Adjusting a Fender Bridge: Guitar Setup and Maintenance (Video)

If you are adjusting a Fender Strat-style guitar with a floating bridge, this is the point at which you will balance the trem so that the strings will pull the bridge base off of the body. Floating Strat bridges do have tuning and stability issues, but if they...

Adjusting a Tune-o-Matic Bridge: Guitar Setup and Maintenance (Video)

Tune-o-Matic bridges are actually pretty easy to adjust, since the entire bridge sits on two thumbwheels at either side. The radius should be adjusted at the factory, but a good setup tech will check this to make sure that it is correct. Checking the fretboard...

Adjusting Guitar Truss Rod – Guitar Setup & Maintenance

In any setup on a guitar with an adjustable neck, the first step will always be to adjust the truss rod. A guitar neck that is properly adjusted will have a slight amount of relief (not completely flat), which is what allows each fretted note to have a clear shot to...

Introducing Our Guitar Setup and Maintenance Video Series (Video)

In our new Guitar Setup and Maintenance video series, Guitar Craft Academy instructor and professional Nashville luthier David Johnson will walk you through each step of the setup process and also cover cleaning electronics and hardware tightening to help your guitar...

Tech Tip: How to Repair a Back Bowed Guitar Neck

(Mark Lacey is an instructor at Guitar Craft Academy Nashville and the owner of Lacey Guitars.) What Causes a Guitar Neck to Back Bow? Ideally, a guitar neck should have a small amount of forward relief, approximately 0.008 inch, so that the strings won’t buzz on the...