Contemporary Music Instruction and Mentoring
Setting Up An Acoustic Guitar
There are varying opinions on the best way to set up an acoustic guitar. Here is what I have learned from conversations with luthiers and online study:
1. File the frets
This step is usually not necessary for a new guitar, and it is never necessary for a new high quality guitar. It is only needed if the guitar frets are 1) uneven in height (usually caused by poor quality manufacturing but sometimes from extreme temperature and humidity changes), or 2) in the case of used guitars if there are significant grooves in the frets resulting from heavy use.
Remove the strings
Use low tack drafting tape, or 3M blue low tack masking tape, that leaves no residue, but protects the finish when filing
File with a mill bastard file with the convex side down
Every stroke, file from the center to the two edges
Then round the frets with a special file made specifically for this purpose
Use a tiny paint brush, or a 2x4 with carpet on it, to clean the filings off of the neck
2. Clean the guitar
Again, this step is not necessary for a new guitar, but on a used one this is the time to polish it up.
Remove all six strings. The fastest way is to loosen all six strings about ten turns, then use dykes (wire cutters) to pull the pins out (pry against the saddle.) Then remove the strings from the holes, and then you can easily wind them off of the tuners.
Get some clean cotton rags to use for cleaning. White flannel with no chemicals (cheap at a fabric/craft store) is best. Do not use anything that has been polluted with fabric softener.
In the case of guitars that have a lot of grime, a good cleaner for urethane gloss and semigloss finish (everything except the fretboard and bridge) is Rosinol lighter fluid or naptha (which is the main ingredient in lighter fluid). It cleans but doesn’t damage the finish. Second choice: denatured alcohol. (Note: naptha is highly toxic to breathe. Use a mask and have ventilation.) If your guitar is not finished with urethane (such as inexpensive Taylors that have a light coat of varnish), I would recommend that you skip this step.
Next, wax the guitar body, headstock, and back of the neck. I use and recommend car Turtle Wax “Ice” spray-on car wax. (Taylor Guitars uses Turtle Wax "Express Shine" spray-on clear car wax). Do not use a heavy wax. Also do not use a wax or polish with a heavy silicone base. Do not ever put wax or polish on the fretboard or bridge. Spray on, then wipe around with a clean cotton flannel or microfiber cloth, then wipe off and polish with another clean cotton flannel or microfiber cloth. The wax will make the guitar look great, and it also protects the guitar so that when you clean the neck all the little steel wool fragments will be repelled off the body and you won’t scratch the guitar with them.
While all the strings are off, tighten the tuner nuts. Use a 10mm deep well socket. Hold it in your hand, do not connect it to a wrench. Don’t overtighten; what you want is just a little snug down. Also check the tension of turning the tuners. Turn the tiny screw in the tuner button, clockwise to increase or counterclockwise to decrease resistance to turning, so that they are all feel the same.
Use 0000 (“four ought”) steel wool to clean the fretboard. You can get this at any hardware store. Cover the sound hole with blue 3” low tack masking tape to keep steel wool fragments out of the electronics. Also if the saddle has been removed, cover the pickup slot with masking tape to keep metal out of the pickup. Don’t use any chemicals. Don’t rub the steel wool sideways. Go with the grain. When clean, sweep with a clean new soft paint brush.
After cleaning, apply a very light coating of oil to the fretboard. Taylor uses boiled linseed oil. I use Music Nomad Fretboard F-ONE Oil Cleaner & Conditioner. Both of these products have no lemon oil extracts, waxes, petroleum distillates, silicone, or water. (Do not use Lemon Oil on the fretboard; lemon oil is highly acidic and also contains d-limonene, which is a strong solvent that is used to remove paint and glue. Both the acid and the d-limonene will dry out the fretboard.) Blot the oil into a paper towel and wipe it across the surface. Don’t drench it or soak it into the fretboard. Just a thin coat is all you need. When it’s been evenly applied, then wipe the excess off with a clean cotton flannel rag. (I also do this to the bridge if it is not painted with urethane clear coat.)
