# Getting started on my own guitar repair and setups



## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

I'd like to learn how to do my own setups and repairs. Just wondering if any one has some good resources, books to get me started. Was thinking about looking on kijiji for some cheap acoustic and electric guitars to experiment on.
Or if anyone has any other suggestions I'd be happy to hear them. Maybe I could morph this in to a bit of a part time income venture down the road.


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## Kerry Brown (Mar 31, 2014)

Buy a used Squier Strat as cheap as you can find. Watch youtube videos on how to set it up. Watch several as there are what seems like conflicting statements at first but after you've done a few setups you'll realize that there are many ways to do the same thing. Strip it down to it's components then reassemble and set it up. That's how I learned. Strats are reasonably complicated compared to most guitars. If you can setup a floating term you can setup most guitars. As a bonus you'll have a decent guitar when you're done.


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

Oops. This is in the wrong section. I swear I put it in guitar building section.

Thanks Kerry. I am actually more interested in acoustic setups and repair but I do want to learn more about electric as well. Since 90% of my guitar playing years have been electrics I have done setups and other mods on electric. I'd like to get in to more advanced things than the basics I've done. Cutting or replacing nuts, saddles, etc. 
I already have a cheap Squire strat at home that I bought for my daughter and has basically just been a piece of furniture. Its never been set up so I could play around with that.
I'd like to see if I can buy some lower end acoustics off kijiji for cheap and see if I can play around with them make them better and maybe try to sell them for a bit of a profit.


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## Jamdog (Mar 9, 2016)

Kerry Brown said:


> Buy a used Squier Strat as cheap as you can find.


Oh, we're supposed to practice on crapcasters before setting up our own axes?


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## PTWamps (Aug 5, 2016)

OP, sounds like you have the right idea. I've since gotten more into amps, but when I was learning about guitars I got myself an old 90s Epiphone and a 70s Matsumoku Univox and learned to do setups, rewiring, cutting nuts, refinishing, and refretting on one or both of them. Since neither was an absolute bottom of the barrel guitar, there was a sense of pleasure and accomplishment in upgrading and restoring them. I gigged with them a few times, then a year or two later sold them for roughly the cost of parts I added to them. It was well worth it and I learned a lot.


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## High/Deaf (Aug 19, 2009)

I went a different route. At 19, I got a job at a guitar store and they paid me (slightly more than minimum wage, IIR) to learn to set up guitars. Within a year I was cutting bone nuts (stinky stuff), filing bridges, tweeking trussrods, replacing parts, soldering stuff. If you were one of my earlier customers, I apologize for what I probably did to your guitar. 

So perhaps a new avocation - get paid to learn? Beats being a greeter at Walmart.


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## mr trick (Sep 21, 2013)

cutting bone nuts smells like burning hair or skin, not pleasant, my nephew came back from Afganistan and wouldn't go near a bbq for a year, I understood, a little. sometimes you get a good nut for a strat from an antler\


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## dcole (Oct 8, 2008)

Dan Erlwine's "The Guitar Player Repair Guide" has been useful to me. You could probably find a copy at the library or pick one up at Chapters - The Guitar Player Repair Guide - 3rd: Third Edition Revised, Book by Dan Erlewine (Book & Toy) | chapters.indigo.ca

I found the key to doing this type of work is just doing it. One learns a lot more doing than reading. Grab an old guitar and go to town!


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## Jim DaddyO (Mar 20, 2009)

Nothing much I can add to all of the above advise. Read, watch videos, practice. Pretty much the same with anything. Enjoying doing it is the main thing. That makes it a lot easier it seems.


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## JBFairthorne (Oct 11, 2014)

I don't think it's necessary to have a "junker" to start doing setups. There's not much you can do to damage a guitar in the process of setting it up (with a little care). If I were delving into more serious territory, refretting or something along those lines, then I would use a scrap guitar.


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## mr trick (Sep 21, 2013)

I started with cheapies, and the neck to body joint is almost always a problem, the frets need filing down more, it's what you can afford and is available, and there is always lots to learn


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## Guest (Sep 17, 2016)

Years ago, I also started with inexpensive finds as well.
Mainly to do what you want to do.
Here's an example of what I did to a $40 find.
Build Thread - El Degas ES restoration


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## dcole (Oct 8, 2008)

JBFairthorne said:


> I don't think it's necessary to have a "junker" to start doing setups. There's not much you can do to damage a guitar in the process of setting it up (with a little care). If I were delving into more serious territory, refretting or something along those lines, then I would use a scrap guitar.


Agreed. My first setup was on my Jackson Dinky with a Floyd Rose bridge. It took a while but came out excellent!


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## copperhead (May 24, 2006)

dcole said:


> Dan Erlwine's "The Guitar Player Repair Guide" has been useful to me. You could probably find a copy at the library or pick one up at Chapters - The Guitar Player Repair Guide - 3rd: Third Edition Revised, Book by Dan Erlewine (Book & Toy) | chapters.indigo.ca
> 
> I found the key to doing this type of work is just doing it. One learns a lot more doing than reading. Grab an old guitar and go to town!


This is how WE did repairs plus trial & error (I've deleted common sense ) pre internet . Back in the day this book certainly a reference to any repair that I've needed a little help with


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