Pro Guitar Tech's Most Hated Things (and how to fix them)
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- Опубликовано: 13 авг 2023
- When it comes to setting up your guitar, theres many different methods and practices. In today's video, my friend Ben Calhoun at Big House Guitars in Atlanta Ga, shows us some of his biggest pet peeves when setting up and maintaining your acoustic guitar. Some of these things I've even done and showed on this channel in the past!
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Been playing guitar for over 20 years, building guitars for around 10, and the "just pull it back one fret" trick just changed my life.
right???
Amen , great advice.
I've always used the old pinky on the body, string on the index and spread the gap more the smaller the string. I'm gonna have to try this.
Dude… same and same.
Same. I learned the trick he used to wind the string but I could never get the amount of winds right.
This guy = no BS and doesn't over complicate things. Awesome.
Yep. Best vid ever on these topics.
😢😢
You sir, are a mind reader.
This vid was nice, usually he chats so long I can’t be bothered, but this is good info
BALONEY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I love that pull it back one fret trick. It's so simple, effective, and consistent. I wish I knew that 25 years ago.
I have learned more here in ten minutes than I have during the last 40 years of playing, stringing, and fooling around with guitars. Thank you!
Me too! Great info!!
Same for me except 20 years instead of 40.
Man, why can't all setup vids be like this? Straight to the point, plain English, nothing superfluous. Bravo. Keeping this.
Because there’s people that speak other languages
@@Zach-ls1if clearly! 😅 I just meant it's simple and clear. I've nothing against other languages, I promise you.
@@johndinsdale4454 I know, I’m just being a dork and trolling, cheers and thanks
@@Zach-ls1if ha ha! Got me. Have an awesome day chap 😎
Weeell Gibson did do a great job with their video
Fretter and inlayer for a professional acoustic guitar company here! Looking down the neck helps great to see if your frets are all in line and level. When light catches a high fret it will shine before the rest of the frets as you bring the guitar up and down with your hand. That’s what it should be used for, not so much using it to spot the neck itself!
I’ve always sighted down the neck like that to see if the neck is twisting.
Also when buying a guitar it'll give you a quick easy way to quickly see if you're buying a turd. I'm mainly looking to see it's the same side to side, that the neck isn't twisted.
It will certainly tell you if there are big problems, but as far as fine tuning you need a good straightedge or use the string as a straightedge for relief.
Thank you! Very helpful!
anyone putting in frets knows that there is no such thing as "sighting down the tops" they ALWAYS check their work with a fret rocker guage. I wouldn't trust anyone's "eye sight method"
does your mechanic align your wheels with eye sight method 😂😂😂
I've been playing acoustic guitar since 1964. This is the best information on set up I've even seen. I feel like I want to change all my strings now. Amazing information. Thank you!
I agree, he did a great job. If you want to see another very informative video on setup, go find the setup video from Rosa String Works (RSW). No, I"m not related to him!
Same here. I bookmarked this. Fantastic information! I'm changing the strings tomorrow, and putting oil on the fretboard.
Hands down, this is the best, most informative, and clearest summary/demonstration of basic acoustic guitar maintenance I have ever seen. Wish I was closer to Atlanta-thanks guys, for this video.
This is gold ... please feature Ben as often as he is willing!
Yes he’s great to watch
Agreed
I'm out here like, when's Ben making his own channel? I'd be patreon sub for this quality of content.
I took a chance and restrung my guitar as suggested here. I played a gig yesterday outdoors near the ocean, and my guitar has NEVER stayed in tune so well. I mean, this has really changed the game. I'm shocked and delighted to have finally found a better method. PS ... I've been doing it wrong for 40 years.
Wrong how?
Remember, good technician never work in a store. He is just a storyteller.
@@ourjob6629Yes, of course THAT makes sense.
NOT!
@@TheDiaboliq666the biggest problem people have restringing is too much or too little wrap and getting wraps on top of each other rather than orderly under each other
Same hear bro i would wrap it manually bottom up same results but waste time th 1 fret w winder cant go wrong ....
I've changed strings hundreds of times over the past 40 years and it's nice to see that a professional agrees with the way I've changed them. I've had arguments about it over the years with other players that do all kinds of weird knots and there is just no reason for it.
I had a whole discussion with a friend about how string saddles on electric guitars look like two "stair step" patterns. This is the first time I have ever heard anyone besides me talk about this relationship. Thanks for the validation! Keep up the good work, Rhett!
I’ve always struggled to get the right amount of wraps for a string and the 1 fret trick is the best thing I’ve seen!
I use the length to the next peg and pull back, then the first wrap over the tail and the rest under. About 2 1/2 wraps on the low strings and 3 on the highs.
@@jamesgardner2101same here except my dad taught me to just cut each string at the next peg and then string it up...the D and G just eyeball as though there was another peg past them.
Having seen Ben in many videos over the years, he seems like a really cool and knowledgeable guy. Always glad to see him here.
Ben is the man!
@@1LouderSoundit's the "Gibson wrap" supposedly because guys started doing it trying to fight de-tuning. Which works. Which is why almost everyone does it. Like almost everyone. Just not Ben. I guess it's just personal preference. It does look a little better, and it's easier to get the string off. That's the only benefit. If Gibson, fender, Martin and countless people swear by the correct way to do it, I would suggest listening to them, not the guy slanging consignment guitars.
