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Brand Spotlight: Getting to Know Squier Guitars

Squier Background & History

While many of you surely know the brand Squier as Fender’s little brother, did you know that the brand actually predates Fender itself?

Started in 1890 by Victor Carroll Squier, the company originally was originally created to produce strings for violins, banjos, and acoustic guitars.

It continued on successfully until 1965 when Fender purchased the company with the intention of using them as their primary string manufacturer.

Sadly, in 1975, Fender decided to instead make Fender-brand strings for their guitars and ceased Squier’s production, essentially closing the company.

As fate would have it, this was not the end for the Squire company as Fender still owned the rights and in 1982, they decided to produce cheaper, entry level guitars under the Squier brand name overseas and sell them as “Squier by Fender”.

Fender had been attempting to produce cheaper lines of their guitars under their brand name in their Fullerton factory but was finding more and more competition from cheap, asian-imported copies.

Realizing that they couldn’t keep up with the lower prices at mass production levels, Squier was reborn.

Throughout their history, Squier has produced guitars in multiple locations including China, Japan, Mexico, America, and India before modern day operations moved primarily to Korea and Indonesia.

Squier continues to be owned by Fender and reproduces cheaper models of almost all famous, well known Fender standards ranging from Stratocasters to Mustangs.

While many of their guitars are awesome values and fun to play, it is important to remember what makes them cost so much less and how that may affect performance.

First off, mass production of anything overseas is cheaper than it is in America due to loose regulation, cheap labor costs, and sometimes spotty business ethics.

Regardless of your moral or economic opinion of the American manufacturing exodus to Asia, it certainly has helped make guitars cheaper.

Secondly, they rarely use name-brand parts such as pickups, tuners, or bridges, with some exceptions for more expensive, signature models.

Generally, you will not find advanced features like binding, locking tuners, or coil tapping on any of the entry level or mid-level Squier products either.

This doesn’t mean the guitars are poor quality, especially with CNC mass production keeping guitars to strict quality standards.

You just can’t expect much more than the basics from these instruments, which is why they often make great candidates for parts-casters or hot-rodded instruments.

Squier Guitars by Fender

Popular Squier Guitar Series

Following the hugely popular Classic Vibe and Affinity Series, Fender expanded the brand into more eclectic series such as Paranormal and Sonic.

Designed to appeal to those who want a little more unique personality wrapped in a familiar design, the Paranormal series features quirky takes of mix-and-match body shapes and electronics layouts.

Squier Paranormal Series >>

Squier Sonic Series >>

Squier’s Sonic Series takes another avenue with stripped down features that appeal not only to a tighter pocket book, but embrace a more understated approach to iconic design.

Best Selling Squier Guitar Models

Most Squier models available currently run from $189.99 to $599.99 – depending on the sales source, and can be purchased directly through their site or via popular retailers like Amazon, Guitar Center, Sweetwater Sound, or American Musical Supply.

Are Squier guitars any good?

They often have a robust used market on sites like Reverb.com or eBay.com due to their high production numbers and demand by money-strapped players like me.

They currently have five main series of guitars that they regularly produce at different price points called Bullet, Affinity, Contemporary, Vintage Modified and Classic Vibe.

Discontinued lines that you may still find floating around include the ill-fated Artist series from 2012 or the Deluxe series which produced some nice Strats but not much else. Let’s take a look at some top sellers from all these lines.

Squier Affinity Series Stratocaster HSS Pack

A perfect starter pack for anyone trying to learn electric guitar, Squier has had lots of success with this marketing tactic of packaging a guitar, amp, case, and accessories together.

They have produced these options for both the Bullet and slightly better Affinity Series and can be found at almost any major retailer.

Furthermore, they have tried some packaging of higher end Squier models with low end Fender amps but that resulted in less success.

Often, it meant only getting a guitar and amp with no case/tuner/cord as a way of keeping prices low, which was less appealing to beginners.

With a number of parents buying instruments for their children to learn on, these are an easy way for people who know little to nothing about guitars to safely and securely buy one.

These packs also come in limited acoustic and bass guitar varieties, helping beginners of all kind get their start.

For more info, you might be interested in our complete Affinity Pack review.

If You’re A New Guitar Player

All guitar players have to go through the same process of learning how to play. Today, it’s never been easier – Fender understands this and has put together a great system to help you get started with “Fender Play”.

Squier Bullet Stratocaster

The simplest of all their models, this take on a classic strat is targeted to dominate the entry level market as it features just the bare bones of Fender’s most popular guitar.

Typically retailing for $179.99 it is priced to sell to just about anyone and offers a cheap option for parents of beginners or beginners wary of spending too much money on an instrument they may not stick with.

Often times, these models are sold as part of beginner packages that include a small guitar amp, a strap, guitar cables, picks and anything else you may need to learn to play guitar.

These are incredibly popular and are often the first guitars for many of the players in the latest generations, but they come with limited finish options and don’t feature the tuning stability or fast necks of their Fender counterparts.

Squier Affinity Series Telecaster

Are Squier Affinity telecasters any good?

A step up from the Bullet series is the Affinity series which offers more finish options as well as introducing a Jazzmaster model to the world.

Currently costing $229.99 these are not crazy expensive but are generally regarded as one of the best values in the guitar world and feature much better craftsmanship.

Our writer Matt says, “I even recently purchased one of these Tele’s to turn into a partscaster-copy of Joe Strummer’s famous black Tele and was shocked at how much I liked it before any upgrades.”

These are still entry level guitars but definitely make it a little bit easier to learn on as mine had great tuning stability and a comfortable neck. Also, they tend to come in more traditional Fender finishes such as Butterscotch,

Race Green, or 2-color Sunburst in addition to the White and Black variations of the Bullet line.

Find out more in our complete Telecaster Affinity Review here.

Squier Contemporary Stratocaster HH

Checking in for the Contemporary Series we have a gorgeous Strat with two zebra stripe humbuckers with a finish headstock.

This line was created to add some modern updates to Squier’s family of instruments that target musicians playing high-gain or metal music.

While super-strats have long been the instrument of choice for shredders, hard rockers, and the like, they have often gone for instruments from Jackson, Charvel, or ESP in lieu of hot rodded Fender products.

The Contemporary Series offers Strats with HH, HSH, SSH, and even active EMG-style humbuckers and beautiful, bright finishes to get any 80’s hair rock or modern metalhead in on the bandwagon.

While still incredibly affordable, these are some of the more expensive Squier guitars coming in around $449.99 or more.

Squier Classic Vibe ‘70s Telecaster Thinline

Last but not least is one of Squier’s best series of instruments, the Classic Vibe series. They tend to cost in the mid-hundreds range – the starting price for many of Fender’s made in Mexico series. Still, they have received great critical and commercial reception.

Boasting Squier’s best hardware and pickups, often referred to as “Fender-designed” meaning that they made overseas copies of the same pieces used on Fender USA models, these things play very similarly to high end Fender’s.

All of the Classic Vibe series set out to recreate the magical guitar models that were popularized in the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s by some of the world’s biggest musicians.

Their take on the ‘70s thinline is one of the most beautiful guitars we’ve seen at this price point, and even features a heavy, smooth gloss finish associated with high end models.

Squier Classic Vibe 50’s Telecaster

What is the best Squier guitar?

We’ve been asked this question many times. If we had to sum it up in one guitar, we’d have. to say it’s the best is the Squier Classic Vibe 50’s Telecaster.

We’ve had so many come across the workbench for simple mods and setups, we’ve found it to be one of the best overall Squier guitar values you can get!

For more info on this model, check out our complete Squier Classic Vibe Telecaster review.

Squier Vintage Modified Jazzmaster

An older line that is slowly being replaced by the Classic Vibe Series, the Vintage Modified line of guitars was also a huge commercial success for Squier that featured higher quality remakes of classic Fender models.

Entering the market with new re-vamped finish options, upgraded “Fender-Designed” pickups, and vintage specifications their take on the Jazzmaster produced this beautiful model for only a few hundred dollars.

These and the Vintage Modified Telecasters are incredibly popular on the second hand market currently and represent fantastic “second” guitars for players looking for an upgrade or are great live guitars for budget minded performers.

At a lower price point than many of the new Classic Vibe guitars, these are one of the best values in the Squier family.

Squier Classic Vibe P & J Basses

Squier by Fender Classic Vibe 70’s Jazz Bass Guitar

With both classic Fender basses represented in the new Classic Vibe line for only a few hundred dollars, many bass fans should rejoice.

Squier has reinvigorated its bass lines in coming years removing many Affinity and Bullet basses and replacing them with an Affinity P/J bass you’ll see later and these higher quality, more expensive models.

The Precision (P) and Jazz (J) basses are arguably the two best bass guitars ever produced and have been widely used by most musical legends.

The P bass on top features the simple, one pickup design of Fender’s P bass which has been relied on for thumping, powerful bass lines throughout rock and funk’s history.

The J bass features two pickups and more onboard EQ options than it’s Strat-bodied predecessor and has more of an offset, Jazzmaster body shape.

For the extra money over the Affinity series bases, many of the upgrades are cosmetic or have to do with the quality and playability of the neck.

The J bass features beautiful black block inlays on the maple neck while the P bass, true to its simple form, has dot inlays along an Indian Laurel fingerboard both with smooth gloss finishes.

Squier Affinity Series P/J Bass

Featuring both P and J bass pickups in the body, this represents one of Squier’s flagship entry level bass guitars at the humble price of $229.99.

With three knobs giving more variable tonal options akin to the Jazz bass, you can get a number of great tones out it as you grow as a live player or songwriter.

In the familiar Strat-like body of the P bass, it has been noted by many for being incredibly comfortable to play.

This P/J bass also comes in the aforementioned packages with case, amplifier, cables, and tuner that makes it so readily accessible to students of all ages and budgets.

However, as with some of the Affinity guitars, you are likely limited in finish options to a basic white or black.

Popular Squier Guitar Signature Models

All popular guitar brands these days are constantly competing with one another to land more and more signature artists.

With each artist endorsement or signature model, the hope is that the band’s recognition will generate sales of the instruments they use as fans try to emulate their idol’s sound.

Often times, the most willing to buy signature models are beginners or students who are looking for their first guitar to learn their favorite songs on or are looking to upgrade from that Bullet series Strat to a more dependable instrument.

J Mascis Jazzmaster

According to J Mascis, he went to a local guitar store to buy a Strat, found out it was too expensive, and walked out with a Jazzmaster, which was a very lame guitar at the time.

Little did he know, his new Jazzmaster would go on to become a guitar icon in the world of alternative rock thanks to his work with the band Dinosaur Jr.

For $499.99 you’re certainly getting a lot of guitar, comparable to a low end Fender model, for less than the $500+ price tag of Mexican or American models.

With a stunning gold pickguard and all the essential Jazzmaster features in tact, the popularity of this model has been driven more by the quality of the guitar than by the name association or fame of J Mascis.

Jim Root Telecaster

Squier’s take on a true modern metal guitar saw them partner up with a true modern metal guitar hero in Jim Root of Stone Sour and Slipknot fame.

The humbuckers may look like active EMG pickups but are actually just matte black passive Squier humbuckers that have been noted for having impressive bite and output for the price range.

Root’s Tele, which can be found on Reverb at good prices, adds a unique option for metal players on a budget who want to look past traditional ESP, Jackson, or Dean metal instruments.

Available in Flat White and Matte Black finishes Squire likely hopes continued artist diversification will pay off in the ever changing guitar retail landscape.

J5 Telecaster

Checking back into the world of modern metal and hard rock, John 5’s love of Telecasters is well known and somewhat uncharacteristic for the music he makes.

Either way, Squier teamed up with him to make one of his signature hot rodded Tele’s available on Reverb at the affordable prices with some great features.

The J5 Telecaster is one of their newest signature models released and features Alnico 5-based humbuckers, a three way selector switch that features two volume knobs and no tone, which allows you to use the selector in as a kill-switch when soloing.

This guitar, like the other signature models listed, has a beautiful finish and detailed headstock that has really made Squier unique in that many of their cheap guitars don’t look like cheap guitars.

Squier Acoustic Guitars

Squier SA-150 Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar

Fender makes many of its cheaper, entry level acoustics overseas under their own brand name leaving only one Squier acoustic commercially available.

The SA-150 is a budget acoustic targeted to those needing a cheap, acoustic guitar with no frills at a budget price point.

For more information on the package deal, read our full review here.

Pros Use Squier Guitars Too

Platinum-selling band Catfish and the Bottlemen have become one of the new faces of alternative and indie rock mixing the pub-rock influence of Oasis with the more textural guitar work inspired by U2’s The Edge or The Killers’ Dave Keuning.

But little did you know that frontman, rhythm guitarist, and songwriter Van McCann wrote and recorded the entire first album with one of the aforementioned Squier Jim Root Telecasters as his main instrument.

Proving you don’t need expensive gear to write quality tunes, you can hear this affordable Squier tone all over popular singles such as “Kathleen”, “Homesick”, and “Cocoon”.

McCann commented on his use of Root’s signature model: “I don’t even know him. Doesn’t he have a mask on sometimes? I use that guitar because it’s matte black and it’s got a volume knob, and that’s it. It was like £150 and I’ve swapped the scratchplates over and I’ve smashed it up, but it just doesn’t break or go out of tune.”

The post Squier Guitars [Brand Profile] first appeared on GuitarNiche.

Have you ever experienced this before? You’re tightening up your fresh new acoustic string and notice the bridge pin keeps creeping up, or maybe it even pops right out!

Why is this happening?

For the most part, the root of the problem stems from the bottom of the pin itself. It’s squared off and acts like a catch for the string’s ball end.

While this is certainly a main cause for bridge pins popping out, the entire problem stems from a couple of reasons – often combined.

The other issue is typically caused by the heaviest strings. Their greater thickness often binds against the bridge pin hole making it difficult for them to seat at all. In such cases, the solution is to either widen the bridge pin slot or enlarge the bridge pin hole.

Why is this still happening when it seems to be a common problem?

As with any guitar problem, it takes time for solutions to become the accepted norm. For instance, it wasn’t that long ago that pickup systems for acoustics didn’t include an integrated tuner, now it’s commonplace. Of course this is still not the absolute rule, but looking further back in guitar history, there was a time when there were no such things as electronic tuners at all – get my meaning?

For the time being, many manufacturers are still using common bridge pins that are squared off on the bottom. You’ll see them on highly recognized brand-name instruments (maybe you own one?) and even custom designed high-end replacement pins.

In this video, I run through the more common, and easier methods of getting the bridge pins to cooperate.

