Quincey P. Morris said:

---

Poker chip or no poker chip on Les Pauls? My Warmoths I went without, but their figuring was absurd. The Epi LP I think might look odd.

---

Yeah, I think on a figured top it looks best without. On my Gold Tops I think they look appropriate. Although, my Eastman has neither the chip nor the pickguard.

The LPs I've gotten with a pickguard, it's the first thing to go. They're just uncomfortable to me. The switch is gonna be replaced at some point in the near future so I'll have it off already at that point to give it a look. There's a part of me that thinks it's almost sac religious to take it off, but I even like this plain top more than additional plastic.

I just love the classic look of a LP with all the plastic on it. I have the pickguard and poker chip on my Standard, but no poker chip and removed pickguard on my Classic.

For me, the beauty of the guitar is not solely the flamed maple top. It is how every single component blends together to make the whole guitar. In my mind, that requires a pickguard and poker chip. It also requires a dark fretboard to be complete, in my book.

Are there LP's without a dark fretboard, or are you talking about guitars in general?

There are plenty with lighter fretboards, these days. My Classic is much lighter than my Standard.

Just ordered SD Alnico II Pro Zebras for the Epi. Adios sh***y stock pickups.

What kind of soldering iron do you guys use? The one I have didn't seem to have enough juice with the last pickup swap I did.

I installed my tremolo but haven't finished the setup. I've got fret buzz like crazy and I've raised saddles a bunch but need to officially check neck relief besides eyeballing it.

Then go through the next steps. And decide if I want to float the trem for maybe a half-step bend up if I want.

Neck relief is an easy check. Capo the first fret and hold down on the last fret of a strat. Check and see the space between the string and the 8th fret. If there's no space, you need to loosen the truss rod. If there is too much space, you need to tighten.

Generally, fret buzz up around the 9th-15th frets will be caused by too much relief. Fret buzz on the lower frets would be not enough relief. There's not really a need to eye ball anything, unless you are eye balling if the neck is twisted or something. I don't measure neck relief. I put enough relief in the neck that the strings don't buzz. It doesn't really matter how much that actually is,

Again, neck relief is something you should always be checking before setting saddle height. I literally put the order down in an earlier post.

If that doesn't fix it, then you are down to buying a straight edge and grinding frets, which is something I've never had to do.

I use this Weller: https://www.amazon.com/Weller-WLC100-40-Watt-Soldering-Station/dp/B000AS28UC/ref=sr_1_11?crid=1DIIWG6MC7H0T&keywords=weller&qid=1656308094&sprefix=weller%2Caps%2C95&sr=8-11&th=1

I used to have a much smaller Weller, but it was always so much of a pain to ground to the back of pots. That is something you need to do as quickly as possible, so high heat is your friend.

You'll also want this for cleaning the tip: https://www.amazon.com/Soldering-Cleaner-Wire-type-Holder-Cleaning/dp/B08SLXMZ8W/ref=sr_1_7?crid=1UF8IL5HFLLKF&keywords=solder+iron+brass+tip+cleaner&qid=1656308194&sprefix=solder+iron+brass+%2Caps%2C92&sr=8-7

Lastly, get some solder wick and 60/40 solder. Make sure you do NOT use leadless solder; leadless solder is ***** Some solder wick is also crappy. I'll post what I use, tomorrow.

DallasTeleAg said:

---

I use this Weller: https://www.amazon.com/Weller-WLC100-40-Watt-Soldering-Station/dp/B000AS28UC/ref=sr_1_11?crid=1DIIWG6MC7H0T&keywords=weller&qid=1656308094&sprefix=weller%2Caps%2C95&sr=8-11&th=1

---

This right here. I have one and endorse it highly.

DallasTeleAg said:

---

Neck relief is an easy check. Capo the first fret and hold down on the last fret of a strat. Check and see the space between the string and the 8th fret. If there's no space, you need to loosen the truss rod. If there is too much space, you need to tighten.

Generally, fret buzz up around the 9th-15th frets will be caused by too much relief. Fret buzz on the lower frets would be not enough relief. There's not really a need to eye ball anything, unless you are eye balling if the neck is twisted or something. I don't measure neck relief. I put enough relief in the neck that the strings don't buzz. It doesn't really matter how much that actually is,

Again, neck relief is something you should always be checking before setting saddle height. I literally put the order down in an earlier post.

If that doesn't fix it, then you are down to buying a straight edge and grinding frets, which is something I've never had to do.

---

Dude, slow down! I just started messing with saddle heights to see how the adjustments worked after I put on the tremolo!

I ran out of time and haven't gone through the rest of the setup process by hope to tonight.

Dan Erlewine's book will guide me along!

Stayed up way too late finishing the setup on my project guitar.

Followed instructions posted earlier and those in Erlewine's book.

I don't have a feeler gauge but did check neck relief at both 7th and 9th frets (saw references to both). It's around .012, or a business card thickness, which is what I used and that height is referenced in the book, although Erlewine says he personally likes less than .012 of neck relief.

Adjusted saddle heights at 17th fret to meet Fender specs. Saddles seem WAY higher than they should have to be. I'll get some photos posted later today.

Adjusted pickup heights to spec. They were too high.

Set intonation. That worked much better than when I got it and it would not intonate. I still need a real tuner and not a Snark headstock tuner for something like intonation.

Didn't do anything with the nut. Maybe it's too high?

