When you bought your first guitar and heard the question, "What kind of setup do you like?" you may have been a little puzzled. Or, perhaps, you had some idea of what a guitar setup was but weren't sure exactly what it all entailed. We've all been there, and this short article is intended to pull back the curtain and reveal just what it is that goes on behind the Guitar Center Repairs counter.

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Along the way, we also hope to provide some information on how you can help keep that setup to your taste between trips to the guitar tech. Which, by the way, is our biggest tip—although lots of players do their own setups in a limited way, it's worth having a pro do one at least once a year (we recommend twice if you're playing a fair amount and live somewhere that seasonal changes are more extreme). Doing this can help catch minor issues before they become major problems, keeping your instrument in top shape and probably saving money in the long run by fending off the need for major repairs. With that tip out of the way, let's answer a few questions.

Table of Contents

Why Do I Need a Guitar Setup?
   What's Involved In a Guitar Setup?
Are Acoustic and Electric Guitar Setups Different?
Measurement Recommendations for Guitar Setups
A Final Note on Guitar Setups

Why Do I Need a Guitar Setup?

A setup for your guitar is like taking your car to a really good mechanic for a tune-up—after all, a guitar is a mechanical device, just like a car. All the little things that go out of adjustment, from simple, normal, day-to-day use get brought back into specification. Plus, if there are things that you like customized to your personal preference in style and feel, they can be done, too. For, example, if you bring your guitar to Guitar Center Repairs for a Signature Setup, there are a number of things they'll check and do.

Pictured: Cleaning and Conditioning a Fretboard on a Gibson Les Paul

What's Involved In a Guitar Setup?

1. Thorough instrument inspection: Just like a mechanic inspects your car inside and out, the tech will closely examine your guitar from headstock to endpin, identifying any issues or wear that may affect playability and sound.
2. Lubricate and tighten hardware: Loose tuning machines, squeaky truss rod nuts, and stiff tremolo arms can hinder performance. A tech will lubricate moving parts and ensure all hardware is secure but not overtightened—the same way your mechanic adjusts your car's suspension and greases components.
3. Clean and condition fingerboard: The fretboard takes a lot of abuse from sweaty hands and aggressive playing techniques. Our techs clean and condition it, much like washing and waxing your car's interior, to remove grime and restore smoothness for better playability.
4. Clean and polish frets: Dirty or oxidized frets can dull your guitar's tone and make string bending a chore. We polish them up, just as you'd polish your car's chrome trim, ensuring crisp articulation and improved sustain. Plus, it's a chance for the tech to check for excessive fret wear, which can cause string buzz and affect intonation.
5. Replace and stretch strings: Old, rusty or corrosion-prone strings can dampen your tone and negatively impact intonation and sustain. A setup includes fresh strings (unless requested otherwise, but why would you do that?) which are properly stretched out to ensure tuning stability—similar to fitting new tires on your car.
6. Adjust truss rod: The truss rod counteracts the tension of the strings, maintaining proper neck relief, and preventing warping or twisting. We adjust it as needed to achieve the ideal amount of relief, much like a mechanic aligns your car's wheels for optimal performance.
7. Adjust saddle height(s): Proper string action ensures comfortable playability without compromising tone. Our techs adjust saddle heights, much like adjusting your car's ride height for optimal handling and comfort.
8. Adjust and clean nut slots: Nut slots can become clogged with debris and wear over time, causing tuning instability. We clean and adjust them, ensuring proper string seating—similar to cleaning your car's fuel injectors for better performance.
9. Adjust pickup height: The distance between strings and pickups greatly influences your guitar's tone. Our techs adjust pickup heights based on the specific pickup type (humbucker or single coil) and your desired sound, much like fine-tuning your car's exhaust system for optimal power output.
10. Check tremolo spring tension (where applicable): For guitars equipped with tremolos, we ensure proper spring tension to maintain tuning stability and accurate return to pitch after dive bombs—similar to balancing your car's suspension for smooth handling.
11. Intonate with a strobe tuner: Intonation ensures that each fretted note sounds perfectly in tune across the entire fingerboard. Our techs use strobe tuners to accurately adjust intonation, much like using a laser alignment tool to ensure your car's wheels are true.
12. Quick clean: Finally, we give your guitar a thorough cleaning inside and out, just as you'd wash your car after its service—leaving it looking and feeling refreshed.