Video: How to Stop Bridge Pins from Popping Out

Transcript:

Hey all, Steve from GuitarNiche here. I’m just about to restring this lovely Seagull Entourage acoustic – very nice very nice, few years old, and as a cursory nice thing to do for the person that owns it, I noticed that the ends of these bridge pins, all of which are right here are all squared off – they’re just mass-produced plastic bridge pins.

What I’m going to do is well for one, take one of our new strings and and pop it in there and give you an idea what might happen.

Rightaway you’ll see that it’s pulling up on on the pin. Two things going on there. I’m going to address one at a time.

The pin itself: what I’ll do is simply chamer the edge here at the slot. Now I have to do this off camera so I don’t make a mess on the guitar. I’m just taking my file, you can do this on a grinder or you can do it with sandpaper, whatever works. But I’ll show you what I did very quickly, all I did there was just knock off that square edge it’s super simple.

I’ve heard people complaining about the bridge pins coming up when they’re tightening strings and it’s very common. Especially when you don’t know what the forces are behind it. It’s totally normal to ask questions and try to figure it out. Well, here’s your answer to help alleviate the problem of bridge pins pulling up. But, as you’re tightening up the strings it’s still not 100% guaranteed.

if you want to help things along a little bit take the end of the string here where it’s wound, and I’ve seen this happen even with chamered pins where the ball still gets hung up. Just because everything’s still at right angles.

What I’m going to do is put a little bit of a (hope that’s on camera there) I’ll put a little bit of a kink in that, just roll the ball over a little bit. Then I’ll pop that in and put the pin in, pull up a little bit. Push it down with my thumb if I have to.

By the time I get that wound up (I’m just going to do this super quick) just to give a little bit of tension and explain that because of those two small tiny little adjustments it’s done.

Okay you see it’s still coming up, but I’ll just push that down easy peasy. But the important thing is that it’s not the whole thing being drawn up.

Sometimes they’ll pop right out and then they’ll land and Never Never Land and, you know, have fun finding it.

Anyway I will do that for each string in turn but there’s your little tip for the day so to speak, actually two for one.

Hope you enjoyed that and we’ll we’ll carry on, get the job done.

Make sure you like and subscribe, read the description below this video. There’s lots of great resources there – freebies there’s a couple of free books and more stuff coming all the time. so get on that

As always play loud and have a great day.

Cheers!

The post How To Stop Bridge Pins From Popping Out (Easy Fix!) first appeared on GuitarNiche.

Ever play a guitar with action that’s sky high or buzzes too much? It’s a fact, a guitar with poor action will stifle your playing and quickly rob you of enjoyment.

How do you fix it? And what tools and methods do you use to get it where it should be?

This guide explains how to make critical adjustments for most common types of guitars and the principles behind achieving great guitar action.

Editor’s Note:

This article explains, in a wholistic way, how to adjust the action on your guitar for maximum playability and enjoyment.

In order to keep the details as concise as possible, major points of adjustment are covered in broad terms first, then explained in detail further on.

What this means for you as the reader, is that you may find yourself moving from section to section in order to gain the information that fits your current situation.

I sincerely hope this guide makes sense for you and supplies the information you need to get the most out of your guitar’s action.

Steve B.

What is Guitar Action?

Guitar action refers to how the guitar feels when you play it. A guitar with good action should have the strings set at the optimal height for your instrument, match your playing style and allow you to express yourself freely.

From a physical standpoint, the word “action” also fits the context of how you manipulate the guitar. As you play, your fret hand is literally where most of the action is.

Adjusting the action on a guitar refers to changing the distance between the strings and the fretboard. Moreover, it can be a delicate process as it requires precise measurements and careful handling of the instrument.

Setting Guitar Action: An Overview

By now you should have a good idea of the target measurements you’re aiming for, the tools you need and how to make the adjustments to get you there.

To adjust the action on a guitar, there are three main points you need to focus on:

• The nut
• Neck relief
• The bridge

By raising or lowering each element, you can find the perfect balance of playability for both the instrument and the player.

Why Action Matters

If your guitar’s action is poor, it’s not only annoying, it’s distracting. In other words you’re not getting the most out of your playing time or enjoying the experience as much as you could.

In my experience, well over 90% of guitars suffer from high action. For new guitarists this can be a deal breaker – the struggle is very real. Plus they usually don’t know what good action is supposed to feel like.

Conversely, if the action is too low, the strings may buzz against the frets when played, resulting in poor sound quality.

If your guitar doesn’t play the way you’d like, what follows is the remedy to curing your poor action woes.

The Tools You’ll Need

The tools required to adjust virtually any guitar’s action are really quite modest and certainly won’t break the bank. A few of the most common tools you’ll need include:

• An appropriate truss rod adjuster for your specific guitar
• Screwdrivers and allen keys to make bridge saddle adjustments
• A fine measuring tool to determine string height
• Feeler gauges or similar reference tools
• And ideally, a set of radius gauges

Depending on your instrument you may need additional things like files or sandpaper for trimming things like acoustic saddles.

For a complete list of the essential tools for setting guitar action and further setup adjustments, check out our Guitar Setup Tools Guide.

How to Measure Guitar Action

Start With an Assessment

Assessing the current state of your guitar’s action is your starting point. Sometimes you can easily see with the naked eye that the strings are too high or low to begin with.

Look at where the body meets the neck, do the strings seem excessively high? Or are they too close to the frets?

Now sight down the edge of the neck from just behind the nut looking towards the bridge. Do the strings seem to rise too quickly? Or are they nearly touching the tops of the frets.

Strings that are too high will seem hard to play. Strings that are too close will tend to buzz or even fret out in the upper register when you bend them.

Make some mental notes about what you observe.

As for neck relief, the neck may also look like it has a bit too much “bow”. Too much relief will make the strings in the middle of the neck feel particularly spongey or little too hard to manipulate.

The neck may also look pretty straight or even have a bit of an up-bow or a slightly rounded (humped) curvature. If this is the case, once again you’ll find the strings a little buzzy.

Commit what you’re feeling to memory. It’ll come in handy as we work through the process of adjusting the truss rod and setting the action properly.

Typical Factory Specifications

Here’s a generalized chart of factory setup specs for common brand-name guitars.

Keep in mind these measurements are not absolute and subject to many different variations such as playing style, string gauge, condition of the instrument etc.

All string heights measured in inches at the 12th fret:

Measure String Height

Measure String Height at the Nut

String height at the nut is measured by assessing the air gap at the first fret. This can be done using feeler gauges, or by eye if you have enough experience.

To use feeler gauges, pick a gauge that seems appropriate and measure the air space between the top of the fret and the underside of the string.

Keep in mind that neck relief and bridge height will influence this measurement. Therefor it is essential these factors be within a reasonable range before you commit to cutting any string slots at the nut.

The following measurements can be used a general guide for most guitars to at least get you in the ballpark. You can then tweak them to your own personal preference. Keep in mind that once a string slot is cut, it’s cut.

All string heights measured in inches from the bottom of the string to the top of the 1st fret:

If you think the nut needs attention, here’s an in-depth tutorial on how to cut nut slots to the ideal depth every time:

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Measure String Height at the 12th Fret

Using your preferred fine measuring tool, here’s how to measure your string height:

1. Hold the guitar in the playing position.
2. Starting with the low E string, measure the distance from the bottom of the string to the top of the 12th fret. (Coins work really well as a quick reference).
3. Record the measurement.
4. Next, move to the high E string and repeat the same measurement technique.
5. Record the measurement.

Note: The 12th fret this is a common reference point as it’s the middle of the string between the nut and the bridge.

If you want more precision, use the 8th and 14th frets. This technique will also allow you to account for effects of relief.

Don’t worry about measuring all the strings in between, setting the outer strings will give us a guideline for the remaining strings.

Lastly, move to the end of the neck at the first fret. Does it take a bit too much pressure to push the strings down? Or do they buzz when you play them open?

In either case, it means we’ll have to make one or more adjustments to get the strings to ring out properly and feel right at the same time.

Measure Fretboard Radius

Radius gauges are an indispensable tool for coaxing the maximum playing potential out of a guitar. By matching the radius of the fretboard with the radius of the strings at the bridge, it’s possible to achieve superior guitar playability.

Chances are your fretboard radius is fairly common if your guitar is manufactured by a popular brand. Here’s a table listing some of the most typical radii used by larger manufacturers:

Common Fretboard Radius Measurements

Of course, if you’re unsure or have a more unique model, it’s a pretty quick process to find the factory specs for your particular instrument’s fretboard radius through the manufacturer’s website. Or you can refer to this excellent list of radius measurements organized by manufacturer here.

In practice, ALWAYS measure the fretboard radius of service instruments to verify you have correct information.

Radius gauges come in a variety of styles and price points. In general, they all do the same job and won’t break the bank.

Types of Guitar Radius Gauges

How to Measure Fretboard Radius

To measure neck’s fretboard radius, follow these steps:

1. Pick a notched radius gauge you think is the right one.
2. Make sure it matches the wider spans of fretboard close to or at the body joint (14th – 18th frets) without any gaps.
3. If it doesn’t match, move to the next size up or down and repeat step 2.

To measure string radius at the bridge, follow these steps:

1. Pick a solid curve radius gauge that matches the fretboard.
2. At roughly 1/2″ ahead of the saddle(s), rest the gauge against the strings with as little pressure as possible.
3. Check that all strings contact the gauge by gently picking each string in turn. Each string should buzz slightly if it is contacting the radius gauge.

If any strings do not touch the gauge you’ll have to adjust the saddle(s) to match. Because different instruments require different approaches to making these adjustments, I’ll cover them individually in the section on How to Adjust the Action on Different Types of Guitars.

Measure Neck Relief

There are a number of ways to measure or “read” neck relief. My preferred method involves measuring the gap under the 3rd string around the 7th to 9th frets.

If there isn’t a gap it means the neck is too straight or may have a back bow. We’ll address this later in the article in the section: “How to Adjust the Truss Rod“.

How to quickly and accurately measure neck relief:

1. While holding the guitar in a playing position, press the G string down at the 2nd fret with your fret hand, and at the same time, the 14th or 15th fret with your pick hand.
2. Now look at the G string at the mid-point of this span – around the 7th to 9th frets.
3. Look for a gap of light between the top of the frets and the underside of the string itself. The gap should be somewhere between .006″ and .018″ or .15 mm and .46 mm respectively depending on the instrument.

For quick reference, the gap should look about the same thickness as the diameter of the 1st or 2nd plain strings.

If the gap is more than described, or not there at all, we’ll have to adjust the truss rod.

These initial measurements will give you an excellent idea of where your guitar’s action currently sits. Depending on how you want the guitar to feel as you play, you can increase or decrease these readings to match your style.

Now that you have your reference points, you can begin the most important process of setting your guitar’s action: balancing string height with truss rod relief.

Know Your Truss Rod

Neck relief should be set so that it’s not too straight – which can cause excessive buzzing, or have too much air under the strings – which causes the neck to feel spongey and harder to play.

Depending on the manufacturer, there are basically four different types of truss rod adjusters:

How to Adjust the Truss Rod

Regardless of the type of truss rod adjuster or which end of the neck it’s located at, they all work the same way:

• Tightening the adjuster increases pressure which straightens the neck. This brings the frets and the strings closer together.

• Loosening the adjuster decreases pressure which adds relief. This adds air between the frets and the strings.

To set the relief that’s perfect for your how you like your action, make small incremental bridge height and truss rod adjustments until you’re satisfied with the results.

Make Preliminary Adjustments

Now that we’re armed with the basic knowledge of how to measure action, it’s time to make preliminary adjustments. This step gets us in the ballpark and helps us better determine what the final adjustments should be. It also helps us control problems that can pop up if we commit to a setting prematurely.

For example, if we cut the nut slots to an optimal depth then straighten the neck, the nut slots will be too low causing the strings to buzz. The only remedy then is to repair or replace the nut.

To use an analogy, let’s write a rough draft before we commit to the final copy.

Additionally, try to make preliminary adjustments using the old strings if at all possible – especially if the guitar hasn’t been adjusted for a while.

Why? Because new strings will quickly get trashed from repetitive tensioning during the adjustment process. Save the fresh strings for the last few steps to maintain their full integrity.

To begin setting the guitar’s action, follow this series of preliminary adjustments:

1. If possible, lower or raise the bridge or saddle(s) to get them in the ballpark. It’s ok to be conservative, we want to “creep” the individual adjustments gradually towards the ultimate goal.
2. Read the neck relief and make a quick adjustment if necessary.
3. Make sure the nut is cut properly. If it seems ok, leave it alone. If it has issues and needs to be re-cut, check out the quick tutorial on re-cutting a nut here. If it needs to be repaired, check out this article on nut repair.

Next, we’ll look at the fine adjustments we need to coax the most playability out of your guitar.

Action and Different Types of Guitars

Different types of guitars, electric and acoustic for example, have different types of action adjustments. Nonetheless, they all follow the same basic principle of getting the string height and neck relief to work together.

I must stress that, as we go from instrument to instrument, we’re going to assume the nut is in good shape.

Why? Because regardless of the type of guitar, the nut is a fixed point and shouldn’t need further adjustment once it’s set. For help on setting the nut height, refer to the links in the Preliminary Adjustments section.

Otherwise, the truss rod and bridge are the areas that really need the attention – the vast majority of your work will involve setting the bridge or saddle height and adjusting neck relief.

Author’s Note: Getting the greatest possible action out of a guitar relies heavily on all critical adjustment points being within acceptable limits. If you’re in doubt or think these adjustments are beyond your comfort level, take your guitar to a qualified tech.

Steve B.

Acoustic Guitars

Whether you like your action a little higher or as low as possible, great action on an acoustic guitar, like any other guitar, involves finding the perfect balance between the nut height, neck relief and saddle height.

Most acoustic guitars come with a one-piece saddle made of natural or man-made materials. The most common being bone, plastic or graphite.

As mentioned previously, you should have the neck relief at least in the ballpark to minimize re-adjustments.

In my experience, acoustic action is usually set too high – either from the factory or due to the stresses of aging. Achieving comfortable low action on an acoustic involves trimming an appropriate amount of material from the bottom of the saddle – not the top, to bring the string height down.

