CIRCULAR REFERENCE ICT

BLOG - Your Guitar Sucks- You Should Fix It

There are a lot of bad guitars out there, and you might be playing one.

If you have detuned your guitar lower than drop D or Eb standard, or have had your guitar for over a year, or if you've changed your string gauge, you probably need to adjust your setup.

What is your guitar's setup? It's the combination of adjustments on the guitar that make it so you're not fighting it every time you go to play it. It includes string height on the fretboard, string gauge selection, neck tension relief, and intonation.

When I say "fighting" I mean it in the literal sense. Guitar is a hard instrument to play, but if your guitar isn't set up, every note and every chord will be testing your resolve. In contrast, a well set up guitar feels like using a good kitchen knife while wearing new socks and new underwear- it's not going to do the job for you, but when you can execute, it's a pleasure.

Some common symptoms of bad setup:

• Floppy strings that buzz too much
• Strings that are hard to press down
• Playing with a capo on the first fret is much easier than without
• Chords higher on the neck have a "warble" despite each string being in tune
• You find yourself over-playing, trying to get more volume from the guitar

A recent personal example- My main guitar I've been using recently is an Ibanez RG which I adore for its tone and have set up for drop C tuning on D'Addario EXL115W 11-49 strings. The string tension is a bit lighter than I would normally prefer, but the string height, relief and intonation are perfect.

I bought another, similar Ibanez so I could have a backup and have a slight variation in tone when recording. The factory setup was great. Standard tuning worked perfectly on this guitar, but detuning to match the main guitar created problems. The intonation changed slightly- chords higher on the neck didn't ring as true as before, and the notes had too much attack emphasis with buzzy sustain. It felt like trying to hit a baseball with an empty paper towel roll.

Quick note on intonation- it is essentially how well the guitar plays in tune with itself. When you play an A on the fifth fret on the E string, or open on the A string, or the 7th fret on the D string, or the 2nd fret on the G string, so on and so forth, are they all hitting that multiple/fraction of 440hz precisely? It's never going to be perfect, but the further off it is, the worse the guitar will sound. Complex chords with added sevenths or higher extensions won't sound correct. Power chords will lack power, especially when you're playing with others. Intonation matters always and in every context.

Having your guitar set up well will make you play better. It will inspire you. Your guitar will be a source of joy, not a chore. You will write better riffs. You will play those riffs better, with more authority. People will listen to you because you will be more attractive. You will go through life, self assured, confident because you are a guitar player, and your guitar is set up perfectly for you.

I cannot tell you how to set up your guitar. You should learn how to do that on your own or take it to a professional you trust. My point is that, if you're experiencing any of these problems with your guitar, that there is a solution. The guitar is a tool for musical expression, and keeping it in good shape is essential.