Acoustic Guitar Setup - How to Set up an Acoustic Guitar 🎸 | Guitar Lesson 

Can you give the measurement for the nut height? From what I can tell from the video, you have .024 .022 .020 .018(?) .019 .016 from low to high E after the adjustments. Can you give us a reference here? Thank you so much.

Love sweetwater products and vids keep it up dudes thanks for the lesson.

@@meonly6631 He said industry standard is 0.020 plus or minus 0.004

@@angryviking4496 We sure do! For more info on the Sweetwater Guitar Workshop, head over to www.sweetwater.com/shop/guitars/guitar-repair-shop/ Should you have any specific questions, please feel free to contact our team direct at (800) 222-4700 or guitar_shop@sweetwater.com. Thanks for the interest, Viking!

Greetings. What grit(s) are recommended for hand sanding the saddle? Thanks.

More of this please

No

Bye 😭

Not really but ok

Not at all. He actually sounds exactly like Tim Heidecker

Yeah, that’s cool and all, but maybe they can work on stopping sales associates from blowing up peoples’ voicemail and email inboxes for weeks after purchasing one set of $8 guitar strings …also, better candy. Idk which Grandma employee oversees their candy they choose, but dang put a dang starburst in there or something.

They're awesome! 🙌

Stu Mac sells it. It's a nut and saddle sander.

i want the whole setup tools haha

Or if you're a little cheap but crazy like me...I just use my whetstone from Japanese Knife Sharpening to sand the guitar nut....I mean....it works... Costs less than 20 dollars on Amazon...and you can say its for the wife/family/better food....

Hi, Jasper. There isn't really an ideal height as everyone will have a different preference, and that preference will be impacted by a person's playing style. You just have to find the right middle ground of low enough to be comfortable but not so low that you're getting buzz. Thanks for your interest! Charlie Davis, Sweetwater Sales Engineer, (800) 222-4700 ext. 1320, charlie_davis@sweetwater.com

Did you ever find out? I need one of those

looks like tire thread depth gauge

I woidl imagine that’s a broken truss rod :(

@@jvalle1759 I don't think so, because when I tighten it, the backbone (hump) grows...

That's not good to hear, I just bought a new Martin D-28 from Sweetwater, it's on back order, but your story and the Martin Guitar in this video with the same issue makes me nervous about the Martin I bought on line with Sweetwater because I can't play it before I buy it.

Hey, Kelvin! That's the LMI Digital String Height Gauge. Thanks for the interest!

Hey, Charlie! We'd love to look into this for you. You may contact our Guitar Workshop team directly at guitar_shop@sweetwater.com. Or feel free to call us at (800) 222-4700. For more details, please visit www.sweetwater.com/shop/guitars/guitar-repair-shop/ Thanks for the message!

I'm wondering about the same thing. My saddle barely pokes over the bridge, which doesn't seem normal, but my action is still really high on the upper frets. I was thinking of replacing the saddle without filing it down so much then tightening the relief in my truss rod, but I'm afraid of turning the rod too far and damaging the neck.

Hi, Dale. Intonation is usually adjusted at the saddle. Unfortunately, saddles can’t be moved on acoustic guitars so that is not an easy adjustment. Based on the string length settings on most guitars, Graph Tech does make a compensated saddle that takes this into account. Aside from the Tusq material having great tonal properties, the compensated string length will improve intonation on most acoustics. This would be an example of one: www.sweetwater.com/PQ-9280-C0 Thanks for your interest! Charlie Davis, Sweetwater Sales Engineer, (800) 222-4700 ext. 1320, charlie_davis@sweetwater.com

Following

Would like to know this as well.

I'd like to know, too.

I believe that's a digital caliper. Maybe a Luthier's featherweight caliper? Hard to tell the model.

