Your preferred set-up

[Adam]

I thought it would be fun to start a set-up thread. Not for advice, but to see how everybody likes their burger.

String guage, neck relief, pup hight, action..

tuning???

Does anyone have a particular scale length or fretboard radius they're partial to?

Do your own set-ups, or pay a pro? (or ARE you a pro?)

[jbird]

I enjoy doing set-ups (the basics), (no nut filing or fretwork), and also provide my services for friends. I'm no pro, been doing it for about four years. On one of my 1st attempts I had a tech measure my set-up as most of it is by sight and feel with me. I could'nt find the sheet, but he said it was a good job. I prefer PRS scale length (25") and radius (10"), and run D'Addario 10's in standard tuning (sometimes dropped D). I think my neck relief sits around .008" relief, 5/64th's string height at 12th fret on bass side to 4/64th's on treble side. Pups around 1/16th w/ strings fretted at 22nd. Like I said, I'm not so much into measurements as I am into looks and feel.

[Adam]

I tend to give in to a little string buzz when playing harder in open positions for lower action and a straighter neck. It never comes through the amp, and if it affects sustain of the low strings on the first two frets, well, I don't play that many first-position chords. :) In truth, I tend to grip really hard with my fretting hand when I'm "digging in" to some blues positions, so lower action keeps me from squeezing the notes sharp.

I use D'Addario 10's and have for years - I used Elixir's for a while, but found them not to last that much longer, and my pick attack chews through the coating on the low E. I tune to standard and drop-D mostly, but for recording sometimes I'll go 1/2 step lower than that. It depends on the singer, usually.

For pickup height, I just get that bridge pup as high as I can without it sounding bad or interfering with the strings, and adjust the neck pup to match.

I've never measured where my set-ups are, but over time I've come to find what works the best for me.

[Big Mike]

I used to be really particular about it when I managed a Music store, a lot of the customers wanted particular measurement etc, so I did it. WSith my own, it is always feel. I never measure. I balence the pups to sound like I want it to, and the strings until they feel right.

I've become quite fond of the PRS scale 25" and the 10" radius. Switching to my Fender or Gibby scaled guitars makes me want to go right back to my PRSi. Course they also sound better, but they just feel great to me.

I have used Ernie Ball Slinky (10's) forever, as they just feel good to me. Occasionally i'll used D'addario if the store is out of EB, but I don't like the feel of them as much.

I can't stand Dean Markley strings, they just feel funny to me, and my body chemistry seems to rot them off the guitar quite quickly.