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Factory Set up


JoeM17

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There is virtually no possible way a factory setup can be:

1. Proper for the environmental conditions wherever the retail sales occurs, or end user lives.. and

2. Perfect for each and every players personal tastes.

 

A setup is a very personal thing, dependent on string choice, playing style, temp/humidity, etc. Your retailer should have offered you a free setup when you bought the guitar.....OR, you should learn to do your own setups. There is no one who is going to know exactly how you want your guitar to play except YOU.

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There is virtually no possible way a factory setup can be:

1. Proper for the environmental conditions wherever the retail sales occurs, or end user lives.. and

2. Perfect for each and every players personal tastes.

 

A setup is a very personal thing, dependent on string choice, playing style, temp/humidity, etc. Your retailer should have offered you a free setup when you bought the guitar.....OR, you should learn to do your own setups. There is no one who is going to know exactly how you want your guitar to play except YOU.

 

 

Yes Larry I should have figured that out myself. I just started to pick up a few more Gibsons, it's been a while since I bought a new one.

Thanks

-Joe

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Hello guys! The setup on my 50's Tribute was not so good from factory and on the ones too that were in the shop at the same time. Sticking nut, very high action. The Classic Custom came with perfect setup. Anyways, I take all my guitars to a luthier twice a year (as seasons change between cold and warm) and let Him setup everything as I prefer them! One more thought on this: a friend of mine picked up a 60's Tribute SG, and it was just as "badly" set up (very high action) as my LP Studio - but He felt it right. Proper setup is a very subjective thing. Of course thats only true for action: sticking nut and neck relief, intonation isn't. But these things needs regular attention, so I would not make an issue out of how these instrument come from factory. Cheers... Bence

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I figured they knew what they were doing and left it alone.

 

Seriously, mine was fine from the start. I might have lowered the action a bit. But things can happen on the way to the store with the temp and climate and shaking around in a truck. And as was said, set up is personal.

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I suppose that what has been said about settings in this post is completely true.

1) Setting is without any doubt a matter of personal preference

2) Surely it is a routine job that should be done once in a while (I usually at least take a look at the bridge height every time I change the strings).

 

Another thing is talking about guitar coming out from the factory with bad fret jobs or unproper frets polish.

 

OVOHM

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I'm not buying into the temperature, environment, shipping, travel etc.. changing a guitar's setup that drastically. I has some effect but not the horrible neck. poorly cut nuts and fret work I have seen on many new LPs.

 

I too have run into way too many poorly set up Gibson LPs. The Classic Custom is an exception. If Gibson can produce the Classic Customs with great set ups and workmanship, why not the same for the Studios, Standards, etc.. Brings to mind PRS USA and Korean are spot on), there guitars are almost always flawless in quality and set ups. Taylor and Martins too.

 

Whatever division at the Gibson factory is building the Classic Customs should share their processes with their fellow workers. I have yet to see a bad Classic Custom, I have played 4 of them and own the wine colored one, all were flawless.

 

This badly cut nut, high action, poorly cut frets and blemishes nonsense needs to stop.

 

Aside: I love my Gibsons, I am just a conerned for Gibson if they keep producing and shipping poor quality electrics. Got no problems with their acoustics.

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I am the archetype lucky bunny <_<

 

Having purchased several Gibsons from shops and over the inter whatsit

 

Whenever I have dealt with a shop they have explained that the guitar is 'as delivered'

 

And offered adjustments to suit

 

Invariably I have left things as they are and been totally satisfied...

 

V

 

:-({|=

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It all depends on where you live. When they leave the factory, they are likely setup correctly. Once they fly on a plane, sit in a warehouse, and possibly got to another region of the world etc...

 

Cast in point. The weather in the Midwest has been unseasonably warm. I usually don't have to re-setup my guitars for the season change until April. Had to adjust all of my necks last night, as all of the truss rods and necks had moved with the warm weather.

 

2 US Fenders

2 Gibsons

 

The problem as I see it, most music shops don't stay on top of the setups on their guitars. And, lets face it, when you have 100+ different guitars sitting on the wall, checking and maintaining the setup on a guitar inventory could be a full time job for 1-2 people.

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It all depends on where you live. When they leave the factory, they are likely setup correctly. Once they fly on a plane, sit in a warehouse, and possibly got to another region of the world etc...

