Electric Guitar Bridge Setup

Turn the guitar on its side close one eye and look down the neck from the headstock towards the bridge left.

Electric guitar bridge setup.

When adjusting these it s up to you to maintain or adjust them to the proper radius. Below you will find all the information you need to setup your guitar the right way. For more information about how to set up a floating or floyd rose bridge please go to the floating or floyd rose bridge page. The non tremolo hardtail bridge.

Setting up a guitar involves working with the bridge nut and neck adjustments to dial in the playing action to suit the player. On an electric guitar this is a matter of twisting the appropriate screws. Adjusting your guitar action and bridge height is one of the most common guitar setup tips that you will learn with this easy and simple guitar setup guide for gibson fender and floyd rose style guitar bridges. Tune your guitar with an electric tuner.

The fender style bridge allows you to adjust each saddle height individually. Use a straightedge for added assurance pictured. Tune the guitar to pitch. Sight the neck please read the beginning of this article for thorough instruction on sighting your guitar s neck.

The bridge elongates or shortens the length of your strings. With the guitar on its side look down the fingerboard edge for overall straightness back bow relief forward bow and humps as well as high or uneven frets. And a locking tremolo such as the american deluxe or floyd rose locking tremolos. A playable guitar that sounds amazing requires a setting up process only then will your guitar play well.

Put the rest of the guitar in standard e a d g b e tuning. Strum the top string next to the tuner and adjust the tuning knobs until it s an e. Remove the truss rod cover. These are the basic steps to setting the action on various styled electric guitar bridges.

This guide serves only if you want a quick action adjustment and presumes your truss rod and nut are set up correctly. On an acoustic guitar you may have to shim or sand the bridge saddle. The most well known bridge is the vintage style synchronized tremolo. The other three are the american series bridge which is a modern day two pivot bridge.

A gibson style bridge has two bridge posts that allow you to adjust only the bass and treble side of the bridge. Look down the profile of the fretboard on both the bass and treble sides of the neck is the neck straight or is there a curve. If it s not adjusted correctly notes down the neck of the guitar will be flat or sharp. First sight the neck just to see what condition it s in.

Tune the guitar to desired pitch. Sight a guitar neck. Stratocaster guitars can have four distinctive types of bridges. Most guitars have either a fender or gibson style bridge.

Because the truss rod will affect the middle of the neck most be sure to pay. Please visit the individual guitar bridge pages for more detailed information about the anatomy of the bridges themselves. I ve been blown away by the improvements in playability and sound clarity that come from minor adjustments to the guitar s setup.