Guitar Setup in Glens Falls, NY

Paul's Guitar Hideout does guitar setups at 71 Lawrence St. in downtown Glens Falls, upstairs in The Shirt Factory. A standard setup is $79, the deluxe we usually recommend is $109, and Floyd Rose, 12-string and classical guitars take the $99 specialty setup. Strings are extra on every setup. A setup sets the neck relief, the string height at the nut and saddle, and the intonation to the way you play. Drop it off Wednesday–Sunday, 12–5 PM, no appointment needed. Service is first come, first served, and some of our setups are written up in the Repair Vault.

Look magazine called Glens Falls "Hometown U.S.A." back in 1944, and the downtown still runs on that: a walkable main street, the Hyde, Harding Mazzotti Arena, and now a guitar shop on the second floor of the old shirt mill on Lawrence Street. If you're already downtown, we're about a ten-minute walk from Glen Street.

What a Setup Includes

Setups are done at the shop by our repair tech, Dave Eastwood. Every setup starts with the neck. The truss rod sets the relief for your string gauge, tuning and playing style, and then the action is set at the nut and the saddle. Every setup includes nut-slot filing when it's needed. On electrics, the intonation is set at the bridge saddles, and on a floating tremolo a change in string gauge means adjusting the springs to match. Most acoustics don't have adjustable saddles, so an acoustic with a real intonation problem may need saddle work beyond a setup. The restring labor is included and strings are extra: 9s or 10s on electric and light or medium on acoustic, unless you bring your own.

We also check the frets, tuners, nut and saddle, bridge hardware and electronics, and look for structural problems. A setup doesn't include a fret level, nut replacement, electronics repair or structural repair. If the guitar needs any of that, we tell you what we found and what it costs before doing anything beyond the setup. What each adjustment does is on guitar setups.

Standard, Deluxe, or Specialty

The standard setup is $79 for an electric, acoustic or bass guitar. The deluxe is $109 and is the one we usually recommend: everything in the standard, plus headstock-to-strap-button detailing, all hardware tightened and lubricated, and the fretboard cleaned and conditioned. Any setup can be upgraded to the deluxe for $30. The $99 specialty setup covers Floyd Rose and other locking tremolos, 12-strings and classical guitars, which take more setup time to dial properly. Mandolin and banjo setups are $99, and lap steel and resonator setups are $79. We confirm the category with you at drop-off.

Electrical work such as pickup swaps, wiring, and pot or jack replacement is priced separately, like any other repair beyond a setup. The whole price list is on repair and setup pricing.

Factory Spec and Your Setup

New guitars come set to the manufacturer's factory spec. For its electric guitars, Fender's 2013 owner's manual gives about .010 inch of neck relief, measured at the 8th fret, and about 4/64 inch of string height at the 17th fret, and calls these median specs that "should not be taken as hard-and-fast rules." Both it and Fender's 2013 bass manual say string height "is more about personal preference and playing style than a pre-determined spec." For a steel-string acoustic, Martin's string action gauge suggests 3/32 inch on the bass side and 2/32 inch on the treble side at the 12th fret, and says it can go lower if nothing buzzes.

Depending on your playing style, you may want a setup that's different from that spec, and we can do it. A setup on a new guitar is a paid setup at our regular prices. So is a setup on a guitar you bought online or at another store.

From the Repair Vault: Fender 75th Anniversary Stratocaster, 9s to 10s

What came in: A Fender 75th Anniversary Stratocaster. The owner wanted to move from 9s to 10s and have it set up to match. What we found: Going up to 10s meant the tremolo springs, truss rod, saddle height and intonation all needed adjusting. The nut needed evening out and the pickup heights were off. What we did: Tightened the tremolo springs for the heavier gauge, adjusted the truss rod, evened out the nut slots, and set the saddle height, intonation and pickup height. Result: Great playing and looking Strat on 10s, in Dave's words. The full write-up is in the Repair Vault, under Fender 75th Anniversary Stratocaster: Setup for the Move from 9s to 10s.

More recent setup work:

How Often to Get a Setup

There isn't one schedule that applies to every guitar. Acoustics in this region benefit from a setup twice a year, spring and fall, around the seasonal humidity swing. Electrics typically need it once a year unless you change gauges or tunings. A guitar that hasn't been touched in two or three years is overdue regardless of how it feels. With acoustics especially, small adjustments left alone long enough can lead to bigger structural issues. Fender's 2011 acoustic guitar manual says the playing action of most acoustic guitars "tends to fluctuate seasonally depending on where you live." If you change string gauge by more than one step, Martin's FAQ recommends having the first change done professionally so the setup stays comfortable and the intonation accurate. For more on the regional cycle, read how humidity affects your guitar.

