Musical Practice and Performance Stack Exchange
Musical Practice and Performance Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [setup]

Professional adjustment and calibration of multiple parts of an instrument, by a qualified repair technician or luthier, in order to make sure that the instrument is easy to play and has the best intonation obtainable.

Setup usually refers to performing regular maintenance, not repairs to a damaged instrument, or the installation of new or upgraded parts -- although after new parts are installed, a setup is often necessary.

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How do I set up an electric guitar?

How do I set up the pickups, neck, etc. in an electric guitar? I'm not concerned with producing a particular sound as I am with keeping the neck from warping, prevent string buzz, improving playability, and that sort of thing.
user28
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Is my mandolin broken?

I read here that playing a string on the 12th fret will produce a note that is an octave above the note produced by playing the same string open (with no frets held down). For instance, if the bottom string is tuned to G, then playing the bottom…
Big McLargeHuge
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New guitar nut when changing to a lighter gauge?

I currently have a Fender Strat which I set up with 12-56 strings about 2 years ago and have been playing comfortably since, using mostly standard tuning. However, I've decided to switch my strings to 9-42s as the heavy set doesn't fit my playing…
Nirvik Baruah
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How do I set up a bass guitar?

How do I set up the pickups, neck, etc. in an electric bass guitar? I'm not concerned with producing a particular sound as I am with keeping the neck from warping, prevent string buzz, improving playability, and that sort of thing. I have a…
user28
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Should you change the strings on a brand new guitar?

I'm a beginner to electric guitar, so I'm not sure what a proper guitar setup feels like. In attempt to execute my own setup, I've adjusted string action and tailpiece height to my preference (with much help from the internet), but I'm wondering if…
Megatron
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What are your steps for setting up a guitar?

I'm just wondering what the ideal steps are to set up a guitar. For instance, it needs a complete setup, you're changing the string gauge, setting the action, getting it intonated. I'm not asking about more technical issues like changing pots,…
random10101010
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What does 'Setting Up' my guitar actually mean?

Just this week I visited one my local music stores after a referral to the guy to have my Tanglewood acoustic guitar strings changed. Myself and a friend went in, he recommended a set of guitar strings and stated his price, which was reasonable. He…
Adam McKenna
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Decking a Stratocaster bridge

I play a Standard Stratocaster with a six-screw (“vintage”) floating tremolo bridge. I practically never use the tremolo arm, and I’d like to experiment more with alternate tunings, so I’m thinking about “decking” the bridge – making it flush with…
Bradd Szonye
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Upgrading from 0.009 to 0.010 string gauge. Do I have to do a guitar setup?

I usually use the lightest gauge d'Addario's. And I've been thinking about trying out slinky 10 gauge strings on my guitar. I understand the differences in sound and playability about installing thicker strings, and I've heard about heavier strings…
user3789596
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One of the tuning pegs is at the end of its range on my Floyd-Rose guitar, what can I do?

After getting my Washburn serviced, including having the double-locking floating bridge re-floated with new strings, I'm reaching the point where one string is right at the limit of tightening using the bridge tuning peg. The others have lots of…
Mr. Boy
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Ideal Cowbell Placement

When I was younger, I had a cowbell clamp that I fixed to the top of my bass drum hoop. I wouldn't dream of doing that today. I have tried setting up a percussion array with my cowbell and woodblock, both located over the back rim of my snare. But…
Jason P Sallinger
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problems with fiddle tuning

I have been tuning my fiddle successfully for the past year (had about 4 months of lessons). Now my fiddle has gone kapluie on me. First my bridge went flying and that had to be re-installed. Then the pegs kept loosening so I put on some peg drops…
Mary
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Truss Rod Can't Get Any Looser

I'm trying to adjust the neck tension on an Ibanez electric guitar for some regular light gauge strings, but I've maxed out loosening the truss rod and the neck still doesn't provide enough relief and a lot of my notes buzz. Unfortunately the…
Ampp3
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Fix loose bridge saddle screw

One of the bridge height adjustment screws keeps coming loose on my Precision Bass (leftmost screw in the picture). The screw doesn’t feel loose when the height is properly adjusted, but the E saddle works its way down to the deck on that side after…
Bradd Szonye
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Piano key sometimes suffers silent depress

I bought a used Steinway. Sometimes its keys don't always make a sound when pressed down. Is this my fault or the piano's? Should I contact the seller, or is it a minor problem that the tuner can fix in a few weeks when it's settled?
Teresa Walker
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