Ive learned a lot over the years about setting up a guitar, mainly down to the internet, fine forums like this, and trial and error.

Its a great way to learn, but the problem is the trial and error bit, it makes a setup that should take 20-40 mins to do take hours or days.

Is there a book that folks would recommend that goes through the in's and outs of setting up a guitar.

Id like something that explains the sublties between setting up an electric and acoustic, or setting up a guitar for slide etc.

I can do most of this already, but im just dont have the time this month to spend hours tinkering with it.

Thanks folks

For information on a variety of guitars, check out How to Make Your Electric Guitar Play Great! by Dan Erlewine.

If you play a Strat, you might also like The Fender Stratocaster Handbook: How To Buy, Maintain, Set Up, Troubleshoot, and Modify Your Strat by Paul Balmer.

I hope this helps!

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I really like all them "Aster" guitars. You know, like the Stratoc, Telec and Jazzm.

2 of the best books!!

the haynes manual is pretty good too, lots of pictures so easy for me to understand.

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Fender Blacktop Stratocaster HH Sonic Blue

Fender american special telecaster Olympic White

Squier Vintage Modified Jaguar Surf Green

Vox VT40+

I just noticed that Paul Balmer also has a book called The Fender Telecaster Handbook: How To Buy, Maintain, Set Up, Troubleshoot, and Modify Your Tele. I can't vouch for this one personally; however, it's probably pretty good based on the strength of his Strat book.

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I really like all them "Aster" guitars. You know, like the Stratoc, Telec and Jazzm.

Dan's book was the first that came to my mind when reading this thread. I've got a copy of it and its got loads and loads of helpful information on how to setup whatever kind of guitar you may have, or will get in the future.

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http://www.youtube.com/guitarmike26

Free & Easy Down the Road I Go

Those are both excellent books!
-T

Another by Erlewine
http://www.amazon.com/Guitar-Player-Rep ... 273&sr=8-1

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Current Gear: Ron Kirn Barnbuster Tele,
Marshall: 1971 SuperLead 100>1997 1960-TV, bunch of pedals
and a 1987 Porsche 911 Carrera coupe named Veronica

I just got the new Paul Balmer book yesterday for the Teles.. Great book!!!

Paul knows his stuff!

I used the Les Paul Handbook by Balmer on my Epi and I felt like a seasoned vet when I was done on my guitar. I can't wait to get the Strat book now. For me those books are essential reading. If you have some patience and no fear you could probably pull off some major stuff using those books. To use them for a set up is great.

I found the Erlewine books to be hard to follow. (I have both the "Play Great" and the "Repair" books). Lots of great information, but I hate the way he likes to go off on tangents. You'll find a heading that addresses what you're interested in but before you know it, you're into some other topic. And often, it's simply a bit of trivia from "back in the day". That's interesting and all, and I'd like to read about it at some point, but hey, I'm trying to get specific information here! At times, his books read more like novels than how-to books. The information is there - but you have to dig, flip many pages and sometimes read between the lines to get it. The photos are fairly poor as well.

I also have the Paul Balmer Strat book. It too has lots of great information but to me, the book tries to be too many things (history, technical, case studies, famous player setups) Essentially, it tries to cover too many topics and doesn't get deep enough into setups and such. I really could've done without all the "case studies" (same general advice given over and over for several different Strat models - how many times do I need to read about the importance of lubricating string trees?) Great photos though.

Still, I highly recommend all three of those books. As a rather new guitar player, I've learned a ton from them and continue to do so.

What I'd like to see is a Strat book broken down by specific topics - basics and advanced. For instance, a section on changing strings. Show the proper way to string a strat for the various types of available tuners. (Most of you probably take this for granted but I've yet to find a clearly defined, well illustrated how-to on changing strings.) Have different sections on setting intonation, adjusting the truss, string heights, electrics, etc. - and show the various methods for different models, within that section. To me, that makes more sense.

Maybe I'll write it one day.

-phil

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Then again, what do I know ... I've only been playin' for 6 months ... !

the haynes manuals are pretty good for that, clear pics, enough description so you know what to do, with out reading a full novel.

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Fender Blacktop Stratocaster HH Sonic Blue

Fender american special telecaster Olympic White

Squier Vintage Modified Jaguar Surf Green

Vox VT40+

You're making it sound like a third book, but it isn't. The Hayne manual is just the UK version of the same Paul Balmer book.

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I really like all them "Aster" guitars. You know, like the Stratoc, Telec and Jazzm.

ah sorry my bad... didn't pay attention to the author, i just flicked through the books in the store and bought em.

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Fender Blacktop Stratocaster HH Sonic Blue

Fender american special telecaster Olympic White

Squier Vintage Modified Jaguar Surf Green

Vox VT40+