During the trimming process, it’s not uncommon to have to reinstall the saddle and strings a couple of times to check the action. This is where keeping the old strings on really comes in handy

How to Adjust the Action on an Acoustic Guitar

To adjust the action on your acoustic follow these steps:

1. Measure neck relief and adjust to within your own acceptable limits.
2. Make sure individual nut slot heights are set properly. Adjust if necessary.
3. Remove the strings.
4. Carefully remove the saddle.
5. Check that the saddle slot is clean and make sure there are no pre-existing shims.
   • If the strings are already too low and you do need to install a shim, use a piece of stiff material with a thickness of roughly .025″ (0.635 mm) cut to the appropriate length and width. An old credit card works perfectly for this.
   • Once you’ve installed the shim, skip to step 8.
   • If you are removing saddle material, continue to step 6.
6. Mark a straight line along the bottom edge of the saddle, roughly .025″ from the bottom is a good start. Note: a little goes a long way. In other words, removing a small amount of material can make a big difference in how the action feels. Plus it’s better to creep towards your target rather than overshooting it.
7. Remove the excess material from the bottom using a sander, file or sandpaper. Aim to “split the line” and at the same time, make sure the bottom of the saddle is perfectly flat.
8. Reinstall the saddle and strings.
9. Tune to pitch.
10. Check neck relief again. Adjust if necessary.
11. Check for playability. Pick a few single notes and strum a few chords up and down the neck in multiple places. The action should feel comfortable and the notes should ring true without the strings buzzing.
12. If necessary, repeat steps 3 through 11.
13. Install new strings and tune to pitch.
14. Check neck relief and playability. Adjust if necessary.
15. Fully stretch the new strings and re-tune to pitch.
16. Play and enjoy!

You’ll notice there’s a lot of reference to checking neck relief. Why? As you remove and reinstall the strings you’re also removing and reapplying pressure. This can cause neck relief to change as compression is redistributed.

You’ll also notice new strings have slightly less tension and are more elastic. This will cause the neck to relax a little. Therefor keeping a constant close eye on neck relief is an important part of the process.

Note: Sometimes the an acoustic’s saddle radius doesn’t match the fretboard radius. whether you decide to adjust it or not requires careful consideration.

On some guitars this mismatch is intentional, the saddle radius will read flatter compared to the fretboard. A common trait with Martin guitars, this is due to either the use of a compound radius (a gradual flattening of the radius along the neck) or extra height added to the bass side to allow room for thicker string vibration.

Conversely, you may find the saddle has an overly rounded radius. This is usually due to overly-standardized production that has neglected the finer points, preferring quantity over quality.

Lastly, all the steps regarding action described above are exactly the same for a twelve string acoustic – the only difference is in the number of strings you get to deal with!

Electric Guitars

For the most part, adjusting the action on an electric guitar follows the same procedures as previously mentioned – but with one significant exception: electric guitars are inherently designed to be more adjustable in order to fine tune string height, radius and intonation length.

Though the goal of adjusting the action at the bridge is the same, the type of bridge your electric guitar has will greatly affect the types of tools and processes you use.

For example, adjusting the bridge on a typical Fender-made product will be very different from adjusting the bridge on a Gibson Les Paul.

Additionally, make sure you keep a close eye on string tension. Making these adjustments will definitely affect string pressure and potentially cause misreads. To maintain accuracy, good practice is to continually check the condition of your strings and keep them as close as possible to normal tension.

That said, let’s have a look at how to adjust the action on some of the most common types of electric guitars:

Fender Style Electric Guitars

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How to the Adjust Action on a Stratocaster

Stratocaster guitar bridges come in two basic forms according to the type of bridge mounting screws: the classic six-point and the modern two-point systems.

Overall bridge height can be adjusted by means of the bridge mounting screws:

Though each type of tailpiece is originally designed to be floating, it can also be “hard-tailed” or set flat to the body.

If the bridge is set to be hard-tailed, the process of setting your action is fairly straight forward.

If the tailpiece (ie: the bridge) is set to be floating, adjusting the amount of rise off the body surface will affect the overall height of the strings.

Therefor, when adjusting the claw-plate springs in the back, be sure to re-check your string height – more spring tension brings the strings closer to the fretboard and vice versa.

Stratocaster bridge systems feature individual saddles that are fully adjustable in three aspects: height, radius and intonation length.

Each saddle has two forward-mounted grub screws that can be used to set the string height, and at the same time, match the radius. The screw at the rear of the bridge plate is used to set intonation length.

Typical US (Imperial spec.) models use a 1/16″ allen key for the grub screws, whereas import and many MIM units use a 1.5 mm allen key driver.

Steps to Adjust a Stratocaster Bridge:

First and foremost, we’re going to assume you have a fresh set of strings on, the nut and neck relief have been adjusted, and you are ready to go!

1. Adjust the bridge mounting screws:
   • Relax string pressure until the back of the bridge plate contacts the body surface.
   • If necessary, adjust all bridge mounting screws to make sure the bridge plate is reasonably flush with the body.
   • Starting with the outermost screws, adjust the bridge mounting screws until the back of the bridge plate just begins to rise off the body surface.
   • Back off each bridge mounting screw equally an additional 1/4 to 1/2 turn.
2. Tune the strings up to pitch.
   • If floating, adjust the claw plate spring pressure until the back edge of the bridge measures 1/8″ or 3.18 mm off the body surface at pitch. Note: This height can be adjusted to better match your playing preference.
   • If hard-tailing, continue to step 5.
3. Check neck relief. Adjust if necessary.
4. Adjust the 1st string saddle height to its lowest acceptable limit. Note: individual string heights are set by adjusting the two grub screws at the front of each saddle
5. Adjust the 6th string saddle height to its lowest acceptable limit.
6. Using the appropriate radius gauge, set the remaining string heights to match.
7. Stretch the strings out fully and retune to pitch.
8. Double check for ease of action and playability.
9. Enjoy!

Author’s note: When setting up a Strat to be floating, the bottoms of the saddle plates should ideally be level and in line with the trajectory of the strings when at rest.

How to Adjust the Action on a Telecaster

The beauty of a Telecaster lies in its simplicity. Originally designed to be a working musician’s guitar, the focus was on the balance of utility and performance.

For the most part, achieving great action on a Telecaster is the same as previously mentioned instruments. But once again, the main difference lies in how you deal with the bridge components – namely the saddles.

Adjusting a Telecaster bridge with modern individual saddles is essentially the same process as on a Stratocaster – but without the need to adjust any bridge mounting screws.

Here’s a quick video about setting action on a Vintage 52 Reissue Telecaster:

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Adjusting a vintage style Telecaster bridge with three barrels is slightly different in a couple of aspects. For one, you may need a fine slot screwdriver to adjust the grub screws.

Secondly, it’s important to understand that adjusting one side of the barrel influences the other side slightly. Therefor it’s important to constantly re-check the overall height and radius measurements you’re aiming for.

Steps to Adjust a Telecaster Bridge:

Let’s assume (again) you have a brand new set of strings on, the nut and neck relief have been checked and adjusted to your satisfaction, and you’re ready to go!

1. Tune the strings up to pitch.
2. Check neck relief. Adjust if necessary.
3. Adjust the 1st string saddle height to its lowest acceptable limit.
   • Note: Whether the saddles are individual to the string or the two-string barrel type, string height is set by adjusting the two grub screws at the front of each saddle.
4. Adjust the 6th string saddle height to its lowest acceptable limit.
5. Using the appropriate radius gauge, set the remaining string heights to match.
6. Stretch the strings out fully and retune to pitch.
7. Double check for ease of action and playability.
8. Enjoy!

Gibson Style Electric Guitars

Adjusting the action on Gibson style electric guitars once again follows the same basic process as any other: we want to start by making sure the nut height and neck relief are set according to your preferences using the methods described above.

Next, assuming you have a new set of string on to work with and the appropriate tools, let’s have a look at how to make action adjustments at the bridge.

Gibson tune-o-matic type bridge adjustment points:

Steps to Adjust a Gibson Style Bridge:

1. Make sure the strings are tuned to pitch.
2. Double check neck relief. Adjust if necessary.
3. Using the appropriate tool, adjust the treble side of the bridge to its lowest acceptable limit.
4. Check string tension making sure it’s at least close to being in tune.
5. Adjust the bass side of the bridge to its lowest acceptable limit.
6. Once again check string tension.
7. Double check string height and readjust the bridge if necessary.
8. Stretch the strings out fully and retune to pitch.
9. Double check the action throughout the neck is to your liking.
10. Play away!

You may have noticed I haven’t mentioned anything about using a radius gauge. This is for good reason.

The interesting thing about Gibson tune-o-matic type ABR and Nashville bridge design is in the fact that the bridge unit itself acts as a unified carriage – the individual saddles are not height adjustable themselves.

Because Gibson type saddles are not height adjustable, setting the radius may require cutting the saddle slots. This process is not to be taken lightly as there are significant consequences.

Why? Well for one, older bridges, particularly those found on older and vintage instruments, suffer from what’s called a “collapsed bridge” or “bridge sag”. This is a condition where the bridge loses its original radius over time due to continuous pressure from the strings.

And two, if you cut one saddle slot too low, you have to adjust the others to match. In other words, you must be precise in your measurements and careful in execution – once it’s cut, you can’t undo it.

In this respect, Fender type bridge design has a significant advantage in the ability to fine tune without alteration.

Either way, recutting the saddle slots is a destructive process requiring careful consideration, especially when dealing with an older bridge that’s already compromised.

Tools Required:

If you do decide to refine the radius by cutting the saddle slot depths, you can use the same tools for cutting nut slots.

Additionally, you should cut the saddle slots BEFORE you set string height. If you try to do it afterwards, you’ll have to re-set the bridge height all over again.

Should I Top Wrap or Not?

What does top wrapping a stop tailpiece have to do with action? Well, the answer lies in why it’s adjustable in the first place.

According to original Gibson advertising literature, there was an intentional benefit baked into the design to begin with: the, “Tailpiece can be moved up or down to adjust tension”.

To this day, there is a highly polarized debate as to whether the strings should be oriented one way or the other. One side claims, “If it’s good enough for (insert guitar hero name here), it’s good enough for me.” versus “If it was designed that way, then that’s the way it should be done.”.

It really comes down to a matter of preference. If you do happen to favor one or the other, which side are you on? By all means, feel free to leave a comment in the comments section below.

Guitars with Locking Systems

As a group, guitars with locking systems are purpose-built for fast action. When build quality and material components are good, these guitars perform like thoroughbreds being nearly effortless to play.

Due to the nature of the locking system, these guitars also fall into a category all their own. Along with other features, the locking system also affects the process of setting the guitar’s action.

Many players find the process of working on a locking system incredibly frustrating. For good reason: you’re dealing with a host of mechanical points that have to be locked or unlocked while at the same time work with loaded springs under tension.

In reality, the process of adjusting the action on a guitar with a locking system is really not that complicated. You just need the appropriate tools, and follow a logical method to get the guitar’s action where you want it to be.

The Most Common Issue – The Bridge is Too High or Low

One of the most common pain points associated with locking systems is the change in bridge height when you switch string gauges. The bridge will get “decked” – that is, pulled back into the body with lighter strings, or rise sky high when going to a heavier gauge.

To correct a locking bridge height that is too high or low, refer to steps 4 thru 7 below.

Common Locking Bridge Adjustment Points

Adjusting the bridge to level is done by adjusting the claw plate screws located in the spring cavity.

When the spring pressure is equalized with the string pressure, the bridge plate should be relatively flush with the plane of the body.

Similar to Gibson style and modern Fender Strats, locking system bridges use a two-point adjustment system to raise or lower the entire bridge unit.

Locking Nut Shims

Shims of different thicknesses can be used to adjust the height of the locking nut.

Locking Bridge Saddle Shims

Steps to Adjust the Action on a Guitar with a Locking System:

For the sake of popularity, we’re going to use a standard Floyd Rose type locking system for reference.

1. Make sure the bridge is in as level a position as possible. See step 4 below for instructions on how to do this.
2. With the strings at tension, carefully asses neck relief is within tolerance. Adjust if necessary.
3. Check string height at the nut.
   • How to adjust a locking nut if it needs to be raised or lowered:
     • Remove the pressure pad bolts, pads and any nut mounting screws. Note: string tension will keep the nut in place.
     • Place a suitable block such as a tongue depressor under the back of the locking bridge. This will stop it from collapsing into the body.
     • Starting with the first string tuner, carefully back off each string 2 or 3 turns to reduce overall string tension.
     • To further reduce spring load on the guitar, carefully remove 1 spring from the cavity in the back of the body.
       Spring load should now be reduced enough so that you can either add or remove shims from underneath the locking nut.
     • Insert one of the 3mm locking pad machine screws 2 or 3 turns into the center position on top of the nut. Using the screw as a handle, you should now be able to gently pull the nut up vertically to add or remove shim material underneath. If the nut seems to still have too much pressure on it, back off the tuners a bit more and / or remove another spring if necessary.
     • Add or remove shims underneath as required. Note: If, after removing all shims, the locking nut needs to go still lower, the nut seat will have to be re-milled. If this is the case, take it to a pro as this is a highly specialized process and beyond the scope of this guide.
     • Using a stepped approach, carefully bring the strings back up to tension and reinstall any tremolo springs previously removed.
   • Recheck that the nut is at an acceptable height. If necessary, readjust using the method previously described.
   • Recheck that the neck relief and bridge are also within acceptable limits. Readjust if necessary.
   • Reinstall the nut mounting screws. Note: It is not necessary to reinstall the pressure pads just yet.
4. With the strings at tension, check that the bridge plate is level with the plane of the body. Alternatively, the bridge plate can be lined up with the trajectory of the strings.
   • How to level the bridge:
     • If the back end of the bridge plate is too high, tighten both claw-plate screws equally 1/2 to 1 full turn each.
     • If the back end of the bridge plate is too low, loosen both claw-plate screws equally 1/2 to 1 full turn each.
     • Retune the strings to pitch.
     • Check that the bridge plate is level. If not, repeat the above steps according to the condition of the bridge until it is level.
   • Double check the strings are at pitch.
5. Adjust the treble side fulcrum stud up or down until the 1st string height is set to its lowest acceptable limit.
6. Adjust the bass side fulcrum stud up or down until the 6th string height is set to its lowest acceptable limit.
7. Recheck that the bridge is level and that the nut height and neck relief are still within acceptable limits. Make refining adjustments if necessary.
8. Using the appropriate radius gauge, check that the radius of the strings indeed matches the radius of the fretboard.
   Important Note: Whether the saddle radius matches the fretboard radius or not is highly dependant on the quality of manufacture. In my experience, locking system saddles rarely match the fretboard radius and require shims to get a perfect match.
   • How to adjust string radius on a locking system bridge:
     • Remove tension from the string you want to adjust.
     • Record the intonation point for future reference.
     • Loosen and remove the saddle lock down screw attached to the saddle you’re adjusting.
     • Carefully lift up the saddle to expose a gap under the front portion. Pulling the string up vertically usually works well for this.
     • Insert the appropriate size shim under the saddle. This can be anything between .005″ to .015″ or .127 mm to .381 mm depending on the amount of radius gap you need to compensate for.
     • Realign the saddle to its original intonation point.
     • Reinstall and tighten the saddle lock down screw.
     • Tune the string up to pitch.
     • Check that the string height now matches the radius. Readjust if necessary.
   • Check that all strings are at pitch.
9. Recheck that the nut height, neck relief and condition of the bridge are set to your liking.
10. Line up and level the fine tuner adjustment screws making sure there’s enough room for adjustment after lock down.
11. Double check that the saddle lock down screws are secure.
12. Reinstall the nut pressure pads and pad bolts, and lock them down.
13. Recheck that the guitar is tuned to pitch. Fine tune if necessary.
14. Play!

