How to calibrate a guitar neck adjustment relief setup truss rod

[UKToneKing]

ThankYou so much sir for your demo, I have been sending my guitars to a tech who has been doing a good job, but the last one came back with a rattle, well the buzz on the d string was so bad it was vibrating like hell, so I thought sod it I am going to have a go at it, watched your demo and did just that, now my guitar is sweet :-) it still has a tiny bit of faint buzz, but that is acoustically and through the amp it is fine, so I can live with that, now i am happy again

[TheMegaDiclonius]

Hey Paul, great vids!! Could you tell if I need to adjust my truss rod if I want to play with 10-60 gauge strings? If so, how must I do it=I play a Dean, Explorer shape... thanks in advance!! n.n

[4pples]

Ok so you say that no more than a quarter or a half turn at most, but mine needs more than that. I have the opposite problem, I have high action. I am tightening the truss rod, and did it a half turn, and the action is still to high.. should I wait a while till I go more? How else do you lower the action?

[salikali2]

@4pples dont to much truss rod adjustment, you have to adjust the bridge.

[leonardogzm]

Paul Gibson! that is one epic name

[MegaAluchi]

do you adjust the truss rod while the strings are under tension? is this safe for Les Paul too?

thanks

[simpatico711]

@MegaAluchi Good question thanks. You adjust the truss rod with the strings under tension and in TUNE. Most all guitars have a truss rod, it is safe to adjust as long as you only turn the nut 1/4 to 1/2 turn at a time and then check the string height.

[MegaAluchi]

@MegaAluchi do I need to take the strings off when I lower the action on a wrap around bridge?

[tatecheddar]

@YaaashMichaelScott

Your intonation is off and it needs a bridge adjustment. Hook the guitar up to a tuner and tune it up. Then begin going through the stings playing at the 12th fret. If it's off key adjust the screw at the bridge.

[simpatico711]

@tatecheddar You are absolutely right. I have this information in an upcoming video I am editing. The bridge height has to be adjusted and the bridge saddles have to be moved to shorten or lengthen the string to calibrate (be in same tune) at the open string and 12th fret as you describe.

[tatecheddar]

@simpatico711 Yeah, your videos are very good and informative. I recently bought a Schecter Omen 7 string from some guy that had been poorly taken care of. It had been taken apart to be painted and had a bowed neck. The person didn't know enough about it to be working on it. I liberated it for $100. Then I fixed the bow in the neck, did an action adjustment and intonated it. It plays so beautiful now.

[smp156]

Paul GIBSON with a FENDER telecaster? i think my brain just exploded

[YaaashMichaelScott]

Paul, I have several nice guitars but they all (even after pro set up) are a little out of tune at 12th fret when I play an octave there. Are all guitars imperfect in this way and I have to live with it?

[KIDWICKED369]

@YaaashMichaelScott intonate it

[YaaashMichaelScott]

@YaaashMichaelScott I'm very picky I guess; the gibson shop told me most if not all will have little warble at 12th fret when you play an octave there. I've purchased a new low end gibson on line; recieved it - of course got a lil wah-wah out of tune from 9th pn up... Maybe I'm wrong but I've never played one that was perfectly in tune up the neck. (i.e. play an octave with first and 4th string every fret up the neck to atleast 15th...) Gonna have to try a $3k custom to test my theory.

[simpatico711]

@YaaashMichaelScott They may have been setup incorrectly. If you have a guitar tuner you can do this yourself. Adjust the bridge saddles using a guitar tuner so the stings are in the same tune when open and at the 12th fret.

[cpkelley]

You have a lot of amps in your kitchen.

[ChetterNugget]

My guitars neck is like at the 1st fret its higher then the rest of the neck?

[moneyquickeasy]

@ChetterNugget I'm not sure what your question is.

[jagex3000]

Paul Gibson holding a Fender

[BluDavid100]

@jagex3000 ironic?

[headundead]

OMG THANK YOU SO MUCH! great lesson in a long time

cheers from portugal

[elchafa]

Thanks for the info Paul, my guitar is totally fucked up. It's like 8 years old and has never been calibrated. Is there a point of no return, as in can it be calibrated after such a long time?

[simpatico711]

@elchafa any guitar that has truss rod and bridge height and length adjustments can be calibrated, as long as there is not other structural damage, wood warp, fret damage, etc.

[guitarsbunch347]

haha 4x12's on kitchen shelves, i love it!!!!

[mario4526]

hey paul got a question im trying to setup my guitar and cant get action low enough from me its higher than normal bridge is all the way down to the body and neck seems to be straight but strings are still high its makeing me go crazy im ready to sell the guitar and let someone else deal with it i could send you pictures of the guitar so you could see it

[HardwareCityArts]

@88lopez4music As a general rule, you will always need to adjust your intonation and probably your neck relief any time you change string gauge. This is done by using the horizontal screws in the bridge saddles to make the strings longer or shorter. If your strings are sharp at the 12th fret it means they are too short.

[bernich88]

Thanks simpatico =)

[dirtlid72]

nice video.. simple explanation and it helps.

[simpatico711]

You may need to calibrate your bridge I demo how to in a coming video

[88lopez4music]

Does tross rod adjsutment have anything to do with effecting your tuning?... i noticed my strings are tuned perfectly at open notes, but when i play them on the fret board, certain notes below the 12th fret are showing up slightly sharper than they should be.... does this have to do with how my neck is angled and i need i trust rod adjustment? i have a squier classic vibe 50's stratocaster and ive had it for 3 months and recently switched from 9 gauge to 10.

[mikedg18]

@88lopez4music That probably has to do with the pressure you apply on the strings

[eqcork]

you are the man. paul guibsen! aka guibson lesspaul