3. Put a new set of strings on
Be sure to do the set up with a brand new set of the exact brand and gauge of strings you will be using.
Put all six strings into the holes in the bridge. Insert the ball end slightly then put the pin in while pulling up. Make sure the ball is not pulling on the bottom of the pin, and press the pin all the way down firmly but without a lot of force.
I use a simple method of winding strings that is recommended by Taylor Guitars. Stretch out each string one at a time and cut it to length with a pair of dykes. The three thickest strings (4, 5 and 6) should be cut to a length slightly longer than one tuning pin further than the pin it goes into (E string cut at the far side of the A pin, A at the D pin, etc.) For string 4, just eyeball the distance where another pin would be, past the end of the headstock. The two strings most prone to breakage are string 3 G and string 1 E. The main reason for this is because they are the thinnest and weakest (with string 3 we're talking about the core wire, not the winding). But another reason why they break is because the windings don't go down the pin far enough to cover the hole, which causes them to bend against a sharp point at the edge of the hole when tuning. (This is why the sharp edge on the hole is where the string usually breaks.) For this reason, for strings 1, 2 and 3 I recommend cutting them at a distance equal to 1.5 pins past their own pin, instead of 1 pin distance. This will give a couple of more winds to push them below the bottom of the tuning peg hole. After cutting to length, insert each string straight through the hole so that it sticks out about 1/4", bend the string with a sharp bend 90 degrees in the correct direction (from inside to outside, which is counterclockwise for strings 4-6 and clockwise for strings 1-3), and tighten with a string winder while holding the string with tension with the thumb and forefinger of the other hand. As you wind, make sure the winds go downward, not upward, that the windings do not cross each other, and that they are even and snug against each other.
Pay no attention to people who say you should cross the string over itself while winding in order to prevent string slippage. The shape of the tuning pin will push each wrap against the wrap above it, which will provide tension. As long as you have 1/4" sticking out at the top, the string will not slip. I have used the twist under wrap method in the past but have found the simple method recommended by Taylor holds the strings just fine and the guitar stays in tune just as well. It is faster to install the strings and also easier to remove the strings when it’s time to change them, and it gives a cleaner, better looking wind.
LINK HERE to see a video explaining the Taylor way to string a guitar.
After installing the strings and partially tightening them, stretch the strings. Start at the sound hole. Place your hand under the string, then twist your hand (upward on the thumb end and downward with your pinky end of your fist). Then move down the string about as far as your fist is wide, and repeat, until you have stretched the entire length of the string. I stretch a little harder on thick strings and a little less on thinner strings. If you do this, it will stay in tune much better and not keep going flat during the first few days.
4. Truss Rod adustment (neck relief)
The truss rod adjustment determines the amount of the curve in the neck. Although purists correctly point out that, technically, this adjustment is not defined as an adjustment to the "action," it DOES affect the string height (the distance from the string to the fret), mostly around the frets in the middle of the neck. Thus, it DOES affect how easy the guitar is to play, and it DOES affect whether the strings buzz. So from a practical standpoint, it is one of the three things that affect the action. (The other two are nut slot heights and neck angle/saddle height.)
With all three action adjustments, the goal is to have as low of action as possible without string buzz. The lower the action, the eaiser the guitar is to play, but the more likely the strings will be to buzz. The higher the action, the harder the guitar is to play, but the less likely the strings will be to buzz.
To do a setup, the first thing to do is adjust the truss rod to an estimate of where it should be. The neck of a steel string guitar is designed to flex a little bit. The steel strings exert a lot of pressure on the neck that tries to pull the neck upward. This pressure is offset by a long bolt that goes all the way through the inside of the neck, from one end to the other. This bolt is called the truss rod. In essence, there is a tug of war going on. The strings try to pull the neck upward, and the truss rod tries to pull it back downward. The thicker the strings are, and the harder the steel alloy in them is, and the higher the pitch they are tuned to, the more the strings try to pull upward. The more the truss rod is tightened, the more it tries to pull the neck downward. There is a very narrow place where these forces offset each other and place the neck into the ideal position.