For most systems, the above method works very well. But variations between manufacturers will require adapting some principles to make things work for the particular unit.

Floyd Rose vs Kahler Systems

For example, adjusting the locking nut for a Kahler system works exactly the same as described above, but adjusting the bridge is a very different animal – more like that of a Strat but on steroids. Plus there’s no true locking mechanism for the strings.

Archtops, Jazz Guitars and Semi-Acoustics

Adjusting Action on Archtop, Jazz and Semi-Acoustic Guitars

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Setting the action on archtop, jazz and semi-acoustic instruments is very similar to that of acoustic guitars – with some interesting exceptions.

Many traditional archtop jazz guitars come fitted with a pre-intonated, height adjustable bridge system. The saddle component is a typically a single piece of hardwood or metal set atop of a base plate fitted with adjustable thumbwheels.

With these instruments, adjusting string height for better action is a simple matter of raising or lowering the saddle using the thumbwheels.

Interestingly enough, even a straight metal bar, as used in Gretsch’s 7576 Country Club, can be remarkably effective and musical when adjusting the action on a jazz-box.

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Putting a wedge in the door of the future, more “modernized” instruments make use of tune-o-matic type bridges and are thus, fairly straight forward.

Setting the action on these guitars is essentially the same as with Gibson type instruments.

Classical Guitars

Adjusting Action on a Classical Guitar

For the most part, adjusting the action on a classical guitar follows the same process as steel string acoustics, but with a few very important differences:

• Classical guitars traditionally have a flat fretboard, therefor there’s no need for measuring or adjusting a radius.
• Due to lower string pressure, many classical guitars are not equipped with a truss rod – no adjustment is necessary.
• Action on a classical guitar will be a little higher due to the higher elasticity and tendency of the strings to vibrate more aggressively. This means both the nut and the saddle must be set fractionally higher.
• If you have to remove the saddle to make adjustments more than once, it’s not very practical to un-weave the strings at the bridge. Instead, loosen the string tension and carefully insert a suitably sized wedge just ahead of the saddle. This should allow you enough lea-way to remove the saddle, make an adjustment and reinstall it.

Basses

Adjusting the Action on a Bass Guitar

Adjusting the action on a bass guitar typically follows the same process as electric guitars. Most of the “action” is set using the bridge components.

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Depending on the architecture, the adjustment points and methods are essentially the same, just on a larger scale (no pun intended). For example, larger strings means a little more string height is needed along with a touch more neck relief.

From a player’s point of view, one major consideration is in whether you use a pick, fingers or combination of both. These various techniques have a substantial influence on how the action is set which is heavily dictated by the player’s style.

Should Action Be High or Low?

Whether you like your guitar’s action high or low depends on a number of factors:

• The type of instrument you play
• Your technique or approach to playing
• Your tolerance for string buzz
• Your general taste in music
• Your level of experience – or even age

Considering the range of musical styles and instruments, these factors suggest an incredibly wide range of variations in how action should be set.

How to Set the Lowest Action on a Guitar

Before setting the lowest action your guitar will allow, make sure you have covered the preliminary adjustments and general action adjustments for your specific type of guitar listed above.

Next, you’re going to check the neck in multiple areas. Checking these multiple points magnifies your sense of how the guitar sits. It also lets you determine the limits of your guitar’s action and helps balance it with your playing style.

Here are the specific steps to measure for the lowest action your guitar will allow:

1. Hold the guitar in the playing position.
2. While looking at the Low E string around the 12th to 15th fret area, make a mental note of or take physical distance between the tops of the frets and the underside of the string.
3. On the same low E string, play a few notes up and down the neck in between the 10th and 17th frets. if there’s too much resistance, the strings are too high. If the string buzzes, the string height is already set too low, or one or more frets need attention (which is common where the neck meets the body).
4. Again on the same low E string, move to the third fret area and play a few notes up and down the neck to make sure it doesn’t buzz or feel too spongey. If it does, most likely the neck still needs a truss rod adjustment (or less likely, you may need some fret work).
5. Now move to the high E string. Again, make a mental note of (or measure) the string height above the frets around the 12th to 15th fret area.
6. In that same area, play a few single notes up and down the neck. There should be no buzzing and very little resistance under your fingers. Each note should ring true and clear.
7. Now do at least a full tone bend (more is better) on every fret from the 10th to 17th frets. If you find the string buzzing or fretting out, the action is already set too low or one or more frets need attention.
8. Lastly, using a similar method as the described for the low E, move to the 3rd to 5th fret area on the high E string. Play a few notes in that section and check for any buzzes, sizzles or excess “air” under the string. If there are issues, once again it suggests the truss rod needs adjustment, or a fret or two may need attention.

The best and lowest action you can achieve will be a direct result of following this process. Moreover, this same process can also be used for the vast majority of guitars.

Acoustic Versus Electric Guitar Relief Measurements

Measuring nominal action on an Ovation acoustic and super low action on a Telecaster

You’ll notice nothing is mentioned about the inner strings: 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th. This is because we’re using the outer strings to determine our lower limits. The remaining strings will fall in line as we make fine adjustments later on.

There are a few other subtle hot spots that will manifest depending on the strings and instrument, but the fret areas mentioned above are those that tend to be extremely consistent.

The reality is, whether you prefer your action high or low or are still trying to figure it out, the best guitar action sticks to a straight forward principle: it should feel right.

The Pros and Cons of High Action vs Low Action

Contrary to most opinions, high action is not necessarily bad. Higher action will allow an instrument to “speak” a little better; it produces more volume, but you have to work for it.

One of my local clients, Ian Crichton of the prog rock group Saga, likes his action a little higher. He wants to hear the notes ring loud and true with a good amount of “ping”. His comment about high action was, “You get used to it.”.

Conversely, a guitar with low action requires less energy to manipulate the strings.

For instance, many metal players prefer their action very low in order to accommodate lightning fast shredding techniques such as sweeps, arpeggios, pivots etc.

Compared to higher action, the trade-off is that the lower you go, the more you sacrifice the instrument’s acoustic value. Notes will become stifled and choked because the strings simply don’t have enough room to vibrate and reach their full potential.

For most of us, the sweet spot is somewhere in the middle.

Do New Guitars Have Good Action?

Depending on build quality, new guitars may or may not have good action out of the box.

The fact is the vast majority of production instruments are set to factory specs. Though they tend to be within playable limits, they often need to be further refined to fit the player better.

Well known brands such as Martin, Taylor, Gibson, Fender and a host of others set very high standards for their instruments. This minimizes the chances of you getting a new guitar with poor action and playability.

On the other hand, there are an endless number of off-brand instruments that cover every conceivable level of quality.

At one end of the spectrum you’ll find new guitars that are literally unplayable, all the way over to those that play very well with great action, and everything in between.

Generally speaking, the better the grade of the guitar, the better your chances of it playing reasonably well directly from the manufacturer – or at least with minimal adjustments.

Why Does Action Change?

Over long periods, wood moves in ways you can’t see. The effects of time, pressure and humidity change the very nature of the guitar, this is why guitar action changes.

The effects of weather can have a very negative affect on instruments, particularly in extreme environments. Wood, the most common guitar material, expands and contracts with relative humidity which in turn causes structural issues such as cracking and joint separations.

Changing string gauges also changes the amount of compression or pressure on the guitar – which directly affects how the guitar plays.

For instance, going to heavier strings will pull the neck up which raises the strings creating a higher action. The reverse can be true if you change to a lighter gauge as well: the neck relaxes and the strings start to buzz requiring an action adjustment.

What’s the Difference Between Guitar Action and Guitar Setup?

Guitar action is the term used to describe how well a guitar plays, how easy it is to manipulate.

A guitar setup is more of a wholistic approach to the entire instrument. In other words, a setup covers all operational elements of the guitar from the tuners to electronics and everything in between.

For more information on all the elements that go into setting up a guitar, check out this guide.

How Much Does it Cost to Lower the Action on a Guitar?

The price to lower the action on a guitar – no matter what kind of instrument, will depend on how much effort has to go into making it right for the player.

Some guitars, especially better high-end brand name instruments, are fairly easy to get to play with nice low action because they’re just built better with better materials.

Consequently, lowering the action on a cheap guitar will likely cost more because of the extra work involved to get it to be more playable.

That said, a decent guitar setup will cost you somewhere between $50-$100 (USD) depending on your region, the amount of work required and the experience of the person doing the work.

Other Factors That Influence Action

Sensitivity to String Buzz

Along with simply being out of adjustment, other factors that influence guitar action include your own sensitivity to string buzz.

For example, an electric guitar that buzzes when played acoustically may not sound the same when plugged in. In other words, the buzzing doesn’t manifest through the amp.

Whether you can tolerate it or not is up to you.

On the other hand, an acoustic guitar with bad string buzz is outright annoying. For most players, whether acoustic or electric, this is the tipping point for an instrument that needs an action adjustment or complete setup.

Common Problems that Limit Action

Time, age and general build quality have a huge impact on how well a guitar plays. Sometimes, due to these same issues, a guitar’s action can be severely limited.

Moreover, a guitar that has underlying material or structural issues will be aggravated by an overly aggressive playing technique. Does this mean you should lighten up and change your style? Not necessarily.

You can have the guitar looked at or try to adjust it yourself, but best results will definitely be hampered by poor build quality.

Otherwise, common factors that cause a guitar to have compromised action include:

• The condition of the frets
• Distortions in the neck
• Distortions at the body joint or poor neck angle
• Poor quality, maladjusted or no truss rod
• A lifting or cracked bridge on an acoustic guitar
• Seized parts that should otherwise be adjustable
• Mismatched factory parts

I would say the most common culprit would be the neck to body angle, followed closely by a neck condition that’s out of whack.

Luckily, electric guitars with bolt-on necks can have the neck-to-body angle corrected with a simple shim in the neck pocket. Some manufacturers, such as Fender and Peavey, even offer a micro-tilt feature to account for this – a small grub screw adjuster accessible at the base of the neck plate.

Why this feature is even necessary these days is beyond me. Considering the current state of precision manufacturing, surely a neck pocket can be milled to accommodate the compensation offered by an adjustable bridge – yes? (End of rant.)

On the other hand, acoustic and electric guitars with traditional set necks are another story. The only cure for these instruments with compromised neck-to-body angles is a costly neck reset.

Luckily, more forward-thinking manufacturers such as Taylor, Godin and others, design their guitars with this upcoming distortion in mind. They know pressure will eventually take its toll over time and allow for their necks to be relatively easily reset at a minimal cost.

The net effect? Better and more consistent action over the long term.

Mental and Physical Fatigue

Ever find yourself going in circles trying to chase perfection? Like when you’re trying to coax the most out of your guitar, and you wind up second guessing you work asking yourself, “Should it be this?.. or that?..”.

Not a good deal. Too many kicks at the can and you’ll lose sight of the goal.

Take a break, it’s good advice.

What to Do When Parts Don’t Match

Before I close out this section, I’d like to pass a long a curious, yet all too common situation that came across my workbench recently.

A regular client of mine had just purchased an electric guitar he wanted set up – a beautiful new Fender Vintera ’60s Jaguar in stunning Sonic Blue.

As much as he liked the guitar, he said it just didn’t feel right, even after a few well-practiced adjustments.

As soon as I picked it up I knew exactly what the problem was, I could feel it – a severe mismatch between the bridge radius and the fretboard radius.

As soon as I put it on the bench my suspicions were confirmed: the fretboard radius measured 9.5″ whereas the radius of the factory supplied bridge measured 16″!!…

There was no way the action on this guitar was going to be satisfactory by merely adjusting the bridge height. Either the inner strings would always buzz, or the outer strings would always be too high with respect to the middle strings.

Ultimately, the bridge saddles needed some serious tinkering to get things to line up and the action where it needed to be.

After cutting the saddle slots and making the other critical action adjustments, the guitar played ridiculously well.

More importantly, the owner was extremely happy.

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Not to bash Fender, but it would seem even the best of manufacturers have their blind spots. In this case, the negative effects of selecting over-generalized “off-the-shelf” parts is fairly evident.

Sadly, this is not the only time I’ve come across situations where mass production and end usage diverge – a beautiful Japanese-made Gretsch comes to mind.

I guess the point is, regardless of what a manufacturer says, check for yourself and don’t take anything for granted.

Common Items You Can Use for Measuring Action

There’s something to be said for keeping it simple. Not to downplay the importance of proper tools, but using materials at hand in a practical way does offer a certain convenience.

For instance, you probably have some spare change in your pocket or on the dresser, and every guitar player uses strings which come in specific gauges.

Both coins and strings can be used as tools for fine measurements. You just need to know their thicknesses.

Here are a couple of charts you can make use of for handy reference:

Coins: USD sorted by thickness

(Keep that spare change handy!)

	Half Dollar	.085″	2.15 mm
	Nickel	.077″	1.95 mm
	Quarter	.069″	1.75 mm
	Penny	.061″	1.55 mm
	Dime	.035″	1.35 mm

Guitar Strings: Common gauges and types in inches, sorted by thickness

(The next time you change your strings, keep the tag ends!)

Summary of Key points

Regardless of the type of guitar, most instruments will follow the same general procedure to maximize action:

1. Determine the current action of the guitar. This can be done by measuring the distance between the strings and the fretboard at the 12th fret.
2. Decide on the desired action. This will depend on personal preference, as well as the type of music being played and your playing style.
3. Adjust the truss rod to alter neck relief. The action through the middle of the neck will raise or lower depending on the amount of curvature.
4. Check and adjust the nut height. The depth of the string slots will raise or lower the action at the headstock.
5. Adjust the saddle for height and fretboard radius. Saddle height will raise or lower the action at the bridge.
6. Fine-tune the action by making small adjustments to the truss rod, saddle, and nut as needed.
7. Test the action by playing the guitar and observing any issues with comfort or sound quality.