I think he was criticizing the Gibson knot technique from the perspective of a luthier. He doesn’t like having to undo the knot to remove the string. You know, because it takes sooooo long to do.
@@jordanbrown7192isn’t the Gibson wrap where you wrap towards the top of the post? Like the opposite of the standard wrap but not necessarily the locking knot?
@@1LouderSoundDon’t hate the player, hate the game. That’s how you get tons of followers and views- make a provocative statement like how to “properly” do something. I bet if you made a video claiming the opposite and introduced yourself with your credentials you’d get good traffic too and people would learn the benefits of doing things as you’ve experienced. For example the great Rene Martinez shows how he winds strings. He does the locking wrap and aims for as few wraps as possible because the extra string length leads to more detuning as the string stretches over time. 👌🏻
What a game-changing video. I've been terrified to do anything to my acoustic guitar and BOOM you and Ben just simplified things so much. I like to do some of the work on my electric guitars but never felt comfortable on the acoustic for some reason. You also made my day with a couple of things you showed that I have been doing correctly (I guess I watched the right videos... HAH HAH) on my electric guitars like how I have measured the relief and also with my rosewood fretboards NOT saturating them with a ton of oil and leaving it on there but instead wiping it off right away. One funny thing was when Ben said not to sight along the neck I really enjoyed the way you handled being shown something different than what you've done in the past. I have always respected you greatly, Rhett, and you increased my respect for you by showing a willingness to learn. Good on you, sir!!! And now I have to make a trip down to Big House Guitars since I live in the suburbs of Atlanta.
Thanks for posting this video. This is probably the best "how to" basic advice on Proper Guitar Set-up that I have ever viewed (and I have seen plenty) Your concepts are logical, simple, and easy to follow and remember. The part that really sold me was the "nothing straighter than a string" when trying to measure action height. You are absolutely correct sir. As a land surveyor technician most of my life, I can attest to that. We used a string as a tool and unit of measurement to measure vertical plumb. In other words, you can tell if something is straight simply by hanging a string with a washer or a nut and compare using the ole "eyeball method". When you said that, I knew that you knew what you were talking about and that your information was trustworthy. Everything here makes a lot of sense. I will share this video with my friends. Thanks again.
Mike V.
Albuquerque, NM
Ive been restringing my own guitars for decades and Ive never seen the back up one fret technique before. I’ve overthought this to death and its been this simple the whole time 😂
I've always held my hand perpendicular to the 12th fret with the string going over my hand to get the length. But now that I think about it, that would be a different total length for different sized hands. Will try this one-fret method next time.
Same here . 12 fret bend string. Then tighten
Learned that one early on. Not sure where I picked that up
@@HowieStephens Same! pulling back one fret is so much more simpler!
Imagine me using the pull the string up from the fretboard a fingers length...with four inch fingers. 😂
It is always good to have friends and colleagues who are not afraid to tell you the truth and back it up with common sense and logic. Great content as usual.
It's one of the major criteria I base my selection of actual, real friendship on. ; ) Rock on, everybody!
Really good tips on acoustic guitar care and setup. Caveat: I do sight the neck when evaluating a guitar but I am not looking for relief, I am looking for twist or other significant neck problems. Those (I think) do show up when sighting down the neck.
And fret sprouts, too
I could listen to him talk about guitars all day. He has that same easygoing demeanor that all of our favorite teachers had back in school, all the while dropping truth bombs.
I agree, it's a real pleasure hearing someone talk about something they love and are super knowledgeable about. Those crappy teachers lacked either the love or the internalized knowledge.
WoW!! I'm 67, been playing since I was 13. I sure wish I'd learned from a master like this decades ago.
Thanks so much, both of you.
I will pass this on to my son.
😂
I love the Gibson knot. I am not a guitar tech though, so I am not dealing with unwinding them every day. But nobody can convince me that its not better with less slippage, not even a guitar tech who doesnt like it. He didnt say it wasnt good, he said he didnt like it. The only reason given is, unstringing them.
Completely agreed. And surprised there are many comments braving that they do it “right” like this tech. And no comment that he didn’t even said why he hates it (maybe just more work for him to restring) I used this exact way of stringing without knot for decades, but it’s not holding tune well. But after RUclips was invented, I learned about knotting, and it changed a lot. It’s used by many pro techs who work with top bands, and who need to restring in few hours before the show or in a mid of the show (in 5 mins to replace a single string until the next song). And they use it for reason, less time for a string to “stretch”.
I think with knot it’s more complicated to achieve and easier to fail or create a terrible overall wraps.
Btw, there is no right or wrong in music, if you do something and it works for you - then it’s cool. But if you want, you can experiment and try different things, and decide what works better for you.
I'm with you! I met magic guitar man who worked on Lucille. Not your average fellow as far as whose guitars he's worked on and I used the knot ever since.. you don't need as long for your strings to stretch and set in. Which he prestetches strings after stringing also... But that long wind bit makes smore stretch over longer time happen in the windings and it will take time for those to hold tune more then the knot.. it's pinched right their. A working blues man musicians knot
I noticed after he said he didn't like knotting, he then said he doesn't cut the string until it's tuned because it might slip. Yeah, okay?. No question the knot holds better but is therefore slightly more difficult to remove. But I can understand for a tech doing many guitars a day, it could be a little annoying. But I'll keep knotting mine.
