Something a little different today. Relationship advice. Who doesn’t want to get the best out of our relationship with a significant other. One that is satisfying for both of you. All that is required is an understanding and respect for each other’s needs.
Today we look at how you can achieve that in a few, simple steps. Pay attention to your guitar's basic set up and get the results you deserve.
Give room to breathe.
Sometimes we all need space. Room to relax and be ourselves. Give your guitar’s neck a little relief and he will sing. Adjustments to the truss rod ensure strings aren't stifled, half way down the fretboard. Depress the stings at the first and last fret and check the clearance around the 8th. Somewhere around 0.01 of an inch is all that's required. Much less and he is likely to buzz. More and you will struggle to make the right connection.
Keep the action alive.
Do you know how you both like it? If you are looking for fast, intense phrases, set the string height low, maybe even tolerate a bit of extra noise. If you enjoy smooth, open chords more height may be what's required. Like to slide? get that action up so you can position yourself above the fret wire. However you want it, measure at the 12th fret. Somewhere around 2mm between the fret wire top and string bottom is a good place to start.
Listen
Whilst things may seem good on the surface, pay attention to the detail.
Intonation describes whether you get accurate pitch further along the neck. Its all about string length. Adjusting the saddle forward or back changes the length of the string and enables better intonation. Improve togetherness with small adjustments.
Give and Take.
If your able, its a good idea to allow movement on otherwise fixed positions. A bit of flexing can give great results. Setting the horizontal plane on the trem correctly will maximise your capacity to do this. Fender recommend somewhere around 3.5 mm high at the back edge. With a Floyd Rose, level all around gives you the best of both worlds. Some prefer the trem pulled level for more sustain. Whatever your preference, tightening the claw and re-adjusting the string tension will get you there.
So there you have it. Simple tips to keep things alive. Like all good things, little and often is the key and keep going until its all balanced out. Thats how to achieve a long and fulfilling relationship.
Happy Riffing
Chris
Commentaires