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Copyright © 2014, 2015 2016 Alloy Instruments, Inc.
Alloy Instruments Inc. disclaims all liability, including infringement on proprietary rights, relating to the use of the information in this document. No license, express or implied, by estoppal or otherwise, to any intellectual property rights is granted herein.
This material is protected under copyright and trade secret protections.
Revision Number Release Date
1.0
1.1
1 November 2014
Comments
Initial release
10 December 2015 Updated for new model
* Third-part brands and names are property of their respective owners.
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1.0
Welcome and Introduction
Thanks and congratulations on your purchase of an Alloy Guitars Kit!
We believe that after you build your first kit, you will be hooked! We hope that you will come back to us for future kits - perhaps a different model, or a “fancier” kit with better components - or just to try a different finishing technique.
1.1.
Contacting Us
You can contact us by phone, email, on the web, or postal mail:
Alloy Guitars
10940 SW Barnes Rd. #252
Portland, OR 97225
888-214-8314
www.alloyguitars.com
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2.0
Prepare for assembly.
Get a cup of coffee. Have a snack. Assembling a guitar is a process that takes time, patience, and thought.
It is not to be rushed. You will want to cherish this instrument for years to come, so go slow and be patient.
The assembly process is broken into the following sections:
• Unpacking and Parts Review
• Finishing
• Assembly
• Final Setup
Let’s get started. Open the box.
Figure 1 Box Contents
2.1.
Unpack
Gently take out and unwrap the body and neck. Remove all the hardware and spread on a towel or large work cloth.
• Inspect the neck and body for any shipping damage.
• The neck should be smooth and ready for final sanding and finishing.
• The body should be ready for finish sanding and either sealing, staining, or painting. You will have to do finish work on the body and neck. That is half the fun of assembling your own guitar. Make it your own!!)
Identify all the hardware components. Please see the photos below, but note that some of these photos may differ slightly from the components that you received depending on the specific model that you purchased.
1.Body
2.Neck
3.Pickguard with mounting screws
4.Control plate wired with volume, tone control, and switch
5.Bridge and Neck Pickups
6.Strings
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7.Bridge and screws x 4
8.Tuning Machines (Body, post, washer, screw) x 6
9.Neck Plate, 4 Screws
10.Output Jack and Plate with 4 screws
11.String ferrules x 6 (Platinum model only)
12.Strap Pins (Pin, Screw, Washer) x 2
13.String Retainer Trees (Trees, Screws, Sleeves) x 2 (Note: sleeves are different heights.)
14.Screws
15.Allen Wenches (1 Small, 1 Medium)
16.Fretboard Radius Gauge
17.Alloy Guitars Pick!
If anything is missing or not correct, please contact our customer service department ASAP!
(www.AlloyGuitars.com, 888-214-8314, [email protected])
Figure 2 Body and Neck Figure 3 Pickguard
Figure 4 Strings
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Figure 5 String Retainers
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Figure 6 Neck (top) and Bridge (bottom)
Pickups
Figure 7 Neck Plate w/ Screws
Figure 8 Wired Control Plate Figure 9 Tuning Machines
Figure 10 Output Jack and Plate Figure 11 Strap Pins
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Figure 12 Screws
Figure 13 Allen Wrenches Figure 14 Alloy Pick!
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2.2.
Tools Needed
We do everything we can to make building your guitar straight-forward. Besides the materials to finish the guitar (paint, stain, sealant, etc.) you shouldn’t need anything else that most people don’t already have in their garages (such as a soldering iron, or saws). Nor do you need to do any exacting measurements that might make it difficult to get a high quality instrument. You do, however, need a short list of tools and supplies:
• #1 Phillips Screwdriver (small)
• #2 Phillips Screwdriver (medium)
• Short metal ruler (6”) with 1/32” markings
• Painters or Masking Tape
• Wood Finishing Materials
• Bar soap or wax candle
• Large towel or work cloth (big enough to lay a guitar on)
• 10mm socket wrench for tuning machines
• 1/16” drill bit and drill (only for installing the string trees, which may not be required)
• String Radius Gauge (provided with kit)
• Allen wrenches for truss rod and bridge adjustments (provided with kit)
Additionally, you will be much happier and the setup steps detailed belove will be much easier to perform if you have the following:
• a capo
• a chromatic electronic tuner
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Figure 15 Tools
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3.0
Finish
Before you assemble your guitar, we suggest you complete all finishing of the wood components.
