How I set up my Les Pauls

Рет қаралды 22,318

Күн бұрын

What's up everybody, here's little video on how I typically set up my Les Pauls. It's a five step method that I've used for a long time and it works for me. Even if you don't use any of these, it gets you thinking about the importance of a good tune up for your favorite guitar. I tried my best to film my steps but it proved to be harder than I thought it would be. Thanks again for watching, more to come!
*****I had a really good comment from ‪@johnpratt7452‬ take a look:
"Never seen action height measure from the fretboard itself... I guess it doesn't really make a difference at the end of the day. My only input would be that using that rule of 3/32's won't always be reliable with different fret sizes. Like from a fretless wonder to medium to jumbo... I always aim for 3/64's from the TOP of the frets themselves not the fretboard since this is the actual clearance that you need to avoid buzzing."
Thanks for looking out John! What works for me, may not work for you! His recommendation is the proper way to check btw. I lucked out on mine because my LP frets are all the same***
Timecodes
0:00-Intro
3:12-6:08-Step 1 Relief
6:09-10:27-Step 2 String Change/Clean
10:28-12:23-Step 3 String Height
12:24-13:32-Step 4 Intonation
13:33-14:53-Step 5 Pickup Height
14:54-Recap Outro
Disclaimer: I am not a professional luthier or technician. I enjoy doing this on my own and understand the consequences. If you are uncomfortable, please take it to a tech for a full set up!!

Пікірлер: 107

@paullister7293 3 ай бұрын

My Les Paul has been a dog to play since I bought it in 2019 despite it going to a luthier for a set-up early on. It turned out that the neck relief was way out, but the game changer for me was your permission to not follow Gibson specs for action and pickup height. My guitar now plays like my old Studio (brilliantly) and as good as my collection of PRS guitars, and sounds like a Les Paul should. Thank you.

@NightOwlStvdios 3 ай бұрын

I’m really happy you were able to find a setup that works for you. It took a long time for me to figure that out as well! Once I strayed from factory specs, it just felt better for my playing style! Thank you for watching!

@richardmorgan1588 8 күн бұрын

Loved this video! Very easy to understand. Thanks! Subscribed!

@anglesupremacy123 10 ай бұрын

Very nice video man! Informative and straight to the point🤘🤘🙌🙌

@NightOwlStvdios 10 ай бұрын

Thank you so much for watching! I really appreciate the support, you made my day!

@boogiemorgan 10 ай бұрын

Your setup is vertually the way I have set my Les Paul for many years, it is a great setup method, and I appreciate finding out that someone else used that same setup! Thank you sir and happy playing the wonderful Les Paul, great guitars!😊

@NightOwlStvdios 10 ай бұрын

@boogiemorgan Thank you for watching and it's really nice to know someone else does this the same way! You really made my morning, happy playing!

@boogiemorgan 10 ай бұрын

@@NightOwlStvdios Much deserved my friend, happy playing!

@dogmosatchmo 2 ай бұрын

Ridiculously awesome video. Straight to the point, and very clear. This helped me tremendously. Liked and subscribed!!!!

@NightOwlStvdios 2 ай бұрын

Thank you so much for watching and the kind words! I’m really glad this helped, you made my day!

@THEItchybruddah 9 ай бұрын

Solid data! Picked up a couple tips after years of figuring it out.

@NightOwlStvdios 9 ай бұрын

I really appreciate the comment and the support! I'm really happy some of the tips helped, if you ever need anything else, just let me know! Take care!

@k2rocksstl 10 ай бұрын

AWESOME RD ON THE WALL!!!!!!

@NightOwlStvdios 10 ай бұрын

YES!!! Good eye, I love that guitar. Thanks for watching and noticing that! I just posted a new video about that guitar too, check it out! Thanks again, I appreciate the support

@These_go_to_eleven_1959 10 ай бұрын

Been at guitar since 1980 and my general rule for neck relief is the same as the highest string gauge. IF i am using .009 string as my high E then that is the relief i set on the neck. If i use a .011 string as the high E i give it a little more relief to match that thicker string. This has Worked for me for over 30 years now. Not a rule but a guideline.

@NightOwlStvdios 10 ай бұрын

@Thesegotoeleven1968 love this, thank you for the response! It makes total sense, the higher the string gauge, the more relief you need. It's nice to use the high E as a reference, thank you for the heads up on this!

