~ Best Guitar Setup ~

[kurtseth]

This is seriously tough. The only people who would have answer this with any level of authority would be the people who have tried them all. And even then, these people would have to be really objective. I don't know any such person. That is why this will most likely be just another popularity contest.

I would have to agree I don't really see the need to prove who would be the. Best...everything is subjective and as the saying I'd like to coin the phrase "different strokes for different folks".what could be great for one person would be meager for the other...

Pissing contest on!!!

[PhosHilaron]

magkano ba pa setup kay Arie?

[Letour]

I have engaged with three of them for one single guitar

Arie - Cavity and installation of Floyd Rose
Jon - Custom neck
Mike - installation of pickup and final setup



I refuse to vote. We don't need to vote.

As this point, the most deciding factor is the location.

[firemodel55]

I would have to agree I don't really see the need to prove who would be the. Best...everything is subjective and as the saying I'd like to coin the phrase "different strokes for different folks".what could be great for one person would be meager for the other...

Pissing contest on!!!

I think the question of the best is still relevant because they are NOT on the same level:

one of the 5 is a fraud when it comes to set up
one of the 5 is not known for being knowledgeable with regards to standards of setups of known brands
one of the 5 gets antsy with setup when he is NOT in the mood

Most important of ALL, none do setup for free.   So, I guess everybody deserves a good piss right?

[nathanmanansala]

bakit wala ako sa list? for my style and my playing, I do the best setup.

that's 1 vote for me. and its the only vote that really matters in my book.

[Al Nico Five]

mismo. the ts should add "your own self" in the options. the best talaga pag sarili mo ang nag set-up kasi you'll know which and what to tweak in accordance with your playing style. pero siguro he doesn't do his own set up kaya di na naisip isama sa list and bringing it to a luthier lang ang preference niya when it comes to setting up his own guitar.

[firemodel55]

As much as I can do my own set up at least limited to some truss rod adjustment, action, intonation and Floyd Rose; Arie sometimes provides me a different perspective on how to set up a certain guitar.  This is specially true if you have different guitars.  Though I would definitely know how to adjust my pickups, Arie seems to know how to better adjust pickups than me -- me being an amp guy.  For example, I prefer my pickups low because my amps will be in a better position to produce the overdrive or distortion but sometimes Arie would set up my pickups high to show me other pickup attributes beyond just overall volume.

[sleepnot]

lahat naman the best . kung saan ka pinakamalapit, alam mo na. 

[PhosHilaron]

aba mukhang marami din kay sir mike...

[nlsn]

natry ko na halos lahat except kay arie,
and my vote goes to jun castro,
regardless of price and location nung luthier,
pinaka naging basehan ko lang is yung results ng intonation and consistency ng results di lang
sa guitar ko, pati na rin sa mga guitar sa shops nila acoustic or electric,

[metalmaster]

Sino po sa kanila maganda/magaling mag install ng fret wires? smooth fret edges...

[candyapplered]

^^i think that would be a better poll, who among them does the best fretwork.

[cayle]

I've only been to sir Mike's place, so I think it's unfair to vote if you haven't tried the other guys' services. I do think that I can set-up my guitar's action, intonation and truss rod based on my preferences.

[vhunter]

I like setting up my own guitars. I recommend everyone LEARNS how a guitar works and LEARNS how to set up. its almost like brushing your teeth. You cant have someone else do your BASIC job for you. But when it comes to harder stuff (fretwork etc) you will NEED a luthier to help.. just like you should see your dentist once every 6 months.

The way i see it. Guitar playing is:

1. Physical Skill
2. Harmonic Knowledge
3. Tone (good bad whatever.. its your voice).
4. Making sure your gear works and you dont have [gooey brown stuff] crackly cables. (includes basic setup and knowledge of how your rig works).

So .. guitar players.. SETUP YOUR OWN GUITARS.

[Saturn/Return]

+1 for setting up your own guitar.

I could relate to the TS as when I 1st joined PM I was also relying on luthiers (had the opportunity to try all five of them) for the basic setup on my guitar. When I eventually learned to setup my own guitar, I only bring my guitar to them when it needs more serious work like fret, paint or wood work.

[PhosHilaron]

+1 for setting up your own guitar.

I could relate to the TS as when I 1st joined PM I was also relying on luthiers (had the opportunity to try all five of them) for the basic setup on my guitar. When I eventually learned to setup my own guitar, I only bring my guitar to them when it needs more serious work like fret, paint or wood work.

i want to learn how to set up my guitar on my own... are there any videos on this?

[mikep]

I have been a fan of guitar luthier Dan Erlewine, thus, have gotten several editions of his book "Guitar Player Repair Guide" which I studied and rely on to set up, repair and even change parts (including electronics) my guitars and that of my son's.  It is a pretty comprehensive book that explains what there is to know about guitars, electronics and even caring.  For those who would like to know more about their instruments, electric or acoustic, I highly recommend this book.  For rather complicated repairs such as truss rod change, routing, etc., I go to MicSis even though his shop is in far away Paranaque.  I agree, this exercise is really more of a popularity poll.  All the mentioned guitar specialists are knowledgeable and capable.  It really is a matter of " to each his own" preference.

