I know I can just take my baby in for a "pro" set up, however the engineer in me is convinced that I can and should learn to do this myself, if not to just save money, to get to know my guitar better. I understand all the concepts. I have combed over the setup guid on this site and bought The Fender Stratocaster Handbook by Paul Balmer (fascinating reading btw, inmho)

My question is on setup task order. I know that chaning one thing changes another and I will be dealing with what is termed a zero sum game. I am a bit confused on the order.

Fender site says, assuming that the way the guide is written is in order, that the set up order is:
String Change
Tremolo Adjustment
Rough Intonation
Truss Rod
Action
Pickup Height
Fine intonation

My Stratocaster handbook says
String change
Action
intonation
neck
tremolo
recheck intonation

It is just slightly different, so I thought I would ask the experts here which of these flows they use, or if there is a better flow to get the job done.

_________________
http://www.facebook.com/UCtheband
2012 American Standard Strat Charcoal Froast
2009 Standard Strat Sunburst Brown
Blues Junior Tweed NOS
2007 Line6 Spider Jam

Interesting. My preference is:

String Change
Neck Relief
Tremolo Adjustment
Action
Intonation
Pup Height Adjustment
Play
Recheck EVERYTHING

Next day:
Play
Recheck EVERYTHING

_________________
Chet Feathers

Authorized TonePros Dealer
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F/A Official Southpaw Compliance Certification Tester http://faamps.com/

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I didn't Lose my mind, I traded it for this guitar.

The problem I have with the Strat handbook is that trem adjustment comes before action. Is this referring to whether or not the trem is floating or decked? Becuase either way will change your string height, and then you'll have to go through and set the action all over again. I do it the Fender way and set the trem first and then set the action so I don't have to do it twice.

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Obligatory gear list: Fender, Rickenbacker, Gibson, Gretsch, Vox, Martin, and more Fender.

Thanks for the feedback. I will let you guys know how I do on this one.

I can tell you that finding a 6 inch ruler with 64ths and starting at zero instead of an overlap was a NO GO...where to these things exist?

Anyhow, I just ordered the string action guage from Stewart Mac

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http://www.facebook.com/UCtheband
2012 American Standard Strat Charcoal Froast
2009 Standard Strat Sunburst Brown
Blues Junior Tweed NOS
2007 Line6 Spider Jam

I was telling my wife how hard it was to find a ruler like that and she just reached into her craft bag and pulled one out. It's metal, starts at 0 and does 1/2 mm increments.

So, go check out some craft shops. But don't bother explaining (no, really... it's for setting up my guitar) they'll just look at you funny

I tried that too.
Home Depot
Guitar Center (I am begining to think all they have is guitars)
WalMart
Joanns (Walmart size craft store)
OfficeDepot
Office Max
Another WalMar
Lowes
Went home and ordered the thing from Stewart Mac

_________________
http://www.facebook.com/UCtheband
2012 American Standard Strat Charcoal Froast
2009 Standard Strat Sunburst Brown
Blues Junior Tweed NOS
2007 Line6 Spider Jam

Like this:

http://www.alvinco.com/shopping/family_ ... _item_1532

_________________
Chet Feathers

Authorized TonePros Dealer
Authorized WD Music Products Dealer
F/A Official Southpaw Compliance Certification Tester http://faamps.com/

http://www.facebook.com/cafeathers


I didn't Lose my mind, I traded it for this guitar.

Hello!

I believe your are looking for a "machinists rule" like this

http://www.micromark.com/MACHINISTS-RULE-12-,6475.html.

They are very handy!

hope this helps

Andy

_________________
Pending Greatness

Go to any auto shop and pick up a set of feeler gauges.

_________________
Tune Low, Play Hard & Floor it!

+1

http://shopper.cnet.com/tools/kd-2522-6in-pocket/4414-19281_9-22595409.html

The physicist in me has me convinced I can understand, and ruin, anything.

I will tell you that there is a feel to tuning up something with such a small margin of error.

I also need to tune my own

I tune my own piano, but I have a pro come in every so often and it always sounds much better, and also gives me the opportunity to observe his technique.

The same goes for the guitar. A great idea may be to pay for a pro to tune it up and observe how this person goes about it, ask questions as they do it ect.

_________________
Electric Guitar #1: Fender American Select Mahogany Stratocaster HSS
Electric Guitar #2: Agile Al-3110 Les Paul
Acoustic: Fender CD200SCE Dreadnought Acoustic-Electric Guitar
Amp: Line 6 Spider III 75 75W 1x12 Combo Amp
Piano: Yamaha M450

Thanks again for all the great advice!

This is what ended up ordering in lieu of a ruler.

The local setup guy here showed this to me and I watched him use it setting up another guitar.

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tools/Strai ... 3&xsr=1602

_________________
http://www.facebook.com/UCtheband
2012 American Standard Strat Charcoal Froast
2009 Standard Strat Sunburst Brown
Blues Junior Tweed NOS
2007 Line6 Spider Jam

I bought this great set from Sam Ash called Cruz Tools by Groovetech that has everything you will ever need. In fact it was in my gig bag when I brought my guitar to my tech and he found it to be a cool set.

I'm with Chet on this one.

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"My mind is a raging torrent, flooded with rivulets of thought cascading into a waterfall of creative alternatives." Blazing Saddles...