Google - Digital Nut Slotting Gauge

First thing I did when setting up my guitars is put on new strings from 12's to 10's. Then I put a capo on the third fret and check the action to the first fret so I have a accurate height for nut adjustment. I normally then remove the nut and file down. If you go a bit to far use superglue and baking powder or the sanding dust to add to height back on and file flat again just slightly higher this time. Then I check the neck bow and adjust the truss rod. Then lastly lower the bridge by making a new bridge from a bone blank. Quick to do and you have the original as a guide. I try and get mine as low as possible with no buzz. All my guitars have really great action and just takes some time. It only gets tricky if you have a guitar with issues but if its a new guitar go for it. You could also get a new nut if you wanted to you have all original parts in case you mess it up and they its just a minor truss rod adjustment. Its really pretty easy to do and if more guitars were setup properly a lot of people would not be quiting. I think manufacturers need to step up their game in regards action. Why not simply include a couple of nuts and 3 bridges so its really easy to adjust with clear instructions. They would add pennies to the cost of a guitar and people would keep playing and buy more guitars possibly.

Man…I’m trying to get one of those too!

Hello, PM! Our Guitar Shop team would be glad to look into those details with you. For more info, please head over to www.sweetwater.com/shop/guitars/guitar-repair-shop/ You may also call (800) 222-4700 or email guitar_shop@sweetwater.com. Thanks for the interest!

Digital String Height Gauge. You can get it at www.lmii.com

I'm trying to get my head round how to setup my own guitar. I think he adjusted the saddle based on the measurements he took at the 12th fret.

No they are independent setups. The truss rod straightens the fretboard if necessary - you need a tiny little forward bend, or "relief". Then the nut is lowered so the strings start low enough from the neck so you don't have to press so hard and the deformation doesn't stretch the string so as to bend the note out of tune. And then you have to understand that when you fret a string, it becomes the string's starting point toward the saddle - it doesn't matter how low or high the nut is. Now the thing that matters is how high above the next fret the string hangs, and you lower the saddle just so the string can't rattle or buzz against the fret.

Relief first, then nut slot height, then action/saddle height. Relief: Capo first fret and hold down at the last neck fret before the body (usually 14th). You’re using the string as a straightedge here. Martin factory spec is .005” to .010” between the top of the fret and the bottom of the string at the 7th fret (or half-way). I’d shoot for about .005”. Adjust, wait, tune, check again. Nut-slots: You want to get this sorted out before the action. Best way is to press in front of 2nd fret. There should be just a minuscule amount of clearance between the strings and the 1st fret. Action: Measure bottom of string to fret. Martin spec is 6/64th to 7/64ths for low E, and 4/64ths to 5/64ths for the high E.

Relief is measured from the string resting on frets 1 and 12, the nut and saddle are not involved. Nut height is measured with the string resting on the nut and second fret, saddle isn't involved. And then the saddle is adjusted. The poor thing about this video is that it doesn't really describe the steps in enough detail, which leads to questions like yours.

Good tip I read to adjust nut slot depth without going too far is to take feeler gauges and stack to correct height on the first fret up against the nut. Then file down to the feeler gauges and they should be at the correct depth.

Nah.. Get yourself an orangewood guitar Around the 300-400 dollar range It will be the only guitar you need for the rest of your life

@@AGM124PGT orange wood? Oh hell no. Sorry, that’s junk.

I agree with buying a higher quality guitar around the $300.00 range before investing your hard earned money into it. If your a serious musician you want the best guitar you can afford, so that you don't end up unsatisfied in the future. No offense, but If your not that serious of a player, then my advice is don't waste your money. Especially if you have a spouse that likes to complain whenever you spend any money or maybe that's just me. Lol My spouse is pretty smart though. She stopped me from over spending on a guitar I wanted. I spent 1/3 the money and got the same type of guitar cheaper. So I was able to buy all of the extras including a nice amp and still spent less. Best of luck to you, I know you'll make the right decision.

Basic set up shouldn't be more than 50

Bottom of string to top of fret - ALWAYS.

Ok cool, thank you.