PHOTO : DETLEV DÖRDELMANN / WIKIMEDIA COMMONS high action , or towards them , causing fret buzz . We can adjust this by tightening or loosening the truss rod , which is a metal rod that goes down the centre of the guitar neck . Generally , the ideal guitar set up would have a little bit of a bow where the seventh to 12 th fret curves the slightest amount away from the strings .
To make adjustments , you first need to locate the truss rod . For some guitars , particularly older or custom shop guitars , the truss rod is found at the base of the neck . This requires taking the neck off . Some other guitars simply don ’ t have a truss rod at all . If you find yourself in either of these situations , I would highly recommend bringing your guitar into a shop and having them look at it . On most guitars , however , we can access the truss rod at the top of the neck , through the headstock . You may need to remove a plastic cover to access it , but often it ’ s just an open hole .
First , you need to loosen the D and G string and get your Allen key ready . Be sure to look up which Allen key you need to use on yours before adjusting the neck because this varies depending on the guitar . When adjusting the truss rod , you either want to move it clockwise to move the neck towards the strings , or counter clockwise to move the neck away from the strings . Make sure to move only in increments of 45 degrees or less , then retune the guitar and test it out . Repeat this process until the action feels right to you .
Now , when do you stop ? If you have repeated this process more than three times , I would stop and bring it in . Another big red flag is how tight the truss rod feels . It should feel like you ’ re screwing into a piece of wood . If it ’ s too loose and / or spinning in place , bring it in . Adversely , if it is feeling really tight and requires a little elbow grease ( again more than screwing into a piece of wood ), stop and bring it in . The name of the game is patience and precaution with truss rods . You don ’ t need to be afraid of adjusting it yourself , you just need to know when to stop .
QUESTION # 3 :
By far our most asked question was about humidity and what we can do as musicians to help our guitars cope with the changes in temperatures and moisture ? Thanks to Chris Sipos and Les Thomas for their questions .
The optimal humidity range according to Taylor Guitars is 45-55 % relative humidity . Personally , I ’ m like , “ Great , what do I do with that information ?” For us gigging musicians , with “ a musician ’ s budget ,” I think the best way to deal with humidity is through trial and error . You need to find out which room in your house allows your guitar to best retain its neck curve and playability . Typically , you ’ ll want to avoid basements and lean towards rooms with lots of air flow . Keep your guitar in a room for a couple of days and see if you notice any changes in the neck by looking from the headstock down to the bridge . Look just off to the side of the neck and you ’ ll be able to see the curvature of the neck . Remember : you want a slight bow in the middle of the neck . If you ’ re noticing big changes in your guitar in every room , then put your instruments in the smallest room in the house and purchase a dehumidifier . By using the smallest room , you ’ ll have more control over the humidity level and you can hopefully create that 45-55 % relative humidity .
Tip # 5 : Keeping in Shape
Alright , so you ’ ve looked up the guitar setup video on YouTube , cross-referenced these tips , and you got your guitar playing great . Now what can we do to keep your guitar feeling this good for as long as possible ? The simple answer is just play it . By far , of all the guitars that I ’ ve worked on , the ones that need the most work are those that are stuck in the closet in their case . I think that neglect can be the hardest thing on your guitar . If you have it out on a stand in your living room or bedroom , you ’ re more likely to play it . The more you play it , the quicker you ’ ll notice any changes to the neck and you can address them right away , before they require more attention .
Another thing that you can do is use a string cleaner . These can be really inexpensive and keep your guitar feeling great . Not only do they help keep your strings clean , prolonging the life of your strings , they help clean and condition your fretboard as well . Generally , I wipe down my guitars with a microfiber cloth , clean the strings , and make slight adjustments to their necks every couple of weeks , or as needed .
If you ’ re able to keep on top of these slight adjustments and keep your guitar clean , your wicked guitar setup should last you a good six to nine months , depending on how much you play the guitar .
Learning the Quirks of Your Guitar
The first time you do a deep clean and set up on your guitar , it may feel very intimidating and I get it ; you don ’ t want to mess up your guitar . It ’ s important to remember that , even if you do somehow mess up , you can always bring it into a shop and get someone to look at it . Don ’ t be afraid to try things at home . I promise : the more times you set up your guitar , the easier it will be . My main guitar is a Mexican-made Telecaster and I must have set that guitar up nearly 100 times by now . Because I am so familiar with that guitar , I can get it into gigging shape quicker and easier than any other guitar . The best way to get really comfortable working on your guitar is to just do it many , many , times . I think that every guitar has its own little quirks and once you learn them and how to work with them , you can really get that guitar to sing .
Omar Shabbar is a gigging musician based out of Toronto . He ’ s also an onsite guitar tech at The Root Down Studio ( Therootdownstudio . com ) and a self-proclaimed gear head . In the rapidly changing industry of modern guitar gear , Omar attempts to discern innovation from distraction . Check out his YouTube channel , featuring dozens of gear reviews and performance clips , at YouTube . com / OmarGearReview .
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