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Setting Up Guitars

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5/7/1999 2:23 AM

Setting Up Guitars

I just got some part time work as a guitar tech for a billionare guitar collector guy. Mostly just changing strings, checking intonation and polishing them up. (Unlike some collectors this guy actually plays them).
There are just a couple of questions I'd like to ask of you gurus:

Do you have a favorite brand of polish?

What kind of tuner do you like best. Is a Boss TU-12 accurate enough for setting intonation? I've never priced one of those Peterson srtobe tuners but I imagine they ain't cheap.

Adjusting truss rods still kinda freaks me out. Is there a trick to this, or do you have to learn by experience?

Can you recomend books or other resources that might help me out?

Or,

Are there any of you in the Los Angeles area that I could meet with in person? I have no problem paying you for your time, or at least I'll buy you lunch. I think that if someone showed me, I could understand it much easier.

I'm probably making a bigger deal out of this than necassary-- it's just basic maintenance-- but I want to do a real sharp job. Besides this guy is way over paying me, and I've always wanted to get good at this stuff. I find that in this business the more things you can do you are, the better your chance of paying the rent.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Warren

5/7/1999 4:48 AM

Warren,

You're a very lucky man! I don't really have a favorite brand of polish, but don't use silicon polish. It can "creep" into places you don't want it, and is a pretty good insulator. I've generally found good quality automotive polishes to work fairly well, and so do good wax furniture polishes.

The Boss TU12 is an excellent tuner. IMHO they are fine for setting intonation, and the Peterson tuners, while very accurate, are not that much better considering the price difference.

Setting truss rods IS a matter of experience, but draw yourself a picture of a curved neck and a straight guitar string. Then think about the way the string's going to vibrate when fretted at various positions. You'll soon get an idea of what sort of problems you might get from too straight or too curved a neck. You can experiment a bit, but don't tighten a truss rod that already feels really tight (they do break!), and always remember that on old guitars the nut sometimes seizes onto the threads. I generally set the truss rod so that the fret buzz is even up the neck on a low action, then raise the action a bit.

Neck too straight and the buzz is more on low notes. If the neck is too curved it tends to be half way up the neck. If anything weirder than that happens, take it to a luthier. Make friends with him. These guys are real life savers!

If you want more info then get in touch with Stew-Mac. These guys have books, polishes, tools, and anything else you could need. You can order a catalogue at:

http://stewmac.com/

If your billionaire wants to fly me over from england for a few days I'll give you a hand, but I'll bet you can find someone a bit closer!

Good luck, it's great work if you can get it, so learn as much as you can while you can.

Liam

5/7/1999 2:40 PM

I think you just died and went to heaven!
I'm still stuck working for the poor musicians.

For a good general text on repairs, set-ups, etc., go to the Stewart MacDonald site via link provided by Liam. Get a copy of the Guitar Player's Guide to Guitar Repair, by Dan Erlewine. It's about $25, and well worth it. Also, each catalog has some good shop tips, and their website has tech tips & wiring FAQs. Ask them for a catalog, but they usually include one with every order (at least they've been doing that wih mine).

5/8/1999 2:08 AM
Warren	Thanks so much for the help. On paper this seems like an awesome gig, but we'll have to see how it goes in practice. The guy is nice, but slightly neurotic. Sunday's my first day on the job... ***I'm still stuck working for the poor musicians. Are there any other kind? Warren

5/10/1999 11:49 AM
Earl	What do you call a musician without a girlfriend? Homeless.

5/11/1999 3:47 AM
Liam	What's the difference between a Pizza Hut big feast and a musician? The Pizza can feed a family of four

5/11/1999 10:38 AM
Hi	Ouch!! You really know how to hurt a guy! Hi

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