How to Setup Your GUITAR for Beginners (Strat Edition)

My Favorite Guitar + Filming Gear at Sweetwater

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[RCSmiths]

A Strat is easily one of the most iconic guitars to have existed, and everyone knows them! I would like to see these on other guitars models too!

[williamlee]

My old friend… it’s been 12 years since my last lesson, and here I am yet again watching your videos for helpful tips. Thank you.

[papagotbigtoes]

I quit playing about 5 years ago. I started playing again this week after discovering your channel. You’re such a great presenter with great content!

[leh]

This is more than a beginner's strat setup lesson. It's great to have a guy like Hunter Van Houten who explains it all so plainly understandable.
The Strat tremolo bridge is a wierd beast. There are lots of angles and triangles to consider. My advice, don't get in a hurry, and don't do it really late in the day when you are tired and should be sleeping. Setting up a stationary bridge can be a fair sized job let alone the tremolo bridge with it's springs and movement.

[gib]

Learning how to do your own basic setups not only saves you money but it also allows you to set the guitar up to YOUR preference. I have been doing my own setups for 20 years and I love it.

Taking your guitar to a music store tech can be a crap shoot sometimes in a few different respects but what I found when took my guitars to them is that even though you try to explain to them what you are shooting for they still may not hit the mark.
They usually have other jobs waiting in line and can't spend the amount time that you would setting things up just the way you like them.

Another reason is because setups not only effect how a guitar feels and plays but can and will effect the tone of your guitar and once you have found the right setup for a particular guitar that you like, you can repeat as needed.

[brianpressman]

Next step... intonation. Ensure you have a good strobe tuner (if possible) and lightly fret each string at the 12th fret. Ensure the note there is the note of the string. Lengthen or shorted the string at the bridge, retune, and retry. That's a pretty important step.

[grantstevinson]

Marty I started playing guitar around 3 years ago and I’ve played almost everything that you’ve uploaded, keep up the great work😎

[_danvasco]

I’ve been playing for a year and I basically learned all of this from trial/error, glad that I can get an overview on what I’ve been doing right and wrong

[jitgreen]

Bought a 96’ Mexican Stratocaster in 2014 for 140$ with a first act amplifier . It’s my first electric and I’ve loved it ever since. This video is definitely helpful to players of all calibers. Thanks for making your content Marty.

[iMotivateAll]

I feel that accuracy within any instructional medium is essential.
Your guy gives a fairly clear presentation, given what it is, but when his actions are 180 degrees of what he is describing then it only serves to confuse the viewer who is attempting to adjust their action at home. Example: When he speaks of removing some of the relief/lowering the action towards the headstock, he is obviously increasing the relief buy removing tension from the truss rod. This would absolutely mess with the heads of any novice guitar DIYer who takes this video as the end-all instruction on how to do a setup. ;)

[MartinKstedt]

I have a Sandberg California and it's been hard to play, so I tried your tips. I adjusted the spring tension and I lowered the saddle pieces, and the result was fantastic!! So thank you!! Great video!

[ronaldalyea]

I love you videos Marty but this one really left more questions than answers. What do you do if things go the other way? Nut is to low? What is a normal string height? What is the setting for the pick-ups that he said to set at the last? What about setting the intonation? Should I go on?

[bengabiola]

I am honestly scared of messing around with my guitar. I'm worried I will mess it up.

[stephentruskol]

Overall a good presentation, but remember to face the nut of the truss rod when wrenching it - you were actually turning the nut counter-clockwise and loosening the rod.

[maxt]

Perfect I just watched ur les paul vs strat and after choosing the strat I now have this wonderful creation to aid me in my guitar adventures!

[jakehardy]

Just bought my first guitar, a Fender Player Strat 🙌🏻 can’t wait to get my hands on it and set it up properly

[mefirstandthegimmiegimmies]

Love my strat! Actually love all my guitars. Some people buy based on brand or model. Ive learned over the years to buy what clicks with you. Once you find the unicorn in the sea of guitars then get a good setup on it. You cant go wrong and rock on everybody! Have a great 2022!

[PeterTessyman]

I was having trouble with my Strat bottom E buzzing. Gotta say, I followed along a quarter-turn at a time and it has made a nice difference. Lower action and no buzz! Thanks!

[kasteo]

damn it’s been almost 5 years and marty’s been my only teacher since day 1 😂

[jkou]

I really want to thank you both for this video. Many years ago (20) I put some very heavy gauge strings on my Strat and really messed up the setup. I tried to fix it but made things worse. About 6 months ago I brought my Strat back out to play it and the string action was too high. Thanks to this video my Start’s as good as new! Thank you again.