DIY: How to Set Up a Fender Stratocaster Page 1 of 10

DIY: How to Set Up a Fender Stratocaster

John LeVan
October 8, 2012

Recently, one of my clients brought in an

American-made 1990 Fender Strat hot-rodded
with a custom pickguard, Fender-branded
Schaller locking tuners, a set of Lindy Fralin
single-coils, and a passive, 16-step ToneStyler
tone pot. It was a workhorse guitarand it was
in desperate need of a custom setup.

Most guitars come from the store with a generic

factory setup. Many players are satisfied with
this, but the key to having a great guitar is to
personalize the setup for your specific needs.
This includes a number of details, including
optimizing the instrument for your preferred
string gauges, tweaking the action for your
fretting and picking style, and if the guitar has a
tremolo system, getting it to respond correctly
to your wang-bar technique.

Strats can be tricky to set up, because many of

the adjustments are interactive. In other words,
when you change one element, it can affect
others. In large part, this is due to the tremolo
system. The trick is to approach the steps in a
logical sequence, and in this article Ill explain
exactly how to do this. Although your string
gauges, action, and trem response may differ Photos by Ariel Ellis
from those described here, the step-by-step
process and the tools and techniques apply to virtually all Strat-style guitars equipped with a
standard, nonlocking tremolo system and three single-coils.

So settle in for a good read as I take you through the process of setting up a Strat to play like a
dreamyour dream.

Project Overview
Structurally, the Corona-built Strat on my bench was in excellent condition, but my client had
several special requests. First, he wanted to tune the guitar down a whole-step. Low to high, thats
DGCFAD. [This is often referred to as D standard. For a detailed explanation of this
tuning, visit premierguitar.com and read the guest Tuning Up column in the December 2011
issue.]

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To accommodate this dropped tuning, the owner specified a hybrid string set gauged .012, .016,
.019, .032, .044, and .056. As with a typical .010 set, the bottom three strings are wound and the
top three are plain. He arrived at these particular gauges by studying Ernie Ball, DAddario, and
GHS sets that were either considered jazz medium gauge or designed for dropped tunings. So, if
youre considering tuning one of your solidbody electrics to D standard, these gauges are a good
starting point.

He also asked for a floating tremolo, meaning he wanted to lower and raise the pitch of his strings
to add gentle vibrato to chords, intervals, and single notes. He wasnt concerned about raising the
pitch any more than, say, a quarter-tonejust enough to create a shimmer. But in his initial
attempts to set up this guitar himself, he ran into tuning issues caused by the trem not returning to
pitch. As well discover in a moment, there was a reason for this. Fortunately, I was able to fix the
problem, but it required some ingenuity.

Preliminary Survey
Before I grab any tools, I always ask my clients several questions about their technique. After Ive
completed repairs or modifications, this background info helps me dial-in the custom setup. For
example, Ill ask: What tuning do you use? What styles of music do you play? What gauge strings
do you use? How hard do you pick and strum, and do you play with a light, medium, or heavy
fretting-hand touch? Do you use a flatpick? If so, what size and thickness? If you play fingerstyle,
do you attack the strings with your nails, fingerpicks, or fingertips? Do you use a capo?

In this case, the owner had already answered the tuning and string questions, but the answers he
gave to the other questions helped guide me through each stage of the setup process.

Evaluate the Guitar

The owner had already installed fresh strings, so after my initial survey I tuned it to DGCFA
D and began taking measurements. This information serves as a baseline for subsequent
adjustments and also helps pinpoint any problems.

Here are the four primary measurements you want to take. Write these measurements down, so
you can refer to them at any time during the setup process:

Action at the 12th fret

Neck relief
Action at the 1st fret
Intonation

Lets go through these procedures, one at a time.

Step 1
Measure the Action

1. Tune the guitar. Usually thats standard E tuning, but as weve discussed, for this setup it was a
whole-step below that.

2. Clamp a capo on top ofnot behindthe 1st fret (Photo 1). This creates a zero fret and
temporarily removes the nut from the action equation, allowing you to initially focus on neck
relief (the amount of forward or backward bowing in the neck itself ) and bridge and saddle
height.

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3. Use a string action gauge (available from stewmac.com) or precision metal ruler to individually
measure the string height at the 12th fret (Photo 2) for all six strings. The distance youre
measuring lies between the bottom of the string and top of the fret.

1. Before measuring action and neck relief, clamp a capo over the 1st fret. This temporarily removes the nut from the action equation. 2.
Using a string action gauge to measure the action at the 12th fret.

