GuidesSetup
Setting up your guitar for the first time
Nirvana Workshop·
A new instrument is set up to survive shipping, not to be played. Twenty minutes of adjustment makes the difference between a guitar you fight and one you forget about.
Relief before action
Truss rod first. If the neck is bowed, every action adjustment you make afterwards is measuring the wrong thing.
Action
Lower is easier to play but buzzes sooner. Aim for the lowest height that stays clean when you dig in, not the lowest number you have read about.
Intonation last
Only adjust the saddles once relief and action are settled — they both move the string length.
When to hand it over
If a truss rod is tight, seized, or you are unsure how much to turn it, stop. Over-tightening is one of the few adjustments that can write off a neck.