@@bobrojapistole4426 Thats how I see it also. You only stretch from peg to tuner knot, instead of from peg to three or four turns around the tuner knob.
Thats why it feels so good and consistent.
He Shows / hates it when undoing it and he's not acting like a Professional guy doing it either and he doesn't seem to know that less winds are Better ...that's why I have used it for 50 years it works flawlessly and 1 1/2 -2 wraps on the lower strings I don't use it on the non wound strings they're wraps don't add that much bulk and don't affect the sound as much. Yes I think you'll hear more Resonance using the Knot because more wraps is definitely not better JMO. and it's on wind on top 1-1/2 under .. doing it like Martin has since their beginning. It is the BEST WAY JMO again
The new trick here, for me, was "wiggle" the neck by its' head after turning the truss rod. Very cool. I've been setting up my own guitars for 15 years, but it was great to see that I do things the same way as this expert.
Another point when setting the intonation that I didn't hear mentioned: When comparing the 12th fret harmonic to the fretted 12th fret note, it's the fretted 12th note that you go by if there's adjustment needed. If the fretted 12th note is flat when compared to the harmonic, the saddle moves forward; think 'flat-forward' and 'sharp-back'. If the fretted 12th note is sharp, the saddle moves back (making the string longer). Ben didn't mention how to set the intonation on Rhett's acoustic because you can't. There's no saddles to move. However, you can lower the action if needed by sanding down the bottom of the saddle wood piece that the strings rest on. If the action is too low, just get a new saddle wood piece...Hope I didn't step on any toes just didn't hear this mentioned in the video...Thanks, Rhett and thank you, Ben, for a fantastic tutorial!...
PS: If you are hearing impaired a bit or sometimes you can't tell if the fretted note is sharp or flat which can get so close, check it with a tuner. What you thought sounded in tune could be a few 'cents' off. And you'd be surprised how this can make a difference.
That's always been the first thing I do when I pick up an unfamiliar acoustic: ping the first harmonic and then fret the string on 12. If there's an audible difference, the guitar's unusable. Unless of course, the fretted note is a tad sharp and there's plenty of leeway for lowering the action as you suggest, in which case, it may be a viable instrument.
@@Maltloaflegrande Absolutely.
Well, I’m assuming they didn’t discuss intonation because the saddles are not adjustable on this acoustic
@Delmarevans Didn't you watch the video?
@@john564holloway I did. He explained what it is and how to adjust. IF a guitar does not have adjustable saddles , IE, this guitar, you cannot set it ! Also , to manipulate the ACTION on an acoustic, as long as it doesn’t need a neck reset, you adjust the truss rod along with lowering the saddle I. The bridge IE , pulling it out and sanding the bottom and putting it back in. Of course, unless you have some sort of bridge in the guitar that has full adjustability.
Wow. One of the most helpful guitar videos I’ve ever seen! I learn so much every time Ben is featured on here.
Agreed.
Yeah Ben much respect and a truly nice guy
Seriously. I want a RUclips channel where he explains everything
Ben is one of the most knowledgeable people on gear you will ever meet. He has done work on a number of my electrics. All play and sound incredible.
When i discovered using a feeler gauge for neck relief about 8 yrs ago after counless times of having my guitars and Bass guitars setup wrong by 4 different guitar techs from 4 different stores in my area! I learned too set up my Instruments myself with no headaches or dissapointments letalone $250 in setups while there guessing looking down the neck 😢 ! Benchmark with no guessing 😁
A luthier friend taught me this trick to help with intonation: Fretted Flat Forward, meaning if the fretted note at the 12th fret is flat compared to the harmonic, move the saddle forward (towards the neck).
"Sharper is shorter", is how I've always remembered it.
@@doctorjones278 Correct ; )
The way I remember is turn in the smae direction the tuner is showing when you check the intonation. So if the note is sharp then turn the screw to the right, if it's flat then turn it to the left like it shows on the display.
@@joegriffithsmusic that makes sense!
@@tomgorycki7176 haha it's just cause I always forget which direction makes the string shorter or longer lol
I have been an acoustic guitar player for over 20 years And I just learned more in the last few minutes Then in 20 years combined. Great video, thank you.
I learned more in fifteen minutes with this video than in ten years of playing guitar with teachers. Thank you!
I love his fret trick, I'm gonna use that from now on.
Another trick I learned from my mentor in my recording studio days was after you restring, tune the guitar, then pull every string at every fret and tune again.
This is especially helpful for the studio or right before a show when you need to stay in tune
You should only need to stretch your string open, 5th, 12th, 17th (approx); more if you like, and a couple times up and down. Doing every fret is overkill. Try it next time, you'll be surprised.
Once the string is stretched that's it, you shouldn't need to do it before a gig or anything either.
A good trick to stay in tune is to always tune from flat up to the correct pitch, never down - it keeps the tention behind the nut. That drastically reduced how often tuned during a set.