Otherwise, you will need to disassemble the guitar before finishing it.
Now... we know that most of you will want to assemble your guitar right out of the box and worry about finishing it later. And this is OK! Just reverse all the steps in the instructions which follow carefully.
Weather you are going to oil to natural color, stain, paint, or attempt that 3 color sunburst you saw at the guitar shop, in the end it should be what you want. Our only suggestion is to not bite off more than you can chew; if this is your first instrument, don’t try to do a fancy 6 layer sunburst finish with custom color tone mixing. Rather, start simple and plan on doing more instruments in the future. Things only get better with time and practice.
And we know from personal experience: building the first guitar only makes you want to build another one.
You better start working on your spouse now. There are going to be a lot of guitars in your house.
There are many books, articles, videos, and web sites dedicated to different ways to finish a guitar. Additionally, there are a large number of places to buy finishing materials. Here are a suggestions for places to start:
We suggest that you clean out screw holes with each layer of finish that you do. This will make it much easier to find the holes!
Books:
• Guitar Finishing Step-by-Step by Dan Erlewine. Dan is the primary guy at Stewart MacDonald. He has been a guitar tech for decades and is a good teacher, too.
( http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0977651908 )
• Understanding Wood Finishing by Bob Flexner. This is truly a deep dive into the art and science of finishing wood. Great book! http://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Wood-Finishing-HC-
Woodworker/dp/1565235487
Supplies:
• Stewart MacDonald. http://www.stewmac.com
A great source for tools and finishing supplies.
• Shellac.net. A good supply of different finishes, including Behlen’s line: http://www.shellac.net/ stringed_Instrument_finishes.html
• Wudtone. UK company, but they ship internationally. http://www.wudtone.com/
Online:
• Search for “guitar finishing” on youtube.com. There are hundreds of videos to watch.
And lastly, be safe. A few warnings:
• Many finishing products are flammable and can produce noxious fumes. Always work in well ventilated areas away from sources of ignition. Wear appropriate mask and respirator gear!
• Sanding, polishing and steel wool can produce large quantities of fine dust. You don’t want to be breathing this material. Wear appropriate mask and respirator gear!
• Both finishing (spraying or wiping coats) and sanding/buffing can make a real mess. Make sure you are working in an area that can handle the fumes, dust, spills and overspray without forcing you to sleep on the couch!
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4.0
Assembly
Once your guitar body and neck have the look you desire and is
COMPLETELY dry, it is time for final assembly. Waiting is tough, but fingerprints in that otherwise perfect finish can be hard to live with. And please be extra patient. Even after finishes are dry to the touch, they still
“High Scratch Risk Zones!” ahead. The last thing you want to do is scratch the surface of your beautiful guitar. You will see “High Scratch Risk zone!” notations in the remaining instructions. We recommend placing painters tape on your guitar in several areas to reduce the chance of damage caused by screw slips, screwdriver gouges, and the like. Go slow, be patient!
need time to cure. If you mount hardware, pickguards, tuners, etc. too early, they will stick to the uncured finish and potentially and damage the finish. Waiting is hard!
4.1.
Warnings
Though we aren’t handling explosives here, there are places that you can get hurt and we need to give you a few warnings and suggestions.
• TAKE YOUR TIME!
• As mentioned earlier, you need to protect your eyes and lungs while doing any of this work - in particular when doing sanding and finishing.
Always think first. Don’t hurt yourself, or your guitar. Gouges in your wood grain will not heal. Measure twice, cut once. If you don’t have experience using the tools or techniques needed for assembly, please seek help from someone who does.
• Warning - Follow directions for any finishing products. Some of these materials are toxic, produce noxious fumes or are flammable. Use in well ventilated areas and away from sources of ignition.
