Factory Settings On A Guitar - Change or Keep?
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- čas přidán 9. 07. 2023
- Baxter and Jonathan discuss changing the settings on your guitar from how the manufacture had it originally. Do you tweak your guitars or do you keep it like the day it arrived?
- Hudba
I sweep the carpets, especially on the stairs. My old roommates thought I was weird until I did it after they vacuumed and I proceeded to make a hair and dust ball the size of our cat just out of stuff I got off the stairs. Never questioned my methods again.
Set up is unique to the individual player and instrument, but your sound is still all in your hands. That's my 2 cents worth. Love your videos!
Oh by the way I heard Dunsey stopped in ! Thanks for giving home the tour Baxter. You guys rock
One thing that is often overlooked is neck shims. If you tilt the neck you gain adjustability in the saddles. I've had a few that could only get low action with the saddles completely decked and screws poking out of the saddles.
What about set necks?
@@deeplyable If the neck angle is that bad on a set neck return it.
@@ahoneyman thank you 😊
You summed it up perfectly at the beginning. Wood moves. My telecaster was perfect when I got it, but being in a way different environment than southern california destroyed the setup.
I love resetting everything to my preference. It's fun and I'm bonding with my guitar.
Cool vid. I like getting a guitar setup on a new guitar w factory specs as a baseline then go from there if as necessary.
When I started setting up my own guitars, I tried everyone's heights for action, pickups, etc and settled in what I liked for each style of guitar. Use that across the board with a slight tweak here or there to get rid of buzz and dead notes.
I try to set up all my guitars similarly: straight-ish neck, reasonably low action, tweak pickup height to taste, and with no fret buzz. If I can't get the action I want without buzz, that indicates a fret issue that is easily fixed by a good tech (or get your guitar Plek'd). Sometimes a neck shim is required on my bolt-ons if the saddles are decked. Factory settings are just a starting point, a window of acceptable playability.
Problem with shims is that builders say that doesn’t help with the distribution of sound through out the whole guitar… looses a lil resonance “supposedly
I totally couldn't catch what Baxter was saying about the Strymon pedals cos you guys love to talk over each other! ;-)
I once spent months searching for a Gibson ES-335 that felt right. Eventually one presented itself and I had to buy it. After a few months I decided that it was going to be the guitar I used for the songs I tuned down a whole step for. I put on some 11s, tuned down to D, set the neck, action and intonation accordingly and then... mojo gone. I tweaked a bit more but still nothing. It just didn't feel right. A week or two later I gave up and returned the guitar to standard tuning with 10s, reset the neck, action and intonation and then... mojo back! I can't explain it.
Ever since then, I've never really changed anything on any of my guitars. I never change the string gauge. I bought a few Gibsons during the era when they were putting 9-46 on everything. Those guitars still wear 9-46. I had the good fortune to work in a guitar store when I was younger, so most of my guitar purchases were a matter of just waiting around for the right one to come along. I waited four years for my Les Paul. It was perfect. I didn't touch a thing. Not everybody has that luxury I suppose.
Don't let the magic smoke out and find a guitar tech with a mojo hand. Cheers Casino!!
A guitar moves with the temperature and humidity. What starts off as perfect factory settings may not stay that way.
It took about 3 months for my SG to settle, and during that time I adjusted the truss rod about 6 times. Since then it's behaved itself. ;)
I would watch your videos until the end but the level of sarcasm defies black holes.
Johnathan nailed it. It's a starting point, as almost everything with guitars can be. Even "how to play". Whatever sounds good and/or gets your juices flowing works.
Did he use a hammer or a nail gun ? 😂🤣😂
Factory tuning on my 2000 AmStd Tele just went out so I am going to return it to the store. Whelp, at least I got 13 years out of it :)
Cheers guys 🤟
Welcome new guy! Get them old guys a jammin! Work can wait.
Nice new opening
Factory settings are going to make the guitar play right considering what they are willing to knit pick at the factory. Most, not all but most will play at factory settings. When the frets, neck, nut, saddles and everything else are fine tuned and polished. You can put things where you like. The perfect guitar can be more forgiving to your wants. Tight radius will also dictate some guitars. Tele saddles will only intonate with the radius spot on for example.