Adjusting the action on a guitar can be a time-consuming process, but for any guitarist, it’s important for achieving the best playability and sound quality.

Personal Thoughts, Notes and Observations

Just as there are many different kinds of people and sensitivities, there are that many interpretations of what “good action” could and should be. The type of guitar you play, the style of music you try to push out, your approach to playing etc.

My point is, there is no one perfect type of action thats serves everyone and every guitar. It’s very much a matter of personal preference. This is why I continually used the phrase “acceptable limits” in the adjustment procedures.

Should Action Look Right, or Feel Right?

From my own experience, and doing considerable additional research for this article, I found an overabundance of reliance on the technical aspects of measuring action.

Don’t get me wrong, you gotta have and make use of good tools. But at the end of the day, the ultimate judge in how well a guitar plays is the feedback that comes through your fingers – either it feels right or it doesn’t.

You don’t play with your eyes, you play with your hands. Think about it, which “sense” makes more sense when it comes to playing? Sight – or touch?

When it comes to setting a guitar’s action, I’ve been fooled by tools. Then I set them aside and let my hands, that tactile sense, tell me what’s really going on.

Feel never fails.

Want to continue to improve your skills?

The purpose of Guitar Niche is to help people exactly like you. Those who share a passion for guitars and want to know how to keep them working perfectly.

Without you, the whole endeavour is pointless.

Come back and check out the site regularly, we’re always adding new articles and how-to’s.

Whether you just want to maintain your gear, or be the best guitar tech in your area, or the world! Guitar Niche will be here to help you along the way.

Thanks For Reading!

The post Guitar Action: The Ultimate Guide! first appeared on GuitarNiche.

For many guitar players it’s an itch that needs scratching as we try to express ourselves musically and expand our understanding of the guitar as a whole.

While sixty minutes might not seem like much, it IS possible to learn how to play solos in a relatively short amount of time, maybe even less.

We hope you find this article helpful and unbiased. By using links on this page we may receive compensation at no extra cost. If you do, thank you so much!

How Do I Start to Solo?

Learning how to solo starts with a good set of tools and, as mentioned, good guidance. At the very least you should at have an artist and solo in mind to use as a target.

Having said that, the real difference in being being able to start soloing quickly is not so much the amount of talent you may have (or not), but the quality of instruction and your willingness to make something happen.

Thanks to the convenience of video instruction, a highly focused guitar tutorial on soloing such as Guitareo’s program of free videos, makes the process about as easy as baking a cake, and in about the same amount of time.

What Tools Will I Need?

The short answer is patterns, and a guitar of course. On a guitar, patterns can be as simple as a chord form or a series of single notes, ie; a scale.

For most of us, starting to solo means learning scales. Now, before you start imagining endless hours of tedious repetition taught by a dusty professor scratching out notation on a worn chalkboard, it’s really not that bad.

Scales are your friends. The more you know, the more friends you have.

Is there one scale that rules them all? Technically, yes, and that would be the C major scale – the big kahuna.

But if you’re starting to solo, let’s make it easy and practical – pentatonic is the way to go.

Why?

Pentatonic patterns are simple. Being based on only 5 tones, the “penta”tonic or 5 note scale is an economical structure that can easily be applied across the neck. Plus, chances are your favorite players also make good use of it too – especially in rock and blues styles.

What Makes a Good Solo?

Ah yes, the eternal question. The answer lies in your own personal tastes which are subjective. You probably have guitar heroes you admire, and certain solos you find extremely entertaining.

A good guitar solo is one that contains emotion, uses dynamics and fits the song.

Does this mean it has to be technically brilliant or complex? Absolutely not.

For example, check out Neil Young’s impassioned and understated approach to soloing in this video at 1:54

As they say, sometimes less is more.

From a player’s point of view it should at least be fun to play. And from a listener’s point of view it should be fun to hear.

Regardless of the artist or style of music, great solos tend to stand the test of time. They’re a blend of the player’s personality and their given choice of phrases, which are often a collection of bits and pieces from their own guitar heroes.

If you want to create good solos, learn from the best. Grab your inspiration from the guitar players you admire.

How Do I Get Better at Soloing?

Getting better at soloing involves practice – no two ways about it. Having a good practice routine combined with a positive mindset will always produce results.

To accelerate your progress, here are a few points to keep in mind:

• Be realistic – While it’s a good idea to stretch your boundaries, you should also be practical about the level of difficulty you’re taking on.
• Divide and conquer – Break down the harder passages into bite-size chunks you can digest more easily. Work on each one in turn then patch them together
• Walk, don’t run – Use a metronome to gradually build up speed for faster parts.
• Understand theory – In all honesty, getting a grip on theory will unlock EVERYTHING musical – not just the guitar.
• Think outside the musical box – If you want to develop a more unique solo voice, look beyond the guitar. Other instruments can be excellent sources for inspiration such as vocal lines, saxophone or even piano.

As a word of caution, it doesn’t take long to find extraordinary players that can tear up a fretboard. Did they learn to solo overnight? Probably not. Everybody eats the elephant one bite at a time.

Personal Notes on Soloing

For many players, the idea of soloing is about as complex as earning a PHD in music and growing a sixth finger. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Yes, copying or “lifting” a solo from another player can be tricky, but it’s well worth the effort. And once you get a taste for soloing it’s almost impossible to get away from it.

Personally, once I started playing solos, I never looked back – total thrill time. Not that playing chords or riffs wasn’t fun, it’s just that I found soloing was MORE fun.

Like most others, I began borrowing licks and tricks from the greats, then mixed the musical ingredients together to develop my own personal style.

Interestingly enough when I started teaching soloing, I noticed an unsettling phenomenon starting to pop up: my students were beginning to sound like me! This threw me for a huge loop and I quickly took my personal licks off the teaching table. Not to protect my ego, but to make sure my student’s own style developed organically from their own inspirations – not polluted by my personal preferences.

In closing, yes, you can learn to solo in a short amount of time. The best way is to find an excellent source of instruction and pick a reasonable goal. From there, making sensible solo sounds on the guitar is just a matter of putting in the time and effort.

The post Can You Learn To Solo In An Hour – From Scratch? first appeared on GuitarNiche.

The Problem: G String Tuning Stability

For decades guitar players have been plagued with various tuning issues with respect to strings – particularly the G string.

Some of these tuning problems are an easy fix, such as simply changing your strings, others require a bit more work such as making detailed adjustments or repairing parts.

If you guitar’s G string (or any another string for that matter) is giving you grief, what’s the underlying cause? And what can you do about it?

If you’ve had the luxury of setting up thousands of guitars, you may have a pretty good idea of what the most likely root causes may be ;)

If not, you’re in luck, the answers to why your electric guitar’s third string is not staying in tune can be found right here:

Why Does the G String Go Out of Tune?

Body heat

Unless you’re cold blooded (or not among the living), there’s not much you can do about body heat. The simple fact is the heat from your fingers will affect the pitch and stability of guitar strings.

Here’s an interesting video that illustrates just how susceptible your G string is to body heat:

The same goes for the other strings, but for most guitars the amount of deflection from pitch is nominal and you probably don’t even notice it. Until you do!

Improper guitar setup

Anything that causes the G string to hang up and not return to its original pitch will ultimately cause tuning problems.

If your guitar isn’t set up properly, you may have loose parts or contact points that bind. For example, nut slots that haven’t been properly dressed out.

Any major point of friction, like the nut or the bridge, or anchors like the tuners are all very common sources of tuning issues.

Old strings

Without a doubt, old strings can be the cause of a whole host of tuning issues – and not just the G string alone.

Finger junk, rot, rust, corrosion and micro-fractures (metal fatigue) will all work against any string’s ability to stay at pitch.

Poor quality strings

Poor quality strings can have a number of negative attributes towards tuning stability.

Most common would be the lock winding at the ball end. If this isn’t done properly by the manufacturer the string’s pitch will continue to drop due to slippage as it gets played – often in a relatively short time.

Improperly installed strings

Any string that’s not wrapped around the tuning post enough times is a prime candidate for slippage. Of course the same could be said for the other strings.

Similarly, tuning problems can stem from having too much string wrapped around the post. The pitch will tend to drop over time as each successive wrap slowly stretches out.

The mass or gauge of the G string

String mass has a huge influence on tuning stability. Just as a string that’s too thin for a given pitch can be unruly, a string that’s too fat is just as bad.

Because a typical third string G has the largest diameter for a plain string, strange things start to happen once it gets past a certain thickness, for instance .020 gauge and up.

In a nutshell, as the linear density (mass) increases, the more the string will warble. This is especially evident in the upper frets. You’ll hear the pitch flutter inconsistently as it starts to compete with its own vibrations and the pull from the magnetic field(s) of the pickups.

Excess mass will also make a G string virtually impossible to intonate accurately.

Finger pressure

The amount of finger pressure you use and your general playing style can affect a string’s tuning. If your instrument has high or tall frets, and you play aggressively with a tight grip you will literally push the string out of tune.

If you’ve ever played a scalloped fretboard, you know just how critical finger pressure is in keeping the guitar sounding in tune.

The environment is too cold

Imagine you’re playing live on an outdoor stage in sub-zero temperatures (I’ve experienced this). That’s a minimum temperature differential of 67 degrees fahrenheit or 37 degrees celsius.

This difference between the cold instrument and your body temperature is pretty drastic. Without taking some kind of precautions, the cold will definitely have an affect on the stability of your instrument’s tuning.

String tension at pitch

For most players, the 3rd string regardless of pitch is usually referred to as “the G string”, yet the pitch has a ton of influence as to how the string reacts with the guitar.

For instance, a drop-type tuning will reduce tension causing it to react “wildly” or “wrangley” as it becomes more elastic.

In other words, the lower the string’s pitch goes, the more prone it is to tuning issues.

Headstock design

For tuning stability, a straight-pull string design is always going to be better.

Ideally, the string should span directly from any contact point to its anchor with little or no deflection.

The tradeoff though can be loss of tone because the amount of pressure needed to transfer string energy through the main contact points, the nut and bridge, is lower.

It’s well known that the design of the traditional Gibson headstock with its tilt back and angled nut slots is prone to tuning instability.

This double whammy of string pressure may be great for tone and sustain, but has to be dealt with carefully if you want to rely on it to stay in tune.

Stable Pitch vs Being in Tune – There’s a Big Difference

Pitch stability and being in tune are very closely related elements in that they’re both based on frequency, yet their ideal conditions are completely different.

Pitch stability implies any single string on its own whereas being in tune includes the other strings as a group.

A G string that can return to its original frequency after a generous under-the-chin bend is called stable – and extremely desirable.

A G string that is in complete harmony with respect to the other strings across the entire neck is called in tune – which is an entirely different thing.

Tuning Compensation

The vast majority of mass produced guitars use what’s called equal temperament tuning. In other words, each fret represents 100% of a semitone for every note on every string across the entire neck.

The problem is, this is not necessarily an ideal musical or harmonious relationship between notes or intervals on separate strings. We can thank Pythagorus for figuring all this out eons ago.

When we compared a guitar to a violin for instance, violin intonation is a product of precise finger placement whereas on a guitar, the intonation points are fixed.

Suffice to say, with the help of compensation systems such as modified fret placement (microtonal adjustments), compensated nuts etc, your chord work and in-tune-ness is much more pleasing to the ear.

String Theory

If you really want to get your hands dirty with the science of guitar strings, check out the incredibly in-depth article “String Theory – The Physics of String Bending and Other Electric Guitar Techniques” by David Robert Grimes who uses math to explain the virtuosity of artists such as Eddie Van Halen, David Gilmour, Steve Vai and others.

Solutions To Keeping Your G String In Tune

Get your guitar set up properly by a professional

Considering the cost of a professional setup, it’s a small price to pay for a guitar that is reliable and stays in tune – G string included.

A good technician will be able to address any concerns you have regarding the sloppy G and other issues that keep you from enjoying the guitar to its fullest.

Use a wound 3rd string instead of a plain G string

Replacing a solid, plain G string with a wound or “composite” string will help stabilize the string’s vibration.

Because a wound string is made of two parts: the core and the wrap, it’s also thicker. This added thickness and construction (linear density) lowers the string’s fundamental frequency which makes it vibrate slower.

While the higher tension of a wound G is normal on an acoustic or jazz guitar, the trade off for electric guitar players is in less flexibility. Pushing around a wound 3rd string requires considerable knuckle power.

It’s also important to note that the nut also has to be re-cut to keep the thicker string from binding in the slot.

Use locking tuners

Installing locking tuners is a superb way of dealing with tuning instability. By eliminating the wraps and thereby extra string length required for traditional tuning machines, tuning stability goes up significantly.

It’s no wonder locking tuning machines have become a popular upgrade for guitarists, and often offered as a standard feature on better instruments.

Use a lubricant

Whether you’re just playing vibrato or doing serious bends, strings have to slide back and forth discretely through the nut slots and across the bridge.

Lubricants, whether pencil graphite or specialty products, help to decrease the friction that can cause strings to hang up at these main points of contact.

Use quality strings

Better string manufacturers will use overall better materials and have high quality controls in place. String consistency in thickness and finishing processes such as secure lock twists at the ball end will help ensure reliable tuning.

Make sure your strings are fully stretched out

Any string that’s not fully stretched out will drive you crazy. All your strings must be fully stretched to allow their pitches to normalize or return to zero, especially after a bend.

Fresh strings should get at least three significant stretches before you can rely on them to stay in tune. Waiting an extra day afterwards is even better.

Make sure your strings are properly installed and trimmed

A simple thing like the uncut tag end of a string wagging off the end of the headstock could be the cause of why your G string is always out of tune.

As mentioned, too little or too many wraps around non-locking tuner posts should be avoided. And whenever possible, use a luthier’s knot to make sure the strings are good and secure.

What About Fender-style Non-locking Tremolo Systems?

The #1 reason the G string is even more problematic on a vintage style Fender-style tremolo system is because the nut isn’t cut and dressed properly.

How the strings are installed at the tuners, and the type of tuners themselves (locking is always better), can make the difference in whether the guitar stays in tune as a whole.

It’s also good practice to lubricate the pivot points at the bridge as well.