• You should always wear safety glasses while working on your guitar kit. These protective glasses should meet the appropriate standards of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).
• We assume that you have basic skills in working with hand tools - screwdrivers, pliers, Allen wrenches, drills and the like. We assume that you are familiar with the safe operation and use of the various tools and techniques described in this document. If you are not qualified to do these operations, then you need to stop building your guitar kit for your own safety.
4.2.
Controls Assembly
If you received a fully wired guitar kit from us, there isn’t any work to do here - the pickups, volume and tone control, and output jack are wired with snap together connectors. If you received your kit unwired, you will need to prepare the pickguard, pickups, and controls, including soldering all the connectors. The rest of this manual assumes that this is all completed.
4.3.
Clear All Screw Holes
It is important to clear all the screw holes prior to assembly. It can be difficult to screw through tough and durable sealants, such as polyurethane. Additionally, it will be difficult to get everything lined up in the correct locations. The best way to clear screw holes by hand with a very small drill bit (1/16”).
• On the headstock:
• 6 small holes for tuner mounting (very small! don’t make them too big)
• On front of body:
• Pickguard mounting holes
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• 2 Control Plate mounting holes
• 4 bridge mounting holes
• On the back of the body
• 4 neck mounting holes
• On the side of the body
• 4 jack plate mount holes
• 2 strap button holes
4.4.
Install The Tuning Machines
There are four parts to each tuner: the tuner itself, a threaded barrel, a washer, and a small screw.
• Insert the tuner closest to the neck from behind the head stock. (Figure 16)
• Place the washer over the top of the tuner, then insert the barrel into the hole around the tuner. (Figure
17)
• Align the tuner screw hole with the hole in the back of the headstock.
• Hand tighten the barrel so it stays in place.
• Repeat for the other five tuners.
•
Place a piece of painters tape along the bottom of the tuners to protect the headstock. (Figure 18)
• Carefully install the screws into each of the tuner screw holes.
You may want to rub the screws on the soap bar to make them easier to drive into the solid maple neck.
Caution: Take your Time! Hold the screwdriver firmly in the screw as you turn.
Caution: Do not over tighten. It is very easy to strip the heads of these small screws - or break them off entirely!
• Tighten each of the barrels on the front of the neck until the tuner is firmly in place using a 10mm socket wrench. If you have deep sockets use them so you have no risk of scratching the tops of the
• Twist each of the tuners to ensure it turns smoothly.
• Remove the protective tape from the back of the neck and remove any film from the back of the tuners.
Figure 16 1st Tuner
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Figure 17 Washer and Barrel
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Figure 18 Painters tape and screws installed Figure 19 Tuner with wrench
4.5.
Install The Strap Buttons
This is a very easy step in the process, but definitely in the High Scratch Risk Zone!. Go slow, and be patient.
• Locate the two button holes on the body. One on the end, and one on the top horn. Ensure the holes are clear of paint and sealer. Use 1/16” bit to clear carefully by hand if needed. Do Not Enlarge the holes! They are quite small but need to be snug for the tuner screws!
• Place painters tape around both holes to protect around them. (Figure 20, Figure 21)
• Assemble the button, screw and washer. The washer goes between the button and the body. (Figure
22)
• Place the guitar vertically and screw the button into the horn.
• Just before the button is tight against the body, remove the tape.
• Final tighten carefully by hand. Do not over tighten!
• Repeat for the second button, again removing the tape when the screws is almost in.
• Hand tighten the second button. Do not over tighten!
Figure 20 Horn hole w/ Tape Figure 21 Bottom hole w/ tape Figure 22 Button assembly
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4.6.
Install The Neck
Neck screws are big and long and can be difficult to drive, even with pilot holes. To make it easier, rub the screw threads on the soap or candle to add a little non-oil based lubricant.
Start with the body resting on a sturdy, flat, soft surface.
•LOOK AT AND UNDERSTAND THE PICTURES. The neck should only be inserted from the top, not from the end. The neck widens as you approach the end, so it does not fit into the front of the slot. (Figure 24)
•Attempting to insert the neck from the end can result in damaging the body and/or neck. (Figure 23) DO NOT
DO THIS!!!!
