Spaz.....or other guitar players

**0rion** · 09-02-2012, 07:20 AM

Any of you guys set your own guitars up? I've been watching some how to's on youtube and might tackle my ibanez. It really needs set up bad....I can see the string heights are different (by a long shot) and the pick ups needs raised. I've had it loaned out for the last couple of years and I'm not sure if the person I loaned it to try to adjust something or what but it definitely sounds like ass right now.

It's an ibanez rg 470 with a floyd rose tremelo. My question is the order in which I should do things. Bridge, truss rod, action, pick up height, and intonation?

Guitar used to play pretty bad ass. I put a George Lynch screamin' demon in the bridge position a few years ago. I've been playing my bc rich bich though for a few years now and want to go back to playing the ibanez because I miss the tremelo and higher gain.

**Knight** · 09-02-2012, 08:58 AM

I always take mine to a local guy to setup. There's definately an art to doing it right. You could probably get it close with YouTube though. These's some pretty good experts on there.

**0rion** · 09-02-2012, 09:57 AM

I gotta get some feeler gauges and a ruler to measure 64ths. Can't find my gauges and never had a ruler that would measure down that small. I just started on it to see how close I could get it and if I could even do it. It's really not that bad at all. I just ball parked it without the gauges and it made a pretty significant difference in how it plays and sounds. Can't wait to fine tune it with the gauges. I didn't make any truss rod adjustment because I really need the gauges for that and my intonation was pretty good on all the strings except the A string which isn't off by much. I just set the bridge height (little too low right now), adjusted the trem spring pressure, and adjusted the pick up height. Those things I knew for sure were way off and they made quite a bit of difference.

**Knight** · 09-02-2012, 10:27 AM

It doesn't take much once it's close to dialed in. The more you do it, you'll get the hang of getting where you like it. I always tweak mine slightly after the guy sets it up, to get it the way I want it. I need another project actually. The last guitar I built was an old Washburn. Did a Gretsch before that. Have a different Gretsch now. I need more time......

**0rion** · 09-02-2012, 02:08 PM

I actually went yesterday looking at guitars and I got the bug to buy one. The problem is I really like this ibanez when it's playing right. I'll just get this one playing right versus buying another guitar. There's a good shop in columbus my buddy uses and if I can't get it how I want it I'll take it up to him but I'd like to learn how to do it just for the sake of knowing. Been playing too long not to know this stuff.

**TLS_Addict** · 09-02-2012, 04:15 PM

Its already out of the stock settings so why not just play around with it?

Start making adjustments to just one string at a time. Get it where you like it and go on to the next one. All you are out is your time.

I would start with the high E and work my way up.

**0rion** · 09-02-2012, 05:45 PM

ran into a snag......noticed that my high E tuning knob was acting funny. It ended up being broke so I took it out. Gotta run to the music shop tomorrow and get another.

**Knight** · 09-02-2012, 07:03 PM

Guitar Center is having their Labor Day sale this weekend. So good luck just walking out with a tuning knob if you go there.....

**0rion** · 09-02-2012, 08:18 PM

that's where I was at Saturday. I left empty handed. They were busy as hell too which makes it suck to be there so I had no problem leaving there. They did have an ibanez acoustic for $89. Can't really beat that deal and it didn't sound too bad. I have a nice fender acoustic/electric though so I don't need another one.

**allbaugh_04** · 09-03-2012, 06:14 AM

Weird I came across this thread.

I'm looking at Ibanez on Ebay right now. Keep in mind I barely know one thing about playing guitar but I want to buy one pretty much right now and I've been looking at Ibanez, is there really anything out there that would be a better choice for a self starter?

They make a blue one and black one. Kinda leaning towards black although I'd imagine it's impossible to keep clean.
**IBANEZ GRX20Z BLACK ELECTRIC GUITAR, INCLUDES FULL SET-UP AND FREE SHIPPING** | eBay

Amazon has Davison ones that come with an amp and everything you need pretty much, would that be a better choice and then buy something better later or buy something a little nicer for now. I think I might buy Rocksmith too for 360, supposedly it can show you how to tune the guitar and teach you a thing or two.

**Knight** · 09-03-2012, 06:31 AM

Ibanez isn't bad. I'm not sure about Davison, but usually any of the starter kit ones aren't very good. If there's a Guitar Center or a Sam Ash near you, run in there and talk to those guys. There usually pretty helpful, and will set you up. Plus, they sell used guitars, so you might find a great deal. I've picked up a couple of great guitars there for less than half what they'd retail for, and you'd never know they were used.