And those tuning gears suck. I'll have to ream out the peghead holes to put any decent tuners in, as someone mentioned earlier. The replacements on StewMac for that size hole are not quality.

It's setup. It plays. But the action is now much higher than expected, or at least much higher than when I got it.

These are some great tips!

Feeler gauges are fine and all, but you should always go off feel. Use their numbers as a base point, but adjust to what feels best. If it feels too high, then lower them.

DallasTeleAg said:

---

Feeler gauges are fine and all, but you should always go off feel. Use their numbers as a base point, but adjust to what feels best. If it feels too high, then lower them.

---

I can try that but what about fret buzz? If I get that I have to go back up, yes?

Or fretting out on string bends?

Or increase/decrease the neck relief.

At the end of the day, cheap guitar can equal bad fret job.

DallasTeleAg said:

---

Or increase/decrease the neck relief.

At the end of the day, cheap guitar can equal bad fret job.

---

I agree, that's possible.

Wouldn't it be harder to intonate if that was the case?

Anything can affect anything. These are the little things that start to disappear in nicer guitars. The little nuanced difference in scale length, or fractions of mm on the frets.

Intonation is just the distance between the 12th fret and the bridge. If part of the 9th fret is higher than it should be, needing to be grinded, then it wouldn't affect intonation when checked at the 12th fret.

Neck relief and bridge height go hand in hand, and micro adjustments to both are what I go through to perfect dial in a guitar to exactly how I like it. Once that is setup perfectly, then I set intonation and pickup height.

Also, back the pickups off the strings. Magnetism of the pickups can affect intonation.

DallasTeleAg said:

---

Also, back the pickups off the strings. Magnetism of the pickups can affect intonation.

---

I definitely did that.

A few photos of the process results from last night.

Not liking those saddle heights.
Saddle positions are odd.

Is it normal to have the trem claw so far back? That's where I needed it if I follow the book on having the bottom/back of the trem plate 3/64 off the body.

Also, is there a tip for putting strings on and taking them off? It's a struggle, even backing the claw out a ways.

What's the fretboard radius? The saddles seem flat across, not aligned with the fretboard radius.

DallasTeleAg said:

---

What's the fretboard radius? The saddles seem flat across, not aligned with the fretboard radius.

---

I think it's 9.5" but I need to measure it.

Welcome!

If you need an instructor I can give you a name. He can teach remotely. Otherwise there are tons of free resources online.

I played bass in high school. Didn't play after I got out of a band.

Got a guitar in the late 90's that I didn't do much with and put away for 20 years or more, and started taking lessons last year. It's hard to find time to practice some days because of stupid adult responsibilities.

Having an instructor works for me because I need to be ready to showcase my progress each week. Sometimes I have practiced a lot and progressed. Other times I haven't practiced and straight up tell him "I'm gonna need another week on this".

My instructor also gives good tips I might not get from a video or book. And we talk gear and bands and guitarists which is great.

I think I posted this here before, but I bumped into a guy at GC in the acoustic room one day who was in his 70's or 80's. He grabbed guitar after guitar off the wall seeing how each one played and felt and sounded.

I asked if he needed a pick and he said "No, that's ok". Then proceeded to finger-style play every classic song you could think of.

He asked me to play for him and I told him I was new to guitar and in no position to play in front of anybody. He said "just pick it up every day. It will come to you if you pick it up every day."

He is correct. I sure can tell if I skip a day, and really tell if I skip multiple days.

Just pick it up and go. I'm not ready to play in front of anybody but I am enjoying the process of getting more proficient on the instrument.

Thank you! I'll happily take the info of your instructor. I was planing on utilizing free online resources but I think I would do better in an in-person, or virtual, learning environment where there is some level of accountability. The plan is to pick it up for at least 5 minutes a day and ideally 30 minutes.

Sent you a PM

I could not make it playing more than 15 minutes in the beginning before I got callouses. Now I can go an hour plus but rarely have time for more.

Nice guitar! Enjoy!

DallasTeleAg said:

---

Gratz!

Never put it in its case, and keep it in a room you are in all the time.

---

I took this advice when I first saw this thread and now have two in stands in different rooms.

Yep. If I can reach one of my guitars, I will pick one up all the time. Granted, for me, playing guitar is a very strong impulse. I can't look at my guitars without the urge to pick one up and just smash and A chord, at the very least.

K Bo said:

---

Thank you! I'll happily take the info of your instructor. I was planing on utilizing free online resources but I think I would do better in an in-person, or virtual, learning environment where there is some level of accountability. The plan is to pick it up for at least 5 minutes a day and ideally 30 minutes.

---

Are you in B/CS? I was recommended Tubie Pushee at String and Horns Shop in downtown Bryan from the Aggieland board a couple of years ago and have been going to him once a week ever since. Very cool guy and I walked in for the first lesson not even knowing a single chord or what EADGBE meant.

I wish it was something I picked up as a kid over 30 years ago but it's still fun to me make noise and be able to play some songs in beginner/basic since I've come to the realization I have no talent at all.

DallasTeleAg said:

---

Gratz!

Never put it in its case, and keep it in a room you are in all the time.

---

This x 1000! Been playing for 40 years and dont let that guitar go out of sight, out of mind. And these days it can be the best distraction for mindless conference calls.

It's a good thing I don't [currently] have a case to put it in!