What kinds of factors affect guitar setups?

[Number Of The Priest]

Lately, I've been noticing my Soloist's playability blows compared to my Les Paul. I was thinking it's because there's almost always 90% or higher humidity here lately, but I keep my guitars in the basement and with a dehumidifier running. Maybe I need to set up a hygrometer down there to keep the humidity at around 45% or so.

Do you guys have any hypotheses about old strings affecting setups? I noticed that when I bend the high E string at the 15th fret, from a G note to an A note, that the note dies/decays quickly, or frets out, or SOMETHING weird that it never did before. It happened with my old Ibanez RG560 as well, just isolated to that fret position bend.

Maybe I need to finally get around to changing the strings (it's been almost a YEAR [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] ) and redoing a setup with the proper humidity... [img]/images/graemlins/scratchhead.gif[/img] I also need to figure out how to lower the action on my Soloist so that it is more like my Les Paul... but lowering the Floyd makes the strings buzz against the frets, even with a little bit of neck relief from the truss rod... [img]/images/graemlins/scratchhead.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/help.gif[/img]

[Chuckracer]

Re: What kinds of factors affect guitar setups?

Good Lord! Ya lazy Git...CHANGE YER FRIGGEN STRINGS!!!
THEN come here with set-up questions!

Man...kids these days... [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[DonP]

Re: What kinds of factors affect guitar setups?

Clean off the fretboard as well.

[Chuckracer]

Re: What kinds of factors affect guitar setups?

Yeah...and pick up your room!

[XSSIVE]

Re: What kinds of factors affect guitar setups?

yeah man, your strings are dead. even if they aren't broken or rusty they still lost there chime and spring to them which is why notes dye out faster. i bet the guitar sounds a bit more mellow or even more dull than it did a year ago. also since they have stretched out so much over a year of playing and have less tension so your setup is bound to be a bit out of whack. polish the frets, clean the board, throw on new strings and set it up again and it will be like a new guitar!

-Mike

[Number Of The Priest]

Re: What kinds of factors affect guitar setups?

[img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] I REALLY make full use of the $6 I spend on a set of strings... [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

It's just that I play so infrequently (once every two weeks) and I wipe the strings after each session that they do last that long. [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

The fretboards could use a little cleaning... although I doubt built-up gunk has any effect on the way I fret notes, considering I barely touch the fretboard when playing! [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

Maybe fretboard gunk builds up, seeps down the fretboard and into the neck, and disturbs the integrity of the bond between the neck and fretboard, and lifting up the board? [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] Or am I being deranged again? [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[atomic charvel guy]

Re: What kinds of factors affect guitar setups?

gunk is good.

[Chuckracer]

Re: What kinds of factors affect guitar setups?

Deranged.

[Number Of The Priest]

Re: What kinds of factors affect guitar setups?

Deranged gunk r0x0rz teh big one111! [img]/images/graemlins/headbang.gif[/img]

[mhalsey]

Re: What kinds of factors affect guitar setups?

[ QUOTE ]
[img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] I REALLY make full use of the $6 I spend on a set of strings... [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

<font color="yellow">Translation: Alex is a cheap-ass! [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] And why are you paying $6 for a set of strings? Good lord, man!! [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]</font>

[Number Of The Priest]

Re: What kinds of factors affect guitar setups?

Six bucks Canadian, sir!! [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] That's a pretty decent rate for strings, including 15% tax. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

I AM a cheapass. I thought the JCF knew this already. [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[Chuckracer]

Re: What kinds of factors affect guitar setups?

[ QUOTE ]
Deranged gunk r0x0rz teh big one111! [img]/images/graemlins/headbang.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

[img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/notworthy.gif[/img]

[metafaza]

Re: What kinds of factors affect guitar setups?

Put new strings on and then see what's going on.
About 10 years ago my friend asked me to teach him how to play guitar. I said sure. I was shocked to see him break out a guitar from a wordrobe!!! It had a couple years unused strings on it!!! Almost untunable and the sound was horrible. Pure horrible.

[JACKSONFREAK]

Re: What kinds of factors affect guitar setups?

Gunk and condensation build up on the frets will have a factor on how you fret notes. If it the note rings out or gets choked off by green meanies on the fret wire. Check the relief in the neck to make sure the neck hasn't shifted. if it gets cooler this time of yr where you are it couldve changed the position of the neck a bit. And change your frikkin strings. I've always loved the kids that come into my work and just by one string cus the rest havnt broken yet even tho they're 2 yrs old.
Gil

[Tooling]

Re: What kinds of factors affect guitar setups?

My guitars stay in a controlled environment at about 40-50% constant humidity. Twice a year at the changing of the seasons all the necks on my guitars go crazy. I tweak them once, maybe twice and they are good to go and typically stay that way. The guitars I keep in case barely move at all. I have found Jackson necks to go friggin' apey for about six weeks when new but once they, "settle in", they seem to be rock solid. Of course as mentioned, strings have an effect but IMHO not nearly the effect the season change will bring. I clean the fretboards once a year and polish the frets with nevr-dull using some low adhesive tape to cover the ebony board.....they feel awesome after the treatment but the truth is I kind of like the feel of a greezy well used guitar neck.