Help for Guitar Students
Why your guitar needs a setup
What exactly is a “setup?” It’s a tune-up for your musical instrument to make sure it’s operating properly and functioning at its best. You should take your guitar to get set up if any of the following conditions is true.
- It’s been more than a year since you last had it set up
- It’s a new instrument and you’ve never had it set up
- It’s a used guitar and you’ve never had it set up
- You are having problems playing it
- There is damage or something seems to be wrong
- Some notes buzz or don’t play at all.
- You feel a “scratchy” feeling while bending strings
When you take your guitar for a setup, find a qualified guitar repair person who can help. The benefits of getting your guitar setup include:
- Spot early warning signs of humidity problems or damage
- Give advice for storing and caring for the instrument
- Ensure the guitar is reliable (think of it like taking your car in for a tune-up)
- Make the guitar easier to play
- Make your guitar feel better and sound better to play
How to find a guitar repair person
Most towns have a store that sells musical instruments and these stores usually do repairs and setups. Be wary of an unqualified guitar repair person.
Educate Yourself
The more you learn about guitars and the setup process, the better you will be at spotting a guitar that needs work and identifying a qualified person to do it.
Check references
Your guitar teacher or any working musician can probably give you a good recommendation. Experienced players know who to trust with their instruments so they should be able to guide you in the right direction.
Professionalism
Basic indicators of professionalism are necessary and you can probably figure out how to spot them. A verifiable business, online reviews, and a real workshop or storefront are all signs that you’re dealing with a professional who can help you.
Get to know their work
Someone who builds and repairs acoustic instruments is going to have more than enough experience to repair your acoustic guitar. Someone who works mostly on amps and electric guitars is not going to have as much relevant experience. Understand what they are experienced in and how capable they are at handling your guitar setup.
Keep your guitar in good shape, and you will be rewarded. Learning to play the guitar is hard enough. The last thing you need to deal with is a guitar that is difficult to play because it’s not set up well. If you are new to the guitar world and the entire process, the first step is to find the right guitar teacher in Philadelphia to not only guide you with lessons to learn how to play but also to guide you in taking care of your instrument and keeping you disciplined with practice.