• Ensure the neck sits flat and against the body. The fit will be snug but not tight.
Troubleshooting!
• If the neck does not fit flat against the body, remove and ensure the neck slot is clean and free of debris. Ensure the neck is clean and free of debris and finish.
• If the neck does not fit into the slot, check the clearance on each side. Sometimes light sanding is required on the neck to place into the slot. The fit is very snug by design and wood can expand and contract depending on weather conditions.
• If the neck is not fitting , check both the neck and body for any raised grain areas, extra paint or gloss. (Finish coats may be thicker than you think!)
• Using #320 or #400 sandpaper, remove any excess finish that is affecting the neck fit. DO NOT
OVERSAND! FIT SHOULD BE SNUG!
• Once the neck is in place, gently turn the guitar over
• and lay on its face. Be sure to hold the neck and body together firmly while you turn the guitar over.
You don’t want to twist the neck as this can damage the neck or body.
• Place the neck plate (with the countersunk holes
facing up) on the neck and align the 4 holes. (Figure
DO NOT USE A POWERSCREWDRIVER!
This is where caring and patience really count! DO NOT
USE A POWER SCREWDRIVER!
If using an electric screw driver to install the body screws, stop well before the end of the screw.
Complete the install by hand with a good, well fitting screwdriver.
• Screw in one of the 4 body screws into one of the two holes closest to the end of the next. Do not tightened
• it all the way leaving room for the plate to move a bit.
Screw in the remaining screws. Leave them a tiny bit
Rub the screw threads on the soap or candle to add a little wax. This will help them go in much more smoothly.
• When all the screws are in, verify that the plate is aligned well for all of the holes in the plate. At this point, you can continue the tightening of the screws. All of the screws should be tightened enough to hold the body and neck together snug, but they should not be completely tightened down.
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• Turn guitar over and place on its back.
Figure 23 The WRONG WAY to insert the neck Figure 24 The correct way!
Figure 25 Neck plate in place Figure 26 Neck Screws Nearly Tight
4.7.
Install The Jack Plate
The Jack plate goes in now so that the wires are accessible when installing the control plate.
• Feed the wires (which are attached to a connector) through the hole in the jack pocket into the control
cavity. (Figure 27 and Figure 28)
• Place the Jack Plate onto the body and align the four screw holes.
• This is a High Scratch Risk zone! Place painters tape on the body around the jack plate sides. There is
no functional use for the tape. It is there to protect the finish.(Figure 29)
• Using a good fitting screwdriver, screw the plate onto body, careful not to over tighten, damage the screw heads, or stripping the hole. These screws are very small. Make sure that your screwdriver fits properly!
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• Remove any tape used to protect the finish.
Figure 27 Wire feed for Jack Figure 28 Wire Fed Through Figure 29 Protective tape
4.8.
Install The Neck Pickup
The neck pickup is attached to the pickguard before the pickguard is screwed down onto the body.
•
Insert the two screws through the pickguard and put the two springs on them. (Figure 30)
•
Place the pickup so that the screws align with the holes and screw them partially in. (Figure 31).
We will set the pickup to the correct height later.
Figure 30 Neck pickup screws and springs Figure 31
4.9.
Install The Bridge Pickup
The bridge pickup is attached to the bridge plate before the bridge is screwed down onto the body.
•
Insert the three screws through the pickguard and put the three springs on them. (Figure 30). This
requires a bit of hand gymnastics to happen. Just take your time and you’ll get it!
•
Place the pickup so that the screws align with the holes and screw them partially in. (Figure 31).
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We will set the pickup to the correct height later.
Figure 32 screws and springs loaded before placing bridge pickup in place
4.10.
Install The Pickguard
All the electrical connections come together!
• Ensure all the pickguard mounting holes in the body are open and clean.
• Bring the pickguard close to the body.
•
• Insert the front of the pickguard under the neck and work the pickup and wire into the pickup pocket.