@@MattMeNotYou I just pinch the string by the bridge and slide up to the nut while pulling up and down. This method is faster and better results IMO.
Interesting. I've never sighted down the neck to set relief, only to check if the neck was twisted. It's nice to have your habits affirmed by a pro. Ben's a cool dude and a good teacher!
It seemed like Rhett was talking about checking for a twist and the tech was thinking people who sight a neck do it to check relief, as I never ever heard of anyone sighting a neck for relief - only sighting for a twist.
@@ev25zvsame here
One thing that always annoys me, the vintage split post tuners on Fenders like the Mustang are literally the best design for a tuner and ease of stringing. Why did this stop and why aren't all tuners like this? Honestly blows my mind.
Because they can't charge as much and the guitar won't weigh as much or feel as substantial.
In my humble opinion I cant see them changing from split post to eye hole tuners just for adding a few grams of metal if that. Its a safe bet to say no one will be able to feel the difference in weight anyway so it has to be for either function or form, perhaps it just wasn't stylish, or the closed version being shiny chrome. instead of speculation I'm certain there's an article on this very topic! I hope you're just being facetious. @@user-bl3si3kq6x
Well…they might be the best for non-locking tuners.
Locking tuners are easier, and better still.
I agree the fender vintage split tuners are fantastic. Leo fender was not a musician but he definitely listened to musicians opinions on what improvements could be made.
Because it's not a good design.
Been playing for three weeks and learned all this on RUclips here and there. Sometimes it's good to know nothing and learn from others mistakes.
As a furniture makers, going to let you in a secret. You are not going to risk your frets falling out from too much oil on the fretboard. You will however risk them becoming loose if you never oil your fretboard due to shrinkage of the wood from lack of moisture allowing the slots to open up. But like he said, you don't need to leave it on there for a long time. Just be sure to use a quality finish like Howards Butcher Block Conditioner and use it often. I pretty much do my guitars ever time I change strings. I just wipe it on, massage it with my fingers into the fretboard, then wipe it off.
GOOD on you, Sir! We used Watco back in the early '70s at my brother's music store and I still have the can. However, I have advanced to other things. I will try that Butcher Block Conditioner and see how it do!
As a guitar builder/repair man, you are wrong. Wood reaches an equalibrium, once it's dry it fluctuates slightly, but doesn't completely dry out. I have seen plenty of damaged fretboards from over oiling, I have never seen damage from not oiling it
@paulhopkins1905 Ok, I guess all the fine woodworkers are wrong and wood does not shrink when it looses moisture.
Moisture in wood is relative to time and environment.
@@Reign_In_Blood_963 Yes, in this case you are 100% wrong. Secondly, you are no more of a "fine woodworker" than a luthier. I have seen loose and high frets caused by over oiling, several times. I have worked on pre WWII guitars, that had never seen a drop of oil in their lives with no issues at all. The FACT is that a properly dried piece of wood, especially a tight grained, oily wood like rosewood or ebony, which are what most fret boards are made of do not need to be oiled.
@@paulhopkins1905 So glad you know so much about me and so little about wood. You do you. Don't belittle others that don't agree with you.
Those "fret guards" can REALLY mess up your fretboard if you don't pay attention, also. Cheap ones have a bur on the edge so as soon as you lay it on that nice wood and start grinding it into your fretboard while you polish away, it leave a huge line thats dug into your nice fretboard parallel to the fret, from the burr on the edge.
I know because it happened to me. I was SICK. All because I bought the $5 set of protectors instead of good ones from Music Nomad or somewhere.
I think that's going to depend on the set. It's easy enough to feel if there's a bur on them, and if there is, you don't use it or you file away the bur. I can't imagine the steel is very hard.
1 Lay a piece of sandpaper down on a table. 2 Pless fretguard flat onto paper. 3 vigorously move guard left and right a few times. 4. Grab a drink, job done
@@castleanthrax1833 it felt fine to me. But it still screwed it up. It may not have even been a burr but just a hard corner. Whatever the case, it did. Nobody warned me about that so I assumed they were fine to use since they felt fine. Boy was I wrong. Compared to the Music Nomad set I got later, there's a night and day difference but you don't notice that unless you have both sets in-hand. I didn't until I got the better set later.
@@feddomeijerwiersma6955 as I just posted, they felt fine. I wouldn't have just laid a burr down and ground it into my guitar. Since they felt fine to my fingers, I used them and it was only once I got some done that I realized what they were doing.
Years ago I used to just wipe the guitar down with all the strings off. No lemon oil/asses milk conditioner, no fret polishing, no fret guards from Stewmac etc.....just look at the f/board and give it a bit of a rub. Buying, setting up was just a matter of sighting along the neck from the nut end and in the vanished guitar stores, all the guitars had clean f/boards and frets etc, no crud or bogeys but no one ever thought about polishing the frets................
and nothing in this has changed. Most of us wash our hands and................that's enough. The tool box full of gizmos like radius checkers, sprays and lotions are just a load of gay stuff that no one needs.
It's got to be said. This world of "flipping" guitars looking for the "keeper", huge guitar collections, makers bringing out "annual ranges" like Paris frocks and guys constantly "swapping out" p/ups is for the birds.
