Please take note that some adjustments (mainly neck relief and intonation) are more accurate if performed with the guitar in playing position rather than laying on a bench due to some potential neck bending produced by gravity. In practice this is infinitesimal and I've seen countless reputable luthiers setting up guitars on a bench with perfect results but, if you want the maximum precision possible, thats the way to go.
One option is to measure both ways and keep track of the difference. Take extra time to ensure the neck support is in the exact same spot every time. Soon you will see the difference between flat and playing position. Most of mine are between .002" and .0025" difference. Setting a neck relief to .008" gives me .006" playing position. (for reference, most of my necks are on the thicker side - .84 -.94 1st fret)
Oh my goodness, I've seen so many set up videos for all sorts of guitars but this is so much better than all of them. No pointless and incoherent chatter, just clear and concise information. This is precisely how it should be done. Thank you!
Thank you for taking the time to let me know that the video was useful to you. I'm really glad it helps you to keep your SG in good shape. Cheers and merry Christmas!
@@InspiringTracks +1! I used to be afraid to tinker with my guitars. Now I confidently pull them all apart and easily dial in a sweet set up with your videos. Just perfectly done.
Good job man! Everyone should take the time to go through their instruments every so often like this. They will play and sound so much better. God bless.
I stumbled across this video. I have had my Les Paul Standard for almost 30 years but made no attempt to set it up (or pay someone). But I followsed your advice today and had great results. So, thank you very much from a really happy chappie.
Fun fact: Epiphone a cheaper alternative to gibson has a Locktone Tuneomatic that will never let go off the posts of the bridge unless yanked off by force, meaning you can change your strings without having to worry about the tailpiece falling off and damagin the finish
Nice one!!!! Literally just purchased an SG Standard.....I'm fetching new strings tomorrow and will follow this video for set...its really well done and easy to follow...much appreciated
Heyo! Great tips! Thanks for the ways to keep the hardware free from damage. Sometimes we forget those little details, and it's great that you mentioned them. Thank you for sharing!
Great video. I used to play drums before I was disabled, so now I mess around with the guitar. Not to bad. Love jamming to ACDC and setting up and playing guitar.this video is very helpful. I have watched many videos on utube. Many are misleading. 👍🎸😊🖖🇺🇸
Jaco Pastorius used to also play drums and started playing bass after suffering an injury on a leg so who knows, maybe you'll find your next passion on the guitar!!! It's great to hear that the video was helpful. Best wishes and keep on rocking!
Great instructional vid! I also raise the tailpiece to reduce the break angle as well. I do it on my Gibson SG Standard and it makes string bends SO MUCH EASIER and my guitar still stays in tune.
So many vids out there for setups. This is by far the best one. Thankyou so much for leaving out "endless chatter". I don't own a Gibson (yet), but same principles apply for my make & model, I.m sure. Cheers.
Excellent setup vid. The best I've seen so far. Love the way you just spell out the info without rambling on and on like so many others do. Subscribed!
I've must have seen thousands of these by now. But this one is by far the absolute best. AMAZINGLY WELL DONE! I guess I'm no longer the expert on everything haha. Cheers from Sweden
Thanks to your video my epi les paul plays better than new, and you also helped me to save some money. I was so close to get my les paul to a guitar service but now I will always setup it myself🙏🏻🙏🏻
Great SG video. You even mentioned the playing position. Flawless job. Be great to see a series about other guitar makes/models if there isn't any already. Subscribed.
I'm an old school player and I always put the first wind above the new tail and the rest below ~ am I alone with this one? This is a good helpful video.
Nothing wrong with that! In theory that locks the string better. I found that with a good lubrication of the nut and the bridge isn't all that necessary and I like better the look of all the windings in the same direction, but your method is also great
I'm with you on that! I learned that from a piano technician and piano guild member to run once over and then down with a goal of 3 1/2 winds. Piano strings rarely get changed and the initial string set up is important. He also used to press them in at nut and bridge and tug on them a bit to pre-stress them for stability which they will ultimately have to go through anyway before they stabilize.