• Finish inserting all wires and controls into the body so the pickguard rests flat against the body and aligns with the neck. (Figure 35)
• Note: It may take a few tries to get all the wires and connectors to fit. Be patient, reroute wires as needed.
• Slide the pickguard into the body from the bottom and slide it under the overhanging fretboard. See
• Carefully screw in screws to hold the pickguard down. Do not over tighten! A bit of soap on the screw
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threads may help make this easier.
Figure 33 Neck Pickup Output Wire into hole...
Figure 34 ..and through to control cavity
Figure 35 Slide top of pickguard toward neck...
Figure 36 Until it is set under the fingerboard
Troubleshooting!
• If the components will not slide easily into the body, or the pickguard will not sit flat, lift the pickguard slightly and ensure that the wires for the pickup are fitting nicely around and under the pickup. If necessary, pull a bit more of the wire through into the control cavity.
• You may have to rearrange the wires several times to get them into body. It can be a tight fit. Be patient and don’t force the pickguard down as this can bend components and break wires.
4.11.
Place The Control Plate
In this step, we will attach as much of the electronics as we can, and temporarily put the control plate in place while we install the bridge. This is definitely in the High Scratch Risk Zone!. Go slow, and be patient.
•
41)
•
Attach the output cable to the appropriate connector on the control plate. (Figure 39)
•
• Pass the ground wire through the hole from the pickup cavity to the spot on the top of the body. It will
be under the bridge (Figure 44).
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• Set the control plate into the control cavity. We will finish installing it in a few minutes.
Figure 37 Neck Pickup connector Figure 38 Bridge Pickup Connector
Figure 39 Output wires Figure 40 Ground wire
Figure 41 Neck Pickup attached Figure 42 Output wires attached
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Figure 43 Passing the ground wire out of the control cavity into the pickup pocket
Figure 44 ... and out under the bridge
4.12.
Install The Bridge
Now we will install the bridge to the body. The bridge already has the bridge pickup mounted.
•
Pass the bridge pickup output wire into the control cavity. (Figure 45)
• Make sure that the ground wire is extending onto the body surface so that the wire will make contact with the underside of the bridge.
• Carefully set the bridge onto the body in approximately the correct place.
• Lift the control plate and make sure that the wire from the bridge pickup is coming through.
•
• Set the (now fully wired) control plate into the control cavity. We will finish installing it in a few minutes.
• Make sure that the ground wire is on the body surface under the bridge where it will make contact with the bridge.
•
Align the bridge’s four mounting holes to the four predrilled holes in the body. (Figure 47)
• Carefully screw the bridge onto the body by driving screws in the outside holes on the bridge. Do NOT tighten these screws tight onto the body. Tighten the screws until just before they seat into the bridge.
• Assure that all four of the screws line up well with the bridge holes and tighten them down. DO NOT
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OVERTIGHTEN!.
Figure 45 Bridge pickup wire routing Figure 46 Connecting the bridge pickup
Figure 47 Bridge aligned with Holes Figure 48 Screws partially tightened
4.13.
Install The Control Plate
This is definitely in the High Scratch Risk Zone!. Go slow, and be patient.
• The control plate is now fully wired with two pickups connected, the output jack connected and the ground line running under the bridge.
• Make sure that the control plate sits flush on the body and the holes align
• You may need to gently lift the place and rearrange the wires slightly to get everything to sit properly.
• Place painters tape around the end of the control plate to protect the finish when you do the next step.
• Screw in the two screws to hold the plate down. Do Not Overtighten!!
• Remove the painter’s tape.
4.14.
Neck Fine Alignment
At this point, the major components are assembled and the overall alignment can be completed.
• String the high E and low E strings. They don’t need to be up to pitch - rather, we will use the taut
• Now look at the distance from each of the strings to the edge of the neck and measure with a ruler slid
under the strings. Compare these two distances. (Figure 50)
• The distances should be very close to the same. If adjustment is needed, lightly tap on the tuner head of the guitar with you hand to adjust the neck alignment. If the neck won’t move with a gentle nudge,
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you may need to loosen the neck mount screws slightly and try again. If you can’t get good alignment after loosening the screws a bit, please see below.