I have found that make sure it feels right to Guitar itself and balance as well. Sitting down standing and neck just feels the way you want to feel it and everything else is adjustable. It’s taking a long time for me to dial in a guitar the way I like it and I’ve seen LSL Echo Park fender, custom shop. They all need a little tweaking towards personal specs it’s kind of like food some people like a lot of salt. Some people don’t seasoning just gotta have the right recipe first
I set all my guitars up with pretty much the same action, then play test to get the right pickup height. No point looking at the manufacturers suggesions - they aren't playing it, I am.
After receiving a new guitar, it gets a quick play and immediately goes to the bench for a neck check, possible truss rod adjustment, string height settings (I like 1.5mm at the 12th fret) and pick-up height adjustment. Basically, a full set up. Even the last PRS 22 Custom was close to what I like, but not on the money for me.
You are missing the point a little bit. Everyone should be able to do a basic setup on their own guitar. Factory specs and measuring tools are a great place for people to learn how and a great starting point for any guitar. I've setup tons of guitars (did setup and repairs for a medium size store for 10 years), and unless there is a problem with a guitar, it should play ok with normal playing and factory specs. Sure some people like more relief, higher action, etc., but for people learning how to work on guitars, specs and measuring tools are great. Btw, I rarely measure when I'm working on guitars, but I've been doing it a long time. Always enjoy your videos!
i've found that just about any les paul style guitar i have owned, that the 5/64th 3 64ths with .008 relief works perfect for me.
Seriously, it has taken about three years for my luthier to learn how to know better than I do how I like my guitars set up, which he absolutely does by now. And I know perfectly well that if I want them to play at their best they each need to be at least micro tweaked twice a year, as the humidity and temperature change thru the seasons (in Massachusetts its brutal compared to how it was in my native UK). You do indeed have to start somewhere. A younger and more foolish me would then get a screw driver and a truss key out and attempt to improve matters myself (if you are someone who can do that then respect - most of us can’t, so don’t try). Now I leave it to a man I know can breathe with the trees!
Is this really necessary? Not unless you are gigging or recording. But even if you are doing neither it will still give you more joy per buck spent/hours playing if your guitar is playing optimally and set up just right for you. Which incidentally will help you to become a better player more certainly than buying more gear.
Is that a live-in luthier?
Regarding pedals for just one sound, I am stupid for expression pedal controls. I have a octave fuzz with blend controlled by expression and I get absolutely stupid with it. Admittedly it's not something I get to do in public as much, but if I had opportunites to do it, I'd be rocking it so hard.
I don't have a lot of guitars, but I've only had one that didn't need some tweaking after purchase
i noticed that the string wont always line up above the pickups
on some fender stratocaster models usually vintage style 6 pt
bridge
it appears the bridge pickup is large mm size
but middle and neck appear to be too long
and other models with 2 pt trem bridge the strings
line up pretty well
I got a new set of factory setup Fat 50’s from fender Mexico recently. Im very interested in how the magnets are setup.
Every PRS custom 24 I have left alone. My other guitar brands needed some adjustment for my taste
Are y'all gonna cover the changes at Fender with Ron Thorn leaving? What does that do for some custom orders.... the future of the CS, etc..
There is a spot on my Mustang, where the D chord goes from slightly atonal, to perfect, then atonal the other diraction 😅 its a love and hate thing 😊
I was given a music man guitar in pieces once. The owner had apparently tried to tune the thing with no attention to the trem being lifted as they tuned. By the time they hit the 1st string the 6th was flat. They kept tuning until the body cracked under the tension at the trem. What substances or what quantity of said substances they were on at the time was never discovered. I'm still curious as to why the strings didn't break first.
What about specs on an acoustic guitar? I liked seeing Baxter on The Acoustic Shoppe channel with the pick challenge. BTW, most metal guitars have a wood fretboard.
