You can fast forward to the specific task below: 1:00 Pre-Setup Steps 4:10 Truss Rod 10:00 Radius of Strings 18:45 Action of Strings 24:25 Nut Height 35:25 Intonation 43:15 Pickup Height
It worked. I bought an Ibanez GB30. Had it for about 2 years. It had a string buss but I wasn't sure. I took it to Guitar Center. They eyeballed it and adjusted the truss rod. Not happy. Took it to another guitar repair place...same thing. I followed this video and it worked. No string buss.
Thank you! First time I took all the strings off my archtop at once for a restring job and had to reset the bridge to the proper scale length. I was surprised to learn that I could move the bridge fairly easily without detuning the guitar. It's sounding great with a set of La Bella flat wound 12s on it.
Same thing happened to me with my first archtop a few days ago. Removed all the strings and learned the hard way why these things were called "floating" bridges... Putting it back in place with proper intonation wasn't too bad but I wish I looked up how to change strings on archtop guitars beforehand. I assumed it was the same as any other guitar. Put Thomastik Swing 12's on it, sound and feel amazing.
Really useful video. Really well explained. It is not so common to find such great explanation on this topic. Thanks a lot. Will have a look to the kits, they seem well designed for guitarists, with teaching in mind :)
Thanks! The short answer is you want the ramp angle on the backside of the bridge slot so it guides the string down to the tailpiece. Feel free to reach out to us at tech@musicnomad.com, and we can discuss this in greater detail.
Excellent video, very nicely explained. Maybe I missed it but, which set of MN diamond nut files were used on the saddle slots (Light Electric or Medium Acoustic)? It never occurred to me to adjust floating saddle slots. Might be just what I need. Thank you.
Correct me if im wrong but arent you supposed to measure the radius of the strings from underneath the strings? The radius of the bottom of the strings where they sit on the groove? If you measure from the top and adjust according to that wouldnt that throw off the distance from the bottom of the strings to the top of the 12th fret?
In the flow of the KISS method on a fixed radius bridge, the radius is set before you do string height/action to achieve proper radius and string height. Once you have matched the radius of your bridge to the last fret of your guitar, you are able to raise and lower your bridge height with the thumb wheels to achieve your proper string height/action.
Hi.I have an Eastman AR 380..The 12 gauge Chromes felt uneven and so I filed down some string slots on both nut and saddle down with a basically straight neck. I like very low action .I thinking to open up the sound a bit, I need to shave off the top of the saddle slot wood a bit. Is the the best way..use sandpaper lightly on top of saddle without changing the radius?
Go back to the video, Geoff explains why you go through the proper flow of the KISS method. the first part of the flow is measuring and adjusting your truss rod for neck relief this is an important step you need to take before moving on to the next steps. As you through the proper flow Geoff does an amazing job on explain each step and why. He explains the proper way on how to adjust your string height and radius at the bridge.
QUESTION: Do you really want the top of the low E string to be the same height (i.e., using the radius gauge) as the top of the high E? i’ve been thinking it’s a good idea to make the low E just a little bit higher for more … “vibrating headroom.” (i’m referring to the saddle.)
I'm going to put a floating rosewood bridge with roller saddles and a bigsby b5 on my flat top Les Paul DIY kit, do you think that's a great idea or what? Please answer honestly.
I cannot recommend if this is a good idea. Our KISS setup method and its tools and gauges along with this video will help you setup your guitar to play and sound great once you have done your modifications.
The general rule is that the file should be the same size as the string, up to no more than .003" - .004" larger than the string. If you go much larger, the slot can become so large that the string vibrates in the slot, causing a buzz. If you use a file smaller than the string, the slot will be too tight, causing tuning issues.
Our Collaboration with Master Guitar Tech Geoff Luttrell and his 20+ years, two high volume guitar shops setting up 10,000 plus guitars, teaching 100's of students in his setup workshops, in house Plek experience, plus we asked a handful of other top repair shops the most common setup measurements and this was the unanimous measurements for a a great sounding and playing guitar. We realize there are many different opinions plus these can dialed in more for the type of player and playing style. As most repair shops know most guitars come out of the factory way higher so they don't buzz and both new and old guitars need to be setup periodically for the best playability and sound.
@@MusicNomadCare thanks for the reply, hope I didn't come off as criticizing meant to be more an FYI. I. More than happy to try his recommendations as I prefer low action. I just got your truss guage and string gauge combo from Sweetwater and it's been much better than other tools I've tried from competitors. I appreciate the 64s measurements.
Hello Geoff. I live in Colombia. In a very hot place. I purchase the Music Nomad kits to try to set up my guitars, but I have not been able to set them right. No one can help me here. Do you think you can givd me some help. I play a lot, and it is really frustrating to play guitar with a high action and also hard. Thank you Jose.
Hi Jose! Thanks for reaching out. We's love to help you get your guitars set up. Please send and email to tech@musicnomad.com with your specific questions and we will do our best to help you trouble shoot.
Help! Im from Europe and I simply measure in Millimeter - not in " a 65 thousand of an inch for the low E" and "a 55 thousand of an inch for the high e". What's that in Millimeter?