• Once the alignment is set, gently turn the guitar over and tighten the screws in the neck plate. Tighten these by hand! A power screwdriver is likely to over tighten and/or damage the screws!
• Turn the guitar back and check the alignment again.
• At this point the neck and the bridge are set.
Figure 49 Line to check alignment Figure 50 String to edge distance matches
Troubleshooting!
• If the neck will not align, gently remove the screws and lift the neck out if the neck pocket.
• Inspect both the neck and body for excess paint or sealer that may be affecting the fit.
• Remove any unwanted material with #320 or #400 grit sand paper.
• If you are still having alignment problems, please contact us!
4.15.
Install Strings And Tune
Finally!! We are getting closer to making some music!
• Finish stringing up the guitar and tune it!
• As there are several to go about this, and a video is worth more than a thousand words, here are a few of our favorite videos on how to string an electric guitar:
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHgSSzpsxuw (John Carruthers).
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIfP3v-bxwE (Gary Brawer)
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CtqfHmssx8 (The Fender way.)
• If your kit came with locking tuners, there are great videos on Youtube teaching you how to string instruments with this style of tuner.
• Tune the strings as close to correct as possible at this time. This puts the proper tension on them as we do the remainder of the setup.
• If you do not have some type of electronic tuner, it is highly recommended that you get one. This will
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make tuning much easier and accurate. There are also lots of tuning apps for phones. Search your app store and you will find one for free.
4.16.
Install The String Trees (or not!)
String trees are used to change the angle at which a string passes over the nut. If this angle is too low, the string may buzz, or may jump out of the slot on the nut during play. Many guitars have string trees on the
1 st
, 2 nd
, 3 rd
, and 4 th
strings, though in some cases they are not needed. String trees mount to the tuner head of the neck and hold the strings at a steep downward angle as they come off the nut. This keep the strings seated in the string slot, and aids in proper sustain and tone.
Note that we do not drill the hole for installing the string trees. Depending on your playing style, there are cases where you would not want to do so. Hence installation of the string trees will requires a small drill bit and drill.
• Identify the string tree parts for assembly: Two screws, two binders, and two spacer barrels. The barrels are different lengths; the shorter barrel is for the 1 st and 2 nd
• Loosen the 1 st
through 4 th
strings on the guitar until you can press them against the neck. (Figure 57)
FIXME!!
• Place a piece of painters tape onto both sides of the second tuning tree on the head of the guitar.
• The tree for the 3 rd
and 4 th
string attaches just before the second tuner. (The tree for the 1 st
and 2 nd strings should already be attached just after the second tuner.)
• Using a small ruler measure 2 3/8” from the nut between the 3 rd
and 4 th
strings and mark on the painters tape. (Figure 53)
• Place the binder on top of the 3 rd
and 4 th
strings and center the hole above the marked line.
• While looking straight down on the head of the neck, look through the hole in the binder and mark the
center line between the strings across the 2 3/8” line. (Figure 55)
• Remove the binders and check your markings. The goal is to place the string trees at the proper
distance from the nut and centers between the strings the hold. (Figure 56)
• Loosen the 3 rd
and 4 th
strings on the guitar until you can press them against the neck. (Figure 57)
• Using a 1/16” drill bit, drill a 3/8” deep hole in the neck according to the marking you created above.
• This is a High Scratch Risk zone!! Leave the tape on the headstock while working to avoid any unwanted scratches or dings.
• Note: Mark the 3/8” depth on your bit before drilling to ensure proper depth without drilling through
• Screw the trees into neck with the binders and spacers on the screw.
• You should be using the longer spacer for the 3 rd
/4 th
string tree.
• Do not over tighten! These are small screws and very small screw holes that may strip or break if you tighten too much.
•
Peel the tape off just before completely tightening the screws. (Figure 59)
• Tighten the screws until just snug, careful not to strip the holes.
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• Retune the strings, placing the appropriate strings under each string tree.
