If you have an acoustic guitar and it doesn’t play properly for you as a musician, and you would like your instrument to work properly, it is very important that the setup be performed by a pro.

If the gap between the strings and the frets (called the “action”) is set correctly, the instrument will be easy to play, and you will practice and perform better. If the strings are too close, they will rattle against the metal frets when they’re played and the guitar will sound horrible. If the strings are too far from the frets, the player will have to push down much harder on the strings, which will make the guitar uncomfortable to play. Even an expensive guitar can be set up incorrectly from the factory. When the action is wrong, it can often bend the notes out of tune.

To get the correct gap between the strings and the frets all the way along the guitar’s neck, a professional will make several fine adjustments, all relative to each other, and they must be made in the correct order. These kinds of adjustments are known as the “setup.” To set up an acoustic guitar properly requires specialty tools, accurate measurements, and expert knowledge – so it needs to be done by an experienced guitar technician.

Remember that wood is a volatile material that expands when it’s wet and contracts when it’s dry. Most acoustic guitars are made of several different species of wood, with different densities and grain patterns, and they have different degrees of reaction to moisture. If the humidity of the environment the guitar is stored in changes dramatically at any point, it can have a noticeable effect on the setup.

Frequently, instruments that moved to our dry mountain environment from other places need special attention, and the changes do not happen overnight because frequently the wood takes months to outgas the moisture. There are some steps that will help.

Because the tension of the strings and the truss rod in the neck can cause the geometry of the guitar to move around, even if the temperature and humidity are kept constant, having a professional look your guitar over, even if only once a year, is a great idea.

Frequently, the major problem with a set up is the neck angle. The angle where the neck joins the body should be that of a straight line from the top of the frets to the top of the bridge. If you’re off a tiny bit, you can compensate with an adjustment to the saddle, but beyond a certain point, this will be more of a problem. The goal of the neck set is to ensure the angle of the fretboard, and hence, the strings will end up at the right height at the bridge. There are many manufacturers who will still sell an instrument with a problem like this. My only advice is not to buy one.

The height of the strings after clearing the nut is the main component in determining the feel of your action. We only begin adjusting the action at the nut after you have completed all of the other steps. It is adjusted by removing material with a set of fine diamond files, and requires a lot of experience to get the clearance correct for different musicians.

Please bring your instrument in to see your professional luthier to review your requirements and have the correct set up done for your playing style.

Doug Armitage is owner of Brightwood Music in Nederland. Brightwood Music is located at 20 E. Lakeview Drive, Unit 109, in the Caribou Village Shopping Center. They can be reached at 303-258-8863, email at doug.brightwood@gmail.com or check out their Facebook page at @BrightwoodMusic