@These_go_to_eleven_1959 10 ай бұрын

@@NightOwlStvdios You are welcome! Great vid! 👍

@ericrincon545 3 ай бұрын

That makes sense! Do you use the old .009 string as a gauge or still go with feeler gauge? Thanks for the guideline!

@These_go_to_eleven_1959 3 ай бұрын

@@ericrincon545 gauge👍

@These_go_to_eleven_1959 3 ай бұрын

@@ericrincon545 I use a gauge but you do not have to.

@MikeSadlerAU 9 ай бұрын

Nice. Thanks. Simple, specific but also laid back, you actually made me comfortable with attempting a neck relief adjustment on some of my guitafrs that are *close, but just 'not right'*. It's also made me put the cost of a good, long, straight-edge into perspective... I've always seen them as 'a lot of money for a bit of plain steel', but compared to the outcome it enables on a guitar worth $1000 or more (X all your guitars/basses, etc), it's a pittance really. Thanks for the perspective adjustment 🙂

@NightOwlStvdios 9 ай бұрын

Thank you for checking this out as well as the feedback! I'm really glad it made you more comfortable with adjusting your guitar and I was in the same boat you were with the straight edge. I still had good luck with a capo and feeler gauges, but this made life that much easier and accurate. Again, I really appreciate it, happy playing!

@RobRice-so5nv 10 ай бұрын

Glad to see you loosen the strings before cutting. I cringe when I see a video of someone cutting strings at full tension.

@NightOwlStvdios 10 ай бұрын

Good catch! Thank you for watching!

@peterhenderson2193 10 ай бұрын

I bought a new les paul custom and it wouldn't stop buzzing. Brought it the music store and a local shop. Two setups later and no improvement, so I learned how to set it up myself. Turned out there was no relief in the neck. I've seen different videos recommend setting it up completely flat, and I believe the instructional video on the gibson page set it up at .005" relief. I ended up setting it up at .008". Anything less than that and I was getting fret buzz. I put a capo on the first fret, held down the strings where they meet the body and used the music nomad feeler gauge tool to measure at the 8th fret between the top of the fret and bottom of the string. After that my fret buzz was solved. I set the string height at 6/64th on the low E and 4/64th on the high E at the 12th fret, measuring from the top of the fret to the bottom of the string. Works great for my playing. I can hit the strings fairly hard without worrying about buzz. I also found I preferred the pickup height lowered a bit below factory spec. Long short, I'd recommend anyone get a few basic tools and learn how to do a basic setup. Seems there's a bit of variation based on preference that can have a pretty big impact.

@NightOwlStvdios 10 ай бұрын

This is a great comment, thank you for explaining what you did! You found the setup that works for you and you figured out how to do it. I hope that's the biggest takeaway of the video, start to get comfortable setting up your guitars. Thank you again @peterhenderson2193, this is great!! Special shout out to lowering the pickup a little bit, great advice all around!

@allthings1150 10 ай бұрын

Sounds like a description of a high fret (or a worn fret) to me. Relief isn’t necessarily needed on a guitar that is made really good. The angle of the strings i relation to the neck, with the bridge as the contact point should be enough especially on a flatter fretboard.

@mattg3019 10 ай бұрын

The Les Paul Custom thumbnail brought me here then I saw the RD on the wall, I haven't even watched the video yet but I'm a fan. RD custom was my first electric and a standard was my second, absolutely overlooked gems.

@NightOwlStvdios 10 ай бұрын

Thank you for reaching out, I'm glad you saw that! I found out about RD's from another youtuber named Fluff from @riffsandbeards. I'm wrapping up a video paying homage to him about showcasing that guitar. Thank you again for this comment, I love that guitar! Do you still have yours?

@mattg3019 10 ай бұрын

@@NightOwlStvdios Unfortunately life, family, rent and bills forced me to give them up several years ago. I do have a fantastic Gold Top now and I discovered the magic of the Telecaster but I will always pine for those RDs ..... utterly irreplaceable ☹️

@NightOwlStvdios 10 ай бұрын

I completely understand, it hurts to have to get rid of them but I'm glad you still have a Gold Top and a Tele! I'm still stoked that you noticed that guitar, thank you again for reaching out!

@zombies418 10 ай бұрын

So a 50s neck on a 68 reissue is correct. When Gibson returned with the les Paul shape in 68 they were built to 50s spec ish and they didn’t start to stray away until around 1970

@NightOwlStvdios 10 ай бұрын

Thank you for the heads up on this, I really appreciate it! I don't know why I never researched it, but makes way more sense now. I always thought I was a thinner neck kind of guy, but I actually love this 50's neck! Thanks again @zombies418 I love it!

