Why does your new guitar require a set-up?

Guitar set-ups are one of the service I most frequently perform, and is arguably the most important service for most musicians. It is also work that is very satisfying for me - playing a well set-up guitar can be quite a revelation for a player who may have been struggling with a poor set-up for years.

Most guitars, unless they have been carefully set-up after purchase, will not be in optimum playing adjustment. As guitars age the tendency is for the action (in simplest terms - the string height above the fretboard) to become higher requiring more effort for the player.  

Now, I can hear you thinking - why would my new guitar require a set-up?

New guitars almost always require a set-up as the manufacturer is unlikely to know what style of music will be played on the instrument, or what gauge and type of string might be chosen by the player. In addition, the initial set-up is likely to take place while the guitar is newly completed and is still adjusting to its life under string tension.

For both steel string and classically strung guitars the appropriate set-up can vary widely depending on the playing style and technique being used, and the expectations of the player. For example, in flamenco, percussive fretboard sounds that come with a lower action and a strong playing style are part of the sound and excitement. For a classical guitarist fret buzz is quite an unacceptable distraction from the music. 

Guitar set-ups may also be necessary because of poor quality control during manufacture or, in an older guitar, because string tension over time can results in movement and distortion of the neck and body of the guitar. However, if a new guitar requires a neck re-set this is a manufacturer’s fault and the guitar should be replaced.

Set-up work can involve all or some of the following:

1. Adjusting the action or string height above the fretboard. This is a combination 3 factors: the string height at the nut, the curvature of the neck and the string height at the saddle

2. Fret dress, re-crown and polish. Frets are dressed to ensure the tops of the frets are perfectly level along the length of the fretboard. Frets are re-crowned to remove the flat surface on the top of the fret created by levelling the frets. Frets are polished to remove the scratches caused by re-crowning. Unfinished fretboards are then lightly oiled to protect the surface and enhance the appearance of the fretboard.

3. Intonation correction. This can involve re-shaping the saddle top to optimise the intonation for the existing saddle position, moving the saddle position if the saddle is not ideally positioned and re-positioning the nut to improve intonation for the first few frets.

4. Re-fretting. This becomes necessary when the existing frets are worn too low or when a different style of fret is going to better suit the playing style and preference of the player. A re-fret is a fairly major undertaking but can give a loved guitar a new lease of life. 

5. Neck re-setting. Removing and refitting the neck to the guitar body to achieve a workable range of adjustment at the bridge. This is a major operation only possible and worth doing on a small proportion of guitars.