valid point... i have played a few different guitars but all lower end stuff. if i find a reputable guy they might look it over and say you are fine (stop laughing... it COULD happen)

You're on a roll today BigJay!! I just can't understand why you don't appreciate good jazz music!

Good idea, i will validate all the specs currently. Then if it bursts into flames i can take it to a tech. I did replace the pickups in one guitar without incident of explosion or violent death so measuring will probably go smootly.

Lets not forget some places out source gear to be repaired and setup Guitar charge may be 45. to 60 tech wil get 25. to 30. for basic setup, special string request may increase cost slightly. Some people ask for strings that cost more then average.
I think everyone should use a tech.

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The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.

Thomas Jefferson

Yup. Third Coast Guitars in Chicago. It's kind of analagous to doing your own car repairs or plumbing or dry cleaning or making biofuel in the garage, in this mind.

Your own home-setup can be done, but unless you are as good or better than your local artisans, why bother? Persoally, 'ain't that good and do not want to lear all the intricasies of setup and fret-leveling and so on.

And the instruments come back SO coddly and playable!!!!!!.

my Tech charges me $30 an hour, I have only used him for about two years ,but so far I have never had to pay out more then $60 (and that was when I had 3 Strats in at once) I dont think thats a bad price at all.

anyhow I was liad off from work last May (and found out yesterday that they are shutting down so i wont be going back) I'm a machinist by trade so, I have the tools I need to do my own set ups. But when i started I guess it just scared me because i couldnt get it. So until I stay and watch him I guess I will be using him. (I can read something until my head hurts and still not understand, I need to see it or hands on to understand it)

Also he will Mod my HRD for $150 (he has one that he did and I love it) thats for 3 hours time and around $60 in parts.

Jimmie

Here's part of why I do my own now-
The good ones are either no longer around or charge too much ($80+) for someone like me, who plays guitar as a hobby.

I also have multiple guitars, so the price really can add up.

Good tech #1-
When I first got my acoustic 12 string the store I bought it from had me bring it back a couple of weeks after I bought it and they gave me a free set up.

The tech watched and listened to me play to see how I played and what sort of stuff I did with the guitar. He asked questions about what I wanted, and when it was done the guitar played even better than it had when I bought it.

Good tech #2-
When I bought my Mustang it was set up quite well also.
The only thing it's needed since was a slight tweaking of the intonation.
And that was several years ago.

The friend I mentioned before does good work, and if he chose to, could easily get a job as a guitar tech. He did a great job, but is too busy with life over the last several years to be able to set his own guitars up on a regular basis--let alone somebody else's.


Now the final straw.
I took one of my guitars in as it was developing a slight upbow.
I told the tech I liked the action where the bridge was set, and I don't like real low action.

So I get the guitar back and the action was too low--he had lowered the bridge considerably almost as low as it would go.

I decide to give it a shot--maybe I'll like it.

But I don't--it's uncomfortable. I mention I wanted the action higher--so what does he do?
He give the guitar a bigger upbow than it had when I first brought it in!
This was the same store that did a great job on my 12 string.

So either I needed more disposable income, or I try it myself.
I already knew a lot of it--it was just a matter of actually doing it.

If I can find someone who does it for less, and does it how I like it/how I play, I may just use them, and do tweaks myself along the way.

But as it is I'd be paying $400 to $600 a year for set ups-that may not actually be needed, for a hobby.

I don't have that kind of cash.

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It wasn't Willy-Nilly, it was at crows.

If you have a good tech ( a real rarity in my experience,) 50 bones for a set up is worth it.

I learned how to do my own set ups the hard way, on the road, in the middle of nowhere. i had no choice but to learn.

My sneaky side would say to go to one of the techs you trust, and sit in and watch him do the set up. then when you have an idea of what a set up entails, then get one of the good books on this subject and work on another guitar until you figure out what you're doing.

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I'm not an expert, but I play one on the internet.

I will do any part of a set-up to my own guitar except adjust the truss rod. When I was first learning to play, I had a mishap happen to one of my guitars when I adjusted the truss rod. Let's just say I had to buy a new guitar (at the time it was my only one). That guitar became a wall fixture for about 4 years before I trashed it. (I did take it to a shop to see if the guitar was salvagable, it cost less to buy a new guitar). I refuse to adjust another neck.

rk

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RK

2007 Fender Highway 1
2012 American Deluxe
2015 MIM Dave Murray HHH
2010 Fender Blacktop
1987 Fender Avalon Acoustic
2012 Marshall DSL 15 watt head

I've two guys I'll take my guitars to, and still do take em to every once in awhile. I'm more than prepared to tackle most jobs on em that dont require paint. However I like to take em to be sorted out by one of the two every now and again. They may spot something I overlook. Anyways Its always nice to have something to compare your work to. I get em back and literaly measure and note everything.

They charge £25 a setup. Ones ex Patrick Eggle, the other is ex John Birch. Builders of extreme note. There are a few easy rules to remember when you find a good tech.
1 pay em promptly without moaning
2 Thankyous and cakes are always well appreciated.
3 Be prepared to wait sometimes.
4 Dont be afraid to ask. The knowledge isnt the key talent (especialy in these days of free knowledge all over the net), the execution of that knowledge is. Most good techs will happily tell you what they do and why they do it.

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No no and no

If you buy a brand-new guitar, the dealer ought to check the factory setup at no charge. That will give you a good starting point. The worst that can happen after that is if you turn set screw the wrong way or get lost in the process, you can still take it in to the tech who will likely charge you the same amount as if you had not tried yourself. What's to lose by trying using the guidance of the instructions on this site? The whole key is to do everything slowly and in proper order.

That's me! Back in the '70s when I was young and green I "adjusted" my truss rod and nearly ruined the guitar. Today, I'm willing to pay someone I have confidence in to work on my guitars. These days, I have so little time to play them that I don't want to spend my time doing maintenance on them.

As Ceri said above,

I haven't even seen an oscilloscope since the '70s!