The neck should have a slight concave shape that is centered around fret 6. The depth of that scoop shape is called "neck relief." The deeper the scoop is, the less likely the strings will be to buzz in that area, but the harder the strings will feel to the fingers of the left hand, and vice versa.
To measure neck relief, place a capo between the nut and the 1st fret, and hold down the 6th string (low E) between the 13th and 14th fret so the string is touching the 1st and 13th frets. Use a feeler gauge (available at any automobile parts store) to measure the distance between the string and the fret at the 6th fret. Assuming that the neck is straight and the frets are equal height, a good rule of thumb for most decent quality guitars is for the distance between the string and the 6th fret to be approximately ten thousands of an inch (.010”).
This measurement is not static. Seasonal fluctuations in temperature and humidity, and even just the wood aging over time, can cause the wood to change shape. If your guitar used to play well but starts buzzing, or if it used to feel good on your fingers but starts being harder to press the strings, it's time to check the neck relief measurement and to adjust the truss rod.
Different guitar manufacturers use different sized bolt heads for their truss rods. For all brands but Taylor, it is an Allen head... but, unfortunately, there are a half dozen different sizes used by different brands. For Taylors, it is a hex head. You need to purchase the correct tool for your specific guitar.
The head of the truss rod bolt is located either inside the sound hole under the highest frets, or under a small plate inside the headstock just above the saddle.
It is recommended to loosen the strings slightly (tune lower) before adjusting the truss rod to reduce the pressure on the threads so you don’t strip them. I personally prefer to simply bend the neck back while turning the wrench to relieve pressure on the threads while turning the wrench in either direction.
To decrease the neck relief and lower the strings (to make it easier to play), tighten the rod by turning the head clockwise. To increase the neck relief and raise the strings (to get rid of string buzz), loosen the rod by turning the head counterclockwise. Only turn the head 1/6 of a turn at a time (one face of the nut or Allen head).
5. Nut Slots Depths (open, measured at first fret)
The second thing that affects the action and how easy the guitar is to play is nut height and nut slots depths. This affects string height mostly at the end of the neck closest to the headstock. Again, the lower the string height the easier it is to play. Because most playing is done with the fingers on the first three frets, the nut slot depths affect the ease of playing more than the other two factors (saddle height and truss rod adjustment). But if you go too low the strings will buzz... but ONLY for open strings that are not being fretted with your fingers.
The objective is to get the strings as close to the first fret as you can without the strings buzzing when they are played "open" (unfretted). This is a tricky and extremely time consuming process because if you go too low and they start buzzing, you have to start all over again from scratch with a brand new nut (ask me how I know this!).
All mass produced guitars come from the factory with the nut too high, which makes them harder to play than they should. I have never seen an exception. Even $5,000 guitars come this way. There is a very good, practical reason for this: the guitar manufacturers don't want guitars returned for warranty because strings are buzzing. They have found that customers will buy guitars with a high action but not guitars that are buzzing when they try them out in the store. They have also found that customers will return a guitar that is buzzing FAR more often than a guitar that is hard to play because the action is too high.
The manufacturers have found that setting up a guitar nut perfectly is not profitable, for two reasons. First, it is VERY expensive to do. They cannot afford the cost of the time, and the very highly skilled labor, to set up each individual guitar with its nut in the ideal position, with each string at the perfect height. Second, wood shrinks and expands with humidity and temperature changes, so a guitar that was set perfect in the factory could be buzzing a few months later in a guitar store.
For these reasons, they just design a nut that is high enough that the strings will never buzz on any of the guitars that leave the factory, then add a little more height for a margin of safety, and slap it in. They don't design it for the average, they design it for the outlier. Sadly, this makes all new guitars very painful for beginners to play.
Also, there is a very practical reason, as well: Some people actually prefer a high action (don't ask me why; it's incomprehensible to me), and it's easier and less expensive for a luthier to take material off a nut that's too high than to shim a nut that's too low.