Lolololol c-pap had me laughing for real. Thanks guys. All tru and YES! - you can let the magic smoke out 😂
I change out pots and pickups. I've never checked my guitars for factory specs. Set it up to what's comfortable and I roll with it
I always put locking tuners on. I’d plek my guitars but my Gibson already is and my Strat just happened to be really nice. Fender Hendrix tribute Mexican. The tele i had needed a plek though or at least work on the frets because it couldn’t be intonated properly (several frets needed filing was my hunch but it had to go anyway financially) i really want the Marr Jaguar. Don’t think I’d do much since the point is that it’s already been made to Marr’s standard. Got to setup every guitar though. A plek and a setup should be enough for any guitar above $500 reallly these days.
Having a guitar “set-uo” and learning to do it yourself as well really is necessary. Otherwise you’re just depending on sheer luck.
Change. You will like playing your guitar more and more out of your guitar. I've had guitars come allive way beyond hopes by setting it up the way I want it. I am a rhythm guy so I like a higher action, thicker strings and fiddling with the pickup height and screw height on humbuckers. Worse case scenario you just put it back to factory.
Holy crap...this was one of your better videos....lol
The factory specs are a starting point, and a touchstone if you're dealing with a guitar that has wandered over time. When you're struggling with adjustments, getting back to spec can help you get your bearings. And there is no such thing as "tonewood" for an electric guitar. We've known this since the 1960s when ceramic guitars were introduced. There have since been acrylic guitars, aluminum guitars, graphite guitars and steel guitars, and you know why they all sound pretty much the same? Because the pickups, the speaker and the gain are what give an electric guitar its sound.
When I finally decide to buy a specific guitar (which might take some time, the dealer might get a bit upset…) it should have no fret height issues at all, otherwise it would remain in the shop or sent back. Then I always put the neck almost straight. It depends on the guitar what‘s left to be done:
Polishing the frets to a mirror-like shine (almost no manufacturer with the exception of Ibanez does that for it is pretty labour intensive),
Check the fret ends and polish if necessary,
Check the edge of the fingerboard for any harshness and polish or sand the edges if required,
Check whether the strings move ok within the nut slots- if not then widen them and polish the slots.
If the neck is bolt on then remove the neck and check the neck pocket for any residues or stickers etc. If required then flatten the surface.
Put the neck back, make sure that the strings are centered over the fingerboard and the neck fits flat into the pocket.
For unpainted fingerboards: check for harshness, sand carefully between the frets if required.
Dry fingerboards need a few drops of linseed oil. Most new guitars have dried out fingerboards.
Check all screws of the tuners whether they are tight.
Put the action right, which means pretty low for me.
Check intonation.
Check pickup height.
Unfortunately, all this work needs more or less to be done on each and every guitar, regardless of the price point! It is a shame what kind of disastrous instruments are sold / shipped to customers. Normally, I have to spend a relaxed unhurried day to do all this. However, a guitar, which eventually arrives at your home may have traveled the world after leaving the factory, so nobody should expect a perfectly adjusted neck.
Despite of that - some brands stand out. Putting the neck straight, check action and intonation, ok, but I never have needed to do anything else with PRS and Taylor guitars. Suhr and Music Man are also great. When I unboxed my Benedetto guitar some years ago absolutely NOTHING needed to be done - after an overseas trip from the US to Germany. This is the only guitar I ever held in my hands, which did not need anything to be adjusted or corrected. It still is set up today as it had left the factory.
And you never even had to tune it?
Good question. Surely I need to tune it. Anyway, believe it or not: it was shipped from the US to me in Germany, and it was almost in tune when I took it out of the case the first time….
I just upgraded the strings on my Epiphone Adam Jones... because they don't come with the strings he uses. Food for thought.
That’s bizarre
I’ve never purchased a signature guitar, but it would make sense if it came with the same strings the artist uses. Probably a marketing problem
Agreed.
Are used to work on single element Selectric typewriter's for IBM. They had a rotating ball for all the print. There was one that a dozen of us best technicians took all the way apart and put back together and could not solve this one problem. it would double print the letter N. All of the adjustments were in the thousands and we were all experience technicians. Nobody could ever figure it out and it was a brand new machine. We passed it all fails. The mojo got away, so there is a lot to what you're saying.
I have 30 guitars. I like to keep the action a little higher on a few of them for slide.
Guys what’s the honey-ish coloured single cut semi acoustic with Bigsby over Jons left shoulder there ? For sale ?
