How important is a guitar setup to you?

[ShredAddict]

Hi guys, yet another topic for us to ponder.

I've bought a couple of things off the buy/sell forum recently. Mostly accessories. I was looking for another guitar since the festive season is coming up. Good or bad, an excuse is still an excuse .

I met up with a few people but didn't end up buying their guitar. I know at this point, I sound like a complete arse for wasting people's time but here's my story. Just a few weeks ago, I met a fellow softie to deal with his Epiphone Les Paul Standard. Looks like what I see in the pictures. That's a good sign. My money was halfway out of my wallet at this point.

A lot of these guitars look great on pictures & we definitely know how good these guitars can sound even without plugging it through an amp. Haven't we all tried an Epiphone Les Paul at least once? physical condition as described so on to checking the playability.

Total turn off. It was buzzing from the top to bottom. A case of having an over tightened neck with low action. Not only that, the pots were kinda stiff & the jack was slightly loose.

Now here is the thing. I'm sure most of us are aware of the market prices. let's say for example a used Epiphone Les Paul standard is around $500. However IMO, I feel that this is the price I should pay for a fully functional guitar. No point buying it for $500, waste my time to head down to peninsular and get charged $50 for a setup. There can be worse scenarios where the pickups have broken coils or someone totally screwed up with the wiring. Now that, would definitely cost more than $50.

Buyers: before you think you are getting a good deal, please check whether the instrument you are buying is functional. the owner might knock down the price but there is definitely a reason to it.

IMO if your guitar has such issues & you have no idea how to check, you either price it lower so the new owner would feel that bringing it down to a shop for a setup is a justifiable thing or get a friend who is experienced to check for you whether it's fully functional. In most cases, all you need to do is adjust the truss rod slightly and you can easily save $50. Of course, you need the knowledge and experience to do that. broken truss rod = gg.

btw all the prices I quoted are just rough examples.

What I'm trying to say is, don't these people care about guitar setups? physical condition is secondary when it comes to buying a guitar, seriously.

I personally feel that it's VERY important to play a fully functional guitar. otherwise, you won't be getting the best out of your instrument and might even think it sucks just because it's not setup right. I find that to be a pity. However, their loss is my gain . I've bought guitars that were in terrible shape but once I got it setup, I was in love.

What do you guys think?

 

[3hree6ixty]

Well i've bought such guitars that were less than perfect. As long as I am assured that it's aesthetically fine and that at least the pickups are in working condition, i'd still buy if i really like the particular piece. But not after some reasoning and bargaining. Then I'd set it up myself and replace any faulty electronics, which I always do anyway. That is the part that I don't really mind.

The issue is, half the sellers won't state exactly if there's any fault with their wares, and just suffice with a picture (in some cases, nothing but a model name and their number.). Which may not be enough. I would be a little disappointed upon seeing the guitar i was going to fork out cash for actually has some issues that i didnt know or wasnt informed about. But having worked in a guitar shop and taken some tips from a well-experienced luthier for a couple years, I've learnt how to look out for such tell-tale signs that something might be wrong with an instrument.

And yes, I agree with ShredAddict here, If you are selling such an instrument, make considerations for the costs to rectify the problems. And if finances permit, have it fixed or set up prior to putting it up on sale, which i am beginning to see in the buy/sell section.

There might be plenty other people who might be selling the same model as you. And buyers are just scanning the pages looking for the best value they can get. And a recent set up with fresh strings is a good place to start if you wanna sweeten your deal.

But that's just my opinion, though.

 

[Godspeed64]

There's a reason why people want to sell their guitar.
Don't use the guitar, leaving it alone in the bag for months. By then you might get issues like slight warp etc which makes it require a set-up. No matter what I always set-up upon buying a new guitar. Just my style since I have certain preferences.

 

[Cavett]

Different strokes for different folks..

For me even if the guitar had a good setup previously, I would still have it set up to my preference..

I guess I have become "that kinda player"...

 

[zesn]

I will tolerate poor intonation due to aging strings for awhile before I change.
Other than that, a guitar that cannot stay in tune with fresh strings, is not playable for me.