Excellent - best one I have seen for a while - the drop of oil was interesting rather than carbon or a rub of fast fret in the grooves. A thin business card can also be used for the relief judgement. You mention having a quality tuner - that caught me out early doors and wouldn't pick up the intonation correctly at the 12th. I use a cable plugged in pedal board tuner now - also don't have to worry about ambient noise which is the other problem at gigs. One thing to mention is the nut if this were a new guitar. They can be cut a little poorly and certainly too high which makes it easier at the factory for the manufacturer and can potentially hide high fret issues (even on a new SG these can be found). This needs a look at first set-up and it you are not confident worth £30 for a luthier to do it for you. Even though I manage several guitars for my son including a bass and acoustics, I general take them to a luthier for first set up. They can spot stuff you might not necessarily recognise. Also what do you think about the strings under strings over the stop tail debate on these guitars? I am guessing you don't see any value in the over-wrap and it can mark the hardware. Some people swear by it though. Thanks again. I will have a look at your other videos.
Just wanna thank you for your video. It made things so simple without those complicated tools and rulers😂. My guitar never played better and saved me a bunch of money!
Dunno about avoiding WD40. I have been spraying the necks of all my guitars with it since the 1970’s. They are all in perfect nick. I got the idea from a country guitarist way back when I was in the States. I believe he still uses it. I Spray some on a handkerchief just before every gig. Just wipe it over the board and the back of the neck. Not only does it keep the strings clean, they last way longer, Lubes the wood, maple necks and all, but it makes you play faster! I never go on the road to gigs without it. Smells great too! All my guitars are and have been workhorses. They have never been as clean as yours mate! I would be scared to play that live! Ok maybe for the bedroom player.
Hi! Just starting out with a guitar, so there’s plenty of miles to cover with regard to “guitar knowledge” and this video has certainly demystified a lot of it! Between videos like this and a competent musical instrument shop, I shouldn’t have much trouble in getting set up and started, heading in the right direction from the get go.....so many, many thanks indeed.....I’ve subscribed off of the back of it! 🤪👍🏻👍🏻
Very nice video ! I like the coin trick at 16:45 this is a very fragile part indeed and many studs are damaged by harsh screwdriving ! As you mentioned at the end of the video, one might re-check after a couple of days, as the trussrod takes a little while to settle. One last point: the screw poles on the pickups can be individually adjusted from the main pickup height, in case there is a slight balance difference between one or more strings. Good job: well done ! And the backing tracks are very nice :) Cheers from France 🇫🇷 Stay safe !
Beautifully exercised! With patience and care. I like the small things you've done on here e.g. the way you reduce the tension on strings before adjusting the truss rod (quite rare actually). Most seem to tighten or loosen in standard tuning. I always thought this was abit risky. I also like the way you 've used a cloth to cover the tailpiece screws before adjustment. Great idea that i've learnt to do also after completely ruining my 1984 Les Paul Custom's screws. (I soon found these screws are NOT that robust and quite soft metal). This is one video to keep on my "'favorites" Thank you!
Useful stuff and a comprehensive walk-through. I liked the use of empty string packets and zip ties as measuring tools! One obsevation - I was told that it's better to check intonation holding the guitar as if you were playing it. As an engineer, thinking about the neck, it makes sense to me.
Very well done in this video - I use a few drops of 3 in 1 oil on a tooth brush to clean up all sides of the bridges and keep a light coating on them the displace sweat and prevent corrosion. On stringing order I do the Lo-E, A, D side first and then do the Hi-E, B & G strings because if you do it G, B Hi-E, there is less room to work with as the G string is in the way of the B string peg and same with the B string in the way of the Hi-E peg when trying to string up those. Rock on!
Yo aflojo las cuerdas antes de apretar el Truss rod. Hace muchos años cuando jóvenes, reventamos el Truss rod de un bajo... Yo siempre aflojo las cuerdas desde entonces . Super informativo tu vídeo!
Hi and thanks for the great video. I don't understand those bridge height measures. How is 2.2mm even possible? I mean, my bridge studs at fully down position are 4.6mm.
Brilliant video thanks. I liked the whole format very much 👍. Now to try it on my very old SG junior. Hopefully most of your video will be relevant for it.