The goal for setting up a guitar for beginner guitarists is is to get the strings to be as low as possible on the nut, without the open, unfretted strings buzzing on the first fret. And some advanced guitarists also prefer that criterion (including me). However, some other guitarists complain that such a low action causes behind-the-fret buzz. So they prefer a tad higher fret slot height than absolutely needed to prevent the open string from buzzing. That is true especially for those who prefer less neck relief. I’ve never noticed any such buzz on my guitars that are set up my way, and mine are much easier to play, so to each his own!
To get the lowest action possible, theoretically, if none of the strings are buzzing with a capo at the first fret (meaning that the truss rod and the saddle are set up correctly), then the distance between the string and fret 1 should be just a tiny bit (.002") higher than the distance between the string and fret 2 with a capo on fret 1. Usually that is around .010 on string 1 and .015 on string 6. That is the absolute minimum. I always build in a small margin of safety to allow for nut wear from the strings "sawing" into the slots as the guitar is tuned over the years, so I never go below .012" on string 1 and .017 on string 6.
One way to check the nut slot height is to use feeler gauges to measure the distance between each string and fret 1. This is quite time consuming, but it is most accurate. The left column below shows recommended open string heights at the 1st fret according to http://www.lutherie.net/nuts.html. As you can see, I personally prefer to go a lot lower for my own guitars and my students' guitars.
Recommended Irv’s Guitars Typical new guitar
1E .018 .013 .022-.028
2A .019 .015 .023-.029
3D .020 .016 .024-.030
4G .020 .017 .025-.031
5B .021 .018 .026-.032
6E .022 .020 .028-.034
Another "quick and dirty" way to measure nut slot depths that is much faster and easier than using feeler gauges on each string (and it is quite accurate) is to press each string between frets 2 and 3, and just look at the distance between the string and fret 1. On my guitars, string 1E almost touches fret 1, with only the tiniest space between the string and the fret. As I go across to the other thicker strings there is a tiny bit more space between the string and fret 1, until string 6E has maybe .004". I have had good results using this "quick and dirty" method to set up students' guitars.
The quickest, easiest way to adjust nut slot height is to use nut files to file one slot at a time. It is important to use real guitar luthier nut slot files. Cheap files are not rounded at the bottom and so they do not make the slot fit the round strings. (The best are from stewmac.com. Sadly, they are about $20 each, and you need six of them).
1. Loosen the string you are working on 6-8 turns, and pull from slot
2. Start with the file the next size larger (.001”) than the string gauge
3. When filing, use the same angle as the back of the nut
4. File very slowly and check string height frequently by placing the string back in the slot and tuning the string to pitch and measuring. Don't go too low!!!!!
5. If screw up #4 above and you file too much, the correct action is to start all over again with a new nut. The cheater "solution" is to use baking soda and super glue (or bone dust or filing dust and super glue) to build the slot back up, then file it down again.)
6. When filing a slot, shape the bottom of the slot in a way that the string has firm contact with the nut at the very front of the slot.
7. Use a slight compound curve like the shape of a horn's bell.The point of this is to offer a smooth surface for the string to travel from the tuning machine to the critical point of final contact at the front of the slot, where it is held firmly to define the end of the vibrating string length.
The problem with the quick and easy way described above is that some people claim you are supposed to have 1/2 of the diameter of the string sticking out above the top of the nut for all wound strings (3D to 6E). If you have to file the nut slots too far to get the action you want, you may end up with the string deep into the slot instead of sticking up.
In such a case, you may need to lower the entire nut. This is done by removing the nut and carefully sanding the bottom of the nut to take some material off the bottom. There are videos on YouTube showing how to remove a nut. The specifics vary depending on whether the nut is just sitting there on the fretboard or if here is a groove cut into the fretboard that it slides into.
I do not use normal sandpaper. I only sand a nut using 3M Sandblaster Advanced Abrasives 180 grit 1/3 clip-on sanding sheets. It is much more uniform, it stays sharper longer, and it is perfect for this job.
1. Place blue painter's tape on the fretboard between the nut and fret 1, and on the headstock between the tuning pegs for strings 1 and 6 and the nut. This will help prevent damage when removing the nut.
