Are guitar set-ups scams?

[Nelson Instruments]

Just got My guitar back from the shop and it is playing so smoothly.
Plus little things like a loose volume pot that I hadn't bothered to do are all fixed

if you find a good shop and good service a setup is totally worth it

plus they completely love my nelson and were showing it off to other customers

The volume pot was loose?! Well that's odd! Glad they got it tightened up though, AND I'm glad they dig it too!!

[rfurtkamp]

You know these kids and their pot, can't help but twirling it and shooting it up.

[hbombgraphics]

Just got My guitar back from the shop and it is playing so smoothly.
Plus little things like a loose volume pot that I hadn't bothered to do are all fixed

if you find a good shop and good service a setup is totally worth it

plus they completely love my nelson and were showing it off to other customers

The volume pot was loose?! Well that's odd! Glad they got it tightened up though, AND I'm glad they dig it too!!

yeah but It was from Me I think, been playing it a ton lately
The shop guys loved it
were looking at your website when I went to pick it up

[Nelson Instruments]

Right on!
I'm really glad you are diggin' it. It's the first model of mine that I think folks are kind of excited about!

[hbombgraphics]

Right on!
I'm really glad you are diggin' it. It's the first model of mine that I think folks are kind of excited about!

they should be pumped!!!

it sounds great, I have gotten nothing but positive comments from live use
and the pickups are super quiet even in places with notably bad power - very impressed with this myself!

And the volume was definitely loose because I was messing with it trying to get it to point in a certain direction

didn't expect the shop guy to fix it but it was cool he did,

Played with it more last night and it is just killer.......gotta post better pics and demos when I get a chance

[friendship]

Evan @ NYC Guitar Repair, $70, usually less than a week turn around. Only guy I trust in town any more.

Same, love that guy. Way worth a trip to the UWS.

[jhawth]

Noobish setup question here: I just got my SG back tonight after taking it in for a setup. I use 12-54's and play in Drop C. It was tuned to Drop C when I took it in, and I told the guy who tagged it that I wanted it set-up for Drop C. After I got it home tonight and took it out of the case, I found that it was tuned to standard. I tuned it back down and have been playing it, but something doesn't feel right (might be totally mental). And even after tuning it back down, it looks like there's more relief in the neck than there was before I took it in. Is there a significant difference (in intonation, tension on the neck, etc) between setting up a guitar for standard tuning and for drop C, given the same gauge strings?

I think what I'm really asking is, if you were in my situation, would you take the guitar back in and ask them to redo the setup?

[hbombgraphics]

I would take it back and have them re-do it

that's a pretty big difference

[gnomethrone]

Yeah that's some bullshit dude, take it back. Next time you get something done to your guitar try it out at the shop before you leave. Also, any time you want a setup, the person who is actually doing the work should ask you some questions about how you want things and how you play. If they dont seem interested or give you attitude just take it somewhere else.

[Nelson Instruments]

Generally when setting up a guitar you want the neck as foat as possible without buzzing. Sometimes you have to compensate for wonky frets etc. (people don't want to suddenly be told they need fret work so you do your beat to make it work)
As for action I have a general spec I'll set to. Some people like their strings practically laying on the frets and if they play lightly with soft picks it might not be a big deal but there is a point where you get buzzing.
I generally set up to my spec and if they want it lower they can tell me. I generally have the customer play the guitar before leaving so if they want changes we can discuss them and then do them right there.
I make sure to explain that if we go lower there will be buzzing. I'd rather explain that and have them there than to just set it low and then deal with a complaint that their guitar buzzes now.

With a drop tuning there are certain considerations to take into account. The biggest being the tensions of the strings based on the tuning used. If the string tension starts getting floppy then you need to compensate so you don't get buzzing.

Now if you received the guitar tuned up to standard pitch I'd assume they set it up to standard pitch and probably poorly.

Just because someone calls themself a guitar tech or luthier doesn't mean they know what they're doing.

If you know how to check your intonation I'd check it to seen if it was intonated to your tuning.

Most likely their tech didn't set it up to what you wanted. Take it back and have them correct it.

[ShaunNecro]

I learned how to do my own setups. All the shops I've ever been to only know how to setup a Bass with ultra low action. A shop once tried to lower my action and said that they fixed it for me. Charged me $50 and I ended up readjusting back to where it was in the shop. I play aggressively dammit, I need high action!

Also, I haven't changed my strings in almost eight years!

[rfurtkamp]

Gotta be specific on action or you get superlow, guitar or bass.

And yea, I'm at almost 20 on my Jazz Bass, the irony is it still sounds right (but stainless flats still have a little zing after all this time).

P bass is at < a year of having it (was NOS so strings date back 3-4 years in packaging, but..not the same).

VI is over a year and those I'm considering changing.

[hbombgraphics]

my Jazz Bass is at 1 year now but the previous set of strings was 4
and yep, flats, and I don't know that they really need changing
only changed the last set because I broke one
I do like my bass action a little on the low side
but that's probably because I am a dumb guitar player

[rfurtkamp]

I change them when they feel wrong. This set hasn't had that problem.

Roundwounds feel off to me faster, and non-stainless sets I corrode like a mother.

If someone ever gives me a signature guitar, it had best have stainless fucking everything.

[hbombgraphics]

I change them when they feel wrong. This set hasn't had that problem.

Roundwounds feel off to me faster, and non-stainless sets I corrode like a mother.

If someone ever gives me a signature guitar, it had best have stainless fucking everything.

I want to know more about your signature guitar.....

I agree on rounds, I tried the coated strings for a bit but even those start not feeling right after a while
and in some ways they never felt right to begin with