I bought a used 2017 SG off of Reverb that has the best low action by far of any guitar I've ever played. Gibson really knows how to Plek a guitar. Wow! And I've had 3 other guitars that were Plek'd and they were nowhere near as good as this SG!
Id love to get some factory specs. Polarised ones, bifocals and mirrored shades with, say, the Solar Guitars logo on the arms or PRS and Inanez equiv ?? That would be so cool 🤣😂🤣😂
Cheers from NZ 😎🎸🤘
I once fell into the lens grinder and made a spectacle of myself
@@davedavid7061 only a flesh wound ? Were you half the man you used to be ? hehehe
Factory Settings, We Don't Need No Stinking factory settings, you are one crazy Amigo
loco amigo. As opposed to the Commodore Amiga 🙂
my Gibson LP Studio
high performance
has a roller nut factory
i want to replace it
tho -
with usual type LP style ,
but chromed brass
material
i don't like plastic or bone material
the graphtec type are ok but not 🚫 really the preference for myself
SE Massachusetts near the Atlantic Ocean and my guitar necks need adjusting so much I leave the truss rod covers off.
i'm lucky weather wise where i live in NZ as the weather doesn't change too drastically, but this winter is a bit colder than normal and even on my Solar E1.6 FBB with Evertune i have to tweak it occasionally this winter coz hey it's a guitar, made of wood and as you knowit expands and contracts like anything wooden.
.06 string height, decked Strat or Floyd. Direct mount pickups. Ratio tuners., bone not tusq. Under 8 lbs. Strung with 9s. Are my wants.
Interesting.....guessing you are generalizing this advice for both acoustic and electric? (not all of us use built-in electronics on acoustic) Good topic
When I buy a guitar, if the pickups make happy and I think I can set the neck/playability to suit my style then I'll buy it. Once it comes home I concentrate on the neck cause that's where you live. I don't go by factory settings and set it up by ear and feel. If I screw it up I'll then go to factory and start over. I gave up on the mad scientist impersonation using guages...micrometers etc. Unless I need to start over.
12:15 Mr. Bean or Rowan Atkinson is also a race car driver. He races a bit at the Goodwood circuit & Goodwood CZcams channel.
yep and search for him crashing his mega dollar McLaren....oops hehe
I didn’t realize there were factory settings, I thought they were just slapped together
I usually do my own setup on a new guitar myself, and then might spend weeks or months tweaking the truss rod and/or saddle height, and then I’m good for years. Sometimes a neck will shift during a season change, but I pretty much set and forget. Fortunately I live where temperatures and humidity are relatively stable
"slapped together"??
I think he means brand settings, to be more specific. If you google "telecaster pickup height", like I did literally yesterday, it will come back saying 2.2mm for the low E and 2.0mm for the high E. It probably didn't come set that way, but that is where it's "supposed" to go. As I found yesterday, I don't like my low E that close to the pickups, so I lowered it some from factory setting.
@@216trixie almost but not quite assembled
@@honkytonkinson9787 it is an odd take to say that custom shop products are slapped together, not even assembled. Not sure what you mean.
@@216trixie I meant guitars in general, as presented on arrival from the manufacturer. There doesn’t seem to be factory settings, though high end guitars are different I’m sure. I’ve had several sub $1000 guitars, and they always need all the nuts and screws tightened, some setup, and often some fret polishing.
I wasn’t thinking about manufacturer’s recommended settings for pup height. I don’t pay much attention to that as long as I like how my guitar sounds
Jonathan you're right. We're English, it rains, the food is bad and we're down trodden.
We make stuff, good stuff and then we feel a little better.
PS But some of our food doesn't have sugar in it or on it! Haha
I wish I’d kept the string gauge and height “factory settings” on my custom shop LP. I’m taking it back to GC soon to try get it reset to factory specs.
Please find a better place than GC to mess with your expensive guitar!
My experience with GC is that while the tech is usually the most knowledgeable person in the store, that’s not saying much
If you live in a major city you might be ok, but better to find a local shop with a good reputation! Or learn to setup yourself!
