SECTION 5: SET UP
General
Guitar set up is an art that requires skill, patience and experience. If you have the patience, you can acquire the skill and experience. If you don't have the patience, you may want to have your guitar set up by a qualified guitar technician.
This section on set up is a general overview of set up practices. We highly recommended that you research more
To adjust the bow of the guitar neck:
1.Tighten the strings to playing tension.
2.Place a straightedge from the 1st fret to the 17th. Measure any gaps between the straight- edge and the frets with the feeler gauge.
3.Loosen the strings and turn the truss rod nut in the base of the neck (Figure 36) coun- terclockwise to release tension on the neck. Retighten until the nut begins to grab.
Neck Adjustment
The guitar neck was adjusted perfectly straight before it was packaged; however, the moisture content of wood acclimates to the humidity of the surrounding environment. This characteristic results in movement of the wood components with regards to alignment. It is not uncommon for the neck to require adjustment several times each year, especially in regions where the sea- sonal climate changes are more drastic.
Components Needed | Qty |
Guitar with Strings Installed | .............................. 1 |
Tools Needed |
|
Metal Straightedge 18" | 1 |
Hex Head Wrench 4MM | 1 |
Feeler Gauge Set | 1 |
Phillips Head Screwdriver | 1 |
Figure 36. Truss rod nut.
5.To flatten a back bow, turn the truss rod nut a 1⁄4 turn clockwise. To correct an up bow, turn the nut a 1⁄4 turn counterclockwise.
6.Restring the guitar and recheck the neck with the straightedge.
—If the neck is correctly adjusted, go to the next section.
—If the neck is still out of adjustment return to step 3.
Model H6082, H6083, and H6086 Heirloom Electric Guitar Kits |