The Starter Guitar Problem

A beginner's first guitar that's hard to play usually needs a $79 setup, not a replacement. A setup adjusts the guitar to the player's hands, and a new player who can't get a clean chord often blames their own technique before anyone checks the action. See when a beginner should get a setup.

Sometimes the answer is that the guitar isn't worth the work. We wrote it up in how to know if a guitar is worth repairing.

Where We Are

We're on the second floor of The Shirt Factory in Glens Falls. The building went up in 1902 as a men's shirt factory and made shirts until 1996. Today it's home to more than 70 studios, shops and galleries, and now a guitar shop. Use the Cooper Street entrance and take the stairs up. The easiest place to park is the Cooper Street lot.

Glens Falls is a bustling little city that's growing more and more every day: lots of culture, food and natural beauty. The Shirt Factory is the heart of the East End arts district.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Where can I get a guitar setup in Glens Falls?
A: Paul's Guitar Hideout, the only dedicated guitar shop in Glens Falls itself, inside The Shirt Factory downtown. Setups are $79 standard, $109 deluxe and $99 specialty, with strings extra. No appointment is needed to drop off, and some of our setup work is documented publicly in the Repair Vault.

Q: Do I need an appointment?
A: No. Drop it off during shop hours, Wednesday–Sunday, 12–5 PM, and we'll look at the guitar with you and confirm which setup it needs. If you'd rather send the details first, use the book a setup form.

Q: How long does a setup take?
A: Service is first come, first served. Need it back by a certain date? Let us know at drop-off and we'll do our best to accommodate.

Q: What's included in a standard setup?
A: A standard setup sets the neck relief with the truss rod, sets the action at the nut and saddle with nut-slot filing when it's needed, and sets the intonation. It includes the restring labor and a check of the frets, tuners, hardware and electronics. Strings are extra.

Q: What's a standard setup, and when do I need the specialty rate?
A: Standard covers most electrics, acoustics, and basses. Specialty covers Floyd Rose, 12-string, and classical. They take more time to dial properly. We confirm at drop-off. Any setup can be upgraded to the deluxe for $30, which adds detailing, hardware lubrication and a cleaned and conditioned fretboard.

Q: Do new guitars need a setup?
A: It depends on how you play. New guitars come set to the manufacturer's factory spec. Depending on your playing style, you may want a setup that's different from that spec, and we can do it as a paid setup at the regular prices: $79 for a standard setup, $109 for the deluxe or $99 for a specialty, with strings extra.

Q: I bought my guitar online. Will you set it up?
A: Yes, and the same goes for a guitar from another store. Prices are the same whether you bought the guitar here or somewhere else.

Q: Do I need a setup when I change string gauge?
A: If you're moving more than one step in gauge, Martin recommends having the first change done professionally, because a bigger jump could affect playability or intonation. On a Strat-style tremolo, heavier strings also pull harder against the springs, so the springs have to be tightened to match or the bridge lifts and the guitar won't hold tune. The Fender 75th Anniversary Stratocaster above came in for a setup when it moved from 9s to 10s.

Q: Is a restring the same as a setup?
A: No. A restring puts on new strings: $25 for a guitar or bass, $35 for a 12-string and $40 for a classical or a locking tremolo, plus strings. A setup adjusts the relief, action and intonation, and its restring labor is included, with strings extra. You're welcome to bring your own strings for either.

Q: Do you set up mandolins, banjos and other instruments?
A: Yes: $99 for a mandolin or banjo, and $79 for a lap steel or resonator. More on banjo setup and repair and mandolin setup and repair.

Q: A starter guitar plays terribly. Is a setup worth it?
A: Usually, yes. A $79 setup adjusts the guitar to the player's hands, and it costs less than replacing a first guitar that felt impossible to play. Strings are extra.

Q: What if my guitar needs more than a setup?
A: A setup covers the relief, action, intonation and restring labor. Anything beyond that (electrical work, fret leveling, hardware replacement, structural repair) is priced separately. We tell you what we find and what it costs before any additional work starts. More on guitar repair.

Q: Do you guys buy guitars?
A: Reach out via call or text at (518) 217-8695 to discuss what you have. If it's not right for the shop, we can help direct you in how to sell it elsewhere.

More for Glens Falls

• Guitar shop
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• Banjo setup and repair
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All the areas we serve

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Drop it off during shop hours, no appointment needed.

Paul's Guitar Hideout is located at The Shirt Factory in Glens Falls, NY. Use the Cooper Street entrance and take the stairs up. If stairs are difficult or you're bringing in something you don't want to carry up, call or text us and we'll arrange access.

The Shirt Factory
71 Lawrence St., Suite 201B, 2nd Floor
Glens Falls, NY 12801
Wednesday–Sunday, 12–5 PM
(518) 217-8695 · info@paulsguitarhideout.com