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Post subject: Guitar Setup - Or am I just OCD?
Posted: Mon Sep 26, 2016 10:22 am
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Ok, I think I may have a problem here... but how often do most people check the setup of their guitars? Seems like every month at least I'm checking something on my guitars and readjusting... thinking I may be OCD as I was making a new micro adjustment on my accoustic's truss rod last night... oh well... it's not like it hurts anything...

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Post subject: Re: Guitar Setup - Or am I just OCD?
Posted: Mon Sep 26, 2016 10:28 am
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mh2000 wrote:
Ok, I think I may have a problem here... but how often do most people check the setup of their guitars? Seems like every month at least I'm checking something on my guitars and readjusting... thinking I may be OCD as I was making a new micro adjustment on my accoustic's truss rod last night... oh well... it's not like it hurts anything...

Every time after changing strings, I do a basic check - sighting down the fretboard to eyeball that the relief looks okay, and plunking the 12th fret and 12th harmonic to make sure that intonation is still okay.


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Post subject: Re: Guitar Setup - Or am I just OCD?
Posted: Mon Sep 26, 2016 5:28 pm
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I don't check the setup on my guitars.
I set them all up initially the way I like it.
If there's something amiss I will feel it right away.
Or you could say I check my guitars every second I play them.
Depends on how you look at it.

In my view, the setup is for playing.
I'll know by how it's playing whether it needs an adjustment or not.
The actual numbers and dimensions are meaningless on their own.

My opinion.
YMMV

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Post subject: Re: Guitar Setup - Or am I just OCD?
Posted: Mon Sep 26, 2016 5:46 pm
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just in case the "OCD" part is serious ...

No, you absolutely do not have OCD based on what you describe. Sounds like you prefer your guitars in tune and playable.

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Post subject: Re: Guitar Setup - Or am I just OCD?
Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2016 5:13 am
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BMW-KTM wrote:
I don't check the setup on my guitars.
I set them all up initially the way I like it.
If there's something amiss I will feel it right away.


That. My guitars don't change much. Just got my Anniversary Deluxe back from #1 daughter. Haven't seen it in 4 or 5 years.
Still the same as when I gave it to her, aside from the grime and the un-trimmed strings.

OK it may be different for people in different locations and seasonal changes affecting them more. Never noticed it myself.

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Post subject: Re: Guitar Setup - Or am I just OCD?
Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2016 5:22 am
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nikininja wrote:
BMW-KTM wrote:
I don't check the setup on my guitars.
I set them all up initially the way I like it.
If there's something amiss I will feel it right away.
That. My guitars don't change much. Just got my Anniversary Deluxe back from #1 daughter. Haven't seen it in 4 or 5 years.
Still the same as when I gave it to her, aside from the grime and the un-trimmed strings.


It's worth noting that OP appears to live in Tuscon ... where the heat and humidity may be drastically different than it is "in a galaxy far far away".

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Post subject: Re: Guitar Setup - Or am I just OCD?
Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2016 6:00 am
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Not for nothing but ....
Temps in central Alberta range from -35C (-31F) to 35C (95F).
Humidity ranges from 35% to 85%.
That's by the old school gauges hanging on my wall.

I do pay slightly closer attention to my acoustic guitars as I have had them move a tiny little bit from time to time but the solid body electrics are pretty darned stable. On the acoustics it is typically the top that rises and falls with humidity, taking the bridge up and down with it. Nothing a little humidity control in the house doesn't fix in a day or two.

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Post subject: Re: Guitar Setup - Or am I just OCD?
Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2016 7:43 am
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as others have mentioned, I feel it right away when somethings a little off.

I live in New England, the climate changing from one season to another does tend make for some necessary minor truss rod tweaks. Acoustics need a little more checking as you want to make sure the top isn't sagging or swelling but again, playing em tells you right away if something feels off. Then again, my guitars are cased when not being played, so this tends to reduce the side effects of climate changes.


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Post subject: Re: Guitar Setup - Or am I just OCD?
Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2016 9:24 am
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I check my setup after a string change. It's a 1 minute measure of key points and intonation check. I can't remember the last time I actually had to adjust or tweak anything. Not bad at all.


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Post subject: Re: Guitar Setup - Or am I just OCD?
Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2016 1:16 pm
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I guess I'm just sensitive to the fact that there is no *perfect* setup, so I often think, maybe I'll try it a little lower or higher etc.

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Post subject: Re: Guitar Setup - Or am I just OCD?
Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2016 1:56 pm
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I find I have to do more minor adjustments on the electrics than the acoustics, and I am fairly certain that this is partially because string changes are far more frequent, and partially because electric necks tend to be longer and narrower.
But as others said, it's just a 1 minute job - I eyeball the relief, and do a quick check of intonation, and if it's okay, there's nothing more to do.


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Post subject: Re: Guitar Setup - Or am I just OCD?
Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2016 2:59 pm
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I guess part of it is just that I like "tinkering" with things, but since there is no absolute *correct* setup, I'll just keep making tiny adjustments when it seems like it could be a little bit better. With intonation at least, I've recognized that when checked in playing position and my fingers doing the fretting, there is quite a bit of scatter if I keep rechecking, so for that at least... I've settled for good enough... neck relief and action though... tiny adjustments can make a difference and when you go from periods of playing heavily vs softer calls for different adjustments.

Best!

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Post subject: Re: Guitar Setup - Or am I just OCD?
Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2016 3:54 am
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MH2000
Absolutely. There's a difference between setting up and refinement. I've a set of measurements, written down in a book. That I set guitars up to.
Set em at that and out the door they go. They're not my instruments. It's a generic setup. To get the guitar to a point where anyone can play it and be happy enough. It's not individually tailored perfection (if such a thing exists). I do insist on seeing a person play before I work on their guitar so I get an idea of how hard they hit the strings, how much they grab at the neck. And alter slightly my set up measurements from there.
My own instruments go through a process of home-play/adjust/rehearse/adjust/gig/adjust until they're just right.
That can take months. In the case of my Mosrite, 2 years now. I'm still not fully comfortable with it.
So I guess my comfort with my instruments is time owned dependant.

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Post subject: Re: Guitar Setup - Or am I just OCD?
Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2016 10:24 am
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Although, I feel competent enough to do my own Strat setup, I chose to have an authorized and very qualified tech close to home do it occasionally as I can often get it free or at little cost. It took several trips and setups until the floating trem was what I preferred and tuning is rock stable accordingly.

As others here have mentioned, it is more likely to occur with the extreme Canadian weather change. Fretwork was on the ticket last year, contrary to former conditions on the rainy Westcoast.

Having said that, I'm happy how the Strat holds its own for a longer period than I would have expected. I stay with 10s and I can see where heavy or lighter string change could make a difference in tweaking.

Not having an acoustic for the moment, I can't say; but, I remember having a 12 string and, for me, no particular concern in this area. Perhaps, not so much wiggle room with that much string pull once set. YMMV.

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Post subject: Re: Guitar Setup - Or am I just OCD?
Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2016 11:00 am
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Yes, OCD!

:P

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