PRS Setup: What Makes It Different A proper PRS setup follows the same physics as any electric guitar: relief, action, intonation. But PRS guitars have quirks that generic setup advice gets wrong. The tremolo is designed to float parallel to the body, not decked and not kicked up like a vintage Strat. The truss rod wrench changes between Core and SE models. And the humbucker heights are uniform…
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There's a moment in some guitars' lives where they stop being instruments and become stories. For most, that moment never comes. For one Ibanez JPM100 P3, it came twice: first on stages around the world under John Petrucci's hands between 1997 and 1999, and again on the 11th of November 1999, in a corridor beside the stage of the IJsselhallen in Zwolle, the Netherlands, when Petrucci opened the…
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Jaguar Pickup Height: Exact Specs and Setup Guide Getting your Jaguar pickup height right is the cheapest tone upgrade a Jaguar owner can make. The two single coils are bolted into those distinctive metal claws, and the gap between each pickup and the strings controls output, clarity, sustain, and how the guitar drives your pedals and amp. Too close and the bass strings warble and choke; too far…
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Jazz Bass String Height: Exact Specs and Setup Guide Dialing in your Jazz Bass string height is the single biggest playability upgrade you can make without spending anything. The Jazz Bass bridge gives you four individually adjustable saddles, and a couple of millimeters of adjustment is the difference between a bass that fights your fingers and one that plays fast, clean, and buzz free. Set it…
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What's Next? Now that you've decoded your Fender guitar, here are the best places to continue: Fender Setup Guide — Exact specs for Strat, Tele, Jazzmaster, Jaguar, Mustang, Bass Setup Specs Lookup — Find factory specs by year and model Guitar Action Height Guide — Dial in perfect string height My Gear Garage — Track your collection and maintenance schedule Garage Pro — Maintenance log with…
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Takamine Guitar Setup: What Makes It Different A proper Takamine guitar setup follows the same physics as any acoustic — relief, action, nut slots, intonation — but with one big difference: the palathetic pickup. Takamine's under-saddle pickup system is designed for stage volume and balanced string output. Change the saddle height without understanding the pickup, and you can throw off tone and…
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Best Strings for Martin Guitar: The Right Set for Your Model The best strings for Martin guitar players depend on body size, playing style, and whether you want the factory voice or something more personalized. Martin builds guitars with solid tops, scalloped or non-scalloped bracing, and a long heritage of acoustic tone — the wrong string set can choke that voice or make the guitar harder to play…
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Les Paul String Gauge by Genre: Why the Short Scale Changes Everything Choosing the right Les Paul string gauge is not the same as choosing for a Strat or Tele. The Les Paul's 24.75" scale length means less tension at the same gauge, so a set of 10-46 feels looser and easier to bend than it does on a 25.5" Fender. That changes which gauges work best for blues, rock, jazz, and metal. This guide…
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Do New Guitars Need a Setup? The Honest Answer Do new guitars need a setup? Yes — almost always. A factory setup is done in a controlled environment with fresh strings and ideal humidity. By the time the guitar reaches you, the wood has moved, the strings have settled, and the action may have shifted. Online orders face the added stress of temperature and humidity changes during shipping. This new…
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Squier Bass Setup: Why Beginners Need This Guide A Squier bass setup is often the difference between a beginner quitting and a beginner practicing. Squier Affinity P-Bass, Jazz Bass, and PJ basses are the default first bass for a reason: they are affordable, well-built, and sound good. But they leave the factory with conservative action — high enough to avoid buzz in any climate — which makes them…
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Guitar Fret Buzz: How to Diagnose and Fix It for Good Guitar fret buzz is the most common setup complaint players run into. It shows up as an annoying rattle or dead note when a string vibrates against a fret it shouldn't touch. The good news is that buzz almost always points to one of four things: neck relief, action height, nut slot depth, or uneven frets. In this guide, you'll learn how to read…
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Acoustic Guitar Humidity: The Complete Care & Setup Guide Acoustic guitar humidity is the single biggest environmental factor that determines whether your instrument stays playable or slowly destroys itself. Wood absorbs moisture when the air is damp and releases it when the air is dry, so the top, back, sides, and neck of an acoustic guitar move throughout the year. In this guide, you will learn…
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Acoustic Guitar String Gauges: The Complete Guide to Light, Medium, and Custom Gauges Acoustic guitar string gauges are the fastest way to change how your instrument feels, sounds, and responds to your hands. A set of 12-53 lights feels completely different from 13-56 mediums — not just in tension, but in volume, sustain, bass response, and how easily your fingertips can fret a barre chord. In…
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Acoustic Guitar Action Height: The Complete Guide to Perfect String Height Acoustic guitar action height is the single most important measurement for how comfortable your steel-string acoustic feels to play. It is the distance from the top of the 12th fret to the bottom of the string, and it determines whether chords feel effortless or whether your fingertips tire after a few songs. In this guide…
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Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels Acoustic Guitar Truss Rod Adjustment: The Complete Neck Relief Guide Acoustic guitar truss rod adjustment is the first step in almost every acoustic setup. It sets the amount of forward curve, or relief, in the neck, and that curve determines how low your action can go without buzzing. Get relief wrong, and every other adjustment becomes a guessing game. In…
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Photo by Jefferson Santos on Unsplash Yamaha Acoustic Guitar Setup: Complete Guide for FG800, FS800 & More A proper Yamaha acoustic guitar setup is the single biggest upgrade you can give an FG800, FS800, or any other Yamaha steel-string. Factory setups on budget Yamahas are notoriously conservative, which means high action, stiff chords, and unnecessary hand fatigue out of the box. The good news…
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Photo by Felipe Randolfi on Unsplash Best Strings for Squier Stratocaster: Top 6 Sets (2026) Finding the best strings for Squier Stratocaster guitars is the fastest, cheapest way to make a budget guitar feel and sound better. Stock Squier strings are functional, but they are rarely fresh by the time the guitar reaches you. A new set of the right gauge and material instantly improves tuning…
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How Much Does a Guitar Setup Cost? A Complete 2026 Price Guide If your guitar has started to buzz, feel stiff under your fingers, or drift out of tune higher up the neck, you are probably asking the same question most players ask eventually: how much does a guitar setup cost? The short answer is that a professional setup typically runs $50–$120 at a local shop, $40–$80 at a chain store, and…
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Photo by Felipe Randolfi on Unsplash Squier Classic Vibe vs Affinity vs Sonic: Complete 2026 Buying Guide The Squier Classic Vibe vs Affinity vs Sonic question is one of the most common buying decisions for new guitarists. These three series make up the heart of Squier's lineup, and the differences between them are bigger than the price gaps suggest. Short answer: Sonic is the entry-level starter…
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