Understand the Personality of Your Guitar

If your guitar’s pitch is just naturally prone to wandering a little regardless of all the fixes, you can save yourself a lot of aggravation by accepting that it’s just the personality of the instrument.

Some guitars are like that. Maybe the G or B strings take a second to fall into place when you first up the guitar.

Either way, it helps to anticipate the changes, and a little expectation goes a long way.

The post Why Is The G String Always Out Of Tune? (Mystery Solved!) first appeared on GuitarNiche.

Do Guitars Need Maintenance?

The short answer is yes, guitars do need maintenance. Guitars can suffer damage if they are neglected or simply not maintained properly over time.

To do regular guitar maintenance, you don’t need be a specialist, you just need a little bit of direction and good information.

Let’s start with a short list of major factors that take the greatest toll on a guitar’s health:

• General wear and tear
• Lack of cleanliness
• The environment they’re kept in
• String compression over time

Any one of these conditions on its own is fully capable of destroying an instrument, and your investment.

But when allowed to combine, they’re even more efficient at turning your beautiful, perfectly playable guitars into nothing more than wall hangers.

Even though some of them, such as general wear and string pressure are unavoidable, we can still take some simple actions to minimize the impact of all negative forces, and maximize long term value.

How Often Should You Maintain Your Guitar?

Overall, how often a guitar needs maintenance will depend on the amount of use the guitar gets.

Generally speaking, your guitar should get a good cleaning and string change every 3 to 6 months.

If you play the same guitar regularly, you can expect it to need attention sooner than an instrument that’s played relatively infrequently.

Interestingly enough, the more guitars you have, the longer the maintenance terms can be. The trade-off is that you’ll have more guitars to maintain.

But like the saying goes:

“How many guitars do you need?..”

How Can I Tell If My Guitar Needs Maintenance?

Other than the regular string changes and cleanings, and unforeseen accidents, there are a couple signs that your guitar needs maintenance:

• The guitar isn’t working right
• The guitar just feels wrong

These signs can be fairly obvious, especially if you play the same guitar all the time.

It’s also important to keep in mind that guitar maintenance is a fairly easy job anyone is capable of doing.

What’s the Difference Between Guitar Maintenance and a Guitar Setup?

As mentioned, guitar maintenance can be done by just about anybody, but a full guitar service or setup involves solving more serious guitar problems – such as fret wear.

Think of it like guitar maintenance on steroids.

it’s very important to realize there are some jobs better left to a pro. The trick is to know when a problem comes up, and you think you can handle it – admit to yourself that you shouldn’t.

For a detailed look at guitar maintenance that goes along with complete in-depth service, check out this article on guitar setups.

How Do I Keep My Guitar in Good Condition?

As mentioned, keeping your guitar in good condition is a matter of staying on top of the forces that cause it to develop problems.

The good news is the tools needed are very cost effective, and the maintenance procedures themselves are pretty straight forward.

The Basics of Electric and Acoustic Guitar Care

Guitar care starts with understanding these fundamental maintenance points:

1. Store the guitar properly
2. Clean the guitar regularly
3. Change the strings when needed
4. Use the right tools for the job

How to Store a Guitar

Storing a guitar properly isn’t rocket science, but there are a few things to keep in mind that will ensure the guitar stays in good shape over time.

Keep the guitar stored in a good quality guitar case. Whether it’s a molded hard shell or nicely padded gig bag, modern guitar cases are excellent at protecting instruments.

Additionally, guitars do not like massive changes in temperature and or humidity. They also don’t like to be stored in these same conditions for extended periods of time.

The effects of too much or not enough humidity can destroy a guitar in no time if the effects are not taken into consideration.

In northern parts of the world, seasonal changes can produce dramatic swings that range from summer’s hot humid days to winter’s long cold and dry, nights.

Compared to an electric guitar, an acoustic guitar has a relatively thin wall construction. Therefor winter is the worst as many acoustic guitars will suffer “winter cracks”.

Regardless of whether the guitar is electric or acoustic, using a humidifier in the winter, and keeping a guitar safe from excessive humidity will help maintain the instrument throughout the year.

How to Clean a Guitar

When it comes to cleaning a guitar, there are a few key points to keep in mind:

• Use scratch-free cleaning materials
• Use the right cleaner for the job
• Clean the body, fretboard and hardware

The Guitar Body: use a good detailing solution to easily pick up surface dirt bring the shine back.

Guitar Hardware: use a suitable cleaner such as MusicNomad’s Guitar Polish, which will do just fine.

The Fretboard: since finger junk tends to build up on the playing surface, using a good fretboard conditioner will definitely help maintain it.

I’ll make a point here about cleaning electronics. Since electronics cleaning solutions contain some nasty solvents, it’s best to leave this kind job to your friendly neighborhood guitar tech.

Otherwise you run the risk of seriously damaging you guitars finish.

Believe it or not, a good quality paper towel, combined with an appropriate cleaning solution, is the best way to control the dust and dirt that comes off a guitar.

After initial use, it goes right in the garbage along with the potential of creating additional scratches due to it being loaded up with contaminants.

Lastly, make sure you have a reasonably clean and stable surface to work on while doing maintenance on your guitar.

Change Your Guitar Strings

For some players, changing their guitar strings is a nuisance, for others it’s a joy. Either way, a periodic string change is an absolute necessity when it comes to keeping your guitar properly maintained.

As for tools, all you really need for most instruments is a string winder, a guitar tuner and good set of side-cutters.

Rather than diving deep into exactly how to change guitar strings (there are plenty of tutorials on the web for that), let’s just say it’s a very good idea to do so on a regular basis.

Unless your tone is based specifically on the dull sound of aged strings, changing them out also refreshes and revitalizes your sound.

Not only do you regain the hi-end transients which are needed for good intonation, removing the strings also gives you unrestricted access to the fretboard for cleaning.

On another note, the type of strings you use will not only be a matter of preference, but a way to extend the life of the instrument itself.

For example, if you have a significant collection of instruments, you may want to choose a coated string that will last longer than an untreated string. This way, the guitars will sound and play consistently after longer times in storage.

Is it Safe to Take All the Guitar Strings Off?

In a word – yes. Unless you need to keep loose hardware in place during a string change, removing all the strings is perfectly fine – and great way to relive excess compression from constant string pressure.

Think of it like this, the pressure of the strings between the headstock to the bridge on a typical guitar is about the same as a full grown person standing on your shoulders.

Temporarily removing this pressure gives the instrument a chance to relax. For a guitar, it’s like going to the chiropractor – “hot spots” of tension and compression get released.

How to Maintain a Guitar Step-By-Step

1. Gather your cleaning and guitar maintenance materials together
2. Prepare the work area so that the guitar is stable
3. Take note of any little issues that may need special attention
4. Remove the old strings
5. Address any issues that don’t require the strings
6. Clean the fretboard
7. Clean the guitar body, back of the neck and headstock
8. Restring the guitar
9. Check for good action and playability – adjust as necessary
10. Check electronics if equipped
11. Give the guitar a good final wipe down
12. Play Away!

Final Thoughts on Guitar Maintenance

In closing, let’s just say a guitar that’s played regularly should be maintained regularly.

Over the years, I’ve personally had to tell too many players that, due to a lack of basic guitar care, their prized possessions were beyond help – and that sucks.

On the whole, guitar maintenance is pretty straight forward and easy to do. But remember, when in doubt, do have a pro check it out.

The post How To Maintain A Guitar, And Save Your Treasured Axe! first appeared on GuitarNiche.

Solo Guitars: GUITAR OF THE MONTH – OCTOBER, 2021

It’s always nice to see someone you know get recognized for doing good work – especially when it comes to custom guitars!

Recently, our good friend Mike LaPointe was lucky enough to get one of his many custom guitar builds featured on the Solo Guitars site.

The following article was originally published by Solo Guitars in November of 2021 and is reproduced with permission.

Written by: Kevin Strom On: Nov 9th, 2021

Congratulations goes out to Mike Lapointe for his guitar build, to earn him Guitar of the Month for October 2021.

Mike used our JEK-10 DIY kit as the basis to create his guitar.

“I completed this JEK-10 kit with my daughter Amanda Lynn. Frankly, looking at last month’s Guitar of the Month winner, I was humbled to even be considered.

I work in collaboration with my daughter Amanda Lynn on about one guitar a month. She’s the real talent in our family. I was inspired to try this because she was doing similar artwork on canvas and was rather prolific and driven to create.

It occurred to me as the art stated to accumulate in our home that it might work on a guitar body. We started by stripping down and painting a Squire body and it turned out (to a Dad’s eyes anyway) spectacular.  So when I saw these kits available for less money than a body and neck would cost from virtually any other credible source, I thought, why not. I was shocked at the quality of the neck and body.

The build process was basically as follows:

I sanded the body to about 220 grit, filled with simple wood filler, and then primed it in matte black. Then both the neck and body went to Amanda’s studio (living room, LOL) where she did her magic. Her process is not a wrap and not a hydro dip. She prepares her paints in cups and then manually pours them on the guitar.

The top and back must be poured in separate steps. One must dry completely before the second can be started. During the pours she manipulates the paint with torches, compressed air and with her hands.  As you can see she also works in acrylic resin. The two pockets on the front of the guitar are chambers she created with hand tools and a dremel. She filled those chambers with acrylic crystals and resin as well as a glow-in-the-dark material, so yes, they glow quite strongly after being exposed to light.  This one we named MindStorm.  After both sides have cured, she returns them to me.

For this one and all I have done recently, I spray them with nitrocellulose lacquer and buff them to as good a shine as I can achieve. With this type of process, there will always be texture. In other words, bumps and lumps are par for the course.

I had lots of parts on the shelf and for this one I wanted to upgrade the bridge so I opted for a Gotoh 1996. That required me to reposition the bridge inserts as the Gotoh was slightly wider than the stock Floyd. That meant doweling the existing holes and re-drilling them.

The pickups I selected were also parts I had on the shelf and as this is obviously a shredder, I went with a Seymour Dimebucker in the bridge, a Seymour Duncan Strat single coil in the middle and a DiMarzio Super Distortion in the neck.

I opted to wire it so that the humbuckers were automatically coil cut in positions 2 and 4 of the five-position pickup switch. I did this because I always tap or coil cut humbuckers when combined with a single coil and why have a push / pull or toggle which is just another step?

Did I mention that I bought two of these kits?

While building the second kit (nearing completion now) I decided to use the supplied FR licensed bridge and frankly, although the Gotoh is indeed a stellar bridge with excellent design improvements, I have to say that the supplied bridge is more than adequate. It works as you would expect a Floyd to work, and that is bulletproof stability.

Now that I’ve started reading about other submissions for Guitar of the Month, I recognize the huge resource these testimonials represent. I intend to pick the brains of previous winners (whether they know it or not, LOL) to improve my process.

At the risk of repeating myself, I’m shocked at the quality of the neck and body. The neck pockets are tight and the fret work is excellent. Naturally, I dressed the edges and polished the frets but it plays far better than I would have expected for such a reasonably priced kit.

Thank you for considering this guitar. To be mentioned among such beautiful instruments and talented builders is a source of immense pride for us.”

Unfortunately, Amanda didn’t film the making of this guitar, but if you’d like to see her finish a different guitar using the same techniques, check out this Youtube video here.

-Mike Lapointe

With the help of his daughter’s unique process, Mike is brilliant at assembling his custom guitars and realizing a vision.

By using carefully selected materials, innovative hardware and premium pickups, they look and sound awesome!

He’s also wise enough to know that there are some very fine setup adjustments needed to make the guitars fully playable – which can be slightly out of his comfort zone.

To that end, we’re grateful to be part of the process, and see these killer instruments reach their full potential.

The post How To Take A Solo, And Make It Your Own first appeared on GuitarNiche.

What’s the Best Way To Learn Guitar?

Is Learning Guitar Easy?

Everyone has their own style of absorbing information therefore the best way to learn guitar is a matter of what works for the individual. Using the right tools and resources, learning guitar can be a very rewarding life-long experience,

The problem is, learning to play an instrument takes time, effort and patience – qualities that seem to be in short supply. The best guitar lessons will provide proper technique and good tools to carry you through the process.

Is it easy? I would say after teaching hundreds of students with incredibly diverse learning styles, most definitely yes – plus your options, tools and methods have become more accessible with technology. You just need to find the best approach for the individual.

Outside of the piano, guitar is the one of the most popular instruments due to its user friendliness, plus it’s cool. Imagine a DJ doing windmills across a double turntable deck slung low to his knees… ah… no.

 But it is possible.

As technology moves forward, you have that many more options on where to find the best guitar lessons – especially youtube.

Beginning guitar students in their early stages need a lot of guidance. Good techniques developed when you’re first learning will last through your entire musical career.

Conversely, bad habits developed early on will hinder a player from improving properly as they move forward through their music education. Instruction and guidance from qualified teachers will always trump the fast-food type of learning vehicles.

The best way to learn guitar involves the same principles used for many other instruments:

• Private Lessons
• Group Lessons
• Online Guitar Lessons
• YouTube Videos
• Guitar Books

Are Private Guitar Lessons Worth It?

H

ands down, the best way to learn guitar, private one-on-one individual lessons with a professional instructor.

Until we have live streaming 3D in-house full sensory remote representation – and it is coming, guaranteed – private lessons will still be the best way to learn guitar.

The unsurpassed way to learn proper technique is by sitting across from an instructor who can demonstrate proper form, technique and even faithful sound reproduction.

You’ll learn faster and easier with a private instructor, however, professional real-time human interaction will always come at a relatively stiff premium.

The immense benefit though of being in the same room at the same time with someone who shares the passion for guitar. That in itself is infectious in the best way.

Is 

Learning Guitar In Group Lessons Better?

Group lessons are certainly one of the more cost effective ways to learn guitar compared to private lessons, but they have their drawbacks. On one hand, group lessons are great because you still have interaction with a teacher.

But the teacher will have to split their attention with all the other students in the class and you may not benefit from their undivided attention. The class will also progress according to it’s curriculum, again leaving an opportunity for some students to fall behind.

Nonetheless, group lessons are still a valuable way of learning to play the guitar – even under extraordinary circumstances.

One of the benefits of group lessons is the ability to learn from your peers. Sometimes learning in a group provides students a unique opportunity to learn from each other through example.

The teacher may have to give attention to a student, however, another student could give pointers on a passage you’ve been struggling with.

A good teacher will also play along with you giving you more opportunities to improve your technique and playing skills with others. In that sense, the social element provides a wonderful balance.

In either case, whether the lessons are private or group, it is imperative that the guitar is in good repair. A good setup will save tons of time and aggravation for all parties.

