Blackwood Guitarworks

Now updated and expanded with additional content including a section on restringing, neck shimming, scale length determination and new images!

Author: Jonny Blackwood
Format: Book
Subject: Guitar Repair Text

Recently updated to include over 260 photos covering all the aspects of a pro-level guitar setup, such as cleaning & maintenance, neck adjustments, string height adjustments (bridge saddle and nut), pickup height adjustments, intonation, and more. Learn how to dial in the perfect setup, step-by-step, on any guitar- with precision and measurability! Use the included cut-out tool templates to broaden your skills. Makes an excellent starter book or reference for budding professionals.

Included in the book:

• An 8-step method for electric, acoustic & bass guitar setups
• How to adjust neck relief (bow) for optimum playability
• How to adjust string height for your playing style and guitar type
• How to file nut slots, adjust pickup height and set the intonation accurately
• How to adjust Fender-style tremolo's, Gibson hard-tails, Floyd Rose and other floating bridge types
• How to adjust the saddle on your acoustic steel string or nylon string guitar
• Manufacturer's setup specs from Fender, Gibson, Ibanez, Jackson, Gretsch and others
• Exclusive setup specifications from the author's best playing guitars & basses
• Cut-out templates for radius gauges, under-string radius gauges & an action ruler
• A handy measurement conversion chart & more!

Contents:

• INTRODUCTION 1
• HOW TO USE THIS BOOK 3
• PARTS OF THE GUITAR 4
• WHAT IS A SETUP? 6
• WHAT YOU WILL NEED 7
• GETTING STARTED: INSPECT THE GUITAR 10
• REMOVE THE STRINGS 11
  • Removing Strings on a Tremolo Bridge 13
  • Removing Strings on a Floyd Rose-style Bridge 14
  • Removing Strings on an Archtop Floating Bridge 17
  • Removing Strings on an Acoustic Guitar Bridge 18
• STEP 1: CLEAN THE GUITAR 19
• STEP 2: CHECK THE HARDWARE AND ELECTRONICS 23
  • How to Clean Dirty Potentiometers & Controls 28
• STEP 3: RESTRING AND TUNE TO PITCH 29
  • Slot-head tuners 31
  • Locking Tuners 32
  • Floyd Rose or Other Double-locking Bridge Systems 33
  • Acoustic Guitars 36
  • Nylon String Guitars 38
  • Tuning Tips 42
• STEP 4: ADJUST THE RELIEF IN NECK (TRUSS ROD) 43
  • a) What is a Truss Rod? 43
  • b) Why Set the Relief? 45
  • c) Measuring Relief 46
  • d) How Much Relief is Enough? 49
  • e) Adjusting the Truss Rod 50
    • How to Remove the Neck for a Truss Rod Adjustment 52
    • Adjusting the Neck Alignment 53
• STEP 5: ADJUST THE STRING HEIGHT AT BRIDGE 55
  • a) Gibson-style Hard-tail Bridges (Tune-o-matic) 57
  • b) Fender-style Hard-tail Bridges 59
    • Individual Saddle Height Adjustments 60
    • Under-String Radius Gauge Procedure 62
  • c) Vintage-Style Tremolo Bridges 64
  • d) Modern Tremolo Bridges 65
    • Bridge Angle Adjustments 67
  • e) Floyd Rose Bridges 69
    • Neck Angle Adjustments / Shimming 72
  • f) Acoustic Guitars 74
• STEP 6: ADJUST THE STRING HEIGHT AT NUT 77
• STEP 7: ADJUST THE PICKUP HEIGHT 84
  • Pole Piece Staggering 85
• STEP 8: ADJUST THE INTONATION 87
  • Scale Length and How to Measure It 93
• TROUBLESHOOTING 94
• TOOL TEMPLATES 97
• SETUP SPEC SHEETS 104
• MEASUREMENT CONVERSION CHART 109
• FURTHER RESOURCES 110
• ABOUT THE AUTHOR 111

Endorsements:
"I have related and referred to Jonny's guidance many times over the years and I can truly say that I wouldn't have gotten very far without it." - Daryl Chonka, Guitar Tech for Randy Bachman (The Guess Who & BTO), Recording Engineer, Recording & Performing Artist

"Everything you need to start confidently working on your own guitars is right here." - Andrew DeGroot, Factory Certified Guitar Tech/Luthier, Stang Guitars

"The importance of a great setup can't be overstated. This is a perfect guide for those starting out in the craft, and a great general reference to keep around. Jon nicely lays out all the info needed to setup your guitar like a pro, without any confusing clutter. You're in great hands." - Cory Newman, Luthier, C.A. Newman Guitars