What exactly should be done to my guitar for it to be "completely setup"?
Below listed are some, (but not all) of the main things that are overlooked in a quality guitar setup. All of these elements work together to produce a balanced setup, and the absence or imbalance of one of these elements, throws the entire end result off, affecting all the others. Think of a setup like your body's health and your Chakras.
String Tension?
As you can see in the graph I have created, every note has a certain size string that should be used to achieve even balance and tension across your fretboard. Study this chart well, and refer to it, and it won't let you down. This only applies to the 25.5" scale length.
Typically, any tuning lower than Drop C won't have a perfect set of strings you can buy off the shelf. For any alternate tunings, lowered drop tunings, and especially extended range guitars, it's extremely ideal that you order (or buy at a shop where individual strings are sold) a custom string set.
What does this chart show?
1) More often than not, most off the shelf string sets have a low end that is lacking tension, and a middle section that it usually too thick; throwing the entire balance of tension off and making the setup not play very well. With strings that are too thin, you lose the ability to achieve the lowest possible action because your strings vibration increases, and fret buzz is much harder to avoid. If your strings are too thick, then this creates just as many issues, and although your action may be low enough, you still won't be able to play the guitar as smoothly as if the strings that were too thick were bumped down just a size or two.
2) The rate that tension increases with plain strings is exponentially more than wound strings. To put that simply: Plain strings have more tension than wound strings. Past the .20g mark, you need to start using wound strings for tension and tonal purposes. For example, the Ernie Ball "Not-Even Slinky" string set has a .24 plain string, which has far too much tension, and is so thick that it actually sounds noticeably "hollow". So When tuning to Drop B, I change the .24 plain to a .22 wound, and the .56 to a .58 and it solves issues number one (listed above) and the issue of tone and tension in my 3rd string.
3) This chart also shows most people using extended range guitars, or those who heavily down-tune... NEED custom string sets (Thus explaining one of the reasons most 7 and 8 string guitars don't play well unless setup) and that most players don't use thick enough strings on their low end. If you're in Drop E on an 8-string guitar, you'll need a .80 on the low E, there's no way around it. The stock .70 that it usually comes with just won't suffice at that tension, even with extended scale lengths usually. This all being said, Ernie Ball's "8-String Slinky" set is 1) too thin on the low end, and 2) too thick in the middle section.
So remember: Just because you can buy a set where the highest and lowest string are the correct size, doesn't mean the strings in between will be right!
Typically, any tuning lower than Drop C won't have a perfect set of strings you can buy off the shelf. For any alternate tunings, lowered drop tunings, and especially extended range guitars, it's extremely ideal that you order (or buy at a shop where individual strings are sold) a custom string set.
What does this chart show?
1) More often than not, most off the shelf string sets have a low end that is lacking tension, and a middle section that it usually too thick; throwing the entire balance of tension off and making the setup not play very well. With strings that are too thin, you lose the ability to achieve the lowest possible action because your strings vibration increases, and fret buzz is much harder to avoid. If your strings are too thick, then this creates just as many issues, and although your action may be low enough, you still won't be able to play the guitar as smoothly as if the strings that were too thick were bumped down just a size or two.
2) The rate that tension increases with plain strings is exponentially more than wound strings. To put that simply: Plain strings have more tension than wound strings. Past the .20g mark, you need to start using wound strings for tension and tonal purposes. For example, the Ernie Ball "Not-Even Slinky" string set has a .24 plain string, which has far too much tension, and is so thick that it actually sounds noticeably "hollow". So When tuning to Drop B, I change the .24 plain to a .22 wound, and the .56 to a .58 and it solves issues number one (listed above) and the issue of tone and tension in my 3rd string.
3) This chart also shows most people using extended range guitars, or those who heavily down-tune... NEED custom string sets (Thus explaining one of the reasons most 7 and 8 string guitars don't play well unless setup) and that most players don't use thick enough strings on their low end. If you're in Drop E on an 8-string guitar, you'll need a .80 on the low E, there's no way around it. The stock .70 that it usually comes with just won't suffice at that tension, even with extended scale lengths usually. This all being said, Ernie Ball's "8-String Slinky" set is 1) too thin on the low end, and 2) too thick in the middle section.