You can handle that yourself. I understand a CS is a CS, but I have only been playing about a year and a half, and I learned all the set up methods off CZcams. Adjusting string height is easy and so is changing strings. You can't break it. Don't worry about that.
take it to Sweetwater or a trusted local guitar shop. Not not GC. Not sure where you are from, but i'm in NZ i take my guitars to get serviced at a guitar shop that isn't a dealer for Solar Guitars or PRS and get trusted staff to service them.
Once you find a good guitar tech, stick with them and tip them if that's your custom.
Cheers from NZ 😎🎸🤘
Y'all need to turn the heat up for Jonathan...jk..lol.
Most guitars I’ve found always need another setup depending on ur playing style etc.. sometimes things need to be switched out
If u know a good guitar technician then any guitar that is shipped isn’t a major problem
I’m lucky I know a good guitar technician
I feel like someone should start a high end after market saddle company called "blazing saddles".
Wood matters!!!
Morning wood matters
Every guitar I've ever owned I've changed the setup at least twice - it takes trial and error to get an instrument truly dialed in for what you want. I've never maintained factory settings.
I virtually don't mod guitars in many senses. Things like string trees, the nut, strap buttons, yes. Pickups, no. I choose a guitar in general based as a good swap versus my mains at this point. I've got my amp where I want it, my effects where I like em. I go old school and just swap a guitar in when I want a quick tone change. I leave em as original as possible, because I want them to be in as close to original when I give em away. That oerson gets basically what was in the store the day it came out. Most pickups in guitars are passable, of ya have other setups to go to. Personally, I bring a fair amount to a gig, so it's not an issue in that regard, I'm already gonna go against the modern giving ethos and bring many toys to the gig.
I always thought that guitars were set up at the factory so the customer could set it up to their liking? Unless it's some kind of custom build by a luthier and you can work with him as far as setting it up I'd say the buyer should either set it up or have someone do it for him because how the hell does the factory or the retailer (especially online retailer) know what the buyer likes?
Jonathan must be gutted he missed Dunsy, when he dropped by!
Dunsy is the man!
@@AndyDion 💯👍
Well if you are Going to Talk Wood, we need to talk Finish, like Poly vs Nitro and Differences those finishes can make to Tone or can Shape Tone as Builder
A guitar that feels and sounds good to you is the answer. Everything else is foo foo dust. If it’s not comfortable and good sounding it won’t get played. So make it right for you.
Factory settings? Are you kidding me? I grew up in Florida and the weather and more importantly the humidity changed every three (3) minutes. I've spent weeks chasing pickup height adjustments but then I went to a Motorhead concert and stood less than 20 feet from Lemmy and his Murder One amp. Now I'm not quite so picky anymore. But adjustments, sure I can spend forever or ignore them just don't give me a set of nut files and I'm good to go because everything else can be undone.
Holy crap Baxter!!!!! 😮 lmao
Metal not moving!?! lol, you guys are funny.
I want the same specs as Johnny Ramone .. that’s it
Hahaha "Specs are not a specific thing, really".....
specs is short for specifications... but I get what you meant ...martini time.
I always deck my Stratocaster
Specs are bs. I find lots of teles once I get the action low enough the saddles are too low and the break over angle changes the resonance so I have to angle the neck. I prefer 9’s but some guitars want 10’s because the neck responds better with a bit more tension on truss rod. If you lock into the factory settings you definitely can lose some magic
I have 5 Fender Jazz Basses , they all play and sound different from each other.
Imagine interviewing for a job at a guitar shop and they ask you if you know how to "sweep". You show up ready to shred, and instead of a Jackson, they hand you a broom. 😂
Hey look im not being funny but the dude with the thining hair you should just shave your head lots of people do it ive done and i dont have to worry about how to style it so it dont look so bad anyway i hope you dont take this the wrong way but you will feel and look alot better trust us bald dudes peace out P.S this channel rules you got a sub from me
Seriously? I thought that was a given. I've tweaked every single guitar I've ever owned, including the acoustics. But I will admit though, I only mess with an acoustic if I absolutely have to. But I also grew up in a time when our guitars were just guitars, we didn't look at them as investments, so jacking around with them was part of the fun.
