Post by valvetronix on Sept 17, 2006 14:07:56 GMT -5
Taken from MY post on Jam Session.
Play the guitar
Play the guitar unplugged for as long as it takes to get a feel for the guitar and to hear the tones of the wood. Next, check the clearance between the bottom most points of the strings, and the top my posts of the 1st and 12th frets. This will greatly affect how the guitar plays. Relief will also change the playability; relief is the gap or bow in the fingerboard and neck. This is caused by the strings pull and/or a loose truss rod.
Look closely at finish
Check the finish for dents, scratches, cracks, and hazy clouds. Hold the guitar at an angle so the finish catches the light and the imperfections will show clearly. Also, check the back of the peg head for cracks by rubbing a finger over the joint. Older model Gibsons with a maghony neck are notorious for cracking across the grain. Always have cracks here repaired by a professional.
Test neck strength
Point the guitar towards you, with the guitar laying on a table. Support the peghead and gently pull down in the middle of the neck. You will easily be able to tell if the neck is weak. Stiff necks are preferable, since the truss rod will easily adjust the neck. Weak necks, which is usually cause by inferior woods, are nearly impossible to straighten with the truss rod. A professional regretting will usually help to straighten a neck.
Check neck relief
Place the guitar in the playing position. With your left hand fret the 1st fret of the D string. With your right hand pinkie, fret the 15th fret, and then push down on the 9th fret. If there is movement you have relief, which is desirable. If there is no movement the neck is either straight or back bowed. Back bowed necks cause fret buzz.
(upbow, slight relief, straight, back bored – picsgoing to do them latter )
Check Bolton neck joint
If the guitar has a bolt on neck you need to check the alignment of the neck. Stand the guitar up and look at the neck dead on. The outside E strings should be parallel with the edge of the fret board. Strings that are close to either side can cause the strings to fall off the edge during playing.
Inspect the nut
The nut should be tight in its slot without string tension and the slots should not be too deep or to shallow, which can cause the strings to catch or pop out of the nut. Neither should the nut slots be too wide, which allows the strings to move. I prefer to have the slots half as deep as the string, and just as wide as the string.
Check frets and inlays
Visually check for frets with pits, sharp edges, and/or loose. Inlays should also be checked for tightness. Check the height of the frets with a feeler gauge, which can be bought at your local automotive store. Most players who play with a lot of bends use taller frets, anywhere from 0.45” to 0.35”, players who rely on speed use shorter frets, from 0.35” to 0.25”.
To test the tightness of frets, pull away the high E string and lightly tap each fret with a small hammer or mallet. A solid, chunky sound means the fret is tight; a hollow sound means the fret is loose.
Test truss rod
Remove the truss rod cover and adjust the truss rod to decide if the truss rod is in working order. Do not over tighten or loosen the truss rod. You only need to move it enough to tell if it works.
Check fretboard and bridge radii
Push strings down at the 15th fret and measure approximate fretboard radius with the included radius gauge. Repeat this on the saddles. You can also tell if the center of the bridge is collapsed on tune-o-matic equipped guitars. Gibson style electric guitars usually have a fretboard radius of 10” to 12”.
Check bridge and tailpiece
Visually check the bridge and tailpiece for snugness. Make sure mounting screw are straight. Some tune-o-matics can start to lean towards the pickups from the pressure of the strings.
Check tuning keys
Detune and retune each string to make sure the tuner functions properly. Check all mounting screws for tightness.
Check all screws and bolts
Visually check all screws to make sure they are not stripped. Control cavity covers, pickup mounts, output jacks, pick guards, and strap buttons should all be visually inspected.
Check the electronics
Now plug the guitar into an amp and play. Turn all potentiometers from 0 to 10 and flip toggle switches. A good cleaning and flushing can help with pots which are stiff or crackle. Move the guitar chord in the output jack with a cable you know works. Any cutouts or noise means a problem with the jack. Open all available electronic compartments and look for shinny and tight sodering. It may be wise to invest in a small, round, outside mirror from your local auto parts store. Tape a length of string to it and use it to look inside F holes or acoustic sound holes. On vintage guitars, remove pickups and make sure they are original.
