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SO... today I took a crack at setting up my guitar properly. The heavy gauge strings were NOT me at all, so from what I gathered I knew I had to adjust the intonation and truss rod. And then I went and decided to mess with the action So I set it super low... and the bottom e buzzed like crazy. So then I set it super high(unbearably high) and the E is still buzzing! It doesn't even look like it's hitting the frets. What the hell did I do? This was my first time messing with the truss rod too so I don't know if I should maybe give it more relief or if that will mess something up. One thing I'm noticing is that the strings are very close to the frets near the nut and quite a lot higher as it gets closer to the bridge. WAY more so than on my other guitar. Chalk it up to not knowing what I'm doing and trying to pretend after reading a few things on the net

Help me please, I miss my chugga chugga machine.

Setting up a guitar is something that you need to practice before you get it right. It also means that you need to be able to look down the neck, standing over the headstock, and judge the tension on the neck. Short of bringing to a guitar shop and having it set up properly, try these things first. If the strings are too high near the bridge, then the action needs to be lowered. If it's a strat style guitar, then you need to lower each saddle individually. If the strings are too close to the nut, then you need to loosen the truss rod. It sounds to me like you need to do both. Try doing a little on each at a time to see if you can get it right. If you went to a lighter guage string, then you almost definately need to loosen the neck. If and when you feel you have the neck the way you want it, only then do you adjust the intonation. Do 1 string at a time, and loosen the tuner first, then make a slight turn on the screw, then tune back up and check. This whole process can be very tedious and frustrating if your not sure what your doing. However, if you can master it, it becomes quite rewarding setting up your own guitars. The only thing I won't do is file the nut myself. I need better tools for that. Good luck though. P.M. me if you need more help.

The stings should sit further away from the higher frets as compared to up near the nut. The question is by how much, and whether that distance is the result of bridge height or the bowing of the neck.If there's a high fret somewhere, then you have to play with higher action. If there's more bowing in the neck, then you have to play with higher action. However, having a little bowing in the neck helps solve problem frets!At least, this is what I think is going on! Don't take my word on anything! It's like a ballancing act. Playing style and string selection and tuning and what picks you use and the strength of the magnet in your pickup will also have an effect on how low you can get your action.


Originally Posted by marty_the_westieSetting up a guitar is something that you need to practice before you get it right. It also means that you need to be able to look down the neck, standing over the headstock, and judge the tension on the neck. Short of bringing to a guitar shop and having it set up properly, try these things first. If the strings are too high near the bridge, then the action needs to be lowered. If it's a strat style guitar, then you need to lower each saddle individually. If the strings are too close to the nut, then you need to loosen the truss rod. It sounds to me like you need to do both. Try doing a little on each at a time to see if you can get it right. If you went to a lighter guage string, then you almost definately need to loosen the neck. If and when you feel you have the neck the way you want it, only then do you adjust the intonation. Do 1 string at a time, and loosen the tuner first, then make a slight turn on the screw, then tune back up and check. This whole process can be very tedious and frustrating if your not sure what your doing. However, if you can master it, it becomes quite rewarding setting up your own guitars. The only thing I won't do is file the nut myself. I need better tools for that. Good luck though. P.M. me if you need more help.

Thank you, that was very helpful. Particularly the part about loosening the truss rod. I was tigtening This guitar played nearly perfectly for my tastes before I upped the string gauge, but the thing that has me worried is that widened the nut slightly on the low e very slightly with a paring knife. I'm wondering if that's why I can't get rid of the buzz. Hopefully that's not the case and I'll have it working good as new after a few hours with it. If not I guess I'll have to take it into a tech and have them set it up with a new nut. I'll post a followup later today.