So remember: Just because you can buy a set where the highest and lowest string are the correct size, doesn't mean the strings in between will be right!
Intonation
Guitars such as this Fender Telecaster can be of the most difficult to intonate,
but it can always still be done with the correct amount of tedious work.
Guitar intonation refers to the need for each string to be a slightly different length in order for the notes to sound at the correct pitch when the strings are fretted.
Have you ever played your guitar, checked each string with a tuner, and find that they're all okay... but when you play a chord or some leads you find that something is definitely wrong...?
Poor intonation is the culprit- the open strings are all in tune, but the fretted notes aren't- and it will get worse the further up the neck you go. Most factory guitars don't come with the intonation in proper setup, and most players won't notice their notes are out of intonation, when most of the time they really are.
Truss Rod Relief
This is something that is tedious and you must know what your doing to deal with. DO NOT adjust your own truss rod if you don't know what you're doing. With the wrong turn of your truss rod you CAN severely damage your neck.
Adjusting your truss rod has to do with how straight the neck is... and holding your guitar up and looking down the fret board IS NOT a correct or effective way of finding out if your neck is straight and needs adjustment. If your truss rod is too loose, or too tight, then it will cause either your lowest or highest frets to be dead sounding areas, and it eliminates your possibility for low action. If put in the correct spot, your ability to hear every note up and down the neck without fret buzz, or lack of sustain will greatly improve. Neck adjustment is one of the main culprits in getting a good playing guitar.
On another note: adjusting anything on your guitar without adjusting the truss rod at the same time will result in an entire loss of your setup more often than not. Like I stated above, every aspect of your setup works with every OTHER aspect, and the absence of one single thing will result in issues.
Action
Look at the distance from the last fret to the highest string.
It only gets lower the further you go down the neck!
Guitar action refers to how far the strings are from the frets. This being said, high action is harder to play than lower action usually. Some players like high action which is fine... and most guitars come stock with high action. If the case is you don't desire lower action, you may think you don't need to have your instrument worked on. WRONG.
Action and intonation is a give and take. If you change the action, the intonation gets changed with even the slightest adjustment. Same goes with your truss rod. If you want your guitar to sound best, getting it setup even if you like the way it plays is always the best way to go. Every single working part of your guitar affects the way every other working part is, and affects everything tied into it.
On another note, most players prefer the lowest action possible with no fret buzz. Once the fret leveling process is finished, the action can be set (at your highest fret) less than a millimeter from your string to your fret. And with proper action, it shouldn't get slightly higher as you climb up the neck, it should stay the same. And with leveled frets, having action set this low will give you zero fret buzz issues, regardless of the guitar.
_Pickup Adjustments
Notice how the height of the pole pieces follow the radius of the neck,
making the output across your fretboard as evenly balanced as possible.
Most people have their pickups far too close or far away from the strings. Too far away results in no note depth, output, or picking details. Too close results in harsh sound, major loss in clarity, and the pole pieces may contact the string in higher frets. This is a simple adjustment, but often overlooked. Guitar setup isn't only about playability, its a lot about sound.
Pole-piece adjustment is completely different. The screws, Allen heads, or whatever may it be you have for your guitars magnets... YES, they're meant to be adjusted, not just sit where they lie! Each one should be in a certain area to achieve best possible sound balance across all strings evenly.
Fret Leveling
_Leveling your frets is possibly the most important aspect of a great setup. The reason dead notes
and buzz occur at a low action, is because the frets surrounding the dead note are
either too high or too low. A high fret is the main culprit to dead notes or fret buzz, however a low fret can be as well. If a fret is too low, then it makes the fret in front of it (whether it's the correct height or not) a high spot.
The way to eliminate this possibility is to have all the frets leveled... basically, this makes all the high areas on your frets down to the same level as the rest of the frets around it, (the high spots are taken down to the same level as the low spots) resulting in frets that can handle low action and no buzz.
