Guitar Setups: What They Are and Why You (Might) Need One (2023)

FAQs

Why do guitars need a setup? ›

In short, a guitar setup ensures that your electric, acoustic or bass is performing at peak condition, keeps little things from going out of whack and personalizes the instrument to your preferences. Guitars are made of wood, an organic, sometimes temperamental, material.

It's recommended that an electric guitar get a setup twice a year or every 06 to 08 months. At least one setup per year is recommended, although it can be less than enough for good playability. This is appropriate for players who practice on a daily routine and have a mid to high-end instrument.

Although it would be great if all guitars sounded perfect and played like a dream straight from the factory floor, most guitars will require a “setup” before achieving their full potential.

These core parts are the same across electric and acoustic guitars. The most important ones are body, neck, headstock, tuning pegs, machine head, nuts, bridge, sound hole, frets, and strings.

Generally speaking, a professional setup costs around $50, but it could be upwards of $100 if there's a lot of work to be done. New strings are usually part of the setup process, since the gauges of the strings affect intonation.

Is It Worth Getting A Guitar Setup? Absolutely! A good setup will give you a guitar that is easier to play, and as a result, it will also sound better. Every note you hit will be pitch-perfect, and in addition, will ring out for longer.

A professional guitar setup is a series of adjustments that are made to the guitar that allows it to play and sound optimal. This is considered basic maintenance that could include adjustments to the neck, string height, tuning stability, hardware adjustments and more.

Generally speaking, a basic guitar setup will take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour, while a more complex setup could take several hours. If you're thinking about getting your guitar setup, or if you're just curious about how long the process takes, then read on for more information.

Still, many—even most—guitars arrive from the manufacturer needing additional setup work. There are a few things to consider when thinking about a setup. Understandably, different players have different expectations and needs when it comes to their guitars.

Using the chart above as a guide, we can estimate that achieving an introductory level of guitar proficiency (to perform simple parts and songs) requires a little more than 150 hours of practice.

Where should I get my guitar setup? ›

If you're looking for a guitar setup, there are a few places you can go. Your local music store is a great option, as they usually have someone on staff who can do a basic setup for you. If you're looking for something more specific or in-depth, you may want to go to a guitar luthier.

Generally, one electric guitar, one acoustic guitar, and one classical guitar are enough to satisfy your needs and cover all styles of music. If you have varied interests, you may want to add new guitars to experiment with different types of pickups configurations, body shapes, and different necks.

In order to ensure proper acoustic guitar intonation, a complete set of strings and a full setup are usually required. If there is no fret wear on the Taylor guitar, the setup is frequently able to resolve intonation issues on acoustic guitars.

The body is the central and most significant part of the electric guitar. It is where the strings are secured and the part that rests on the guitarist's body when playing the instrument.

Every guitar is a little different, but there are three fundamental parts — the headstock, the neck, and the body.

While guitars have different shapes, designs, and features, the three main parts of all guitars are the same: body, neck, and head. Strings come stretched across these three sections, tying the whole instrument together. We will dig deeper into each part later on.

A 22 point guitar setup is a comprehensive and customized adjustment of a guitar's intonation, action, and electronics. A typical 22 point setup includes a check and adjustment of the truss rod, neck relief, string height (action), nut height, nut slots, bridge height, pickup height, and intonation.

A good set up is important to playing in tune. If you don't feel comfortable doing a set up yourself, have a professional guitar repairman set up your instrument. It will play, sound, and stay in tune much better with a pro set up.

It is definitely worth getting a cheap guitar setup by an experienced guitar tech. This will correct the guitar's action, intonation, truss rodd, and saddle height, improving the guitar's overall playability and tone. A Budget guitar can convert into a highly playable instrument with a correct setup.

The cost of an acoustic guitar setup ranges from $50 to $100, depending on the condition of the guitar and whether new strings are included. The goal of a setup is to inspect, correct, and polish the intonation, neck relief, and action of the frets. You can restring your guitar at the Guitar Center as well.

Can you practice guitar for too long? ›

However, doing so can have some serious consequences. Results of too much practice can manifest in depression, burn out, and physical injury. In fact, overuse injuries are not only prevalent among professional musicians, they can occur from too much practice.

Consistency is key – try to practice guitar for at least 15 minutes per day, five days a week, but also follow these tips: Avoid long and unbroken sessions. Don't practice for more than an hour at a time. Set short breaks if you plan on practicing for more than 20 minutes.

How Much Does a Guitar Setup Cost? Prices vary drastically by city, state and country. In America, the average rate for a setup seems to run between $50-$75 USD. This is quite a small price to pay to make sure your guitar is in good condition.

One hour of guitar practice per day is more than enough to see rapid improvements in your abilities. But you won't get the best results with an unbroken one-hour practice session.

A beginner guitar player should try to practice for at least 30 minutes every weekday. If you are aspiring to make it as a studio musician or professional guitar player, you should try to practice for at least 90 minutes each day. Most professional guitar players practice 180 minutes — 240 minutes each day.

On average, it takes about 300 hours of practice to learn the basic chords and feel comfortable playing the guitar. If you practice for two hours a day – every day – it will take five months to master the basics. If you practice for an hour every day, it will take you ten months.

You can generally expect a full-sized guitar to be 40 inches in length, a size that is best fitted to people over the height of five feet and three inches. For adults smaller than this height, the slightly smaller ⅞ size might be more appropriate.

Rare Woods and Materials

Due to their endangered status and scarcity, certain prized tonewoods such as Brazilian rosewood are no longer used to build guitars. The same is true for tortoiseshell, ivory, and ebony inlays and embellishments.

With the Factory Setup, your guitar will arrive in your hands the way it was setup by Martin and Saga Music (Blueridge guitars). We guarantee that it will be free from defects and blemishes, and it will be within Martin and Saga's tolerances regarding action (string height) and neck relief (amount of bow in the neck).

If you live in an area with a lot of electromagnetic interference, you might be in need of a shielded guitar cavity. Shielding the control cavity is one of the key ways you can get maximum protection from interference.

Does Guitar Center setup your guitar? ›

Tune-Up/Setup

If you're getting anything short of perfect performance from your instrument, it's Guitar Center Repairs time. Generally, it's a good idea to have a setup done two to four times a year, just to keep everything running smoothly.

Electric guitar setups are generally pretty straightforward. You'll need a few tools, mainly Allen wrenches for the truss rod and the bridge, a screwdriver to adjust the pickup heights, and a ruler to measure neck relief and string clearances. You'll also need an electronic tuner for checking the bridge's intonation.

While you may have to invest in a few simple tools, over the long haul, you can save a lot of dough doing it yourself instead of paying a luthier or guitar repair person. Better yet, you'll understand the factors that are involved in making your guitar play and sound exactly the way you like.

Regardless of the value of your guitar it needs a professional quality setup to play properly. A proper setup will help you to get the most from your practice time and best results when playing. You will find it easier to play, and because the tone is accurate you'll be able to tell how much you are improving.

1. Barre chords. We promise we're not winding you up when we say that barre chords are the hardest guitar technique. The reason most guitarists can do them is because they're essential, not because they're easy.

A beginner guitar player should try to practice for at least 30 minutes every weekday. If you are aspiring to make it as a studio musician or professional guitar player, you should try to practice for at least 90 minutes each day. Most professional guitar players practice 180 minutes — 240 minutes each day.