What’s The Best Way To Learn Guitar Online?

There are hundreds of online guitar tutorials for beginners on YouTube, lesson websites, and forums, but there are many factors to consider before choosing what is right for you.

Are you looking for an online guitar teacher or more broadly, just the best way to learn guitar online? Furthermore, do you plan on paying for the service, or would you rather learn for free?

Of course, there are many more factors such as ease of use, lesson diversity, and song guides that will also have influence.

But are online guitar lessons effective?

Let’s take a look at a variety of options from YouTubers, tab sites, online lesson sites, and other web pages, to see which option is the best way to learn guitar online.

Who Has the Best Online Guitar Classes?

Is it YouTube?

While YouTube isn’t an organized, structured learning platform like most guitar lesson sites are, it does have one of the largest collections of videos available.

However, it will be up to you to search for and determine which are the most helpful or best quality. If you’re willing to do the work,

YouTube may be the best choice as it simply is a warehouse for any and all videos guitar related, including many video lessons also featured on popular websites like JustinGuitar.com or JamPlay.com.

For those looking specifically for an online guitar teacher, someone who they can build familiarity and continuity with, YouTube is limited to only a handful of highly rated and largely viewed personalities that you will have to choose from.

What about online guitar lesson sites?

While there is a ton of variability from site to site, we can generally include TrueFire, GuitarTricks, JamPlay.com, and many other sites into one group for this perspective.

While the sheer volume of video content may be smaller on these sites than it is on YouTube, it will be more focused and surely higher quality with engaging paths and lesson plans to help get students started.

There is a reason many people consider these sites the best online guitar classes, and it certainly includes the diversity and reliability of the educational lessons available. Unfortunately, most of these sites will cost you a subscription fee however.

Is it forums or tablature sites?

I’ll save you some time, while these are excellent resources, they are best used as complementary tools to your guitar learning experience be it online or via a real live instructor.

Forums can give you great insight from other players about techniques, scales, or gear that may help take your playing up a notch but there will be few, if any lesson videos on these sites.

Any videos that are available will also likely be found on YouTube and referenced as you play.

 Best Option: Guitar Lesson Sites

Who Can Teach You the Most Songs?

Does YouTube have the most songs?

When you consider over 300 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute, the numbers are staggering! But when you look at immense variety of material, guitar-related songs for instruction represent the smallest of fractions.

Similar to the video lessons discussed above, song lessons are an important feature of your guitar learning experience. Songs are a great way to practice rhythm, playing techniques, chord progressions, or scales.

Songs are especially helpful when used to show how distinct skills learned in past lessons can be used in a musical setting. YouTube will have tons of options as stated before, but will they all be the best?

Will they all include tabs? Likely not and you’ll be left trying to zoom in on chord fingerings and neck positions in some cases.

One pro for YouTube though is that many online lesson sites are limited in song selection by licensing costs or resources to produce the video lessons.

YouTube is filled with both many highly rated instructors and die-hard fans capable of teaching you songs from any artist, genre, or style.

Do guitar lesson sites have many songs?

Just one established guitar lessons site can have many hundreds of songs, plus you get the benefit of thousands of extras in accompanying tools and resources. Therefor the numbers become very significant indeed.

What the lesson sites like Fender Play or JamPlay may lack for in options, they make up for in detail and quality. Most, if not all, video lessons will come with tablature or musical notation written out on a screen next to the video.

And videos often feature multiple screens showing close ups of how the instructor fingers the chord and where on the neck it is played.

Most importantly, these sites also guide you towards song lessons that illustrate important guitar or bass playing concepts that help you develop skills you can translate into harder songs later.

Furthermore, many sites feature live lessons, private lessons, or just one online guitar teacher, that will be able to help you focus in on song or technique options not generally available on the site.

What about forums, other websites and tablature sites?

Tab sites, like Ultimate-Guitar.com or songsterr.com, start to be more competitive with the other options here as they have user rated tabs, chords, and notation options for almost every song ever written.

Songs are contributed from amateur players and fans all around the world and are a great way for you to test out the skills you learned from your YouTube, lesson sites, or other online guitar tutorials for beginners.

But once again, this work best when partnered with your online guitar teacher or lesson plan.

 Best Option: Qualified Lesson Sites

Who Offers the Best User Experience and Extras?

Is It YouTube?

YouTube has come a long way in this regard thanks to one big feature, you can slow down or speed up the playback speed of each video lesson.

This makes watching tabs or song covers much easier if you’re looking at how the musician is physically playing the notes.

However, YouTube pales in comparison to the streamlined lesson plans, help options, and tools of subscription lesson plans.

Things like online guitar tuners, notes sections, and chat help functions simply aren’t available here, losing them points in this online guitar lessons review.

Is It Guitar Lesson Sites?

So many of these great lesson sites feature even great tool boxes or linear learning paths that are easy to access, follow, and pick up where you left off.

Videos can be slowed down or sped up, tabs pop up next to the screen, tuners and chord finders are built in for easy access. Better yet, they often have links on your homepage to pick up where you left off mid lesson plan or mid video.

Also, because they are designed specifically for guitar lessons, the user interfaces and webpages are easy to navigate and have helpful links everywhere on your personalized page.

What about forums, other websites, and tab sites?

Unfortunately, these online options once again can’t compete with the video lesson options.

With the sheer number of easy guitar lessons online from YouTubers or lesson sites, there is no reason to solely rely on tab pages or forums where toolboxes aren’t necessary, and help isn’t moderated by experienced instructors.

 Best Option: Online Lesson Sites

Considering Your Options, What’s The Easiest Way To Learn Guitar?

Popular Online Lessons May Offer The Best Way To Learn Guitar

Times are changing and that’s a fact. But then, “plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose. Oui?

The Internet and modern technologies have opened up great new ways of learning guitar, or any other instrument, and will continue to do so.

Online guitar lessons, such as an industry leader Guitar Tricks, clearly provide the best balance of convenience and cost to learn to play the guitar.

With a premium account you have the ability to ask questions, interact and gain feedback on your technique and progress.

The issue here comes down to feedback.

With entirely hands-off modern tools such as video, audio, or text, they all have the same drawback – they are all one way dialogues.

Want a better experience? Pay the price and get playing better, faster and with fewer headaches from the millions of questions you’ll have. 

Learning to play the guitar is an adventure.

There are plenty of people who pick up a guitar and learn to play. Regardless of the form of lessons you decide to choose, your progress solely depends on you.

The more practice you put in, the faster your progress and the better you will get. Most importantly, learning to play should be fun.

YouTube Videos May Be The Best Way To Teach Yourself Guitar

There are tons and tons of videos on all types of guitar subjects. From playing a single note to a full on orchestrated composition. You have to sort through a ton of thumbs to find the the best YouTube videos or best channel on youtube to learn guitar.

Some YouTube instructors are very modestly gifted and just trying to help, others are absolutely stunning, blowing your mind with their skills.

And then there’s cat videos…

You get what you pay for

There are countless videos with teachers instructing students who are eager learn guitar for free. With your guitar in hand, you can sit in the privacy of your own home and follow along with the instructor in the video. Easy peasy – and you get what you pay for.

As an anecdote, I once needed to brush up on a particularly intricate fingerstyle piece which had become a bit rusty. So I took the easy route and turned to YouTube to find the answers to my missing formations in the hopes that the process could be expedited. After over an hour of fishing I found that not one video was accurate, not a single one – I was dumbfounded.

Without representation from the original artist, that is, a video that lets you see exactly how THEY did what they did first hand, the whole experience is a question mark.

But again, that’s in the context of reproducing someone’s pre-existing material. Naturally, without original authorship, we have to deal with interpretation.

In a nutshell, YouTube makes it easy to learn how to do just about anything. But how do you know who is delivering the best online lessons?

Thankfully, over the past few years the better online lessons services have setup very good youtube channels. They tend to populate their channels with a very good mix of free lessons combined with offers to join their programs.

The problem is, you may wind up spending an enormous amount of time trying to find the best guitar lessons that fit both your learning style, and your budget.

Btw, Guitar Niche DOES have a YouTube channel. It may not feature lessons on how to play guitar specifically, but it does feature great, qualified content on how to maintain your instrument.

What About Guitar Lesson Books & Literature?

Tried and true, a timeless instructional media.

From the driest educational textbook to the cover of the latest rag that objectifies the female form.

I’ll go so far as to bet there isn’t a single reader here who doesn’t have some form of printed guitar oriented instructional such as Hal Leonard’s Guitar Method or similar print product.

Hal Leonard Guitar Method Book 1: Bk/Online Audio

Hal Leonard Bass Method - Complete Edition: Books...

Music Theory - Hal Leonard Guitar Method by Tom...

We still rely on hard copy as a reference. Something we can leaf through, something physical that conveys the information we seek through brilliant shiny ink on paper.

I don’t think that will ever change, although the storage of such things will continue to evolve – hello Kindle and online guitar books.

In Summary, Which Method is the Best Way to Learn Guitar?

The fact is, there are so many different ways of perceiving new information, the best method for learning guitar is simply a matter of trying. It really doesn’t take too long to figure out which method resonates with your style of learning.

Whether it’s videos, books, subscription services, courses, or private instruction, the point is to try and keep trying. The payoff will last a lifetime.

In Our Opinion, Online Lessons Are The Best Choice

Since we live in a state of constant connectivity, and many of us have the desire to teach ourselves in our spare time, the question is: “What’s the best way to learn guitar on your own?“.

Yes, there may be an extra cost to your guitar learning experience, but the higher quality lessons and tools available should make you play better, and faster.

At the end of the day you’re getting a streamlined, more personalized learning plan that focuses on providing you with top rated guitar lessons.

The alternative is having to search through hundreds of video options from amateur instructors on YouTube. With very little exception, you get what you pay for.

Forums, guitar websites, and tab sites make great additional learning tools for you to pursue more in depth or genre specific info. The downside is that they can’t be relied upon to be the best qualified method to learn guitar.

For the time being, established professional lesson sites remain the best place to learn guitar online. If you find yourself having trouble picking one, be sure to check out our many helpful online guitar lesson guides.

The post The Best Way To Learn Guitar (Top Options) first appeared on GuitarNiche.

Do You Still Have Opportunities to Make Money Playing Guitar?

In the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic, musicians have had to scramble to continue to find work. Concerts and live performances are at a stand-still, with no end in sight as to when we can resume being able to go to a live show.

The online world has become saturated with creative ways that guitar players have discovered and implemented to continue working. Here are some great virtual opportunities that guitar players can take on so they can keep making money right now.

1. Do A Virtual Live Show

Though you can’t pack an auditorium to be on stage and perform a live show, guitar players can still find ways to do virtual performances.

Hosting your own premiere streaming event with other musicians and executing proper social distancing, you can easily market and gain viewership with your intended audience.

You can take things a step further and have a pre-sale for “seats” to see the concert from at home, ensuring that you will be getting compensated for your efforts.

If you performed with a band previously you could dub this a “virtual reunion” of sorts. Many of your followers will be interested in watching the group perform together again, and wouldn’t mind paying to listen to your music.

2. Fundraising Opportunities

You can use crowdfunding programs like GoFundMe or Kickstarter, but sometimes just hosting your own fundraiser for yourself or your band can go a long way.

You can even make a game of it, such as whoever donates the most to your fundraiser gets to pick the set list, or have multiple people pick some of their favorite songs for you to play.

As a guitar player you are already creative, so get creative in thinking of how you can easily earn money with a fundraiser.

3. Teach Online Guitar Lessons

So many music teachers and instructors have been pivoting to helping their students by teaching guitar online. You, too, can benefit as a guitarist by offering one and one, individualized online guitar lessons.

This is a great way to not only meet new people but market yourself as more than just a player, but someone who can help others and train them learn the guitar.

You can easily set up weekly, 30 or 60 minute lessons with students that they pay for on a monthly basis up-front, where you can help guide them through their playing.

Depending on your skill level, you can promote yourself as someone to work with beginners to more advanced players.

4. Create Music For Movies Or Television

Musicians have unique capabilities when it comes to creating music, and if you know how to arrange or compose your own tracks, you can easily make money by joining a music licensing agency that helps up and coming artists sell original works for royalty fees.

Directors and producers are always looking to have royalty-free music that they can utilize in scenes or backgrounds, and having a custom licensing agency that promotes your work is a great way to earn some money in a virtual setting.

Appearing in the credits doesn’t hurt, either, and could open the door for more opportunities with your music as well, so it’s a great way to make yourself more visible as well as earning more income.

5. Playing For Private Online Parties

Even with a pandemic, people are still finding alternate ways to throw parties in virtual settings so that people can essentially “get together” for special events.

You could promote your guitar playing services for things like these. Whether it be playing for some sort of virtual dinner party where people want music in the background.

Events such as a special occasions that people might want to have some musical interludes included, like someone who is hosting some kind of talent show or live awards ceremony.

You can offer this as a gift option for purchase, and be there to “perform” online when needed. You could even put together packages that provide music at different times, with different tiers, and so on.

Create your own custom music packages for purchase online. You can compose or arrange in specific genres and sell for small fees, customizing for specific events or occasions. Get creative with your options, giving people more opportunity to invest!

6. Work Online With Other Musicians

A great way to take advantage of virtual opportunities is the ability to work with musicians outside of your location. You can reach out to musicians you may have wanted to work with in the past and see if you can’t create music together.

If you’re both teaching online, you can put together a masterclass for all of your students to attend together with your guitar expertise. Combining your talents is a great way to expand your reach, and fill your pockets more.

7. Make Some Online Guitar Courses

One last way that you can create income in a virtual setting – creating your own online and digital courses revolving around your guitar knowledge for purchase.

There are so many basic things that people miss when trying to self-teach. Maybe you can eliminate that pain point in your audience and help them learn some things.

Whether it’s an online tutorial where you walk through something as simple as how to properly hold and strum a guitar.

There are beginner lessons on how to play, where to find the best acoustic guitar for the best price, or practice exercises to help you with your finger placement.

Even writing songs on your own, you can easily take your well-known guitar knowledge and help others to learn.

For example, even guitar legend Carlos Santana has an online guitar course available through Masterclass:

In Closing, If You’re Passionate Enough About Playing Guitar, You Will Make Money

Thanks to technology, and learning to embrace it, you can find multiple opportunities to generate income virtually as a guitar player.

You should now have a lot of innovative and creative ideas to help you continue as a musician in today’s world. Any of these income streams can continue to serve you even when you get back to playing live again. 

