Guitar setups in Charleston, SC

Setups start at $85 for an electric and $95 for an acoustic. Strings are included, and if anything shifts in the next 6 months, bring the guitar back and the adjustment is free.

Adam does every setup himself. Most are finished within 5 to 7 business days.

Truss rod adjustment being made through the soundhole of an Eastman acoustic guitar — A truss rod adjustment on a 2015 Eastman E20 OO. Correcting the neck brought the action down without touching the saddle.

What a setup covers

Truss rod adjustment
Action and intonation
Pickup height
Nut slot check
Fretboard cleaning
Fret polish
New strings

Setup prices

Setups

Acoustic setup Truss rod, action, intonation, saddle $95

Electric, fixed bridge Truss rod, action, intonation, pickup height $85

Electric, standard tremolo Floating bridge, Tune-o-matic $90

Electric, locking tremolo Floyd Rose, 12-string, 6-string bass $100

Adjustments for 6 months If anything shifts after your setup, bring it back Free

Nut and saddle

New bone nut Hand cut and fitted to the instrument; $140 for 12-string $100

Lower string action at the nut $70 with nut shim $55

Bone saddle upgrade Radiused and compensated for intonation $100

Prices are labor estimates. Parts are quoted separately unless noted, and complex or vintage instruments may need an in-person quote. Working and gigging musicians get 10% off labor, so just mention it.

It starts with an inspection

Adam looks the guitar over before reaching for the truss rod, because a buzz or high action can come from several places. String height, neck relief, nut slots, saddle height, fret condition, humidity and a single loose fret can all be the cause.

An Alvarez came in buzzing and feeling off, and the problem was a loose 13th fret. Raising the action might have quieted the buzz, but the guitar would have been harder to play and the fret would still be loose. Adam fixed the fret first, then lowered the action by about 1.7 mm.

An Eastman E20 OO came in with action high enough to hurt its owner’s hands. The saddle looked like the obvious fix, but it did not need lowering. The neck had too much relief, and correcting that brought the strings back down.

Bring a guitar you love

There is no one perfect setup. A light player may want very low action, a heavy strummer needs more clearance, and fingerstyle players may want something else again. If you have a guitar that feels right, bring it along. The Alvarez owner brought his favorite Taylor, Adam measured it, and those numbers became the target.

When a guitar is due for one

These changes happen slowly enough that you can adapt without noticing. Watch for:

Action that has crept up
Buzzing, or notes that choke
Tuning that will not hold
Intonation that has drifted
A guitar that has started to hurt your hands
Sharp fret ends or raised inlays on an acoustic, which can mean it has been too dry

A truss rod is a normal adjustment point, not a last resort. One Gibson SG reissue came in with finish still on the truss-rod nut, so the rod had apparently never been used. A careful adjustment brought the relief to about 0.004 inch and the action came in right without chasing buzzes.

For acoustics, Adam suggests keeping relative humidity around 45% to 55%. A small digital hygrometer takes out the guesswork, because a room that feels fine to you can still be too dry for the guitar.

Adam did a great job with my Taylor. Quick turn around. Bought it years ago and never had it set up. He lowered the action and it plays like a dream! Highly recommend!
Adam Becker, Google review