This guy knows how to put a string on a guitar. I've been doing that for 63 years. People who do that weird wrap over string kind of stuff and then say that's how it's done don't know what they're talking about.
I absolutely love the Gibson knot! When I got my first gig at a music store here in Seattle that was called Guitarville, on my very first day I restrung and tuned over 25 guitars as part of my hazing! I remember at the end of the day they brought me a 12-string Martin with the slotted headstock and I was like hell no that's not happening! Lol I think I earned some measure of respect from the guys for refusing to restring that martin! Other than that it was a wonderful job and I got to see everything from blackguard Tele's to legit 58, 59 and 60 Sunburst Les paul's! So I can actually say I played the Stradivarius of vintage guitars! I miss those days!🎸🔊🎵😜🌈🎸💯💖
I've no issues with the Gibson knot, either. But I do like the 'fret' measurement better than the 'tuner to tuner' measurement.
I am also a big fan of the Gibson knot. The string never slips. I am not going to change just because some tech dislikes it. Otherwise, he has some good tips.
This is seriously one of the greatest videos ever. As a working musician for many many years I can’t tell you how useful this has been.
For me the reason to sight down the neck is to check for neck twist. It something I always do when I’m considering purchasing a new guitar. I would never even think to do it in order to assess neck relief… I don’t see how that could ever be an accurate or meaningful way of doing that, so well said Ben 👍🏻
same ^^
Looking down the neck for relief is near damn impossible.. and if you wear glasses, forget it, it'll be either distorted or blurry lol
that being said, sighting down the neck to 'check for twist' is about equally useless.
@@Emhartain and why exactly is that? You can definitely see if the nut and lower frets are out of parallel with the upper frets and bridge (and then consider how the bridge is set with respect to the body on its bass and treble sides) by sighting down the neck in that way. The human eye is very good at detecting when things are out of parallel in that way. I’ve spoken to a number of guitar techs who have spoken about similar checks. But I’m sure you’ve got a thorough explanation of why it doesn’t make sense and wouldn’t just be making a superficial and unexplained comment just to be contrary, right? 🤔😉
@Emhartain it will be obvious if it's very twisted. If it's out a tiny bit. Sure.
Look at it from the side for relief. If it's decked flat or bowed even slightly in either direction you'll notice.
What a fabulous guitar tech Ben is! Great video. Super-informative, clear, and easy to like.
Got my first guitar 4 months ago and this video provides so much information on the maintenance and care. I might not do it on my own yet, but at least I understand a lot more of what I'm looking at.
This is why I watch your channel. There are so many trends, breakthroughs, magic and bro science over the years that we need to take a fresh look at what we do every now and again. Great video.
I certainly feel better about how I do adjustments and re-stringing on my guitars now. Everything that Ben has shown here is exactly what I have been doing for years, mostly out of intuition and common sense.
And, the truss rod IS your friend. Do not be afraid of it.
Hi can you help me find this "truss rod" he is using is it a brand? When I go to Amazon they give me little rulers. His looks like an L hex lock key unless that's not what it is. Thanks
@@PaulReveres No, the truss rod is in the neck. It's the thing he's adjusting with the tool, and the tool he's using is a basic hex-shaped allen key.
Pulling the string back one fret is a great idea. It makes it so easy and allows for the proper amount of post windings to keep the string locked in place...!
I've been working on guitars for 35+ years and I used to work at Washburn as a setup tech then an inspector.
I am so glad to see someone else do things the way I have done ESPECIALLY the stringing and the lack of the Gibson knot.
Looking down the neck helps tell you if the neck is warped. Don't abandon the technique, @Rhett Shull -- just recognize what information you are getting from the exercise.
Best 'set up' video I've seen after 3 years of watching guitar videos on RUclips. Would happily watch a full video on each of these points with you learning, along with us viewers, from Ben. Great stuff lads! 👍
About 35 years playing guitar and I just learned a few things from Ben. That's so awesome - thanks guys!
been playing for 14 years and I've learned about half of these early on, but man I love watching videos where the tech is clear in his descriptions and paints a a good image of what you want, I'll bee sure to use more of these next Time I build a body and do a set-up, or restring any of my guitars.
Thank you, Ben and Rhett, for the clearest explanations of these set-up issues!
I like to use the pinch method when restringing acoustics and electrics. That’s where the first wrap goes around the peg above the cut end of the string. Then when you wind the string , the cut end gets pinched between the top two wraps around the peg. Then, if it’s a Gibson style headstock, I wind the G string going up the peg, unlike the other five strings that wind going down the peg. This solves the G string’s issues with staying in tune. You don’t get the steep break angle from the nut, resulting in less tension on the string and more tuning stability. All this stuff is subjective though. If your way of doing things works fine with no issues, there’s no real reason to change it. Do you. ✌️
Love hearing from Ben, he should have his own channel. If I lived in the area I would absolutely immediately switch to him for all my guitar work.
Good info. It’s a miracle my acoustic has lasted for 24 years in almost perfect condition without doing any of this 😂
Exactly.
My guess is you are probably acoustic Jesus and do everything perfect and this video isn't useful to you. There is a whole host of us normies that got bad or misguided advice somewhere along the way and this guy is just saving us time and frustration by dispelling some myths and making the process more straight forward.