2. Loosen the strings about 6 or 7 turns.
3. Remove the nut. Carefully and lightly tap it back and forth by placing a block of wood next to it and tapping the block of wood with a small hammer. If it is not in a slot, it will come off. If it is in a slot, after it has been loosened up, place the block of wood on the side of the nut and gently tap it sideways out of the slot.
4. Sand off all glue from the bottom of the nut.
5. Remove all glue from the guitar fretboard where the nut goes, using a tiny screwdriver or similar tool.
7. Replace the nut and press it tightly into place by applying pressure with your fingers.
7. Tighten the strings to pitch.
8. Measure the distance of all six strings from the bottom of the string to the top of fret 1, in thousandths of an inch, using a set of automotive feeler gauges.
9. Decide the ideal height of each of the six strings in thousandths of an inch.
10. Subtract #7 from #8 for all six strings. This is the desired amount to remove from the bottom of the nut. If all six strings had the same number that would be great, but it never happens. Whichever strings have the lowest numbers (#8 above) is the most you can remove from the bottom of the nut.
11. Compute how much you can remove from the bottom of the nut on both ends (string 1 slot and string 6 slot).
12. Loosen the strings and remove the nut again. This time you won't need to tap. Just pull it out with your fingers.
13. Measure the thickness of the nut in thousandths of an inch between slot 1 and the bottom and between slot 6 and the bottom, using a caliper.
14. Subtract the number in #11 above from #13 above. This is the desired ending measurement on both ends of the nut.
15. Carefully sand the bottom of the nut, stopping to measure over and over. Make sure the bottom of the nut remains flat and square.
16. When you start getting close, replace the nut, tighten the strings, and remeasure all six strings at fret 1. Repeat #15 and #16 over and over until you reach the desired thickness.
17. Replace, tighten, and measure one last time.
18. Play and check for buzzing.
19. Remove the nut one last time, place a couple of very tiny very thin drops of superglue on the bottom of the nut, and reinstall.
Hopefully at this point there are several strings at are at the target heights. The others must be either just lived with if they are "close enough" or lowered by filing each individual slot.
6. Saddle Height
The third thing that affects action (and thus ease of play versus string buzz) is the saddle height, which mostly affects the string height at the high frets. Like with the truss rod and nut slot heights, the smaller that distance is, he easier the guitar will be to play, but if it is too low the strings will buzz.
There are two ways to measure saddle height. One is to place the guitar on its back with no weight on the neck and measure the string to fret gap at the 12th fret with feeler gauges. The other is to do the same thing but with a capo on the 1st fret, and measure at the 13th fret. The advantage of using the capo is that it takes the nut slot height out of the equation, and measures saddle height independently. The reason for this is that because if the nut height is too high, the measurements for the saddle will be inflated, and it is likely that this may lead to lowering the saddle too much. This is important if you adjust the saddle before you adjust the nut, but not if you do the nut first. In my experience, the difference between capo and no capo is about .005-.007 on 1E and .011-.015 on 6E.
Most people prefer to measure on the 12th fret without using a capo.
The left column below shows the recommended string heights according to several web sites. One site said “if you play soft you can subtract .010”. MusicRadar.com does subtract a little more than .010". As you can see, I personally subtract more than .010. I can live with a tiny bit of fret buzz when playing very loudly in order to have a much easier guitar to play. Some people don't want any fret buzz, ever, and don't care about how hard it is to press the strings.
Generally recommended Music Typical
on Guitar Web sites Radar.com Irv's Target New guitar
without capo without capo with capo with capo
1E .075 .063 .060 .065-.080
2A .080
3D .085
4G .090
5B .095
6E .100 .087 .075 085-.100
To work on the saddle, you can unwind the strings 10 turns, then put a capo on, then remove the pins, and you can take the saddle out of the bridge without taking the strings off. To remove a tight saddle, put masking tape or a polishing cloth on the soundboard on one side of the bridge, and pry/lift that end of the saddle using small dykes (wire cutter). Pliers will slip off but dykes will grab it.