- - - Updated - - -

Ibanez isn't bad. I'm not sure about Davison, but usually any of the starter kit ones aren't very good. If there's a Guitar Center or a Sam Ash near you, run in there and talk to those guys. There usually pretty helpful, and will set you up. Plus, they sell used guitars, so you might find a great deal. I've picked up a couple of great guitars there for less than half what they'd retail for, and you'd never know they were used.

**allbaugh_04** · 09-03-2012, 06:38 AM

Thanks, I am heading out there now. I was actually thinking about going there anyways to look around.

**0rion** · 09-03-2012, 07:22 AM

guitars are like anything.....you get what you pay for. I was lucky when I started playing because my older brother had a les paul that I took lessons with. The better the guitar the easier it is to play and learn IMO. I've never played any of the entry level ibanez so I can't really comment on how those play but in general ibanez makes a pretty easy playing guitar. Also, sign up somewhere and take lessons. It will make learning much faster and easier.

**Knight** · 09-03-2012, 08:10 AM

Agree. I taught myself on my dad's 12 string acoustic. Bar chords were a bitch!

I need to pick up another 6 string acoustic, as I've only got a 12 string acoustic.....hmmmm......maybe I'll make a trip to the store......

**67CamaroRSSS** · 09-03-2012, 12:43 PM

I play drums. In my case it pays to have a family member that works at GC Corp HQ. I get stuff at either their price (all new drum heads) or his price (cymbals and stands, etc).

Gotta make arrangements ahead of time though...

**allbaugh_04** · 09-03-2012, 01:19 PM

Well I went out there and I was like a lost puppy pretty much not knowing wtf I was doing or looking at. Plenty of Ibanez, Squier, and Epiphone guitars. I sat down with a Ibanez having no idea what all the knobs did on the amp.

What I did notice is that everything seemed pretty affordable. Looks I can get things going with only a few hundred bucks. I guess I should just pick out something I like and figure the rest out later?

Dad plays an acoustic 12 string, he told me I can find pictures that show how to play the notes and I'd need to practice a lot, things I already knew but he seemed to be able to pick everything up, i suppose it just depends how dedicated you are, which with my history I don't really stick to anything for too long after I learn quite a bit. Eh, IDK I will just need to pull the trigger on something.

Maybe this white Ibanez
http://www.guitarcenter.com/Ibanez-G...30-i2521944.gc

Or this worn black Epiphone
http://www.guitarcenter.com/Epiphone...20-i1471985.gc

Just ideas...

**0rion** · 09-03-2012, 07:27 PM

if you're not the type to stick to anything I have a feeling you won't last long playing guitar. The good news is you never stop learning so it'll be a long ass time before you "learn quite a bit" to where you think you can stop playing. I've been playing 20 years and can't hold a match to a ton of players out there.

This tuning machine on mine is being a huge pain in the ass. I went around today trying to find a replacement tuning machine only to find full sets for $60-$70. I don't need a whole damn set....just one. I stopped by a buddies house and he had a set off a charvel. I grabbed one of those just to use the nut off of because it fit my machine. Get it home tonight and start stringing up that string and it gets to a certain tension and goes "pop" and loses all the tension. I'm guessing it's jumping gears now or something. I'm going to look on ebay for a single and if I can't find one I'll just spring for a whole set.

**Spaz** · 09-04-2012, 10:03 AM

you kinda have to do them all at once... i start with the truss rod first and get is close... then i tackle the height of my bridge (i despise floyde rose and anyother floating tremlo) to get the string height to where i want... check the tension on the springs that go to the tremlo and make sure the tremlo is sitting flat with the neck... i tune the guitar back up and finish the truss rod... i double check the string height and for the pickup height you want it close but not to close the strings... to close makes a shitty sound and to far makes your guitar sound like it has a pillow over the strings... i always plug mine in and stum open stringg as i adjust the height...

**0rion** · 09-04-2012, 12:08 PM

ordered all new tuning machines so I'm out of commission until those get here. The only adjustment I'm leary of is the truss rod. I know you capo at 1 but I've read/watched different versions of what you do next to get your readings with the gauge tool. If I had to guess it would be that you want those strings the same height at the 12th fret no matter where you fret it after you put the capo on. The theory seems to me that your capoing 1 and fretting up the board which takes the nut and bridge out of the equation. That sound about right? After that as long as the readings to the bottom of the string are the same on each side then your neck is straight.

**0rion** · 09-09-2012, 05:55 PM

got the ibanez done and all set up.....it's rocking now. Plays and sounds 100x better. I cleaned the pots on it while I had it apart and it took all the crackle out of the knobs.....used MAF cleaner

now I want to take it apart again and do this

I think I'm going to play it like it is this winter though and do that next summer. I want to practice on something smaller first and with the weather turning I don't want to run into some cold days or something and the paint not cure right. I'm going to do a couple sets of drum sticks for my buddy first to see how they come out.