Finally a Pro repairman that agree's with me that sighting down the neck is not a good reliable
method at all! 👍 I have always hated that method because as Ben said there are things
like binding and your eyes playing tricks on you as well as you cannot do it in the playing position.
...and yet I see pros doing it in even high end shops in my area. I believe Ben here and personally use the capo method he demonstrated. Just makes me wonder what those guys are looking it.
@@odelljl I have "Heard" you can see if the neck has a twist using this method?
@@These_go_to_eleven_1959 that could be. Next time I work with them I'm going to ask... Nicely of course!
The "sight down the neck" idea, in my experience, was more about buying used guitars, and making sure the neck isn't twisted, or bent towards the treble or bass sides.
Especially when you're buying from some random guy, or a pawn shop maybe, rather than a reputable guitar store or dealer. It could have been kept in a backyard treehouse for the last twenty years, you never know.
Yeah, I wouldn't expect to gauge the neck relief that way. Or measure anything else that required real accuracy. But I think it's still useful to quickly make sure you aren't buying an obvious hunk of junk. 🤷♂️
@@joshbariola1393exactly. It’s just a simple way to quickly see if the neck has major issues.
Some pretty brilliant tips right there. I absolutely love how you're supposed to string to get the ideal number of winding. Even after almost 30 years, it was at times a bit of a guess, but that 'one-fret-back'-thing is super handy. Thanks guys!
Ben really knows his stuff. I’ve been using his methods for the last six years. 👍
Great video and advice. Having played and worked on guitars for over 40 years, everything he said and showed is exactly the way I maintain every guitar I've ever owned or worked on.
These tips are invaluable. Ben is awesome! Always love seeing him in your videos.
Ben is a properly knowledgeable dude, have to say mind was blown a little learning about why the saddles are arranged as they are for intonation to be spot on.
My guitar teacher taught me to string guitars that way on my first lesson. That was thirty years ago and I still string my guitars the same way today. Great video!!
Hands down one of the most useful guitar setup videos I've ever seen! Thank you
Ben Calhoun… sounds like a real Cowboy name that John Wayne would have played😂. Learned more in 15 minutes than I have in 40 years of playing guitar. We need more content like this!! ❤❤
I love this kind of stuff - I know a bit about setup and maintenance but always learn something every time I watch these kinds of shows. If I was a young man again I would go to lutherie school and make a career of guitar and amp repair/building.Just didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life back then. Ever wish you could go back and do it all over again with the wisdom you have now?
What I learned is every Guitar tech and luthier has their little pet peeves and likings . Most like the luthiers knot and there are few that are not very fond of them. What I learned is don’t take one persons would for something but apply what you like from different sources.
I don't cut until I'm done either. Just in case. Caution. Kinda like the old woodworker's "measure twice, cut once." I don't do anything I can't go back on until I have to in any of my shop activities. Same with woodworking, metalworking, leatherworking, golf club building and repair, anything I've ever done. When restringing, I cut the strings once I have them all on and basically in tune. Then I'll cut, stretch and fine tune.
I like the pull back one fret trick. It does work out to about the same.
I’m not sure if it applies for the acoustic guitars but: 1. I saw some guy on youtube demonstrating how this knot thing really improves tuning stability on the strats with tremolo. He demonstrated with and without the knot, he was smashing tremolo like dive-bombing and the knotted strings were staying just in tune, while without the knot it immediately goes out of tune. 2. Lots of turns on the tuners can worsen tuning stability, especially when you have a tremolo system, as each turn can stuck/catch the metal and then suddenly get released. That’s why locking tuners exist, when you have just no turns, the string has no room to be caught either by other turn, or by the tuner itself.
I believe the "Gibson" knot he showed was not the same knot you are talking about at least looking at the way this luthier did it, the one you are talking about is the one I use and I believe it's the best way to do it.
This is why locking tuners are the best!
the string wrap trick for tuning... MIND BLOWN. I love it.
I've been playing for almost 30 years and I still learned a lot. Thanks!
I don't know why, but Ben seems happier than some of the previous videos he featured in. Much more loose and easy going. Good on him 🙌🏼
Good to see Ben back on the channel. He really knows guitars.
This guy does a great job explaining his opinions on this. I love his keep it simple approach
You can see his demeanor change after their disagreement about looking straight down the neck of the guitar. He suddenly was less expressive and seemed offended.
This guy knows his business, always a pleasure to learn from a master.
4/5 for me. I hybridize his method and employ the “Gibson knot”. He mentions how he doesn’t snip the string until he winds it cuz it could slip out sometimes… the knot ensures that it doesn’t do that, and it isn’t really any extra effort to remove it to change strings. Utilizing the knot also insures greater stability with alternate tunings, particularly those that like to switch between standard and Drop-D
Tech for 8 years, so not a veteran by any means, but I do what works for me and my clients and he does what works for him and his. Try both, see what you like best
I will say, I REALLY liked his explanation of the intonation and why it’s done the way it is. I appreciate that he explained that deviations in normal intonation stems from a nut issue
Haven't had an issue with the Gibson nut, either.