Figure 51 String Tree Parts Figure 52 Tape on headstock
Figure 53 Measure 2 1/4” and 3 1/4”
Figure 54 Hole Over 3 rd
and 4 th
strings Figure 55 Hole Over 1 st
and 2 nd
strings
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Figure 56 Tree Hole Locations Marked Figure 57 Strings Loosened
Figure 58 Tape on drill and neck thickness Figure 59 String Trees almost tight
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5.0
Final Setup
At this point your guitar is assembled and is ‘whole string’ tuned. Go ahead, play it a little, finally! You will probably notice that it plays OK, but you may want to adjust various parts of the setup for your playing and to improve tuning. To improve the sound and playability of the instrument, there are a variety of important adjustments that need to be done:
• Truss rod adjustment.
• Set the String Height
• Set the Intonation
• Set the Pickup height.
This instruction manual provides only the most basic procedures. We suggest that you buy a copy of Dan
Erlewine’s Guitar Player Repair Guide.
5.1.
Adjust The Truss Rod
The truss rod controls the bow, or curve, of the neck. The truss is pre-checked at the factory and should not need adjustment to have a playable instrument. However, depending on your playing style and level of experience you may want to adjust the neck curve using the truss rod. This sets the foundation for several other pieces, it is good to double check.
This is an advanced procedure.
If you aren’t sure - then don’t do it! You probably won’t “break” your guitar, but you may need some professional help to get things adjusted properly if you make mistakes here!
• Place a capo on the between the nut and first fret. If you do not have a capo you will need an extra set of hands for this section.
• Place the guitar in playing position. Gravity does play a part in the curvature of the neck!
• On the 6 th
string, hold down the string at the last (highest) fret.
• Check the height of the string at the 7 th
fret using a good ruler with 1/32 markings. The string should be just off of the fret. The target height is 1/64”, or the thickness of a business card, or very thin guitar pick.
• Space too great means the truss rod needs to be tightened, to pull back the neck.
• Space too small means the truss rod needs to be loosened, to release the neck.
• If the rod needs to be adjusted, follow these steps:
• Insert the Allen wrench into the hole at the top of the neck
• Turn the wrench 1/8 - ¼ of a turn at most at any time.
• Turning the wrench clockwise tightens the rod (Righty-tighty!), pulling the headstock back (and lowering the strings).
• Turning the wrench counterclockwise loosens the rod (Lefty-loosey!) allowing hte headstock to move forward under string tension (and raising the strings).
• Re-check the string height.
• On guitars with the adjusting nut on the body end, you will need to remove the neck to adjust the truss rod. This can be tedious but is worth the effort!
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• Here are a few videos on this processes:
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHHepmTX3So (John Carruthers).
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4j3QryKIXrc
• There are many other videos and guides on the web.
5.2.
Set the String Height
The string action or string height is the distance that the strings are above the frets while at rest. In the end, this is a matter of player preference. Light players tend to prefer a low action, while those that love to thrash or play hard, tend to prefer a higher action.
Setting string height is complicated by the fact that the fingerboard is curved - and hence each string is set to a different height.
• Retune all strings.
• The standard string height for these guitars is 4/64”, or 1/16”. Start there for your guitar setup and adjust later as you become more experienced with your guitar and your playing style.
• Place a capo between the nut and 1 st
fret.
• With the guitar laying flat, place the end of a metal ruler on the 17 th
fret (Where the neck meets the body), against the 6 th
(Low E) string and measure the distance from the top of the fret to the bottom of
• The height should be 1/16”. (or ~1.5mm).
• To adjust the height of an individual string, use the small Allen wrench to adjust the two screws on the
saddle of the bridge. (Figure 61)
• Turn each screw ½ turn or less up or down, depending on the adjustment needed.
• Note that on some T-style bridges, the saddles are for two strings each. On some of these saddles, you will b able to make the saddle tilt - making one string higher than the other. You can use this feature to get the proper height on the adjacent strings.
• Check the height again.
• Adjust as needed, moving ½ turn or less each adjustment.
