It's not a repair. It's not a cleaning. It's a calibration. At our shop in Glens Falls, we do setups on everything from student acoustics to vintage electrics, and the process is the same every time.

Here's what actually happens during one.

Neck Relief Adjustment

The neck of a guitar isn't meant to be perfectly straight. It needs a slight forward bow (called relief) to allow the strings to vibrate without buzzing against the frets. Too much relief and the strings feel high and stiff in the middle of the neck. Too little and you get fret buzz. A setup measures and adjusts this using the truss rod.

Action Adjustment

Action is the height of the strings above the frets. Too high and the guitar is hard to play, pressing down takes more effort and intonation suffers. Too low and the strings buzz. A setup sets the action at the nut and the saddle to the right height for the player and the instrument. Most guitars that come in for a first setup have action that's higher than it needs to be. Factory specs are conservative.

Nut Slot Cleaning and Lubrication

If the slots are too tight or rough, strings bind and tuning becomes unstable. A setup cleans and lubricates the slots so strings move freely. Binding nut slots are responsible for more tuning problems than most players realize. More detail on the Why Won't My Guitar Stay in Tune? page.

Intonation

Intonation is the accuracy of pitch across the full length of the neck. If your guitar is in tune at the open string but goes sharp or flat as you play higher up, the intonation is off. A setup adjusts the saddle position for each string to correct this. On acoustic guitars, intonation adjustment is fixed. The saddle is compensated at the factory and can't be adjusted the same way. On electrics, it's fully adjustable.

General Inspection

A setup also includes a full check of the instrument: fret condition, tuner function, nut and saddle condition, electronics. If something needs attention beyond the setup, you'll be told before anything is done. We've pulled guitars off the bench after a setup and found frets that needed leveling, tuners that were slipping, and nuts that were cut so high the guitar was essentially unplayable. You find out what you're actually dealing with when it's on the bench.

What a Setup Doesn't Include

A setup is not a fret level, a nut replacement, or an electronics repair. If those are needed, they're separate jobs, quoted and approved before anything is done. Everything beyond the setup is à la carte. At Paul's Guitar Hideout, if we find something during a setup that needs additional work, we'll explain it and give you the option before proceeding. More on what we handle on the guitar repair page.

How Often Does a Guitar Need a Setup?

At least once a year for most players. Necks move with humidity and temperature, especially in the Capital Region and the Adirondacks: including Glens Falls, Queensbury, Lake George, and Saratoga Springs. The seasonal swing here does real things to necks and action that players don't always connect back to the weather. A guitar that played well last summer may need adjustment by winter. If you've never had one done, or you're not sure if you need one, see Do I Need a Guitar Setup? Wondering what it costs? See How Much Does a Guitar Setup Cost?

Setup Pricing

Standard setup: $79. Specialty setups (Floyd Rose, 12-string, classical): $99. Turnaround depends on current workload. We'll give you a realistic timeframe when you bring it in.

Bring it in and we'll tell you exactly what it needs before anything is touched.

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 you need assistance, give us a call and we'll come down.

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