benduncan":1v65410y said:
I'm playing with some old band mates who play in drop C, I usually use C# standard. My guitars haven't been set up in some time(lets just say that they don't play like a dream), and with this new tuning, I wanted to try to set up everything myself. I've always wanted to learn and why pay to have something done that I can do myself? Eight hours later, I still have no clue what I am doing, lol. There's some fret buzz, it doesn't stay in tune when you play chords in different spots on the neck and it just doesn't feel right. I've watched a bunch of youtube videos, put dimes and business cards at the 12th fret, capoed the first fret while fretting the 22nd fret and pressing the 12th fret. I got a ruler that measures in 100ths, but almost all of the articles I read gave me different measurements. I know a lot is a matter of taste, but anyone want to get me in the ball park here? With real measurements, something that I can't screw up, lol
How do I check the trus rod?
I just plain can't do it by looking. I've heard that if I fret the first and 17th fret, there should be 1/100th between the bottom of the low E and the top of the 8th fret. I had a little less so I turned the nut counter-clockwise a couple of times. I'm aware that it might take a while for the neck to settle but it seemed to make no difference in the measurement.
How do I measure the action?
I've heard that Les Pauls come from the factory with 5/64ths(about 7 or 8/100ths)between the low e and the 12th fret, and 3/64ths(about 4 or 5/100ths) between the high e and the 12th fret.(fretted at the first fret or not?). 3/64ths seemed ok for the high E, but I couldn't get the low E to 5/64ths without it feeling really high and hard to play.
I haven't even gotten to intonation yet, that seems easier though. Both of the guitars that I'm trying to set up are 24.75 scale, I am using 11-50 strings and tuning to drop C. Any help given will be greatly appreciated, I'd love to get my guitars playing like new again!
Things that can affect neck bow are string gauge, string tension/tuning, temperature, and to a smaller degree humidity.
Tuning down lessens the tension exerted on the neck and that can cause the neck to less whatever bow curve it may or have been set to. Even if the neck was straight, less tension can cause the neck to go convex/bow backward.
That will cause a lower action, but may also cause buzzing towards the middle of the neck and higher.
It's all about balance. You want a comfortable action height, no buzz, as perfect as possible intonation/tuning up and down the neck.
If the strings are in tune by using a tuner or your ear, but different chords sound out of tune and/or out of tune playing higher on the neck, then your intonation is off.
Buzzing can be caused by action that is too low, and that buzzing is usually experienced higher on the fret board typically above the 12th fret.
Buzzing can also be caused by the neck being improperly set for the given action height and tends to display itself when playing towards the middle of the neck typically around the center of the neck where the center is between the 1st fret and where the neck meets the body.
The truss rod helps to adjust that area, around the center of the neck.
With most truss rods if you want to straighten the neck you will turn the tool to the right. Right is as you're looking at the guitar with the head stock nearest to you and the bridge farther away.
To add "relief/bow" to the neck you will turn the tool to the left.
Do 1/4 turns at a time and recheck.
Truss rod adjustments and action adjustment go hand in hand. As you straighten the neck, less concave bow, the action towards the center of the fret board will lower. Adding bow will tend to raise the action at that same area.
You're looking to set the string height/action to where you like it, then adjust the truss rod if you are having buzzing.
Intonation should be set after you've adjusted the action and bow to your liking.
So start with adjusting the action to where it's comfortable. Don't worry about buzzing just yet.
Adjust the action, tune the strings, and play.
Once you get the action to where you like it, then take notice of any buzzing, and if the action may be too high towards the center of the neck.
If you have buzzing around the middle of the fret board start adding some relief/bow, tune up, and play.
Buzzing gone and action feels good over the whole fret board, great, move on to intonation.
Buzzing is happening at the higher frets. Check the neck to make sure there is some relief/bow.
If there is, then you'll have to raise the action slowly in small increments to where the buzzing stops.
If you've raised the action to where the buzzing has stopped, and there isn't a lot of bow, then try to remove some relief/bow to help lower the action if you want it lower.
If you can't get the action to where you want it, usually low enough, and you're truss rod is good but you're getting some buzzing at certain frets, then it's possible that you may need some fret work to level the frets.
Once you get the action set and the neck adjusted, move on to intonation.
I've normally always set the intonation with the guitar laying flat.
But, I've since discovered that on some guitars that doesn't result in the best intonation.
After adjusting intonation while laying flat and then checking it in playing position the intonation was off.
So now I adjust intonation with the guitar in playing position, which makes sense as that is how the guitar will sit when you're playing it.
Also, adjust everything including intonation in the tuning you're going to use most.
On some guitars tuning a half step to a whole step up or down will result in the guitar playing just fine and retains it's tuning.
But on some guitars changing tuning to that same degree can result in the neck changing it's bow as the tuning goes up and down.
With those guitars you'll just have to adjust the truss rod to compensate.
Intonation shouldn't change much with just small rod adjustments.
There, I stayed away from any numbers.
I like to get the manufacturer's spec's to know how low the action can be set, or where they claim it can be set.
Then I work from there. Going higher is usually not a problem. Going lower is where things can get hairy.
I can't get a good feel when the strings are almost touching the frets. I'm sure most shredders can benefit from that, but I can't shred, I need a bit of space.