I also use the knot method but not the way that he showed. What’s important to me is the number of wraps. I’ll do no more than 1-1/2 wraps around the post on both nylon strings and steel strings. It’s been very stable and easy to fine tune and get to pitch quickly. This method has been working for me for 50+ yrs.
Also doesn't help that he did it backwards
I’ve been doing this to my guitars and mandolin for a long time, because it works. I’ve never heard it called a “Gibson knot” until about a month ago.
Always use Brass Wool INSTEAD of Steel Wool to clean and shine any metal parts on your guitar, it is softer and actually shines the metal much brighter while leaving less microscopic scratches on the surface.
Yeah, I was pretty surprised to see steel wool in this video. And the steel is magnetic. Skip the steel wool.
Amazing tutorial, I learned a LOT. Plus - I have NEVER seen these things explained so simply and plainly in 30 years of playing. A+
I’ve been playing guitar for 20 years. This is one of the most informative guitar set up videos I have seen. Learned a lot. Nice work! Thanks!
Ben killing guitar setup myths while laughing in the process, is as sweet as a g-string in tune. 🎸
He seems a cool bloke and very knowledgeable. The thing I was most excited to see was how you intonate an acoustic. Sounds like yours didn't need it doing so he showed electric examples which are straightforward. I still don't know how to intonate an acoustic properly. Could you maybe do a video one day explaining that process please? Great video as always
Yeah, me too i woulda liked some clearer explanation, or an example, of how he fixes bad intonation, especially for acoustic strings.
Not possible in the same way; you have to rely on the manufacturer getting it right on the bridge/ bridge inserts. If you have removable bridge inserts you can reduce the bridge height, by sanding the bottom, or raise it by inserting shims. Or buy your own inserts and hand fashion the point of string contact to imitate the back and forth adjustment of string length, but... not easy.
Changing string gauge from the recommended one may cause problems, or string height at the nut; if it is too high, when you fret at the lower frets (1,2,3 etc) you are stretching the strings much more than at the higher frets, because you have to press the string down more. This makes the note slightly sharp. I suggest getting a luthier to change the height if necessary, as you have to file down each slot to the right height and filing too much off is worse than having the nut too high. You can replace the material with baking powder and superglue, apparently... but I've never tried it, and it is obviously fraught with dangers, particularly on an expensive guitar.
@@edeledeledel5490 Thanks for all the info! That does sound a lot harder than my abilities currently allow. I hadn't thought of string height being the problem though so thanks. I probably need to find a luthier by the sounds of it! cheers
@@edeledeledel5490 Hmm... sounds pretty tough! Thanks for such a detailed comment! :)
Because of work, I deal with a lot of cheap crappy instruments (and not even that cheap anymore these days) Often, the manufacturer doesn't even get the fret positions right. I swear most of those beginner ukuleles, for example, are impossible to fully tune. You can be in tune at the open strings, or at the 3rd-5th frets; but not both, lol.
I had a pretty bad intonation on the 5th and 6th strings. Using the quick and easy matchstick method the E string needed the matchstick placed at about a quarter of a fret. The action was pretty bad, which was the cause of the bad intonation. Taking the plunge I lowered the bridge and adjusted the truss rod. I did this in 3 sessions, each time measuring how high the action was etc. putting the strings back and playing for a couple of weeks, I was scared of taking off too much in one go. Now I am much much happier with the feel and sound of my guitar and the intonation problem is cured.
15:20 he’s so happy when he says ‘because it’s physics!’ 😂❤
Started playing acoustic guitar about the age of eight and I'm 68 now. that would have saved me years of grief restringing and other things. Best 20-minute guitar tutorial I've ever been treated to.
This dude is a legend. We need a Ben Calhoun in every guitar store.
Not so fast pilgram.?
If you dont worry about smooth string slip , ok. If you need a plec machine and small flat edges to take a look at your neck ,. Ok . If you cant be bothered to take the strings off of the tuner peg.,
Ok. If you have to measure what doesn't buzz For You then ,ok If you cant just feel a great set up in your hands , then yea ok. If you want to be preached at by some guitar tech ,ok rock on. I guess you are right. All these years ????? How did we make it without him .???????????????????????
Ok I like that pull back to the first fret thing. It's consistent and easier than what I learned. I used to stand the string up on my middle fingers at the 12th fret.
The guy speaks with the authority of someone who has been doing it for a while. Good video!
Love it when the host just lets the expert geek out and keeps rolling til they're done!
Useful and no BS video. Love it!
This was a very informative video. I've been playing guitar for 40 years (non-professional just for fun) and I learned a lot such as his simple stringing method, how to clean the frets and fretboard properly, and his simple explanation of how intonation works. Good stuff.
Excellent walkthrough and explanations by Ben. Wish he was at my local guitar store.
Proper guitar set ups for a lot of people have always been a cloudy subject. 60 year old jazz Kats won’t know how to properly set up their guitar sometimes. I appreciate these videos clearing things up and providing good techniques to do so cause it’s important to know how to take care of your instrument and not everybody can afford a tune up. I already do a lot of this but it feels good to have this confirmation and to know how to do things the right way. The only thing I’m not 100 percent with is setting up a Floyd’s rose
I have been working on guitars for 15 years now, and nothing cheeses me off more than when people tie knots or put the string through the hole more than once. Great video!
