I recently got an Epiphone Casino. I love the lightness and resonance of the guitar, but the action is a little high.
I checked with some of my local guitar shops about getting a setup. As of this posting, I was quoted prices in the $120 range, which is a little too high for me. The neck was straight. The frets were level. The high action was the only real problem. So, today, I’m doing a little research on setting up my guitar on my own. If you’re new to guitar, the links below will help you setup guitar with a minimum of cost and fuss. Here are some of the things you can expect to do in a guitar setup:
- Four Different Ways to Change your strings, Phillip McKnight – I used the last method in the video: the basic method.
- Common Guitar String Changing Mistakes and How to Avoid Them, Phillip McKnight – I made one of the mistakes Phil talks about. The first time that I restrung my guitar, I managed to break the high E-string. Do yourself a favor and buy some extra strings, just in case. It will save you a trip to the local Guitar Center.
- How to check to see if your guitar neck is straight, Australian Luthier Supplies
- Straighten / adjust your guitar’s neck (by adjusting the truss rod) – StewMac: a bend in your guitar neck will affect your string action (the height above your fretboard). A high action will make it hard to fret notes. A low action will result in buzzing when you fret notes.
- How to Fix Sharp Fret Ends, Phil McKnight
- Fret Buzz – Make Sure Your Frets are Level, MusicNomad
- Do Your Own Setups, StewMac: 8 Tools You’ll Need
Phil McKnight’s Inexpensive Guitar Setup Video
Phil McKnight is one of my favorite guitar tech YouTubers. He’s got a great video on how to setup your guitar with some inexpensive tools from The Dollar Store. Check it out. You won’t regret it.