This as well is a careful, tedious process, and NO typical setup from your local music shop will do this for you. I have special files and fret planers that I use to do this process.
The way to eliminate this possibility is to have all the frets leveled... basically, this makes all the high areas on your frets down to the same level as the rest of the frets around it, (the high spots are taken down to the same level as the low spots) resulting in frets that can handle low action and no buzz.
This as well is a careful, tedious process, and NO typical setup from your local music shop will do this for you. I have special files and fret planers that I use to do this process.
Fret Crowning
As you can see, even after fret leveling, these frets are perfectly round on the top.
Fret Crowning goes hand-in-hand with fret leveling. Do one, and the other must be done!
Leveling your frets make certain areas of the top of the fret (the "crown") flat.. and other areas (the low spots) may still be round. This affects playability and intonation negatively, and also is counter-productive to your playability. What Fret Crowning does, is it makes the tops of your frets perfectly round again as they originally were- only this time, they're ALSO perfectly leveled.
The Guitars Nut
_Your guitars nut takes another important role in your guitars
playability. The slots on the nut may seem like they're only there to
hold the strings in place, yet this is a common misconception. If the
string slots are too tight or not notched smoothly, it will cause
friction between the string and nuts contact point. The objective is
for there to be zero friction, thus keeping your guitar in tune to its
best ability. Every time you bend a string, wiggle a finger, play a
note, or pick your strings; unless you have a locking nut, the string
slightly moves through the nut slot... hopefully it goes back into
place, but the slightest bit of friction can cause it to de-tune.
Another thing is the height of your string slots. Usually they're too high, affecting your playability and note value. Other times, people tinker with the slots themselves (uneducated) and the slot becomes too low... and all your open notes are nothing but buzz. It does not matter how low your action is- if your nut is slotted too high, this will make your playability much worse than high action alone can. Low actions STARTS at the nut.
The slot should be a certain size bigger than the string inside of it, AND it should be a certain height, making the open string very close (but not too close) to the first fret, (which is less than half a millimeter). You can't just use any tool to fix this. (Drill bits and sandpaper will not suffice). It's a far more careful process than thought to be, and making your nut slots the correct height and angle should only be done by an educated repairman.
Last but surely not least- I will stress your nut's material to you. Please check the "BRASS NUTS" section of my website for information on this. (Located on the left, next to all the other sections of the site.)
Another thing is the height of your string slots. Usually they're too high, affecting your playability and note value. Other times, people tinker with the slots themselves (uneducated) and the slot becomes too low... and all your open notes are nothing but buzz. It does not matter how low your action is- if your nut is slotted too high, this will make your playability much worse than high action alone can. Low actions STARTS at the nut.
The slot should be a certain size bigger than the string inside of it, AND it should be a certain height, making the open string very close (but not too close) to the first fret, (which is less than half a millimeter). You can't just use any tool to fix this. (Drill bits and sandpaper will not suffice). It's a far more careful process than thought to be, and making your nut slots the correct height and angle should only be done by an educated repairman.
Last but surely not least- I will stress your nut's material to you. Please check the "BRASS NUTS" section of my website for information on this. (Located on the left, next to all the other sections of the site.)
Fret Polishing
Freshly polished, and smooth playing frets!
_This has less to do with making your frets look pretty and shiny and has more to do with getting a clean consistent smooth surface for your strings to rest on, and for tone and playing reasons. Most frets may appear
fine, and you may think they don't need polishing, however this may be
wrong. If your frets are dirty or aren't smooth, the notes won't be as
clear as if they were polished. Polishing the frets results in far more
sustain, clarity, and comfort for gliding across the fretboard easier.
Fretboard Cleaning
A lot of guitars I receive have a buildup on the fretboard of "gunk". Mainly dirt, and oil from your hands .
This can, and will affect the vibration of the wood in your neck. And without proper upkeep and care, a fretboards lifespan can be significantly shorter, and if it gets bad enough can even result in a permanently warped neck, or begin to crack. Always keep in mind- all your fretboard is, is bare wood. Leave a 2x4 from Home Depot out in the sun for a week, or the rain, and you'll see it won't last.