Yup same hear !
String thru the hole more than once?! Wow!!
@@john564hollowayI used to do it on my classical guitar, stayed in tune just fine
@@pivotfever Kool!!
Always enjoy your videos. I've been playing 47 years and am totally guilty of the Gibson wrap! Gonna try his suggestion, looks a lot easier. Not a big fan of steel wool on electric frets because of fear of shards getting into the pickups. I just use the Music Nomad stuff and it works well for me. Thanks for the tips!
I'm completely self taught in the sense that I have no formal music training. I have however, played with many other musicians and have picked up the tricks of the trade from various sources. I'm glad to know that I was actually already using these techniques.
A tip for using steel wool - wrap it around a magnet and all the little steel bits don’t go everywhere.
Nice, simple and easy to follow tips for most players. Unfortunately there's a lot of videos that can over complicate what is essentially very simple.
Up until a few years ago I'd always used that Gibson knot when restringing guitars. It's almost guaranteed the string will never slip - but it does look a bit ugly. Then I started using that luthiers wind where one wind goes over the top and all the others under and it locks the string in place. Looks very neat as well.
One thing he didn't show was you need to stretch strings as well.
This Tech is a master - excellent advice - straightforward and useful! I am going to have to watch it again and take notes.
I bought my Takamine F-350M in 1977. Looks just like yours but it is blonde maple. Still plays wonderfully and in perfect condition. Thanks for the tips.
I bought my F360s in 1980 from Ivor Mairants. It was a good instrument for £99 but I never play it these days. I don't see what makes them so revered.
Excellent video tutorial demonstration! This is so basically good for those who are more players than fixers. Because Ben don't play. He just lays it out and tells you the best and easiest, mosy common sense way to do it.
And that's golden, because, hey, theres enough to worry about with guitars. Having the ability to do this for yourself in a pinch, really can economically change your life for the better.
And me? I'm a tuning and intonation freak/perfectionist. So some of those tips are priceless time savers for me.
I mean, most of this "is" what ive been doing since the age of 13 in 1979. But say, the "one fret back" rule for stringing, and the "dont look down the neck" bits are indeed helpful
Love the common sense suggestions as well. Humorous. Like "don't leave the fluid on the fretboard and go to lunch" and the "don't scrub the against the wood" bits. Haha! Those, plus the .multiple intonation point testing is where im right in line, and always have been!
So great video and Thank you, Ben!
Marc
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As a tech myself I've noticed a positive difference in tuning stability if you do a turn over and the rest under vs doing them all under like this guy does. Gibson knot works well and isn't that much of a pain to take off.
High grit sandpaper, fret erasers or micromesh polishing pads are way superior to steel wool. It's cleaner, doesn't fuck with pickups and has a better result and more control over the polishing. Also, if you're gonna use a fret guard, which you should, why polish perpendicular to the frets? They won't shine as much and be harder to polish.
Start with 1000-1500 grit and go up. As for the relief, it's just another adjustment tool. Someone who really hits the strings hard might need more relief than someone who taps a lot and has a light touch. Really mediocre tech & info in general.
100% 😀👍
I’ve always used as few wraps as possible and never really had issues with tuning stability even with heavy bending. I’ll try the over under string wrap next time, keen to experience the difference
Ben is absolutely great, these video's are awesome and i think Ben should start his own channel if he doesn't have one yet. The only thing i missed here is how to actualy change the intonation on an acoustic guitar. I don't have any issues with mine but now i'm wondering how to do it if ever needed.
Just dropping in a comment, in case someone explains how to set the intonation on an acoustic. 😅
I believe you actually need to reshape the bridge with a file, probably best done by a professional, but unless your acoustic is pretty old or subject to wild changes in humidity, it shouldn't be intonated poorly.
@@ShinMadero Ah! I believe due to humidity, my acoustic guitar has a bump around (besides?) the bridge part. Is there any way to fix that?
Exactly. He gets to the bit I really want to see and reaches for an electric guitar which mostly have adjustable saddles. If you file the saddle of an acoustic incorrectly there is no undoing as he suggests. New saddle. Gently gently is the rule. Yep it is a pain having to slacken string, file, tighten string, check intonation...repeat, repeat until it is correct, but is there another way? Don't think so.
My Brother has been stringing his guitars this way for decades...I always struggled until he showed me (this) method. He, like this guitar tech, shakes his head at all the arcane methods people use to string their guitars.
I use a vintage eye of newt and a pair fresh boar’s tusks to do mine.
Excellent video! Some things I already knew and learned over the years. Some great new things I now know because of this video. And most importantly it helped me fix 2 issues I was encountering on 2 of my guitars. Best video of yours I have seen in awhile, Rhett. I have been slacking on your content tho. Hopefully that stops, but great work and keep bringing awesome content!
Cool info! I always make the first wrap over the top, then the rest under. I've experienced slipping of the strings when not over wrapping. Maybe it's just me? But I've only been playing guitar for 55 years. On and off stage.
I do the same thing.
I always do the first wrap over the top as well. I feel like it's the only reasonable lock on non-locking tuners, and I just like the way it looks. And I use the "next peg" technique Rhett does. Always works for me!