• Here you have a choice of techniques to use: (1) adjust all strings using a ruler to measure height, or
(2) adjust the 1 st
and 6 th
strings using the ruler and then use the (supplied) radius gauge to adjust the middle 4 strings.
• For whichever technique you choose, set the height of all six strings.
• Remove the capo
• Retune all strings.
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• Play a little, see how it feels. If OK, move to next step, if not readjust the string height.
Figure 60 6 th
String at 1/16”
Figure 61 Adjusting saddle screw
Figure 62 1 st
String Adjusted
5.3.
Adjust the Intonation
The guitar is a funny instrument. There is an assumption that the frets being perpendicular to all strings will produce the correct changes in pitch even though the strings are different gauges and the tension on the strings varies depending on which fret is being depressed. The physical properties cause tuning difficulties across the fretboard and along its length. For example a string can be perfectly in tune when played open
(e.g., an open D) but play slightly flat or sharp when the D one octave higher is played at the 12 th
fret. We call the ability to play in tune across all possible notes that the instrument can produce “intonation”.
In this section, we are going to adjust the intonation of your new guitar.
There have been some high-tech attempts to work around this limitation, including special nuts and different fanned fret layouts. Your guitar doesn’t have any of these fancy elements to adjust intonation.
However, like all standard electric guitars, your instrument allow adjustment of individual string lengths by changing the positioning of the six bridge saddles independently (or in the case of some fixed vintagestyled bridges in groups of two). Using this technique, we can correct many of the issues with out of tune notes across the length of the fretboard.
• If you don’t have an electronic tuner, you should go out and buy one. Be sure that it is fully chromatic, both for this intonation work and for more general usage.
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• Tuning is critical here. Check the tuning of each string.
• Starting with the 6 th
string, pick the string and check the tuning for “E” note.
• Hold the 12 th
fret and pick the 6 th
string again. The tuning should be an “E” note one octave higher than the open string.
• The relative pitch between the two notes is adjusted by moving the bridge saddle for that string.
• If the note played at the 12 th
fret is flat, the string needs to be shortened.
• If the note played at the 12 th
fret is sharp, the string needs to be lengthened.
• Place a good, small screwdriver in the screw at the back of the saddle, and tighten or loosen the screw
½ turn at most to adjust the string length. You may want to detune the string a bit before adjustment to make it easier for the saddle to move. (Figure 63)
• After each adjustment to the saddle, retune the string.
• Test the open note and the note at the 12 th
fret again.
• Adjust again, tune again, test again...
• Note: This can be a very tedious process, but once it is done, you should not have to do it again. Go slow, be patient.
• After each string is completed, check all previous strings.
• Repeat for all strings.
• There are a variety of other techniques to do this intonation adjustment, including using the harmonic at the 12th fret and the note fretted at the 12th fret (which should be the exact same fundamental note). Search Youtube for many videos demonstrating this technique.
Figure 63 Adjusting the Bridge saddle
5.4.
Adjust the Nut Height
This is the point in the setup process where one would normally adjust the nut for height, angle and slot width, according to player preferences.
Adjusting the nut height is a complicated process that generally requires tools that you likely won’t have on hand. For this reason, we do not detail it here. The nuts that we provide are already slotted and shaped and should provide a well playing instrument when all of the other setup steps detailed here are completed.
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If you feel that your nut needs to be adjusted, we suggest taking the instrument to a qualified guitar technician to have the work completed.
5.5.
Set Pickup Height
Pickup height is easy to adjust. There are screws on the sides of the pickups which raise and lower the pickup.
• Press the 6th string (low E) down at the last fret.
• Set the distance from the top of the pickup (i.e., the top of the magnets) to the string to 1/8”.
• Press the 1st string (high E) down at the last fret.
• Set the distance from the top of the pickup (i.e., the top of the magnets) to the string to 3/32”.
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6.0
The End
Your guitar is finished. Play it like you mean it.
Please share your experience with us by providing any comments, corrections, or suggestions at www.alloyguitars.com
.
We would love to share our customer’s success stories. Please send us pictures of your completed instruments to [email protected]
.
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