@davedavem 10 ай бұрын

Great video, thanks! I'm gonna try this. My Les Paul has the added complication of an adjustable zero fret nut. I've found luthier's videos where they are slotting a bone nut and try to go by those, but i can just use a small Allen key to adjust it.

@NightOwlStvdios 10 ай бұрын

Thank you for watching!! I’ve never had to mess with a zero fret nut, but that’s another good point! I tried experimenting with an old Epiphone LP nut with moderate results, but that is another part of the setup puzzle! Great comment, and thank you again for checking this out!

@fretboardfatfingers8774 10 ай бұрын

Great video. The only thing I would add is nut lube on every string change to keep that D and G string from pulling sharp at the 2nd fret!

@NightOwlStvdios 10 ай бұрын

Thank you for watching! Excellent comment, I started using “Big Bends Nut Sauce” about 6 months ago and it’s been a game changer! I’ve always had tuning stability issues with LP’s, then I picked up a strat and starting using lube. Best $15 I’ve spent in a while ha ha! Thanks again, I appreciate it!

@Cannonbawlz 10 ай бұрын

Hey! You were great in the transformer movies! 😄

@NightOwlStvdios 10 ай бұрын

Ha ha ha, thank you for watching! It’s not the first time I’ve been told that I look like Megan Fox ha ha

@taz3672 5 ай бұрын

I set my neck relief to 0.010" and my string height to 2mm exact on the low and high E stings. I found 5/64 too low and 3/32 too high. I play the guitar and adjust the pickups to my tastes like you do.

@NightOwlStvdios 5 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching! I’m gonna try the same setup you have and get it low as possible. I love low action, but I’m also a heavy hitter so it’s a balance. I feel you on the pickups, I’ve tried spec, but I like to follow my ears. Thanks again!!

@crazycarpes 6 ай бұрын

good setup! 3/32 is the same as a thin pick 0.9mm that i have... i will try this low... i am using very similar but not too low, i use 1.2mm and 1.5mm with 011 string... i love the feeling os low acting, my limit is to bend on the 15th freat a full bend on the high E and it not choking... maybe my neck radius blocked my trys to get any lower from 1.2mm... good video! thanks for share it!

@NightOwlStvdios 6 ай бұрын

Thank you for checking this out! I love that you check it on the 15th, that’s the first bend I go to as well!! I also love low action but I find these LP’s are the only ones I can get that low, based on the frets for sure. The only other guitar I can get that low is the Novo. Great comment, thank you again!

@crazycarpes 6 ай бұрын

@@NightOwlStvdios very true! I always know for me the les pauls are the best ones in playability... my giby has more relief in low E side than high E... i put a reliwf of 0.06" on high and the low E stays at 0.08"... in the beginning i thought that was bad and wrong but now i guess it makes sense cause it alows to put a action like yours 0.09".... this actipon plus thw relief gives me what i need and free space for strings runs free

@NightOwlStvdios 6 ай бұрын

I love your comment, I think I was stuck on what Gibson’s setup was, and the “right” way to do things. But it’s also player’s preference and what works for me may work for you! It might not work for others, but I love a really low action and I can only really achieve that with my LPs. For whatever reason they just work well with my hands ha ha! Thank you again!

@bottomkitchen250 10 ай бұрын

Pure nickel strings are the way to go. I think they sound the best. I'm surprised that i don't hear about more people using them.

@NightOwlStvdios 10 ай бұрын

Great comment, and thanks for watching!! I love these throbak pure nickels, the feel and attack are really good. After using these for the better part of 2 years, I don't think I'll change any time soon. Thanks again!

@reghunt2487 10 ай бұрын

02:43 I usually look at both sides. Sometimes you will see a different amount of bow on each side. In some cases you might see a ripple.

@NightOwlStvdios 10 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching! Great point as well, my ‘78 LP looks worse on the left than the right and my RD looks great on the right but slight twist on the left. Again, great comment, thank you!

@jerrygill931 6 ай бұрын

12th and 17th for intonation works well.

@NightOwlStvdios 6 ай бұрын

Thank you for checking it out, great comment!