Play the guitar
Play the guitar unplugged for as long as it takes to get a feel for the guitar and to hear the tones of the wood. Next, check the clearance between the bottom most points of the strings, and the top my posts of the 1st and 12th frets. This will greatly affect how the guitar plays. Relief will also change the playability; relief is the gap or bow in the fingerboard and neck. This is caused by the strings pull and/or a loose truss rod.
Look closely at finish
Check the finish for dents, scratches, cracks, and hazy clouds. Hold the guitar at an angle so the finish catches the light and the imperfections will show clearly. Also, check the back of the peg head for cracks by rubbing a finger over the joint. Older model Gibsons with a maghony neck are notorious for cracking across the grain. Always have cracks here repaired by a professional.
Test neck strength
Point the guitar towards you, with the guitar laying on a table. Support the peghead and gently pull down in the middle of the neck. You will easily be able to tell if the neck is weak. Stiff necks are preferable, since the truss rod will easily adjust the neck. Weak necks, which is usually cause by inferior woods, are nearly impossible to straighten with the truss rod. A professional regretting will usually help to straighten a neck.
Check neck relief
Place the guitar in the playing position. With your left hand fret the 1st fret of the D string. With your right hand pinkie, fret the 15th fret, and then push down on the 9th fret. If there is movement you have relief, which is desirable. If there is no movement the neck is either straight or back bowed. Back bowed necks cause fret buzz.
(upbow, slight relief, straight, back bored – picsgoing to do them latter )
Check Bolton neck joint
If the guitar has a bolt on neck you need to check the alignment of the neck. Stand the guitar up and look at the neck dead on. The outside E strings should be parallel with the edge of the fret board. Strings that are close to either side can cause the strings to fall off the edge during playing.
Inspect the nut
The nut should be tight in its slot without string tension and the slots should not be too deep or to shallow, which can cause the strings to catch or pop out of the nut. Neither should the nut slots be too wide, which allows the strings to move. I prefer to have the slots half as deep as the string, and just as wide as the string.
Check frets and inlays
Visually check for frets with pits, sharp edges, and/or loose. Inlays should also be checked for tightness. Check the height of the frets with a feeler gauge, which can be bought at your local automotive store. Most players who play with a lot of bends use taller frets, anywhere from 0.45” to 0.35”, players who rely on speed use shorter frets, from 0.35” to 0.25”.
To test the tightness of frets, pull away the high E string and lightly tap each fret with a small hammer or mallet. A solid, chunky sound means the fret is tight; a hollow sound means the fret is loose.
Test truss rod
Remove the truss rod cover and adjust the truss rod to decide if the truss rod is in working order. Do not over tighten or loosen the truss rod. You only need to move it enough to tell if it works.
Check fretboard and bridge radii
Push strings down at the 15th fret and measure approximate fretboard radius with the included radius gauge. Repeat this on the saddles. You can also tell if the center of the bridge is collapsed on tune-o-matic equipped guitars. Gibson style electric guitars usually have a fretboard radius of 10” to 12”.
Check bridge and tailpiece
Visually check the bridge and tailpiece for snugness. Make sure mounting screw are straight. Some tune-o-matics can start to lean towards the pickups from the pressure of the strings.
Check tuning keys
Detune and retune each string to make sure the tuner functions properly. Check all mounting screws for tightness.
Check all screws and bolts
Visually check all screws to make sure they are not stripped. Control cavity covers, pickup mounts, output jacks, pick guards, and strap buttons should all be visually inspected.
Check the electronics
Now plug the guitar into an amp and play. Turn all potentiometers from 0 to 10 and flip toggle switches. A good cleaning and flushing can help with pots which are stiff or crackle. Move the guitar chord in the output jack with a cable you know works. Any cutouts or noise means a problem with the jack. Open all available electronic compartments and look for shinny and tight sodering. It may be wise to invest in a small, round, outside mirror from your local auto parts store. Tape a length of string to it and use it to look inside F holes or acoustic sound holes. On vintage guitars, remove pickups and make sure they are original.
