Dylan Talks Tone Guitar Setup String Height #142

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[fiddlix]

I use to do guitar setups, amp repair/mods etc. and you always give 100% correct spot on solutions. I really respect your honesty on dealing with “snake oil” vintage BS too. I wish you all the success in the world.

[jimmyhartke]

I use a Penny (1.52mm or .0589") laid on at the 14th/15th fret or a Dime (1.35mm or .053") and then set the saddle to that height. Works good for me

[Glicksman]

I set up my guitars for the lowest action without buzzing first and then I raise it just a bit more. This ensures that the strings will not tend to buzz even if hit hard and produces a cleaner, more resonant sound overall. One reason why Martin acoustics sound better to my ears than Gibsons, Taylors, etc. is that Martins are designed and built with the action just a bit on the higher side. This lets them really sing out.
Also, relief, action and intonation measurement and adjustment ought to be done in the playing position to avoid gravity slightly bending the neck when it is lying down.
Also, as you said, Gibson Tune-O -Matic bridges are not radiused to match the fingerboard and cannot be altered without re-slotting the saddles or bending the entire bridge (not advisable as it will most likely break if you try it). Steel radius guides from Stew-Mac make this easy.
Height-adjustable individual bridge saddles, such as on Fenders are the best and easiest way to match the bridge and fingerboard radius. I like the versatile Jazzmaster bridge best as it has that plus each bridge end is height adjustable and the slotted saddles allow for customised string spacing. I play lightly so I have no problem with strings jumping in the saddle slots. Also, it is designed to rock forward and back when I use the Vibrato.

[coryroberts]

First of your videos I have watched and I will check out more! This is great stuff....I'll be trying out the pups for sure after my budget recovers from the holidays!

[agentcalm]

Great tips Dylan..cheers. Weird why they design those bridges with such an awkward adjustment. I don't think I'd feel comfortable filing a metal bridge. I have an SG copy and would just get it close. My Strat of course has the individual adjustments for strings which makes life a lot easier on that guitar.

[raquelchicajazz]

gGeat vid. You mentioned quite a few times that each part of the set up effects each other. My question is, how will raising or lowering the bridge affect, the bow of the truss rod? I know that a higher string action take more pressure to push down, and a low string action will have more playability - but would that mean a high string action would put more pressure on the neck(since is raised), or less since it has less contact (and vice versa)? Only asking because i have a few guitars with low action and low string guage, but the strings feel tight. Hope I explained this well.

[Maxex]

Thanks dude, awesomely clear info there.

[ibberman]

So you don't have a capo on the first fret ??

[fndrn]

Thanks for the vid! I learned some stuff that i never thought about in the 10 years of playing. i would just raise and lower my bridge when i got buzz and never thought about the relief being the issue

[danhworth]

On a tele if you switch from a light string gauge to a medium I’m guessing that would be a string height adjustment?

[ROOKTABULA]

So I've got a Dean, the replacement for the first that was even worse for uneven, corroded and sharp frets, and the nut was damaged. I installed a Zero Fret nut after tossing the damaged nut on $3 and also removing 1/8" of fretboard material they'd left under the factory damaged nut! But: My action is still kinda high. It's my first bridge that isn't a fixed plate bridge, this is a tune-o-matic one. The bridge saddles are slightly radiused BUT: The bridge is totally bottomed against the guitar body so? How do I lower my action further on this neck thru DEAN pos??
PS: The dealer I ordered it from was appalled when I told him the response from the Dean rep, who's contact info he gave me, who looked at the pictures and my notes and said only: "Yeah. We know about these issues on those, it's why we replaced the model". My first and last Dean. The tuners were SHIT too- I installed Sperzels.

[pharmerdavid]

I thought the bridge saddles are already curved to match the fingerboard radius..? The bridge doesn't appear straight across on my Gibson guitars. You can raise and lower the two ends of the bridge, of course..

[andresbenedek]

Hi Dylan, thanks for the info. What would the height of the D and G strings be?

[Erowens]

If your radius on the fretboard is more shallow than the radius on the bridge wouldn't you have to start at the outer strings rather than the inner strings?

[REX-ksos]

wow GREAT VIDEO!!! good point about how to fix a tune o matic radius problem at the nut

[bishopoftroy]

Hello Dylan, as usual, great videos, great information and many thanks for that. One question i would like to ask you, and i`m asking here since on Facebook i think you don`t got my messages, i`m interested in some stuff that you sell so can you tell me if you ship outside the US? If yes, what are the ordering ways? And one more tip if i may give you, since you give us so many, when filming, try to set the camera to manual focus mode so it`s doesn`t constantly adjust the focus..you can see that in you videos if you look at the background. Thanks again man :)

[wildmilne]

I have one guitar where the action gets higher as the frets go up. It’s an Ernie ball axis and it seems limited in its adjustments for this, is it possible I need to add shims in the neck?

[mailvilla]

I have a new 2018 Fender Telecaster Players series guitar. I understand fret buzzing is uneven fret wires, but what is causing string rattling? I get rattle sound on E-A-D strings.

[Harrysound]

I have a £3000 PRS. I dare not touch it....I haven't even changed the string on it since I bought it 2 years ago :S