[sin.tun.ado]

this is a bit off-topic but let me say it anyway.  no offense to those who feel that everything beyond restringing and tuning must be done by a luthier.  anyone who is serious about guitar playing should also be serious about the maintenance and setup of his guitar.  stated differently, every guitar player should maintain and setup his own guitar and, maybe, dress frets or refret when needed. 

it's like driving a car.  beyond knowing how to drive, one must also know how to and actually do basic checkup and maintenance work like: inflating, changing and rotating tires; checking and maintaining proper level of radiator coolant, brake fluid, and clutch fluid; replace windshield wipers, spark plugs, busted lights, worn brake pads, and dirty air filter.  in fact, the law requires that you check these basic things before driving a car.  otherwise you will be held liable for negligence if any of these things fail and  causes damage to third parties. 

basic guitar maintenance and setup is a dirty job and it takes time.  it doesn't require a lot of talent but it requires some amount of patience and perseverance.  there's is also great satisfaction learning and doing things yourself and you will learn to appreciate your guitar more as a musical instrument, by how it plays and sounds and not so much by how it looks and feels. 

here's an old related topic that may be interesting:
http://talk.philmusic.com/index.php?topic=181594.0

i have nothing against luthiers.  i have never been to one so i don't know about their work.  i do everything myself.  a friend of mine has a huge collection of tutorial books and videos.  i learned by reading a lot of books and by watching all those old tutorial tapes (guitar hospital series by dan erlewine, mark arnquist, harvey citron, etc.) and the new tutorial dvds which anybody can get from amazon.  the specs of a standard setup (distances of all parts relative to the other parts) are in the books and it varies slightly depending on the author.  but it's important to know what makes a good setup and how to get it.  only then can you make adjustments according to your own preferences.  i like the old books and videos better where they used common and simple tools effectively and efficiently.   there is also a lot of information in the world wide web (with emphasis on the “world wide”) which you can study before you actually try doing things yourself.  the bottom line is you will know if you want to learn and you will learn if you are not lazy.  you learn by reading and observing and you gain experience by doing it.  you only have to overcome your fear of doing the first step and the next steps.

a guitarist should go to a luthier only for major jobs that require extensive work and special tools (read: expensive tools) like repair of a broken truss rod, broken peg head or twisted neck.

[free2rock]

i want to learn how to set up my guitar on my own... are there any videos on this?

Dami. Try Youtube.

[stringman]

Back in the 80's and 90's hindi uso ang Luthier. You have to do all the hard stuff with your own guitar. Although there was RJ and Mightek. Simple intonation and setup had to be done by trial and error.

I agree with Vhunter, learn the basic stuff. It's a necessity.

[Al_Librero]

Back in the 80's and 90's hindi uso ang Luthier. You have to do all the hard stuff with your own guitar. Although there was RJ and Mightek. Simple intonation and setup had to be done by trial and error.

I agree with Vhunter, learn the basic stuff. It's a necessity.

It's probably the reason why guitar tracks on many of the songs I listened to back then somehow didn't sound quite in tune. I've heard stories of musicians who've been around for decades experiencing facepalm moments after having their guitars set up by luthiers for the first time. They're like, why did I wait so long to go to you!?

Yes, everyone should know the basics. On the other hand, I believe it is of great benefit to directly consult or better yet study under a luthier during that learning process (which is a lifelong thing, if you ask me). I know both vhunter and stringman have done this. In fact, just about all my friends and acquaintances whose opinion on guitar gear I value have gone through this.

If one relies solely on the Internet, books and videos and never even bother to consult with a bonafide luthier, he or she wouldn't really have much to benchmark him/herself against.

I went through that stage of trying to do everything on my own. I hungrily read all the articles on guitar setup that I could find. But the real light bulb moment came to me when a luthier practically told me that my setup was crap and then explained to me why. I understood the theory and principles of setting up a guitar thanks to all that research, but my application skills were a different matter altogether. That's when the real learning started to happen for me.

[stringman]

It's probably the reason why guitar tracks on many of the songs I listened to back then somehow didn't sound quite in tune. I've heard stories of musicians who've been around for decades experiencing facepalm moments after having their guitars set up by luthiers for the first time. They're like, why did I wait so long to go to you!?

Yes, everyone should know the basics. On the other hand, I believe it is of great benefit to directly consult or better yet study under a luthier during that learning process (which is a lifelong thing, if you ask me). I know both vhunter and stringman have done this. In fact, just about all my friends and acquaintances whose opinion on guitar gear I value have gone through this.

If one relies solely on the Internet, books and videos and never even bother to consult with a bonafide luthier, he or she wouldn't really have much to benchmark him/herself against.

I went through that stage of trying to do everything on my own. I hungrily read all the articles on guitar setup that I could find. But the real light bulb moment came to me when a luthier practically told me that my setup was crap and then explained to me why. I understood the theory and principles of setting up a guitar thanks to all that research, but my application skills were a different matter altogether. That's when the real learning started to happen for me.

Al is correct, a Luthier's input values the most for a guitar player. But also remember that these Luthier's started from scratch too. The investment was study and apply what you have studied. You cannot limit yourself to just internet videos. Books are just books, you need to apply what you read. There's math and science involved, not just knowledge in playing the guitar.

There was this American Luthier who said "What really is important is common sense", and I couldn't agree more to what he said. You may have all the expensive tools, but if you do not know how to approach the problem, the tools would be useless.

These days, I see a lot of guitar hobbyist and builders rely so much on Stew Mac tools. But long before Stew Mac became a company, guitar building has been an art for thousands of years. Predecessors used limited tools with a lot of common sense to build guitars.

And how did the Luthiers get better in time setting up guitars? They got better because he set up hundreds, or probably thousands of guitars from his clients. So don't be afraid to take the 1st step to learn, learning is your investment. Don't stop, don't deprive yourself on learning how to do it.

[PhosHilaron]

lots of inputs here... thanks for the share...

[Gunslinger]

No shutterbugjohn love?

[TKTS]

Got my guitar set-up at guitar hospital one time at after 2 years di pa rin ako bumabalik for another set-up. Kasi hangang ngayon wala pa rin problema, parang perfect ang pagka set-up.

I'd vote for Arie. kelangan ko na ulit bumili ng bagong gitara para madalaw siya ulit.... ganun kaayos ang setup niya IMO. 

Agree ako sa inyo..