Hey Old Crabby Guitar Curmudgeon,

I want to learn about guitar repair, what is the first and most important thing for me to learn?

Your Buddy, John

Hi John,

This is what I call the First Rule and I think it is the most important one.

"For every minute that you DO something to your guitar, THINK about it for 20 minutes FIRST"

I know that sounds obvious but it has saved me so much heartache over the years. This is basically the same as the old wood workers rule, "Measure Twice, Cut ONCE!"

In other words before you change something that can never be changed back, be sure of all the ramifications of that change. A guitar is a SYSTEM of interconnected things. The nut, the bridge, the gears, the tailpiece etc etc. When you change one thing it will often have an impact on many or all of the others so be sure what you are doing does not hurt more than it helps before you do it.

By the way John, how did you become so well liked? I find it amazing that people have erected thrones in your honor all across the world.

Now go away kid yer bothering me,

OCGC

(Old Crabby Guitar Curmudgeon)

 Hi Mr. OCGC,

I have a question for you.   My uncle tells me that I need to replace that little white plastic thing on the headstock of my guitar. He said it is bad because my low E string rattles on the frets when I play a G chord.  Do you agree with Uncle Elmo?  Thanks Crabby Old Guitar Curmudgeon!

Sincerely, Fritz

Dear Fritz,

Hmmm, you have a question for me huh?  Well I have an answer for you kid. Tell Uncle Elmo to stay at least 5 miles from any guitar in the future and if he gets another urge to give you advice on your six string you might want to stuff your ears with cotton while Singing Ole Man River at full volume.

That "little white plastic thing" is called the "nut".  Your strings pass over it and the grooves in it keep your strings separated by the correct amount and also it keeps the string from touching the FIRST fret on your guitar.

Notice I said the FIRST fret.  The height of your nut has no effect on whether your strings rattle on any fret except the first one. 

Check it this way:

Hold down each string so it touches the SECOND fret. There should be a slight space between the first fret and your string when you do that.

If your nut is too high it will make your guitar play hard and also makes you want to scream when you play an F chord. (Just kidding, even the COCG has a sense of humor you know.)

On the other hand if it is too low when you try to play an open string it will rattle on the first fret.

Rattles on any other fret are due to something totally unrelated to the nut, most likely you need a neck adjustment or you might have non-level frets, or your string height may just be too darn low.   Your local Independent Music Store owner can help you can help you know how to proceed.

Now go away kid yer bothering me,

OCGC

(Old Crabby Guitar Curmudgeon)

Hi Crabby old Guitar Curmudgeon,

I got a new guitar from a huge chain store and I thought I was really smart.   It was thirty dollars cheaper than the one I played at a local store but when I got it home and opened the box, it does not feel right. It plays out of tune and it hurts my fingers, can you help me?

Signed, Billy Bargain Hunter

Billy, where do I begin? 

How many times have I told you kids that I am not just sitting around the music store playing La Bamba and waiting for you young punks to come and grace me with your presence when you get in the mood to visit the old guy that listened to you play Smoke on the Water on one string when that was all you knew how to do?

Here’s the thing Billy.   The guitar that you played at your local store had been properly set up and adjusted by a qualified and skilled guitar tech BEFORE it was ever hung on the wall.  That’s why it felt like it did.  That takes time and money and is the reason why it may have been marked a few dollars higher than the guitar that you got still in the box.

But fear not Billy, MSO and the old Guitar Curmudgeon are still here to help you.  I have been doing setups for over thirty years and one of the major things is the ORDER in which you approach it. To properly set up a guitar you need to take the following steps:

First, choose your gauge of strings. That is going to affect your neck due to how much tension it puts on it. So you don't want to set it for 11's and then change to 9's in other words.

After you have the strings up to pitch, (tuned) now hold your low e string against the first fret and at the same time hold it against the 15th fret. That will basically create a straight edge and lets you see how straight your neck is. Now while holding them down, look in the middle of the neck at about the 7th fret. Look at the GAP between the fret and the string. It should be roughly the thickness of a credit card.

That is the space is important.  When plucked, a string will make a cigar shape when it vibrates. That space lets it move without hitting or buzzing on the middle frets. This is also known as String Relief.

BE CAREFUL, if you are tightening and it is hard to move STOP and take it to a pro to be checked out. If you break your truss rod it is not worth whatever you might save by doing it yourself, most of the time you are talking about a 1/4 turn or half a turn and no more.

Now that the neck it set, set the height of your strings down at the bridge. Depends on the guitar how it will be done, some have a wheel on each side of the bridge, (Gibson style), others have string height screws for every string. (Fender type) Set it to the height you like basically, there is no right or wrong, just opinions.

Now check the height of the strings at the NUT. (Little white thing the strings go over at the headstock) Be careful, it is very easy to make it too low when you file this. With a thin file you make it low enough that it clears the first fret but by a small amount, too low and it will not play open notes clearly, too high and it is hard to play and plays out of tune.

Finally set the intonation.

Play a harmonic at the 12th fret, make sure it is right on pitch with your tuner. Now check that against the FRETTED NOTE at the 12th fret. If they don't match you move your intonation screws till they do.

If the fretted note is sharp you lengthen the string, if it is flat you shorten it, and  move the bridge saddle forward.

Now on the other hand Billy, you could just shop with a reputable local guitar shop in the first place and save yourself some time and hassle.  If you do, all these adjustments will be done correctly by a trained professional and all you have to do is enjoy your guitar!

Now go away kid yer bothering me,

OCGC

(Old Crabby Guitar Curmudgeon)