“Relief” refers to the amount of neck bow or flex (mostly caused by string tension). In most modern instrument, neck relief can be adjusted by manipulating the truss rod.

Contrary to popular belief a neck usually shouldn’t be set completely straight, a certain amount of relief is needed to give the vibrating string clearance over the frets.

As with string height (which neck relief also influences) the goal is to find the sweet spot between too much or too little relief in order to achieve a balance between playability and performance.

Note: Not all instruments have adjustable trussrods. On certain vintage instrument and most classical / flamenco guitars neck relief needs to be adjusted with more time consuming and demanding techniques like fret leveling, and fingerboard resurfacing.

The term “action” refers to the distance between the bottom of each string and the top of the frets (generally measured at the 12th fret).

Both overly high or low action can cause issues: Too high and the instrument will be too hard to play and go out of tune when fretted. Too low and it will buzz excessively.

Finding the sweet spot between playability and performance is key. A properly set action is low enough to be comfortable and just high enough so the instrument can be played dynamically and meaningfully without excessive string buzz.

Many issues that lead to string buzz and mystery rattles can be addressed by manipulating neck relief, string height, nut slots and tightening of hardware.

While a Premium Setup covers all points mentioned above, sometimes string buzz is caused by other problems: Useated or overly worn frets, a faulty nut or saddle, internal brace issues, etc.

In those cases the solution could demand other services to be performed. Those include partial or full refrets, fret leveling and nut / saddle replacement or brace glue-ups, all of which are specific services and come at an additional cost.

Most players have experienced the frustration of meticulously tuning the instrument on all open strings, only to find out it gets thrown out of tune on certain chords or specific neck positions.

Intonation refers to the instrument’s ability to play in tune on all open strings and fretted notes simultaniously.

Once the proper string height and neck relief is set, a process called “string-length compensation” is employed to achieve ideal intonation. It generally consists of a series of adjustments at the saddle to move its point of contact with the string, effectively changing the length of the string between the nut and saddle (i.e. the scale length).

Additionally, other systems of solving intonation issues, like saddle AND nut compensation, the “true temperament” fret system, and moveable / microtonal frets exist. In my experience, given there are no issues with fret, bridge or saddle placement, once a guitar is properly set up, compensating only the saddle brings the instrument as close to perfectly intonated as it can be.

For more information on intonation and string length compensation click here.

While intonation takes into account the guitar’s ability to “play true” both when open strings and fretted notes are being played, “tuning” refers to the instrument’s ability to maintain the proper pitch on all open strings over time.

As with intonation, many variables are at play here, and the solution must usually take all of them into account. Some common factors which may cause tuning issues include:

• Old or deffective strings

• String binding at nut, string tree or saddle

• “Tuner slop”

• Improper restringing

• Saddle, nut, bridge or tremolo spring issues

• Method of tuning

As with most services I provide, when addressing tuning issues my approach is to take the whole instrument (and its owner’s playing style and ability) into account in order to find a solution.

Often enough, a Premium Setup can solve tuning issues, but, at times, parts need to be replaced (nuts, saddles, tuning keys) in order to achieve tuning stability in certain instruments.

Many common issues associated with the intrument’s electronics can be solved with a Premium Setup:

• “Scratchy” volume and tone pots

• Crackling noises coming from the jack or pickup selector switch

• Intermittent loss of signal from the guitar to the amp caused by “bad contact”

A Premium Setup, however, might not solve every electronic issue your instrument might have, but it can help rule out certain causes in order to get to the heart of the problem, which may include:

• Faulty pickups

• Bad wiring

• Broken or worn-out components (pots, caps, switches)

• Amp or cable problems

I do not service amplifiers, but do offer electronic services like replacing parts and rewiring at an additional cost.

Volume discrepancies between 2 or more pickups can be addressed with pickup height adjustments, a service included on a Premium Setup.

In other cases, where the issue is caused by improper wiring, pickup configuration incompatibilities, etc., diagnosis and potential solutions follow outside the scope of a Premium Setup and come at an additional cost.

Just like periodic visits to a dentist or a car mechanic, getting your instrument routinely assessed by a professional may expose issues that can become more expensive repairs in the future if not attended to.

The inspection and Setup processes give me a chance to thoroughly analyze your instrument and may bring to light the following problems:

• Cracked or unglued internal braces

• Stripped trussrod nuts

• Overly worn out frets

• Cracks on tops, back, sides, bridges or headstocks

• Lifting bridges

Solving any of those issues goes beyond the scope of a Premium Setup and comes at an additional cost.