What is the advantage in holding the string at the first fret to measure gap at the 12th? I've never seen anyone do it that way. Most guitar mfgs specify string height by the actual, unfretted gap.
We respect the different ways manufacturers and repair techs approach neck relief. With Master Guitar Tech Geoff Luttrell along with other top repair techs we developed our KISS method using the 1st and 12th fret and measuring at the 6th fret to accommodate most all guitars using a common measurement. The relief of the neck at the 6th fret is in the middle of the span between the 1st and 12th fret.
@@MusicNomadCare Neck relief wasn't the question. I asked string height at the 12th fret. Everyone measures neck relief by fretting the first fret and typically a fret near the point the neck joins the body.
@@MusicNomadCare it makes sense in theory but.. if I use your tool with my dangelico I get much smaller ( around hald the value) of what I get if I measure relief at the 8th fret while pressing on the last fret which is pretty much the standard way. I’m very confused right now, by my tests the method is wrong there is by all means too much relief at 0.06 by using your tool. I can clearly see it in the neck and I feel it while playing.
The great thing about the KISS setup, tools and gauges we give you all the tools and setup method to either perform your own or check all the areas of your instrument to see if you need to bring your instrument in for a setup
Thanks for your feedback. Yes, you can match the contour on the feet of the bridge to match the arch top contour if needed. This rarely happens unless a replacement bridge is being installed. If you feel your replacement bridge or stock bridge may need this done, we recommend you take your guitar to a qualified repair shop due to the complexity of this procedure.
You can fast forward to the specific task below:
1:00 Pre-Setup Steps
4:10 Truss Rod
10:00 Radius of Strings
18:45 Action of Strings
24:25 Nut Height
35:25 Intonation
43:15 Pickup Height
Hi Morgan! Thank you for your excellent customer/dealer service during the "pandemic"! Hey Rand, give Morgan a raise! Company I work for is secret.
It worked. I bought an Ibanez GB30. Had it for about 2 years. It had a string buss but I wasn't sure. I took it to Guitar Center. They eyeballed it and adjusted the truss rod. Not happy. Took it to another guitar repair place...same thing. I followed this video and it worked. No string buss.
Thank you! First time I took all the strings off my archtop at once for a restring job and had to reset the bridge to the proper scale length. I was surprised to learn that I could move the bridge fairly easily without detuning the guitar. It's sounding great with a set of La Bella flat wound 12s on it.
Hey bro can i get archtop guitar as a beginner bec it's adjustable... Whats your opinion
Same thing happened to me with my first archtop a few days ago. Removed all the strings and learned the hard way why these things were called "floating" bridges... Putting it back in place with proper intonation wasn't too bad but I wish I looked up how to change strings on archtop guitars beforehand. I assumed it was the same as any other guitar. Put Thomastik Swing 12's on it, sound and feel amazing.
Systematic approach. Great. Thanks.
Very very good my friend !! Thanks a lot.
Really useful video. Really well explained. It is not so common to find such great explanation on this topic. Thanks a lot. Will have a look to the kits, they seem well designed for guitarists, with teaching in mind :)
Helpful, adjusted thumbwheels on an eastman to remove buzz thanks
Great video. Now I wonder, why do you file in the down direction like you do and not in the opposite direction, so down in the direction of the neck?
Thanks! The short answer is you want the ramp angle on the backside of the bridge slot so it guides the string down to the tailpiece. Feel free to reach out to us at tech@musicnomad.com, and we can discuss this in greater detail.
Excellent video, very nicely explained. Maybe I missed it but, which set of MN diamond nut files were used on the saddle slots (Light Electric or Medium Acoustic)? It never occurred to me to adjust floating saddle slots. Might be just what I need. Thank you.
The general rule is that the file should be the same size as the string, up to no more than .003" - .004" larger than the string.
This video has been very helpful.
Hey Rand, it would be awesome if you guys start selling overstring radius gauges for wide and narrow and string spacings with the black.....
Correct me if im wrong but arent you supposed to measure the radius of the strings from underneath the strings? The radius of the bottom of the strings where they sit on the groove? If you measure from the top and adjust according to that wouldnt that throw off the distance from the bottom of the strings to the top of the 12th fret?
In the flow of the KISS method on a fixed radius bridge, the radius is set before you do string height/action to achieve proper radius and string height. Once you have matched the radius of your bridge to the last fret of your guitar, you are able to raise and lower your bridge height with the thumb wheels to achieve your proper string height/action.
@@MusicNomadCare you avoided the question entirely. reginald tan aasked totally different question
@@raffyzoo2130 No her didn’t
That was my exact thought as well. This video is incorrect.
@@MusicNomadCare Not an answer
Hi.I have an Eastman AR 380..The 12 gauge Chromes felt uneven and so I filed down some string slots on both nut and saddle down with a basically straight neck. I like very low action .I thinking to open up the sound a bit, I need to shave off the top of the saddle slot wood a bit. Is the the best way..use sandpaper lightly on top of saddle without changing the radius?
