t sure which Les Paul line I had seen the adjustable nut on. I thought it was a Traditional but that didn’t make sense given the name of the model. Thanks for validating that. Good to know that I am not the only one believes that you can make technical progress without spoiling the essence of the design. The adjustable nut is a no brainer when you consider how many of the tuning and intonation problems are because of a badly cut or installed nut. And for those of us not confident in our repair or mod skills, the only option that we have is to go to guitar tech for an expensive fix. Not a problem with an adjustable nut. Gibson deserves a lot of the criticism it gets for the QC and pricing stuff, but trying to make guitars that are easier to setup, play, and fix shouldn’t be part of that. Now, if they only could use volutes to make the headstocks a little stronger and consistently use the long neck tenon to stabilize heel joints, most of the durability issues would also be addressed.

[@dspinka]

We assume a Gibson will be set up already.

[@DylanTalksTone]

You would assume incorrectly. All guitars are made to be setup by the player

[@chrisparker5278]

Gibson quality: requiring a tech to make your new $2.5k guitar play right

[@tarsiousmunalembohol]

How much is a good tech charging on it?

[@DylanTalksTone]

EVERY new guitar requires a setup. Go measure the nut on your new Harley Benton

[@castnoshadow82lr48]

I’d expect to have to take my Gibson to a tech maybe once every 3-4 years living in the uk. Epiphone do the same thing every new guitar has an awful blocky nut. Would it hurt if you just requested your setup preference and they delivered. ( Gibson that is ) For the price you’re paying they should deliver the guitar how you want it. Failing that most players would lean to something on the lower side not on the higher side. Having to swap parts on these is a joke as well everything should be premium and change so only occur because the player really wants a certain sound from the pick ups or a particular type of tuners they’ve always used not because they’ve put some cheap parts on. Do better Gibson

[@86OEd]

👍👍👍

[@BallisticKnifeJesus]

How wouldnt a faulty bridge design be gibsons fault? Its theirs

[@DylanTalksTone]

Because that wasn’t the problem

[@joea9608]

Keep it simple. The nut height is based off the fret height. Generally about .004 bump up is ideal. Beyond that both the intonation and playability of the instrument suffers.

[@StuCrombie]

SG juniors are pain, sorry but yours sounds out of tune too, I tune by ear, but thats why I dont like SGs stupid design in my mind, I ment SG juniors without adjustable bridge @Dylan if it not intonated good how do you solve it? I see no way of doing it

[@MegaRomans01]

man I'm not trying to talk smack but it kind of seems like my guy is huffing some real strong copium. I have only had a guitar be off at the nut so bad to pull it out of tune 1 time and I have had tons of guitars from different brands. the guitar that was off was used and had a nut replaced by an idiot. the guitar needing a truss rod adjust I understand but if you bring that to proper relief and the bridge/ nut are high or super string buzzy that is kind of shitty man. I guess that is just my opinion, but I have had a very different experience with my guitars some as low as 200 most costing around 1000 to 1500 bucks.

[@shanewalton8888]

So the people at Gibson couldn't be bothered to cut the nut properly not but a decent bridge on a $2000 guitar, yet Dylan swears they did nothing wrong. Too much of a Gibson apologist these days.

[@_x__q]

Did you listen till the end?

[@shanewalton8888]

@ I did. Did you? Dylan spent the last 20 seconds or so telling us to like and subscribe. How does this change that the gents at the Gibson flagship store where he bought this guitar couldn’t be bothered to see if the nut was cut right? I’ve had guitars sent to me from halfway across the world set up perfectly before I got it while Gibson couldn’t be bothered to do it in their own backyard.

[@gregggyf]

Good Evening, Of course, this question is for anyone to respond to. Why would someone purchase a guitar with one pickup when for the cost of "a few bucks more" you could have one with two pickups? Thank you.

[@Mytwocentsisallicanafford]

There are lots of videos on single pickup guitars on KZbin I bought a Les Paul Jr earlier this year and it's amazing how versatile it can be with just a volume and tone knob I believe Robert Baker is one of them

[@gregggyf]

@@Mytwocentsisallicanafford Good Evening, In all politeness,... my response to a response like this would be this same exact guitar would MOST PROBABLY be multiply more versatile.... WITH A SECOND PICKUP. There is no doubt in this world that you cannot have a great sound with a one pickup guitar... but you can have SO MUCH MORE with a second pickup. : )

[@kkrsnn5632]

Why not TWO but THREE pickups 🤪?? To each his own.

[@DylanTalksTone]

Eh… we talk about this a lot. I love single pickup guitars. They really teach you how to use your guitar.

[@flyballhdeg9775]

Some claim the magnetic pull of the neck pickup affects the sustain and tone of the bridge pickup.

[@MichaelDisney]

It's a shame you didn't demo how your nut adjuster works. Feeler guages work by feel rather than sight and they do work well. It looks like you're adjusting intonation with string tension, which is likely to strip your adjustment grub screw threads in your bridge (esp if alu) . Nut adjustment matters far more for open chords than it does when playing further up the neck - because of trig. How can you adjust intonation with a tape measure when your bridge clearly shows different fixed positions for each string? If done properly, you can measure the difference the new bridge made in cents, which is prob why you didn't. Intonation on those fixed bridges is a compromise between all the strings. Try watching more twoodfrd!

[@DylanTalksTone]

We have a whole video on that tool. It’s far more precise. In the video I said “is this loose enough, yes” before adjusting intonation. The grub screws are fine. I address the compromise of 1st and 3rd position playing amd intonation directly. I only rough in the high E to scale length when installing a bridge from scratch. Maybe you should worry about “being right” less and pay attention more.

[@MichaelDisney]

I need to pay attention? You can't see how a topnut is too high visually and then forget to adjust! You "roughly" measure scale length, but that install wasn't from scratch since the posts are already there. You didn't show how much of an improvement you made with that bridge. What am I wrong about and don't you think you could have showed how and why you did things so your viewers get rewarded for their attention?

[@47fishandchips]

60 watching, only 19 likes…..seriously?

[@joea9608]

Some folks like to watch a video before they rate it...

[@fawkesandhound]

Likely most live viewers are on mobile. In which case the thumb is not there, you’d have to actually exit the chat to the other mode. Which is a pain in the butt. Not that I’ve heard it matters to YT much, they know the analytics of how many viewers and how many watch to the end, also commenting. All of that matters more than the ol 👍

[@trev3971]

I don't think I've ever clicked like on a video in the entire history of KZbin. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[@buzzstankos8532]

I understand why you concluded that the replacement tailpiece helped, however, you did violate one of my primary principles - Only change 1 thing at a time! I get that it wasn’t your intention, but you have no real reason to conclude that both ends of your strings needed fixing. Glad you ended up with an improvement, but it appears that the nut slot adjustment was the real answer.. I personally haven’t had any issues with Lightning Tailpiece, but i have had the same nut height issues.. Have a Merry Christmas and a great 2025..

[@DylanTalksTone]

No…. I changed the bridge… still had an issue… and moved to the nut…. As I said in the video