I tinker as well
I have a hard time understanding the experienced guitarist that can barely change strings, much less tweak the bridge or truss rod
Wiggle it a bit, turn that thing a tad, sounds good I’m happy.
Every guitar is different and should be treated that way..
from Monty Python's Life of Brian:
Brian, to the gathered crowd" "we are all individuals.."
Person in crowd "I'm not"
hehehehe
I've never left a guitar in factory settings. They are just a guide.
Johnathin touches wood
What!?? Ultimate Guitar isn't exactly right 100% of the time!?😂
😘😂🤘🏻
If God didn't want me to fuck around with my guitar's setup,he wouldn't have invented screwdrivers.
i'll gladly fuck around if changing my guitars setup leads to that hehehe
I never could afford a guitar good enough that didn't need a lot of adjustment....... Hey, maybe I need to buy one from Casino Guitars?
Could be your climate. I hear living somewhere dry or humid wreaks havoc on them.
@@Tijuanabill agreed. I havea 2020 Squier Affinity Strat in HSS. Bought new from the dealer, in the box. Changed the strings to Ernie Ball slinkys 9-42 (factory is 9-42). Never had to adjust anything on it. Awesome guitar and yes i have guitars worth 10 times that one.
Price isn't an indication of quality. Always inspect your new guitar for issues no matter what price point. That Squier of mine ? is not for sale.
Couple item’s I’d like to share with “Group”:
1: Welcome back Jonathan!
2: Best shim fix I ever encountered came from an engineer - slide rule math-y type, not “choo choo” or audio nerd - workin on his EVH Wolfgang. He used soda cans as opposed to high dollar Stu Mac pieces of wood or “bidness cards”. I’ve since used this on every bolt on instrument I own that needed it. The x-factor for me is basically the width of the material. It’s VERY consistent, as opposed to wood, biz cards or (hopefully) expired plastic cards.
His method is pretty dang clever and can be easily adjusted! Hope it works half as good for you as it did for me.
Here’s his link. Time stamp is around 7 minutes 7 seconds.
czcams.com/video/bK6VaVb23Pw/video.html
Give me 1.5 mm action or give me death.
4/64th's
@@216trixie what's that in kilometres ?
@@PeterMoore350 .00000000000000002.4
@@216trixie hehe thanks. That’s hilarious 😎
Factory setups are meant to be average. They are meant to be good middle of the road, non offensive. Not optimal, but passable.
...and wood is "Dead", and it doesn't "Breathe". It hydrates and dehydrates depending on the finish, enviroment, and solar flares. Know your gear(uuugh). Oh please. A guitar is like a lover, when it's right, you'll know it.
I manufactured Fender guitars for years. There’s nothing magic about them, its ok to rip em apart, they are literally designed for it.
Michelangelo was a great rock artist, but not from England... Theory proved!
UK rock bands are good because they have nothing else to do. I have heard that the UK taxes through a licenses TV use. Perhaps people don't watch as much TV in the UK and find other things to do like make music?
What?
TV licenses are true apparently. Being from Oz and now in NZ man i thought that was weird, but i believe it's to help fund the BBC which produces great dramas, docos etc
If you were never intended to change the settings, they wouldn't all have adjustment screws.
Spending time with the neck and re re 3 times gets the tensioner to perfection with stringing up the frets get a 40 hr leveling treatment call it the lowest action no issue and higher is magical. Time well spent my friends. Frets get knocked beat the problem with a bic lighter as a drum roll,before file time.
Anyone who bought a Fender custom shop and then took it apart to make it play better deserves for it to be goofed up.
esp if you spec'd it new. Second hand ? yep different story but yeah with ya.
Do you really need to adjust your saddle if riding a horse and playing guitar?? 🤣😂🤣😂
Anyone who insists a guitar needs to be set up to "factory settings" out of the box, should seriously learn how to work on guitars. That's gotta be my biggest pet peave when it comes to CZcams channels, where people return guitars because the set up isn't to thier liking? They'll go mental over Sweetwaters 55pt. inspection, and how these atrocious measurements should never have passed inspection! Hilarious. Your in the wrong game, seriously. Guitars will never be your thing. When a crooked knob causes you undue stress, just move on.
You’re not wrong, England is indeed, crushingly awful