Professional Setup - Electric

Every guitar should be set up about once a year. The guitar, being made of wood, possesses hygroscopic properties. They constantly take up and release hydrogen molecules and thereby cause changes to the setup. Also, the guitar should be set up with any change in string gauge. The Professional Setup provides the necessary adjustments that keep your guitar in optimal playing condition. Here's what is included:

• Linseed oil treatment for the fretboard (rosewood and ebony)
• Polish frets
• Check electronics/Clean and lubricate pots
• Lubricate the nut and saddles
• Tighten all the hardware
• Restring
• Adjust tremolo if applicable
• Adjust truss rod to maker or client specification
• Set the string action
• Check action at the nut and adjust if necessary
• Set the pickup heights
• Intonate at the bridge
• General cleaning and polish

Strings are not included in the price of the setup. You may purchase them from us or provide your own.

Professional Setup - Acoustic

Acoustic guitars are even more susceptible to weather changes than solid body electrics and should definitely be set up once a year. Here is what the Acoustic Setup involves:

• Linseed oil treatment for the fretboard
• Polish frets
• Check the electronics
• Lubricate the nut
• Tighten all the hardware
• Check the interior bracings
• Vacuum the interior
• Restring
• Adjust truss rod to maker or client specification
• Set the string action
• Check nut action and adjust if necessary
• General cleaning and polish

Strings are not included in the price of the setup. You may purchase them from us or provide your own.

Jeff, the owner and our master luthier, is an advocate of guitar humidifiers. If you have a fine acoustic instrument, it would behoove you to buy a humidifier. We sell them here at Strings Attached.  See the Taylor Guitar tech sheets for good information on how the weather affects a guitar.

Bone Nuts and Saddles

The general consensus among luthiers and players is that bone, particularly VINTAGE bone produces the best tone, especially on acoustic instruments. Higher quality instruments usually come with bone nuts and saddles. Sometimes, however, they do not.

Jeff custom-carves nuts and saddles out of bone for any kind of instrument. The nut is meticulously shaped and each string slot is slotted to a specific depth, depending on the gauge of the string. Each nut and/or saddle is polished to a high gloss and ready to offer the best possible tone and sustain for your instrument.

Neck Reset

Flattop acoustic guitars change over time as might be expected being that they are composed of wood. The constant pull of the strings over time contributes to the neck moving forward thus, creating an angle toward the bridge and extremely high action. When this happens (normally after a guitar is 15 to 25 years old), it's time for a neck reset.

High-end guitars are made to be reset, but you definitely don’t want to try this at home. The neck needs to be removed and cut at an angle to get it back in good playing position.

Additional Costs: Some guitars may require a new nut and/or saddle and some may require a refret.

Fret Dress

Frets, due to friction, eventually wear out. Because the intonation of your guitar is based upon fret crown, flat spots and grooves can cause your guitar to play out of tune. At Strings Attached, we file your frets level and then re-crown them.  They are polished to a high shine using 4 grits of sandpaper and steel wool. The fret dress includes a Professional Setup. You simply won't believe the difference!

Refret

When your frets get too low to dress, or you want to go to a different size fret wire, it's time for a refret. We can install the appropriate fret wire and dress them as described above. Refrets include a Professional Setup.

Refret (Maple Necks)

Finished maple necks are a little more work. Many guitar manufacturers spray finish on the neck after installing frets, making fret removal difficult. We try to keep the original finish but, sometimes a lacquer refinish is necessary.

Replace Acoustic Bridge

Sometimes acoustic bridges start to separage from the top. This is due to the constant pull of string tension over time. Heavier gauge strings increase the chance of this happening. We can remove the bridge, clean it up, and reuse it, or replace it with a new bridge.  Additionally, a setup will be necessary.

Broken Necks

Usually necks break at the headstock, especially if it's an angled headstock. This is all too common on Gibsons. If this has happened to your guitar, try to save any splinters or chunks of wood from the break and carefully bring it to the shop. Price does not include any finish work, just gluing, sanding and touch up. A setup will be required, and it will be added to the price of the break repair.

Complete Rewire

A complete rewire includes replacement of all your wiring, pots, and switches. This is a good idea for any guitar with scratchy sounding knobs and switches. Or if you can't afford a Gibson and settle for an Epiphone instead, it's a good idea to replace the cheap electronic components with those of better quality. The results can be dramatic and satisfying.

Replace Pickup

A myriad of excellent aftermarket pickups exist that can facilitate the sound you are craving.  If we order the pickups for you we can warranty them but, you can bring your own. The price depends on how much is involved in the job. For example, a hollow body guitar will cost more because of the difficulty of access, or if you are changing from passive to active pickups.

Install a Piezo Pickup in an acoustic guitar

Under-the-saddle acoustic pickups are very popular. They allow you amplification with very little noticeable modification to your acoustic guitar. This price is based on how much is involved in the job. Obviously, it will be more if you want an EQ mounted in the guitar, since that requires routing.

Install Output Jacks, Pots, and Switches

Tired of those noisy switches, scratchy knobs, and intermittent output jacks? Get them replaced! Your ears and your band mates will appreciate your decision!

Rout and install a Floyd Rose style tremolo system

This is an irreversible procedure. It includes making all necessary routs to the body and at the nut, installing the tremolo bridge and the locking nut, and a complete setup. Of course this does not include the price of the tremolo itself. You can buy that from us or bring your own.

Replace Individual Fret

Sometimes, an individual fret can cause problems by becoming loose or being worn.  We can replace them one at a time, then level, crown and polish.

Heat Treat Neck

When a neck reaches the point that it cannot be adjusted using the truss rod, or if a guitar has no truss rod, the only way to make it playable is to apply heat and pressure to the neck incrementally.   Often the problem can be corrected with one treatment.  

Last Update: 01/01/08