So I've only tinkered around with my guitars. A few years ago I bought a cheap electric to practice on, but never really did any set ups. I have too many guitars now to take them all in. I've got all the supples I need to do the set ups. I decided to do them slowly over the next little while, probably one guitar will take me 2 or 3 nights to complete, due to my schedule. Is there a correct order to perform the set up? I changed the strings on one of my Teles the other day and then tweaked the truss rod a little. I have always changed strings on my guitars, but I have never been any good at it. I never know how much extra to leave to wrap around the peg and I have a hell of a hard time keeping that string from wrapping over itself. Any suggestions on how to ease this? I poked my fingers about 3 or 4 times and I was bleeding pretty good. Now that the strings are changed and the truss rod adjusted, do I intonate or set the string height with the saddles?

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Im sure everyone have their own ways but for me I strings,neck adj ,action and intonation

for gauging how much string to wind, for a starting point poke the string thru the machine head, holding it with one hand on the opposite side of the head

pull the string tight over the nut with your free hand, leave maybe around 2 inches, that should be more than enough to wrap.

for winding, do you have a winder tool? That really helps, just keep the string as snug as possible, by stretching your hand over the neck to keep the string tight,

the windings should go down below the first wind (some people like to have the first wind go over the string, and the rest go down. there is also another method which folds the string over itself so there is a string on string bind, this works good but it's really a pain to undo on the next change)

If you have an electric screw driver you can get this:
http://www.amazon.com/Spin-Doctor-Guita ... der+string

otherwise, I guess by now you would have a stringer winder?
like this:http://fretbeats.blogspot.com/2012/08/know-guitar-accessories.html

for order, I guess everyone could do this differently but what I would do is..

1: change strings (go one at a time to avoid releasing too much tension all at once.)
2: stretch strings by pulling/tugging on them as you tune to pitch
3: check neck relief, adjust if seems necessary
4: set saddle/action height
5:retune/intonate
6: retune and continue to stretch the new strings until they maintain tune after a few tugs
7:rock out!

Thanks guys, looks like tonight is action then intonation. I have 5 electrics, a bass, an acoustic and a classical. After the next guitar, I should be golden!

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Why not follow the "how-to" guides under the Support section at the top of this web page?

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-T

"You can't spend what you ain't got, you can't lose what you ain't never had" ~ McKinley Morganfield

I have and I have printed them out. It didn't really say do it in this order, so I just needed a quick check.

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Kidblast has it right. Look at the current issue of Premier Guitar too.

The Fender guide doesn't actually answer the OP in that it does not specify an order and further if you follow the order the instructions are given you may very likely have to go back and revisit a few adjustments.

My order of attack on any new guitar placed in my hands for setup ("new" meaning I have not worked on this guitar before so I take nothing for granted and check the whole thing) is as follows:

Rule #1 - After each adjustment is made the guitar must be checked for state of tune. Use a good tuner. Your ear or your sense of harmonics is not good enough. All adjustments affect tune and tune affects adjustments so when you're checking or measuring something the guitar has to be in tune or it is meaningless ... and it goes out of tune every time you fiddle with something. Double check to ensure guitar is tuned to pitch after every adjustment. Do this with all strings, not just the one you're fiddling with and do it before you check the results of that adjustment you just made, no matter what it was or how small the adjustment was. A little heads up here ... you're going to be doing a lot of tuning.

1) Choose a string gauge and stick with it. Don't even bother setting up with 10's if you're going to end up using 9's or 8's.
2) Install fresh strings, prestretch and tune to pitch.
3) Adjust neck relief with capo ensuring strings are retuned to pitch (rule #1). Yes, in case you are confused, this is done first. Relief is not an action adjustment. Not even on an acoustic. Yah, I know many of you won't get that but I am right. Trust me.
4) Adjust trem height, if so equipped, ie: decked, partial float, full float. Ensure tune. (rule #1) This is also not an action adjustment so do not take action into consideration at this step.
5) Adjust saddle height(s) taking radius and action into consideration, ensuring rule #1. This is also the time to make any adjustments to the micro-tilt if you feel so inclined. The two should be considered together as a single step. You are now adjusting the action. Balance your adjustments across those two parameters however you prefer. Personally I recomment leaving the micro-tilt alone unless you cannot achieve your desired action without it. As with every step, ensure tune (rule #1)
6) Intonate ensuring rule #1.
7) Adjust pup heights to taste.

Once you have everything all set up there is an optional and far more detailed setup for the trem claw. If you use the trem a lot you may want to take the extra effort. It usually has a slight affect on the rest of the setup so all other parameters (except relief) should be revisited and double checked afterward just to be sure. That setup info can be found here.

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Just think of how awesome a guitar player you could have been by now if you had only spent the last 10 years practicing instead of obsessing over pickups and roasted maple necks.

Thanks BMW, you damn Albertan!

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The way I set up is tune/intonate > neck relief > action.

One thing to keep in mind when adjusting the truss rod. Try and go on 1/8 turn increments and give it time for the wood to settle. Do no adjust over 1/2 of a turn per day! Also a capo is a big help when adjusting neck relief.

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"Music is what feelings sound like"

Gapper!!

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Just think of how awesome a guitar player you could have been by now if you had only spent the last 10 years practicing instead of obsessing over pickups and roasted maple necks.

Hah!! Is Yoda from Saskatchewan?

I haven't heard that term for at least 20 years (When I moved from SK. to AB.)

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

So glad I'm a bass player.

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2012 Lefty American Standard Jazz
2017 Lefty American Professional Precision
2018 Rumble Studio 40 Combo
2016 Rumble 200 Combo
One day they shall name a GREAT city after me, and they shall call it LINNINGRAD

I sure am. I had never heard that until BMW called me that. I have moved to Alberta and back a few times and that was the first I had heard of it.

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