Go back to the video, Geoff explains why you go through the proper flow of the KISS method. the first part of the flow is measuring and adjusting your truss rod for neck relief this is an important step you need to take before moving on to the next steps. As you through the proper flow Geoff does an amazing job on explain each step and why. He explains the proper way on how to adjust your string height and radius at the bridge.
Well done sir!
QUESTION: Do you really want the top of the low E string to be the same height (i.e., using the radius gauge) as the top of the high E? i’ve been thinking it’s a good idea to make the low E just a little bit higher for more … “vibrating headroom.” (i’m referring to the saddle.)
That’s why you adjust the action after
Would you also recommend this method to the gb10 se ?
I think it can i just want to make sure “!
Yes, this is the method we recommend for your gb10 se.
I'm going to put a floating rosewood bridge with roller saddles and a bigsby b5 on my flat top Les Paul DIY kit, do you think that's a great idea or what? Please answer honestly.
I cannot recommend if this is a good idea. Our KISS setup method and its tools and gauges along with this video will help you setup your guitar to play and sound great once you have done your modifications.
What gauge is the gauge of these files? For instance, what is the gauge slot for an e string that is a .052?
The general rule is that the file should be the same size as the string, up to no more than .003" - .004" larger than the string. If you go much larger, the slot can become so large that the string vibrates in the slot, causing a buzz. If you use a file smaller than the string, the slot will be too tight, causing tuning issues.
According to their website, Gretsch Guitars are supposed to have .08 according to their website which is your Acoustic Guage from that tool.
Our Collaboration with Master Guitar Tech Geoff Luttrell and his 20+ years, two high volume guitar shops setting up 10,000 plus guitars, teaching 100's of students in his setup workshops, in house Plek experience, plus we asked a handful of other top repair shops the most common setup measurements and this was the unanimous measurements for a a great sounding and playing guitar. We realize there are many different opinions plus these can dialed in more for the type of player and playing style. As most repair shops know most guitars come out of the factory way higher so they don't buzz and both new and old guitars need to be setup periodically for the best playability and sound.
@@MusicNomadCare thanks for the reply, hope I didn't come off as criticizing meant to be more an FYI. I. More than happy to try his recommendations as I prefer low action. I just got your truss guage and string gauge combo from Sweetwater and it's been much better than other tools I've tried from competitors. I appreciate the 64s measurements.
Hello Geoff. I live in Colombia. In a very hot place. I purchase the Music Nomad kits to try to set up my guitars, but I have not been able to set them right.
No one can help me here.
Do you think you can givd me some help. I play a lot, and it is really frustrating to play guitar with a high action and also hard.
Thank you Jose.
Hi Jose! Thanks for reaching out. We's love to help you get your guitars set up. Please send and email to tech@musicnomad.com with your specific questions and we will do our best to help you trouble shoot.
Help! Im from Europe and I simply measure in Millimeter - not in " a 65 thousand of an inch for the low E" and "a 55 thousand of an inch for the high e". What's that in Millimeter?
We have a conversion chart on our string action gauge and all our gauges have both SAE & Metric labeling.
@@MusicNomadCare Thanks, as soon as I found out that its 0,065" and 0,055" I was able to convert it ; )
What is the advantage in holding the string at the first fret to measure gap at the 12th? I've never seen anyone do it that way. Most guitar mfgs specify string height by the actual, unfretted gap.
We respect the different ways manufacturers and repair techs approach neck relief. With Master Guitar Tech Geoff Luttrell along with other top repair techs we developed our KISS method using the 1st and 12th fret and measuring at the 6th fret to accommodate most all guitars using a common measurement. The relief of the neck at the 6th fret is in the middle of the span between the 1st and 12th fret.
@@MusicNomadCare Neck relief wasn't the question. I asked string height at the 12th fret.
Everyone measures neck relief by fretting the first fret and typically a fret near the point the neck joins the body.
@@MusicNomadCare it makes sense in theory but.. if I use your tool with my dangelico I get much smaller ( around hald the value) of what I get if I measure relief at the 8th fret while pressing on the last fret which is pretty much the standard way. I’m very confused right now, by my tests the method is wrong there is by all means too much relief at 0.06 by using your tool. I can clearly see it in the neck and I feel it while playing.
buy all the products
If you own a D'Angelico guitar, you don't need to know how to set it up, as you would simply pay someone to do it for you.
The great thing about the KISS setup, tools and gauges we give you all the tools and setup method to either perform your own or check all the areas of your instrument to see if you need to bring your instrument in for a setup
you forgot to fit the bridge base to the guitar top.
Thanks for your feedback. Yes, you can match the contour on the feet of the bridge to match the arch top contour if needed. This rarely happens unless a replacement bridge is being installed. If you feel your replacement bridge or stock bridge may need this done, we recommend you take your guitar to a qualified repair shop due to the complexity of this procedure.
fit the base to the top is mandatory, as well as compensated bridge and compensated nut or you don't have a musical instrument@@MusicNomadCare
Jill Stein. 🤣🤣🤣🤣