Are Acoustic and Electric Guitar Setups Different?

While many aspects of a guitar setup are similar for both acoustic and electric guitars, there are some differences due to their unique characteristics.

Pictured: Adjusting Pickup Height on a Fender Stratocaster

Action

• Acoustic Guitars: Due to the lack of amplification and the use of heavier strings, acoustics often have higher action (string height) than electrics to facilitate playing without fret buzz and allow for more volume when strummed. String height at the bridge, while having a little flexibility, generally can't be set on a string-by-string basis.
• Electric Guitars: Lower action is common to enable easier fretting and for better response with lighter touch. String height at the bridge is frequently set by individual saddle height adjustment.

Tuning Stability

• Acoustic Guitars: Can be more forgiving in terms of tuning stability due to the wider nut and heavier strings used compared to electrics.

• Electric Guitars: Require more precise setup as they're frequently tuned down a step or two, use lighter strings and have narrower nuts.

Pickup Adjustment

• Electric Guitars: The distance between strings and pickups affects tone significantly. For humbuckers, it's typically 1/8" to 1/4", while single coils can be closer (1/16" to 1/8").
• Acoustic Guitars: If you have pickup-equipped acoustics, the pickup adjustment has more to do with how the pickup is placed inside the body, which can affect tonal balance.

Intonation

• Electric Guitars: Intonation is generally adjustable on a string-by-string basis, enabling greater overall accuracy.
• Acoustic Guitars: The single-piece bridge saddle on most acoustics can have minor intonation tweaks, by tapering the saddle, but it's a fiddly bit of work and not covered in basic setups.

Measurement Recommendations for Guitar Setups

Finally, here are some of the numbers you need to bear in mind if you decide that you want to start learning how to do some basic maintenance between professional setups. If you do decide to do this, we strongly recommend having a decent set of guitar-specific tools on hand, like the Music Nomad KEEP IT SIMPLE, SETUP Starter Kit Bundle or the D'Addario Premium Guitar Maintenance Kit. 

Pictured: Checking string heights on a Fender Stratocaster

Comparison Chart of String Heights

Height at Nut	Acoustic Guitar	Electric Guitar
Low E	2–3.5 mm (.078"–.138")	1.6–2.4 mm (.063"–.094")
High E	1.5–2.8 mm (.059"– .110")	1–1.8 mm (.039"–.071")
Height at 12th Fret
Low E	4–6 mm (.157"–.236")	3–5 mm (.118"–.197")
High E	3–5 mm (.118"–.197")	2–4 mm (.079"–.157")

Proper Distances from String to Pickup Pole Pieces

• Humbuckers: 1/8" to 1/4" (3.2 mm to 6.4 mm)
• Single coils: 1/16" to 1/8" (1.6 mm to 3.2 mm)

Ideal Specs for Neck Relief, Nut Width and Fret Crown Height

Parameter	Acoustic Guitar	Electric Guitar
Neck Relief at 8th fret	.05–.12 mm (.002"–.0048")	.03–.09 mm (.0012"–.0036")
Nut Width	43 mm–53 mm (1.7"–2.1")	42 mm–48 mm (1.65"–1.9")
Fret Crown Height	Varies by fret; typically .8–1.2 mm (.0315"–.0472")	Varies by fret; typically .7–1.1 mm (.0276"–.0433")

These guidelines provide a starting point for setting up your guitar, but ultimately, it's about personal preference and achieving the best playability and tone for your style. Regular check-ups with a professional luthier will help maintain your instrument's performance over time.

A Final Note on Guitar Setups

Now that you know what a guitar setup is, and why you need one, it’s time to make that appointment with Guitar Center Repairs to get it done, right? As we said above, having a pro do your setup, especially if it’s the first setup for a particular guitar, gives you a solid touchstone for how your guitar should feel and play. And, while it’s good to get the tools and develop some skills at maintaining your own setup, taking it back to a pro who regularly does hundreds of setups makes sure that it’s always right. Plus, it gives you a chance to check your work.

Pictured: Adjusting saddles on a Fender Stratocaster

Speaking of maintenance, you can stretch the time between needed setups by regularly taking proper care of your instrument. That’s why we have Riffs articles on "How to Care for Your Electric Guitar" and "How to Care for Your Acoustic Guitar". So, keep learning more about your instrument and how to keep it in proper shape, and it will always be ready to help you make some music.