Electric Guitar Bridge Setup

A guitar s action can also be adjust at the bridge.

Electric guitar bridge setup.

A playable guitar that sounds amazing requires a setting up process only then will your guitar play well. Strum the top string next to the tuner and adjust the tuning knobs until it s an e. Adjusting your guitar action and bridge height is one of the most common guitar setup tips that you will learn with this easy and simple guitar setup guide for gibson fender and floyd rose style guitar bridges. Tune the guitar to desired pitch.

Turn the guitar on its side close one eye and look down the neck from the headstock towards the bridge left. Tune your guitar with an electric tuner. Sight a guitar neck. The other three are the american series bridge which is a modern day two pivot bridge.

Look down the profile of the fretboard on both the bass and treble sides of the neck is the neck straight or is there a curve. Remove the truss rod cover. Most guitars have either a fender or gibson style bridge. Put the rest of the guitar in standard e a d g b e tuning.

Use a straightedge for added assurance pictured. If it s not adjusted correctly notes down the neck of the guitar will be flat or sharp. On an electric guitar this is a matter of twisting the appropriate screws. Below you will find all the information you need to setup your guitar the right way.

On an acoustic guitar you may have to shim or sand the bridge saddle. Tools a machinist rule a screwdriver or hex key electric guitar calipers a shim stock or stationary belt sander acoustic guitar. I ve been blown away by the improvements in playability and sound clarity that come from minor adjustments to the guitar s setup. With the guitar on its side look down the fingerboard edge for overall straightness back bow relief forward bow and humps as well as high or uneven frets.

Please visit the individual guitar bridge pages for more detailed information about the anatomy of the bridges themselves. When adjusting these it s up to you to maintain or adjust them to the proper radius. The non tremolo hardtail bridge. Setting up a guitar involves working with the bridge nut and neck adjustments to dial in the playing action to suit the player.

Set the relief capo the first fret and press the 15th fret with your finger then use your feeler gauge on the 8th fret to measure the height. The bridge elongates or shortens the length of your strings. First sight the neck just to see what condition it s in. These are the basic steps to setting the action on various styled electric guitar bridges.

Sight the neck please read the beginning of this article for thorough instruction on sighting your guitar s neck. Stratocaster guitars can have four distinctive types of bridges. The fender style bridge allows you to adjust each saddle height individually. And a locking tremolo such as the american deluxe or floyd rose locking tremolos.

A gibson style bridge has two bridge posts that allow you to adjust only the bass and treble side of the bridge. The most well known bridge is the vintage style synchronized tremolo. For more information about how to set up a floating or floyd rose bridge please go to the floating or floyd rose bridge page.