 

Cast in point. The weather in the Midwest has been unseasonably warm. I usually don't have to re-setup my guitars for the season change until April. Had to adjust all of my necks last night, as all of the truss rods and necks had moved with the warm weather.

 

2 US Fenders

2 Gibsons

 

The problem as I see it, most music shops don't stay on top of the setups on their guitars. And, lets face it, when you have 100+ different guitars sitting on the wall, checking and maintaining the setup on a guitar inventory could be a full time job for 1-2 people.

 

Still deosn't explain why PRs can deliver guitars from halfway around the world in perfect condition and setups, same for Taylors and Martin (acoustics)

 

In regard to temperature changes, I keep my guitars between 65 and 75 F and 40% to 60% year around in one room, never had to do a trussrod or any kind of adjustment. heck my tele hadn't been picked up in a month and was in perfect tune.

 

Oh and BTW Fender quality has really gotten better, I goto Sam Ash, GC or Mom and Pop stores and see really nice fret work and set up on the new Fenders. I can't say the same for Gibsons.

 

The problem is with the Gibson factory and QC, hell i have seen GC staff open up boxes with brand new Gibson LPs and over half were in need of Nut and Fret wotk and action adjsutment.

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I have never expected a guitar to be perfectly set up new. How could Gibson, or anybody else for that matter, guess how I like my guitar set up.

I consider the set-up to be just another part of the new guitar experience. Considering that my home is only a couple hundred miles from Gibson's plant, I can't comment on how environmental issued affect the guitar, but I can see how that's completely possible.

Now, there are quality issues that Gibson needs to deal with, but they are probably doing their set-ups just good enough to be sure that the product is generally playable.

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I mentioned this before in another thread. I bought a goldtop Studio 60's Tribute back in October at a Guitar Center. I had to have them tighten the truss rod whle I was there, just to be able to play it. I brought it home and tightened it a little more, lowered the action a little, and then also had to adjust the intonation of a few strings. Played great. Then a couple weeks ago, I noticed the intonation was out again. Sure enough, the truss rod needed tghtening again.

 

I attribute this to the incredibly low humidity here in New Mexico (13% today). I believe the fingerboard is just drying out. Not entirely Gibson's fault. I don't really expect them to age their rosewood down to complete dryness before they build an $800 guitar with it. Even my vintage instruments needed adjustments from time to time after I came here. And I tinker with these things on my own forever anyway. I once had Wayne Charvel do some fretwork on one of my Strats, and then I still did minor tweaks to the action after I got it back from him.

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Still deosn't explain why PRs can deliver guitars from halfway around the world in perfect condition and setups, same for Taylors and Martin (acoustics)

 

In regard to temperature changes, I keep my guitars between 65 and 75 F and 40% to 60% year around in one room, never had to do a trussrod or any kind of adjustment. heck my tele hadn't been picked up in a month and was in perfect tune.

 

Oh and BTW Fender quality has really gotten better, I goto Sam Ash, GC or Mom and Pop stores and see really nice fret work and set up on the new Fenders. I can't say the same for Gibsons.

 

The problem is with the Gibson factory and QC, hell i have seen GC staff open up boxes with brand new Gibson LPs and over half were in need of Nut and Fret wotk and action adjsutment.

 

You keep your guitars in a controlled environment. You just answered your own argument.

 

Wood and metal move with season changes. This is commonly KNOWN SCIENTIFIC FACT.

 

I am constantly taking my guitars in and out of the house for lessons, and band practice, gigs etc.

 

I have played MANY US PRS's that were in dire need of a setup and trussrod adjustment. Not a good argument.

 

I also just played a US Highway one Strat that was in desperate need of fret end filing due to them hanging off the fretboard.

 

I'm out on this thread.

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Gibson also is probably turning out more axes now than 30 years ago therefore less time per guitar on set ups, They probably have a standard procedure they make employees go by to put out 40 axes a day. I saw a post for setting up guitars for gibson at their emplyment opprotunities and that is what was required for the job.......40 guitars a day. Now I am sorry but the way I set up a guitar I just would not make the cut. As far as I am concerned........it is the gibson dealer who is at fault (IMO) not gibson. I have not seen a good set up guitar hanging on a rack in a while(except for one store recently)....I too have my case candy check list and even though it was marked and initialed does not mean he did what he was supposed to do. It is a shame because it seems everyone is lazy or they hire people who just do not care or don't know how to set up a guitar the right way. Tim

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