IMPORTANT NOTE: If you have a newer model Taylor guitar with ES2 sound system, DO NOT remove the saddle! The way to tell whether you have ES2 is if there are very tiny Allen screws on the bridge between the saddle and the pin holes. Those screws secure the ES2 pickup to the saddle, which allow it to sense the vibrations and convert them into an electrical signal to send through the guitar cord to the amp. They are set to very a specific tightness. They must be loosened to remove the saddle from the bridge, and if you do loosen them they must be re-set to their original tightness upon reassembly. If they are not perfect, your guitar will not have equal volume levels from each of the six strings when plugged in. Besides, the Allen screws are a special size that only Taylor has wrenches that will fit it. Taylor recommends to never mess with the saddle on any of their guitars. Instead, they recommend changing neck shims to adjust the neck angle, which accomplishes exactly the same thing as adjusting the saddle.
Musicradar.com says to reduce by .010" you need to sand off .015" from the bottom of the saddle. I disagree. Mathematically it should be .020" off to lower the action .010". The objective is to remove twice as much from the saddle as you want to lower the action (at the 12th fret).
Remember, if you will need to have a different reading for the sixth and first strings, it’s likely that one side of the saddle will need more sanding than the other. If you are unsure, sand a smaller amount, reassemble, and remeasure.
Use a razor blade or Exacto knife to scribe the saddle with it in the bridge, then remove the saddle and measure and mark a line where you want to bottom to be when you’re done. (Or what I do is mark the two ends of the bottom of the saddle with an ultra fine point Sharpie so that the mark is the same width as the feeler gauge of the amount I want to take off.)
I do not use normal sandpaper. I only sand a saddle using 3M Sandblaster Advanced Abrasives 180 grit 1/3 clip-on sanding sheets. It is much more uniform, it stays sharper longer, and it is perfect for this job.
Place the saddle on the countertop to make sure it is level. Hold the flat bottom of the saddle to a ruler and hold it up to the light to check that’s it’s even. Hold the saddle in your fingertips and rub it back and forth on the sandpaper being careful not to accidentally angle the saddle bottom. Make sure you sand the saddle straight so it stands straight up when you set it on a hard surface. Check frequently. You can press against a 1/8” piece at right angle to stay straight, or just pay attention. Sand until just before that black mark disappears from both sides. Then re-fit the saddle, pins and retune the strings to pitch. Remeasure. Test play each note on the fretboard to check for buzzing. Then repeat until the string heights are where you want them. Give the bottom two corners one drag over the sandpaper to knock off a sharp edge, and reassemble.
What if the saddle is already too low, or what if you sand it too much? As we can’t un-sand a saddle we have to glue on a shim. Hardwood maple is great for this. Check that the saddle bottom is flat before supergluing. When the glue is set we need to remove the excess veneer, scissors are great at getting the bulk off but beware of the timber splitting along the grain. The glued-on veneer will produce a good sound - certainly better than loose card or plastic shims in there!
7. Final Truss Rod Adjustment
After the nut and saddle (or neck angle) have been finalized, the final step is to revisit the neck relief. Play the guitar, and if no strings are buzzing, tighten the truss rod 1/6 turn and see if it starts buzzing. If strings are buzzing, loosen the truss rod 1/6 turn until it stops buzzing. In the future if the action gets higher or if the strings start buzzing, adjust it again.
8. Bridge Intonation
The idea of bridge intonation adjustment is to tune each string perfectly and test the pitch of the octave harmonic and then the pressed octave note. They should be same. If sharp, it is possible to lengthen the string by filing on front side of saddle. If flat, shorten by filing on the back side of the saddle. Of course, this will lower the saddle, so the luthier needs to do this before adjusting the saddle height.
This is easy to do on some electric guitars. On acoustics, it is more trouble than it's worth. I never do this on acoustic guitars. It is too hard to get the saddle the right height for each string if you file it to move it forward or backward. On decent guitars, the factory stock compensated saddles are good enough for my ears. Especially if you adjust the truss rod, nut, and saddle to a low action (which helps intonation tremendously on most guitars because the strings are not going sharp from being bent so far to reach the frets!)