Okay, guys, let me preface my comments by saying that I have the 2nd and 3rd editions of Erlewine's Guitar Player and Repair Guide. I consider the book to be full of very useful information and a valuable resource.

Anyway, after comparing the Fender Statocaster and Telecaster setup specs of Erlewine and Fender, I've noted some differences:

With regard to neck relief:
Erlewine recommends a .012 relief, fretting the 17th fret while measuring at the 7th fret.
Fender recommends a relief which is predicated upon the neck radius (with a relief ranging from .008-.012), fretting the last fret while measuring at the 8th fret.

With regard to pickup height:
Erlewine categorizes his pickup height setups by guitar model.
Fender categories its pickup height setups by pickup model (and whether the pickup is a single coil or humbucker).

Erlewine's specs are entitled, "Fender Factory Specs". If this is so, then why are Erlewine's two measurements (neck relief and pickup height) so different than those posted here in the Support section?

At face value, the Fender method appears to be more accurate, IMHO.

So, does anyone know something that I don't know? Are Fender's setup specs, posted here in the Support section, correct and current?

Thanks for the help.

Hi FenderGuy53: regardless of which "official" Fender specs Dan is quoting, the important point is that these are all ballpark figures. The exact measurements will depend on who's playing the guitar and how. A hard player must have more relief and higher action than someone with a light touch. And what kind of sound you want from your pickups determines how high you have them set.

So there can be no "correct" setup.

From memory, I seem to recall that at least in the most recent edition of the Guitar Player Repair Guide Dan refers to a particular Fender employee who showed him round the factory. Andy Garcia - was that the guy's name?

We don't know when that was, but I remember that Mr Garcia had some setup methods that differed from "standard", for instance the use of a wooden block during setup, which it sounds like most of the employees don't do. So even within the factory setup department methods and maybe measurements differ.

The most important thing about Dan's setup guides for vibrato equiped guitars is the sequence. Do the relief, then the action, then the intonation, then the pickup height. Then, after playing for a bit, if it ain't right for you start making adjustments.

It's not a precise science.

Cheers - C

Ceri, that's exacty my point. Anyone's recommendations are going to be a baseline starting point; however, there can only be one "official" Fender spec, no?

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Telecaster > Mustang Floor > FOH/BJr III/V1512T/HRDx III

Hi again - but that's exactly my point. Different people in the Fender plant may interpret those figures somewhat differently when setting up guitars, and the recommended "official" figures might have changed over the years in any case.

It ain't scripture: there might be different versions of "official" kicking around.

For what it's worth, I find the current "official" measurements given on this website pretty good for my hands (though I probably like the pickups a little lower). But there's others here that poo-poo them as hopelessly "average".

No-one's right or wrong: those numbers are just a setting off point.

Anyhow. Good luck with the setup!

- C

Ceri, I think we're saying the same thing: There can be only one "official" position, with regard to factory specs; however, one is free to interpret and adjust that spec as he/she chooses.

As an aside, I found that Dan's pickup height specs were too low for stock pickups. I lost a sizable amount of volume at his spec. You may have found too much volume at the Fender spec.

In any case, if it's good enough for you, it's good enough for me!

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Telecaster > Mustang Floor > FOH/BJr III/V1512T/HRDx III

I think that the 17th fret or 22nd fret and measuring at the 7 or 8th fret is of little consequence.

The biggest impact of the truss rod is at the lower register frets. The top 5 frets make very little difference, as the neck is bolted directly to the body underneath those top five frets and move very little to not at all with truss adjustments. However, when using the 17th fret method, you would expect to need a bit more measured relief to equal the 22nd fret method. Acoustics and Classical guitar setups often use the 12th fret.

Again, once the body meets the neck, the truss does very little

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Guitars:
1. mid 70's Ventura MIJ Gibson l6-s clone (Pre-lawsuit) in Black with Rosewood FB and EMG 81 BR/ 85 Neck
2. ESP KH2 Neck Thru
3. 2008 Am Std Strat in 3 tone sunburst