@Hagstrom4ever 10 ай бұрын

Considering you measure te action in the middle of the fretboard and not on the fret, 3£32" shold be fine and not too high. I usually set mine on 1.3 mm on treble side and 1.7 on bass side, Same relief and it sound sooo good. there's something magic on Customs, I've ever used 11.52, 12s and 11-48 but 10-46 are perfect for me in standard tuning or with low E dropped.

@NightOwlStvdios 10 ай бұрын

I appreciate the tip, that makes total sense! I went through the same issue of string gauge sizes. I was stuck on 11-52 for a while, then back to 10-46 for about 5 years. Then recently I settled on this in between 9.5 size! Either way, I'm glad you found the size that works for you. And, I agree, I love these Customs! Thank you again for watching!

@jamesnorton7601 10 ай бұрын

3/32 is low. Most likely wont work for me, but touch comes into play with everyone. Great video

@NightOwlStvdios 10 ай бұрын

Thanks for checking this out! There was a lot of good perspective in the comments including your own. This measurement works for me, but style, fret sizes and strings may not yield the same results for everyone! Thanks again, I appreciate it!

@jamesnorton7601 10 ай бұрын

I know. A slow as you can without buzzing is the goal if you want fast playability.@@NightOwlStvdios

@robraaiii 10 ай бұрын

I’m the opposite, I’m perfectly comfortable cranking, filing and polishing away. However I SHOULD be leaving it to the professionals. At least I buy budget $200-$400. I won a Fender American Ultra w/Roller nut and S1 switch in a KZfaq drawing. Thank goodness it came to me perfectly set-up😅

@NightOwlStvdios 10 ай бұрын

Congrats on winning that Ultra!! I like your style, I was definitely timid for a while then started practicing on an old epiphone I had. After I screwed that up a few times, then I tried it on the Gibson and it worked a lot better ha ha. Thanks for watching and the comment!!

@robraaiii 10 ай бұрын

@@NightOwlStvdios oh man, I’m still careful just picking up a real Gibson. It will be SOME time before I come after one like that. I like the guitar content bud. Sub-ing rn. 🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻

@NightOwlStvdios 10 ай бұрын

@@robraaiii Thanks man, I really appreciate the support!

@johnpratt7452 10 ай бұрын

Never seen action height measure from the fretboard itself... I guess it doesn't really make a difference at the end of the day. My only input would be that using that rule of 3/32's won't always be reliable with different fret sizes. Like from a fretless wonder to medium to jumbo... I always aim for 3/64's from the TOP of the frets themselves not the fretboard since this is the actual clearance that you need to avoid buzzing.

@NightOwlStvdios 10 ай бұрын

You raise a very good point! It works for me because all of my Les Pauls have the same size frets, but won't work for others. I really appreciate this response, it makes total sense! I'll be sure to add this to the description. Thanks John!

@johnpratt7452 10 ай бұрын

@@NightOwlStvdios Cool cool. Good video brotha. I have a gold hardware '68 reissue from '03 myself... hence why I clicked on the video. Always looking to pickup more tips!

@NightOwlStvdios 10 ай бұрын

I love it man, thank you! I initially loved my hardware, but would love to change it to gold ha ha. Thanks again John!

@johnpratt7452 10 ай бұрын

@@NightOwlStvdios Unfortunately, to swap to GENUINE Gibson hardware (or at least tone pros for bridge/tailpiece, Grover tuners, and Gibson Classic plus gold pickups) you're out probably 6-$700!!! Not to mention the trouble of finding gold replacements of all the tiny screws for pickup rings etc Gibson doesn't sell lol

@NightOwlStvdios 10 ай бұрын

That would be ironic, I can get the parts except for the screws ha ha! And you know I would pine over it if I didn't have the actual parts. You are right, I'll keep it as is.....maybe use your post as a bargaining tool to get another one with gold ha ha! Thanks again @johnpratt7452, I appreciate it man!

@frostedhead 10 ай бұрын

Doing a setup is subjective. Some people like high action some people like low action. As long as your strings don't buzz and the intonation is fine you're alright.

@NightOwlStvdios 10 ай бұрын

That’s a great point, thanks for watching! There’s definitely personal preference that comes into play. Just because I like it low doesn’t mean others do. If it feels good to you, run with it! Great comment, thanks again!

@07blackdog 10 ай бұрын

What make is that tuner? Great video.

@NightOwlStvdios 10 ай бұрын

Thank you for watching and the support!! That tuner is actually from my Axe Fx III! If I’m using a real amp, I’ll use a TC Polytune. Thanks again!

