How to setup ur guitar like Joes?

[bbovee]

Hi Everyone,

A few weeks a ago I bought myself a js900. Then I read in this forum there were Japanese and Korean models and that the latter was not preferable. So the first thing I did after finishing my day at work was drive home, run upstairs and see at the back of my JS900 where it was made: Japan. Phew!

At www.satriani.com section gearshop I found the text below, its from the guy who sets up Joes guitars. Its low and even. However my factory setting isn't low. Since I am no setup expert can someone explain in simple words (I am dutch) what Joes setup guy does to get a low and even setup, especially the part about "arcing the bridge". I thougt the bridge saddles were already factory arced to match the fretboard radius. At the last part he lowers the nut. How can u lower the nut on a JS900?

Here's the text I mentioned:

[i][i]Low and even, that's how Joe likes his string height. The measurement from the top of the 12th fret to the bottom of each string is just over 2/64". There are reasons for this (See Joe's Set-up Ideas)
This is low!

The final setup goes like this:

I arc the bridge saddles so the string height matches the fingerboard radius. Now strung to pitch I tighten the truss rod until the neck is perfectly straight.

At this point I adjust the bridge as low as possible and still allow 2 things: clean string bends above the 10th fret and a clean low e from the 10th fret up to the 22nd fret. Joe's touch is light so low works out fine.

Next we loosen the truss rod to create a very slight bow in the neck. I cannot say how much, each guitar has its own place that it wants to be. What we are trying to do is clean up the low strings from the 1st to 7th fret. I find this out by playing and experimenting.

There is a very tight tolerance in adjustments for the guitars to play well. Before the final intonation the nut must be lowered to the correct height. In Joe's case very low about .010 on the high e string to about .013 to .015 on the low e string.

Thx in advance to anyone who will reply this post.

Barry

[nuno]

Gary Brawer (Joe's tech) has to arc the Edge saddles cause they're designed to match the typical Ibanez neck flat radiuses.
but since the JS' neck has a smaller radius (Fender style) then the Edge saddles need a little mod.
you can find Floyd Rose saddle brass plates at any good guitar shop.

as for the nut,
you may find one or two brass shims under your TopLok. if you need to set the nut lower, keep'em away (maybe one or both, it depends on how low your nut is set now).
if you won't find any of those shims, then the nut is low enough.

but the main thing is to learn dealing with the truss-rod first, THEN all of the above.

if you need more detailed infos > -m-@libero.it

[plasticandi]

the saddles on the lo pro edge on my js1000 are already shimmed.
2nd and 5th string have a thin shim 3 and 4 a shim thatīs a little thicker.
i am sure its the same on the js 900
to lower the action you must lower the bridge itself.
after adjusting the string height adjust the truss rod. action is lowered by adjusting the bridge and nut, not the truss rod, in my opinion.
go for a straight neck, and give it a little relief, to ensure non buzzing lower notes.

[iain]

The edge/lo-pro equiped JS's do indeed come with saddle shims from the factory. Post '98 JS1000's have the multi-radiused board, which is essential to Joes type of setup. Equally, or even more essential, however, is the fret mill that Brawer performs on Joes guitars. You can have him do this work for you, I believe. It does cost several hundred bucks though.

[Rich]

You're all forgetting Gary is explaining what he does on Joes JS1 (equivalent) guitars which have a 270mm radius board. The frets are pulled, the fretbaord is multi-radiused flatter toward the bridge. It's refretted and then the frets are multi radiused further. Then of course everything else must be changed to match.

[iain]

How am I forgetting this? Isn't that what I posted?

[Rich]

What's that saying Hertz uses in their commercials?

[iain]

I'm unclear on the Hertz catch phrase...

[Rich]

I'm "not exactly" clear on it myself

[iain]

Ah, is see through, to your hidden meaning

[Rich]

I wasn't hiding anything, you just couldn't see it

[nuno]

Originally Posted by plasticandi

...action is lowered by adjusting the bridge and nut, not the truss rod, in my opinion...

i think it's a mix of bridge/nut/truss-rod.
if you loosen the truss-rod quite a bit, you can bet your bank account that the action is way higher than before, and viceversa.

[Lonely Raven]

I used to be a pro guitar tech in the late 80s early 90s, and I had to learn
all this stuff "on the job".

Only the really high end techs will setup guitars like Joe's guitar is setup.
Pulling frets, planing the fret board, leveling and shaping the frets.
That's some hard core stuff.

Reading through this post, I see guitar setup Noobies, and Experts, but
nobody in between. Heh.

If you really want an excellent setup tutorial, I have yet to see one
better then the one Rich put together on the Ibanez Rules Tech Page:

http://www.ibanezrules.com/tech/grunge_1.htm

Every guitar I touch, for myself, for my dad, for any of my friends goes
through a similar setup. My methods are slightly different, but the
concepts and outcome should be the same. Even a guy who's native
language is Dutch should be able to follow along.

This is not something that you can just burn through in 30 minutes.
I got my Root Beer Jem this weekend, I played it for about an hour
or two, then the next evening I went step by step through Rich's
tutorial to help refresh my memoy (it's been about 10 years since
I've setup a guitar). 3 hours later (lots of time spent on the neck)
I can say that this is honestly and absolutly the best playing guitar I've
ever owned!

With practice you can probably get a full setup on a guitar done in less
then an hour (assuming no major work needed on frets and neck).

I hope this helps out some. It's really something every guitarest should
know IMHO. It's like knowing how to change a tire on your car if you get
a flat...