There are a lot of different personal choices in the world of guitar. We all have our priorities, but they usually revolve around things like sound, versatility, comfort, and, of course, aesthetics. After over five decades in the business of making, repairing, and playing guitar, I don’t believe I’ve actually reached the end of how varied guitarists’ priorities can be. Playability is right near the top of concerns, yet almost every guitarist might define that term differently—if they can articulate it at all. Some are concerned about string height, while others are oblivious to the difference it can make. Others feel that the width of a neck is the most crucial factor, while some insist that all fret buzz must be eliminated. As you can see, it’s a complicated equation.
Generally speaking, setup is a personal choice, and the metrics to achieve a good setup are always a compromise—which is a tough pill for some to swallow. The idea that a setup can be a universal and definite truth is a fallacy, which makes the technician’s life difficult. This is also why one repair tech might get rave reviews from some clients, yet dissatisfaction from others. I’ve built instruments that were rejected by one player, yet went on to become a number one for another. The obvious way to bridge the gap is to rank your likes and dislikes, and learn what factors affect them so you can arrive at a suitable compromise.
Don’t Fret the Buzz
Fret buzz is like any ingredient—a little is alright, but too much is, well, too much. I have a small solid-state practice amp on my bench with a 5" speaker. Despite its famous brand name, it can make any guitar sound pathetic. I use it to set up instruments because if I can get a guitar to sound okay through it, I know it will sound great on a decent amp. So before you blame the buzz for robbing your tone of muscle, check your amp and its settings. This isn’t just for high gain—even sparkling clean sounds can sound better with a change of scenery. Of course, the more gain you employ, the lighter your touch can be, which can be the reason behind most buzzing. If you insist on pounding the notes out à la SRV, raise your action a little and carry on. I’ve played Stevie’s No. 1, and yeah, it buzzed acoustically.
How Do You Gauge Tone?
String gauge seems to be a continually hot topic in the guitar universe, and rightfully so. Heavier-gauge strings generally need more tension to reach the same pitch, while lighter gauges need less tension. So a set of .011s will feel tighter and stiffer than .009s on the same guitar, if all else is equal. The practical tradeoffs are well known: Lighter gauges are easier to bend and require lower finger effort, but may buzz more in lower tunings. Heavier gauges offer more resistance to bending and require more effort to press down on the frets. The benefit is a more solid feel if you play hard and more output since more metal is waving in the pickup’s magnetic field.
Still, don’t be afraid to try a lighter gauge if you use a lot of gain. I worked with the guys in Judas Priest for two decades and was surprised that they strung their guitars with .0075" gauge sets! The gain masked any fret buzz. If anything, it helped create their trademark sound.
Step on the Scale
String gauge isn’t the only factor that changes the feel of your guitar—scale length can be the secret sauce that unlocks something you like. In the 1980s, I designed guitars for a respected guitarist from New York. He had an identifiable sound, but he became enamored with Ed Van Halen’s tonal attack. I mentioned that perhaps he’d like a guitar with a longer scale. I explained that to bring a longer length of string to pitch, it required more tension, resulting in a change in tone. He agreed to give it a try, and the result was a move in the right direction for him.
Balancing Scale and Gauge
It’s easier (and cheaper) to change string gauge than scale length. If you do get a guitar with a different scale, keep your same string set on at first, but be open to the idea of trying a different gauge, too. Also, the simple rule of thumb is if you tune lower, move up in gauge to recover the tension, although I’ve seen guitarists who break that rule with great results.
The beauty and mystery of the guitar is that despite the physics—which never change—the results of trying different setups might result in something you like even if it’s counterintuitive. The important takeaway is that you and your setup tech should be patient while finding what works for you best. Once you understand the tradeoffs and accept them, you’ll be happier with the results.