The post Make Money Playing Guitar [7 Virtual Opportunities] first appeared on GuitarNiche.

Like the Shirt? Get it Here! >>

You’ll also learn some of the tricks of the trade that help you achieve superior results, and guarantee a fantastic playing instrument.

This particular build was requested by a very good customer of mine, Ryan B., who supplied all the necessary goodies. As for the build process, I’ve listed the steps in point form wherever possible to keep things moving along.

Building an SRV Replica Guitar

List of Primary Parts

The primary parts for this build were purchased through a number of sources. Small hardware parts were supplied, meticulously aged, by Ryan the owner:

Klein Epic Series Hand Wound Pickups: https://www.kleinpickups.com/default.aspx

Schaller Tuners: https://schaller.info/en/

Musikraft Custom Neck: https://www.musikraft.com/

MJT Custom Aged Alder Body: https://www.mjtagedfinishes.com/

Attaching the Neck

First priority on this SRV guitar is attaching the neck. This will give us a read on the basic geometry and provide stability on the workbench.

The entire structure of the build will hinge on how well the neck marries with the body; from how well the neck sits in the pocket, to it’s lateral and horizontal positions.

As I inspected the neck and body, I took note that both pieces were predrilled for the neck bolts. With the two parts being supplied by different manufacturers, this could be an issue.

• The body and neck holes were checked for alignment. They weren’t perfect but should work fine with right approach. Also noticed the bolts themselves, which the owner had taken the time to treat, were a bit oversize.
• Using a slightly larger drill bit, the body holes were then widened to make sure the bolts wouldn’t bind.
• Checked the truss rod adjuster for smoothness and operation, then tightened it using moderate pressure – just enough to feel positive friction.
• Installed 2 neck bolts temporarily, just enough to bite and stabilize to get things started.
• Measured combined body & neck bolt depth.
• Marked that depth on drill bit with tape.
• Primed the remaining 2 holes by pre-drilling.
• Applied wax to the bolts to help them seat and seal.
• Installed the 2 remaining bolts with firm pressure.
• Removed first 2 bolts and primed those holes.
• NOTE: The last 2 bolts will not be reinstalled until later on to allow for adjustments without compromise.

Prepping the Spring Cavity

Before we move forward, we need the bridge in place to check neck alignment. And before we can install the bridge, we need to turn our attention to the spring cavity.

Because the spring cavity on this body is raw with no holes pre-drilled, we’ll first align then instal the claw plate:

• Marked out the claw plate screw positions using the plate centred to the back wall of the cavity.
• Used a 1/8″ aircraft bit marked to depth to drill out screw the holes.
• Waxed the screws and installed the claw plate.
• Checked for overall alignment – good to go!

Aligning the Neck

Moving back to the business side of our SRV Stratocaster, time to finish getting the neck properly situated:

• Temporarily installed the bridge using the outer two bridge plate screws. The bridge on this instrument will ultimately be set up non-floating or hard-tailed as per the client’s preference.
• Installed one trem spring in the back to keep the bridge flush to the body.
• Checked the neck for general alignment:
• Tied a piece of thin white string to the third tuner and stretched it over the centre of the bridge (exactly between the third and fourth saddles) to simulate string height and check lateral neck alignment.
• String height checked good.
• Lateral position checked good.

NOTE: If there’s any sloppiness in the neck joint that will affect this geometry, the extra pressure from installing the last 2 screws will tell the tale.

TIP: You can set the bridge plate screw depth by turning the screw in to the point where the back edge of the bridge plate just comes off the body. Then back the screw off 1/4 turn.

• Double checked the neck bolts to make sure they were tight and that the neck was seated firmly in the pocket. Things can change very quickly once the last two bolts and string compression come into play.
• Rough cut and dry-fitted a bone nut blank to help with scale length and intonation measurements.

• Double checked that the scale length was in the ball park by measuring from the forward face of the nut to the crown of the leading edge of the third string saddle. The third string saddle must be close to the midpoint of adjustment capability (intonation screw travel) in order to continue. If not, there are serious underlying issues which will require corrective action.
• Scale length and adjustability checked good!
• Rough set the intonation using a predicted scale length of 25 9/16″ for the B string and 25 5/8″ for the A string. These preliminary compensations are a matter of experience. See the Electric Guitar Intonation Pattern reference diagram below. The fourth and sixth strings will relate to the A string setting, the third and first strings will likewise relate to the B string setting. Keep in mind we are simply trying to get in the ball park to minimize adjustments later on.
• Glued the nut using a couple small dabs of carpenter’s glue in the slot.
• Applied an adjustable Shubb capo using light pressure on the nut for one hour.

NOTE: The nut blank was previously fitted to match perfectly flush with the sides of the neck before it was glued in. Personally, I prefer to commit to a set nut early on. This forces me to be hyper-focused on slot cutting and finishing processes. Not for the squeamish for sure, but that’s the benefit of experience.

Installing the Electronics

First job is to take stock of the electronics components, their layout, and develope a plan for installation.

The Klein pickups were already clearly marked for their respective positions: neck, mid, and bridge (nice!). Plus the leads were nicely trimmed for length.

After a little more deliberation, I proceeded as follows:

• Installed the pickups starting with the neck position.
• Installed the pre-wired controls hand tight.
• Seated the jack in the jackplate making sure it was tight and oriented properly so as not to bind in the cavity or ground out.
• Checked the jack and electronics for function:
• Once the jackplate was screwed to the body, I plugged it into a my test amp and quickly checked that the electronics were indeed working by lightly tapping on each pickup and going through the controls
• Installed the pick guard temporarily using a screw in each corner to hold it in place

At this point the electronics are essentially done. Still, I would rather only have to remove four screws, rather than the full monty, should there be a problem later on.

Knowing the controls are working properly, I used an open end wrench to tighten up the outer pot nuts.

TIP: Tightening the nuts should be one of the last things you do when installing the electronics (other than pick guard screws and knobs). If the nuts are torqued down prematurely, heat from soldering can expand the the pots thus loosening them up.

Prepping the Nut

• Marked the string slots on the nut starting with the outer strings (1 + 6) about 1/8″ inch in from the edge of the fretboard, then eyeballed the rest. There’s no trick to this as the human eye is remarkable at picking up discrepancies – either the spacing looks even, or it doesn’t. The nut also has excess height material to work with so I can “walk” the strings into position if I need to.
• Rough cut (notched) the nut slots just deep enough to hold a string in place. At this point, I’m more concerned with having a rudimentary carrier for the strings more than anything else.

Installing the Strings

• Installed the remaining four bridge plate screws to finish up the bridge installation.
• Installed the strings and snugged them up but NOT TO PITCH! That comes later.

TIP: Improve the angle over the nut by adding a little extra wrap. Because this instrument only has one string tree for the first and second strings, a little extra string length was added to the 5th, 4th, and 3rd strings to wrap around the posts. Specifically:

5th + 1/8″

4th + 1/4″

3rd + 3/8″

The extra wraps increase the angle over the nut which reduces string chatter and improves tone.

• Chances are very good that the strings won’t have to be removed entirely so the tag ends were cut off.
• Tweaked the string spaces on the nut slightly to make sure they looked even and were directly in line with the tuners.
• Taking a visual note from an original photo, marked the string tree position with an awl.
• Drilled a 5/64″ pilot hole 3/8″ deep and installed the string tree

Preliminary Bridge Adjustment:

• Took note of string height around the fifteenth fret area.
• Adjusted the treble side to the width of a nickel – .077′′ or 1.95mm.
• Adjusted the bass side the width of two dimes – .1′′ or 2.7mm.
• The remaining saddles were then adjusted to match this custom SRV Number One’s twelve inch fretboard radius.

Cutting the Nut

• Cut the string slots to near final depth. The actual final cuts will be made when the strings are at pitch and the neck is under full compression.
• Dressed out the nut by removing excess top material, chamfering the sharp edges, and removing tool marks using fine files. The fine files are a matter of preference as they tend to provide a more positive feel compared to sandpaper. The nut will also be left with a slightly rougher finish to match the aesthetic of the guitar.

Setting the Action

With all the handling, it was time to double check the general condition of the instrument:

• Checked neck condition and lateral alignment – good.
• Checked string tension – just snug – good.
• Checked string height – good. Well within saddle height adjustability – not too high or too low.

With the checkup out of the way, on to setting up the action:

• Installed two more trem springs, for a total of three, to make sure the bridge wouldn’t lift.
• Tuned the guitar up to one tone below A440

Because these strings are 11’s they’ll have a good bit of pressure. Better to apply compression gradually, checking relief and action along the way.

At one tone down, we have very slight relief as measured using the third string between the second and seventeenth frets.

The strings are starting to feel a little “mushy” along the neck. This is normal – as compression takes effect, the geometry of the setup will change and the guitar will feel different. Learn to anticipate this!

The bridge is still flush with the body but I know three springs will not keep it in place as we move forward.

• Installed the remaining two trem springs.
• Set the claw plate 1/2″  back from the rear wall of the spring cavity.
• Lowered the saddles just a touch, about one full turn per grub screw, to anticipate the increase in string height as pressure increases.
• Checked the string height at the nut. The little bit of relief made a big difference in slot depth. The strings are riding higher at headstock which is influencing the overall feel. This is entirely expected and part of the reason we approach a new setup in stages rather than committing to final adjustments early on.
• Relief looks like it’s very close to the sweet spot, but more on the straighter side. With the strings sitting proud at the nut, the slots were recut to keep the action feeling as normal as possible.
• Finally brought the guitar up to pitch and plugged it in to check operation.

Checking the Electronics

To test the SRV Strat’s electronics, my highly modified Traynor YSR-1 amp was set on “shiny dirty”. A little bit of gain helps to get a handle on the dynamics of the controls and output of the pickups.

Working through the controls, the trick is to be objective, taking stock of visual cues and sonic deficiencies.

• Everything works but the pickups are set too low, output seems a bit light.
• Raised the pickups to about an eighth away from the strings and checked again.
• Output is waaaaay better, much more lively. The guitar’s output is dynamic and sounds like what it’s supposed to sound like, but it is horribly out of tune. Again this is a byproduct of intention as the strings have not been stretched in order to maximize their playable potential.

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Setting the Intonation

Re-tuning the guitar up to pitch, time to check the relief again, and it looks perfect!

Since I’m happy with the overall setup at this point, I gave the strings one good stretch to help them settle in and prep for intonation. If the strings are not seated at least once, they’ll be too elastic to give you stable readings, and eventually drive you mad!

For a more detailed look at setting up guitar intonation, check out this article: How to Set Up A Guitar

• Double checking the overall action again, the nut slot depth is holding it’s own, string height is good, relief is good, and the guitar feels great.
• Each string was checked for intonation across the scale length.
• The intonation process basically involves using a fretted note near the headstock end of the neck, and cross referencing that note with it’s octave counterpart closer to the body in the upper register. The two notes must read exactly the same on the meter. If there is a discrepancy, such as the upper register reading sharp, the string needs to be lengthened to compensate. The reverse is true should the note read flat. Compensation is achieved by adjusting the string’s intonation screw.
• While checking intonation points, the A, D, G, and B strings were found to be spot on. only two strings were off-tolerance. The hi E was a tad sharp in the upper register, and the low E was a few cents flat in the upper range as well.
• After adjusting the offending strings, intonation for the entire instrument was double checked for accuracy.
• Results? Good to go.

Final Adjustments

Electronics:

Time to give a good listen and get a sense of what our custom Stevie Ray Vaughan Number One reproduction was capable of sonically:

• First impressions of tone – really good.
• 2nd and 4th positions sound killer.
• The Klein pickups are very sensitive to gain, very dynamic in a good way.
• The bridge pickup comes to life with great presence and body, but the neck gets a little muddy at full tilt. By backing off the gain at the amp a little bit, it was easy to find a sweet spot where everything worked in harmony.

At this point the guitar is virtually done. But I’ll go around and check the screws etc, and let it sit for a day to let pressure and compression set in.

Note there are still only two neck bolts in place – for good reason. Should things go sideways for whatever reason (Murphy’s Law), I want to be able to expedite disassembly to make corrective adjustments.

Remaining Work:

• Check action for integrity.
• Check the nut for final depth and apply some lubricant if it’s set.
• Instal the remaining neck bolts if everything is ok.
• Give the strings their final stretch.
• Take the guitar for a test drive :)

The next day I noticed compression has impacted the setup a little, not much, but enough to warrant removing the neck and make a truss rod adjustment.

TIP: Use a capo over the nut to keep the strings corralled when you need to make adjustments like this.

After removing the neck, I snugged up the truss rod about a quarter turn and felt the adjuster engage a bit better as it seated.

NOTE: Assuming an instrument reasonably well made from quality materials, a simple truss rod adjustment may only impart about 85% to 90% of the desired effect. That is to say, you may not see the full effect of an adjustment right away. It may take many hours, a day or two, or even weeks before the neck is fully influenced. Keeping this in mind, try to anticipate this extra movement by being a little conservative in your approach.

• Reattached the neck and installed all four neck bolts. As mentioned previously, this is a moment of truth. Any sketchiness in the marriage between the neck and the body will become evident once the pressure of all four bolts is in place.
• Tuned the guitar up to pitch, checked the alignment and general action again. Everything was spot on.
• Gave the strings a good stretch and checked the setup again – still good.
• Checked the nut for slot depth and operation. There was a little sizzle in the fourth string at the nut which required a little back cut to remove.
• Checked the nut operation again which was good to go, and applied a little lube to finish it up.

Test Drive & Soundcheck!

The final play and sound check was very rewarding and a lot of fun. The instrument was responsive, easy to manipulate and felt very solid.

Watch the Stevie Ray Vaughan Number One Strat Soundcheck Video!

When I shared my opinion about the final result with the client, he informed me that he had made it a point of buying high quality parts specifically for this build. In doing so, his decision had ultimately paid off in spades!

Overall, the freshly minted SRV Number One Stratocaster replica sounded and played fantastic!

In Conclusion

Assembling a guitar from scratch, whether for yourself or someone else, is an awesomely rewarding experience. Putting together an instrument that honours one of greatest instruments and iconic players of all time is doubly so!

Though this build was dedicated to one guitar in particular, it should serve well as a compass for assembling a Stratocaster style instrument of any pedigree. For you dedicated Telecaster style guitar lovers out there, you may also like: How to Build a Jeff Beck Inspired ’54 Esquire Custom Guitar

I hope you enjoyed this article, and perhaps picked up a nugget or two of knowledge along the way.

Cheers!

Steve B.

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