last set up ever.

[paco123]

I was wondering if it is possible to ever have one last set up. Once the neck is adjusted, the nut and saddle set and with the guitar stored at in a consistant humidified enviroment, what other than string tension over the years would require this constant need to go have the guitar set up. This becomes a seasonal thing. If the string tension is reduced (bridge doctor?) should that not help eliminate any neck or bridge issues due from string tension. Just wondering as I have too much time on my hands and tired of watching my Blue Bombers(CFL) lose.

[jgwoods]

If you remove most all of the variables- heat, and humidity mostly, you might be able to set it up one last time and be done until the string tension finally changes things enough to merit another round. As much as anything else it depends on how picky you are because unless you store it in a vault it will experience seasonal variation in a regular household type of controlled environment with a humidifier etc. I'm happy with fairly high action and in 50 years of playing have never had any guitar I ever owned "set up" I have sanded down some bridges myself, recut nut grooves to suit me, and fiddled with truss rods on rare occasions. More than anything else I watch the humidity and watch the action go down in the early winter as the guitars dry out. When they get to the perfect action I stick them in the case for 3 days with damp sponges in baggies with holes punched in them and that will stabilize them . In the early summer the action goes back up.

If you think its a problem with guitars you should see the effects of humidity on carved top mandolins, they move all the time. Banjos- nothing bothers them.

[onewilyfool]

I guess if you have an all carbon fiber guitar, you could possibly say this.....but I think it is wishful thinking....

[TommyK]

Do what my SIL did with her weddin' dress.

 

After paying over $1K for a white satin gown, worn once, the cleaners will for the nominal fee of $200.00 clean, press, fold, box up and hermetically seal it in said box for posterity. However... the warranty states that it becomes null and void, should the seal ever be broken.

 

Blood 'ell, they could fold up Uncle Fester's great coat in the box and no one would ever know until her grand daughter asked to wear grammy's weddin' dress. :blink:

 

Bottom line, to avoid further set-ups, have the guitar immediately sealed in plastic, box it up, seal the box and hide it away in a vault.

 

Guitar set-ups are like wheel alignments. They are a fact of automobile ownership. Ignoring these will lead to unwanted consequences.