Great video. Its obvious that you REALLY take great care of your guitars. I'm the exact same way. I play them constantly but I'm really particular about every detail when it comes to my cherished guitars.
Thanks! I like to take all the precautions needed to protect the finish of the guitars. They'll get enough battle scars from playing, no need to add more during the setup and string changes lol. Cheers!!!
Absolutely wonderful and informative Video !! Thank You so much for putting all the work into making this Instructional Video happen. I'm getting close to 60 and I started playing Guitar when I was 11 or 12. So back in those days I didn't have Internet to get learning info from. So I just kind of figured out how to do a Set Up by my self. But I definitely learned some things from your Video . And I've always been really O. C. D. about getting my Les Paul's perfect. Thanks. Hope you're doing well. Stay safe. 🎸
@@InspiringTracks Hey thanks for responding. You just made me a life time Subscriber. Looking forward to any and all of your Videos. I'm going to try to go back to the first Video you posted on this Channel and get caught up. Hope you're doing well. 🎸
I have always used plain Chap Stick to lubricate the nut slots. Easy to apply with a toothpick and stays where you put it. make sure the nut slots are clean and properly cut. I've never lubricated the bridge saddles but it makes sense to do so.
Any reason why a LP bridge would be set lower on the low strings rather than vice versa? The action seems pretty even but I always thought the higher strings could go a little lower? Cheers
It's hard to tell without seeing the guitar. Usually, the action can go a little bit lower on the high strings without buzzing because their movement amplitude is shorter. What you mention can be a symptom of worn frets or a slightly warped neck, but again, hard to tell without seeing it. You can do a quick check with a luthier to be sure. Hope that helps!
So... the whole your adjusting and tuning you leave the capo on? I thought you only attach it when you measure the string height and you have to take it back off everytime you tune each string.. so everytime your adjusting the truss rod do you need to take it back off? Or does the capo stay on whole time..
The capo is just for measuring. You put it, measure, then take it and proceed to the adjustment needed, repeat until the desired relief value and voila
@@InspiringTracks ok i watched your vid couple more times now I understand a lot better thank you. I got everything in tune and on the 12th too perfectly. My strings height is really high still but I don’t want it to vibrate soo badly when strumming. Prob truss rod relief. Now I just need to adjust the pickup height and check my post on humbuckers make sure there even, tighten down back saddle. And I think that much as I can do for now. And I still got another 1 to go after this done. This best video I found on how to set up a les paul properly thanks man..
Love this video, but my only concern is wouldn’t the intonation of the strings be done first? I feel like that the tailpiece and bridge being adjusted would affect the strings actions (raising or lowering the string) or am I wrong?
Great video on the set up, but at 2:13 you can see how loose those bridge posts are in the threads of that socket. I would never buy a Gibson without the AB-1 bridge with posts set right into the top. I have done the conversion on a couple of guitars inserting a dowel in place of the socket and the change is amazing, the top vibrates and the sound is fuller.
We always screwed our Gibson stop tailpieces down all the way, and ran the strings though from the front, bending them up over the tailpiece toward the nut. This had the benefit of (supposedly) more sustain, but definitely less break angle on the strings and a nice action. We used to call that "the Ronnie Montrose "trick" because legend has it, he did it first.
Thank you for clearly showing which direction to turn the truss rod. I always get that mixed up, and righty tighty lefty loosey doesn’t help in this situation.
Always like to say well done to a good presentation. Captions instead of meandering monologuing, and you leave em up long enough to read. Nice composition n lighting as well.👍👍
Great video! I try to explain setups to friends and I’ll just send them this video from now on. One minor thing I would change - always adjust intonation, action and truss rod in playing position. Neck rests and gravity will affect measurements to a degree. Other than that great work!
Thanks! I already have one video about Teles, it's a little bit old but still is useful. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-eUrbQdkF6k8.html
Great video! I bought an Epiphone LP Custom Pro from the original owner. He never used it, so i only had to make very minor adjustments. But thanks to this video, i know how to perform a guitar setup without relying on anyone 🤘 so the only thing now, is i hear fret buzz whenever i bend on the 19th or 20th fret on all strings. Got any videos on how to fix? Thanks! 🙏
