The Importance of the Guitar Setup : And Why You Need to Learn How to Do Them!
I'm not going to post the entire article here, but I'll post a couple of the parts I want to address regarding Jason Isbell's comment about young players just wanting to get started on the guitar:
“Spend the 50, 80 or 100 bucks before you leave the music store and let them set it up for you,” he says. “Let them set the action right, make sure the frets are level, make sure it’ll stay in tune.”
“Because of course you’re not gonna be able to afford an incredible instrument when you’re that age. But if you spend the extra time, the extra money, you get home and you can play it. It makes all the difference in the world.”
Okay, let's talk "setups", then...
I don't disagree that a good setup, even on a guitar that might not be the greatest, definitely is crucial to making playing fun and efficient, as much for beginners as people who have been playing for decades. That part is totally true. That's why when I spent a few years working weekends at a guitar shop, one of the most important things for me to learn, for my own benefit as well, was how to get the most out of any given guitar from a playability standpoint. Here's where I have a problem though...
Most people who work at guitar shops, be they mom-and-pops or chain retailers, CAN'T SET GUITARS UP FOR SHIT. One of the things I used to do when I worked at a shop was go around and make sure everything was set up to play comfortably, be it something brand new out of the box from the manufacturer or some used piece of gear. But you go into any given shop most of the time, and it's a crapshoot. Totally by chance, you might happen upon something that's reasonably playable, but most of the time you'll pick it up, be either underwhelmed or completely turned off by the high action and poor intonation, and you'll move on to something else. Sometimes you'll make your rounds with literally everything in the store and there'll be something wrong with everything you pick up.
This is why it's hard for me to support the idea of one must go and play an instrument in a brick and mortar store before purchasing something. I used to believe that there had to be some sort of special connection by actually playing the instrument you're buying prior to purchase (and that DOES happen sometimes), but the way I see it nowadays is that if I'm going to have to do a complete setup and adjustment on it as soon as I get home, it doesn't matter whether it came from a store up the street or some anonymous online retailer. So guess which one I'm going to go with? That's right, the one that gives me the better deal. Yes, yes, support local or small businesses and such, but even that has gotten to the point where it doesn't mean what it used to. Because a lot of the smaller independent shops have kind of become toxic and uncomfortable, and if I'm catching an attitude from the owner or salesperson the second I come in the door, the odds of me actually spending money with them go down to the single digits.
I have seen some of the most atrocious setups come out of retailers like Guitar Center. I discovered 20 years ago that Guitar Center does not hire people who know the products, or know how to service the products. They hire people to accept payment for products, and occasionally quote whatever is on the product page or the company website. I have seen a few people pay good money to get service done on a guitar. Whether that was a pickup replacement or a full-on (alleged) "setup", I don't think I've ever seen anything done that I felt was done competently or thoroughly. And I think that's a shame, because I used to pride myself and not only knowing about everything in the store that I was selling, but also being able to help dial in and service those products as well.
So I guess I would say, while I agree that proper set up, or one that's tailored to the specific player, is important, learn how to do it yourself. Save yourself hundreds or even thousands of dollars, and just learn the basic skills. Adjusting a truss rod is not difficult. Raising and lowering bridges or bridge saddles is easy. Setting the intonation is not rocket science. Turning screws to get your pickups the proper distance from the strings in order to achieve your optimum sound is as simple as it gets. Even changing out electronics or hardware can be done by a novice--just be patient and take your time. In fact, the only kind of work I generally don't like doing and would prefer hiring an actual luthier to take a look at would be fret-work. Aside from that, I have no reason whatsoever to let somebody else take a screwdriver or any other tool to an instrument that I'm going to be playing. I can set it up just fine myself, thanks.
And I recommend that anyone who plays an instrument also learn how to service said instrument. Don't let someone rip you off by halfassing something you could've done better yourself.
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