 

[subversion]

guitar set up- very important for me. over the years, i learnt to set up my own guitars & that was the pre-YouTube era; any misinterpretations of instructions in doing so = fatality. i am also of the opinion that getting to know my guitar & making it work for me is a reflection of responsibility. knowing what works/ doesn't gives me a better perspective of my equipment & playing capacity.

 

[ShredAddict]

Actually set up to personal preference is not what I'm referring to. What I'm more concerned is about the initial condition of the guitar when being presented to the buyer. It's like, if the guitar is not even in the condition of playing, how to buy?

I've encountered cases where people down tune the guitar so that the guitar neck is bowed slightly. no problem. After tuning up to standard, the neck is likely to bow more so I adjusted it. guess what, the previous owner worn the thread of the truss rod. Well done.

That kind of repair could easily cost me near a hundred dollars. Imagine you buying a guitar for $300 and having to pay $100 for additional repairs. now that to me is the ultimate deal breaker.

Either people do not know a thing about set ups or they intentionally want to cheat us by selling us a faulty guitar.

 

[Brenkoh]

This is just my take but to add on to what GodSpeed64 said in his reply, most people sell their guitars because there is a catch.(as always) If you really liked your guitar, you wouldn't want to sell it unless:
A) Money no enough (financial difficulty)
B) Money enough, but want more. (fulfiling additional wants)
C) Wife/Mother/Grandmother/Father complain house no space. (spacial constraints)
D) Guitar got problem don't say, wait for potential goondoo to buy. ( cheater/scammer/liar/!#$%^&*&@! )

Personally I would always send my guitars purchased from SOFT for a set-up regardless of the condition. Also, YES I agree with ShredAddict that the guitars we are viewing should be in proper working condition. If the guitar is faulty, get it fixed before posting it up for sale instead of asking the buyers to fix the faults(which involves additional $$ and time). This is a basic requirement, isn't it?

 

[relinquish69]

guitar set ups are very important. I personally set up every guitar I sell not only because it "the right thing to do when selling something", but also to make sure the buyer gets a good playable guitar. Who would feel good playing a guitar with uneven string height or 1cm action? No one IMO would buy a guitar that feels like crap. We want our guitars to play like butter!

I do agree that everyone has different preferences when it comes to a guitar set up. I for one love low action and I always set the action as low as possible before the string buzzes. some people like their action to be low to the point where their guitar buzzes like crazy but consider that acceptable as long as the amp does not pick up the buzz. They even over tighten the neck to push the limits. I think the idea is killer. It's a reasonable approach but I hate the feeling when the buzz get's to my fingertips. Hence, I always push the guitar to my own limits. It really boils down to personal preference. I (as long as other guitar enthusiasts) love guitars & I'd tweak it to my idea of perfection every single time. A guitar that feels like crap won't make you enjoy playing and we all play guitar for that enjoyment.

If I buy from a guitar store / online seller, I check everything. I even bring my own screw driver a long. My deal to them is, as long as I can put the guitar back together after taking it apart, it shouldn't be a problem right? The thing that pisses them off is that I take a long time to check. Things like dead spots, uneven frets are things that a simple tweak of the truss rod cannot solve.

I learnt that the hard way. I traded a guitar with another softie. I was complacent and didn't check thinking that a simple turn of the truss rod can solve any problems. turns out the guitar I got had a twisted neck and a lifting bridge. well done. I never felt so foolish before considering the fact that I've been buying and selling guitars for so many years. mistakes create room for learning so I'll take it as a lesson learnt. yes, I'd never deal with that person again.

In any case, my advice is please check your gear thoroughly before buying. The hidden costs involved is going to hurt more than you think.

 

[ice9]

setup is important no doubt.

but not every seller knows how to do it. they may not even know that it requires setup

if they pay sumone to do it b4 the sale, chances are it will be factored into the price and the setup may not be to my spec anyways.

regardless, whether its factory fresh or used, i will get it setup post-sale anyways so the whole setup thing is not a dealbreaker for me. in fact, it doesnt even enter my mind if im perusing a gitar.

as long as the gitar is in good condition and the price is fair, im good