@howardwheeler7788 6 ай бұрын

How to straightened a les Paul guitar neck

@NightOwlStvdios 6 ай бұрын

Thank you for watching!

@MiguelMakesMusic 10 ай бұрын

what is the philosophy behind measuring the action from the fretboard and not the frets? I have never seen this done before. genuinely curious :)

@NightOwlStvdios 10 ай бұрын

Thank you for asking and checking out the video! It's a measurement that works for my Les Pauls since my frets are all the same heights. The same technique doesn't work on my strats since those frets are a little taller! The right way to measure it is from the frets themselves, but for my particular setup, it's a quick way for me to measure and seems to work well for me. That was a good question, thank you!

@JP-uy9kq 9 ай бұрын

What is a good way to clean the chrome pickup covers and bridge?

@NightOwlStvdios 9 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching and asking! I’ve tried standard car rim metal polish with some nice towels and took my time, but nowadays if I use any cleaner I use MusicNomad silver polish with a toothbrush or a q-tip on hardware and take a look at Gorgomyte fret cleaner for frets! Sounds weird but works great!

@JP-uy9kq 9 ай бұрын

thanks for taking the time to reply.@@NightOwlStvdios

@Hrledood911 9 ай бұрын

Honest question, why add string D, High E and the rest of way you did em?

@NightOwlStvdios 9 ай бұрын

Thank you for reaching out!! Was that for putting the strings on or for the height setup?!! I’d love to clarify as best I can!

@Hrledood911 9 ай бұрын

It was for the order you put the strings back on

@NightOwlStvdios 9 ай бұрын

Got it! To be honest, it’s just the way I’ve done it for years, you can go 6th to 1st as well. I think it’s more of a comfort thing, I like the idea of spreading the tension out, which is probably more of a mental thing than actual fact if that makes sense. I hope that answers your question?!

@Hrledood911 9 ай бұрын

@@NightOwlStvdios I kinda figured you did for tension but thought I'd ask. Thanks

@ericlebeau1604 10 ай бұрын

Why do you measure action from the fretboard instead of the top of the fret? That will be inconsistant from guitar to guitar depending on fret height. On a given guitar, it should work but from one to another not.

@NightOwlStvdios 10 ай бұрын

You are right, the proper way is on the fret itself. It works out for me because all of my LPs have the same fret height. I have to go higher on my strat style guitars as well since they are taller frets. Thank you for watching, great comment!

@howardwheeler7788 6 ай бұрын

How is a neck straight on a les Paul electric guitar

@NightOwlStvdios 6 ай бұрын

Thank you for watching!

@joeking433 10 ай бұрын

Perfectly flat is fine.

@NightOwlStvdios 10 ай бұрын

Thank you for checking this out, I really appreciate the feedback and setup tip! Take care

@joeking433 10 ай бұрын

@@NightOwlStvdios Yeah, it's well known that a perfectly flat neck is fine. I have an aluminum neck that is perfectly flat and it's great even with low action, no buzzes.

@jimjim7008 10 ай бұрын

Why you refuse to show the headstock throughout the video?

@NightOwlStvdios 10 ай бұрын

I’m gonna be totally honest, it’s because I’m not very good at filming yet ha ha. I’ve got a really small workspace so I try to keep it compact, I’ll try to get better at filming the whole guitar, thank you for the comment and the support!

@jimjim7008 10 ай бұрын

@@NightOwlStvdios I was just wondering thanks for your honest response and good luck with you channel

@NightOwlStvdios 10 ай бұрын

I really appreciate it, thanks again for the support! I feel like I owe it to all of you to be as authentic as possible. I actually really like your comment because it helps me think about ways I can improve, so thank you again! Take care

@Sailor92 5 ай бұрын

whats wrong with the nails bro?

@NightOwlStvdios 5 ай бұрын

Ha ha, good catch on that. They’re bad looking from a distance….zoomed in even worse. Thanks for making my day

@rayfabris2512 10 ай бұрын

thank you

@NightOwlStvdios 10 ай бұрын

Thank you for watching!

@rayfabris2512 10 ай бұрын

@@NightOwlStvdios I bought my 1st Gibson les paul 2 years ago and love it thanks for your video

@NightOwlStvdios 10 ай бұрын

@@rayfabris2512 Congrats on the Les Paul!!! Thank you so much for the support, I love these guitars and I'm glad you were able to get one! If you ever need any help just let me know!

@rayfabris2512 10 ай бұрын

thank you and I will 👍