On this Strat, the distance from the 1st string to the 12th fret was 6/64", and the 6th-string gap was
also 6/64". This is very high action!

Step 2
Measure Neck Relief

Its important to determine if the neck has forward (concave) or backward (convex) bow. Along
with saddle height, neck relief also affects the guitars action. Heres the process:

1. With the capo still clamped on top of the 1st fret, hold down the 6th string at the last fret.

2. Using your action gauge or metal ruler, measure the greatest distance between the bottom of the
6th string and the top of the frets. The largest gap typically occurs somewhere between the 7th and
9th fretsessentially in the middle of the neck.

3. Measure the relief at the 1st string.

On this Strat, the relief was .022"a little more than necessary.

Step 3
Measure Action at the 1st Fret

Playability is also affected by how high the strings sit in their nut slots. The guitar feels stiff when
the strings are too high. Conversely, if they sit too low, youll get a buzz when you play the open
strings.

1. Remove the capo and measure the distance

between the bottom of the 1st string and the top
of the 1st fret (Photo 3).

2. Repeat the process for all six strings. When

the guitar is set up properly, the gap should
incrementally increase from the 1st to the 6th

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string to accommodate their progressively

thicker gauges.

At the 1st fret, I measured a 2/64" gap between

the fret and string, and for the 6th string, the
gap was just over 2/64". Again, this is rather
high, especially on the treble strings. Overall,
this meant I needed to slightly tighten the truss
rod (i.e., turn it clockwise) to reduce neck
relief, lower the bridge saddles, and re-cut the
slots in the string nut.

While taking these preliminary measurements, I

noticed that the custom pickguard butted up
against the tremolo base plate. This prevented
the tremolo from moving smoothly when
tipping forward to slacken the strings. When
the trem arm was depressed, the base plate
would get hung up on the pickguardthats 3. Measuring the distance between the bottom of the 1st string and the
top of the 1st fret.
what was causing the tuning issues the client
was having with the trem! Before proceeding, I made a note that Id have to trim the pickguard
before completing the setup.

Armed with the information gathered in the previous steps, now were ready to begin the process
of adjusting the action.

Step 4
Adjust the Truss Rod

With the guitar strung to the clients specs and tuned to D standard, I was ready to tackle the neck
relief.

1. Locate the correct tool for your guitars truss rod (the size and type of nut can vary according to
Strat model, year, and manufacturing origin) and insert it into the truss-rod nut (Photo 4).

2. Adjust the truss rod. Turn the wrench clockwise to tighten the rod and reduce forward bowing,
or counterclockwise to loosen the rod and reduce back bow. Go slowly, making very small
adjustments (1/8 to 1/4 a turn at a time). Check the results each time you move the rodand be
patient.

By tightening the truss rod, I reduced relief from .022" to .015". This was the proper amount of
relief for the owners playing style. Any less relief and the strings would be likely to rattle against
the frets.

Earlier, I mentioned that the custom pickguard was obstructing the tremolo (Photo 5). This is one
of those little surprises that can and will occur with any guitar. To allow the trem to tilt forward,
there needs to be a small space between the trem base plate and pickguard. To create this
clearance, I determined that the guard had to be trimmed by about 1/8".

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The process involved removing the pickguard (Photo 6), examining the plastic to see where it was
contacting the trem (Photo 7), using a mechanical pencil to mark the material I wanted to remove
(Photo 8), and carefully scraping away the unwanted plastic with a precision tool (Photo 9).

For this type of job, I use stainless-steel scraper blades (available from stewmac.com) that are
designed to smooth plastic bindings and contour wood surfaces. Scraping takes time and a lot of
patience. If youre not confident in your ability to do this, consult an expert. Even with more than
25 years of experience, it still took me three tries to get it right. Ultimately, I was satisfied that
there was sufficient space between the base plate and guard to allow the trem to tilt forward freely
(Photo 10).

4. When tightening or loosening the truss rod to control neck relief, go slowly and make very small adjustments. 5. Because its butting up
against the tremolo base plate, the custom pickguard is obstructing trem action and needs to be removed and trimmed. 6. To prevent a
screwdriver from slipping out of the screw head and scratching the finish, use your free hand to guide and secure its tip. 7. If you look
closely, youll see two indentations at the edge of the pickguard where it was pressing against the trem posts. 8. Using a mechanical pencil
to mark about 1/8" of material to remove from the pickguard. 9. Scraping the pickguard to create a space between it and the trem
assembly. 10. Now the trem can tilt forward without hitting the pickguard.

Step 5
Adjust the Tremolo Spring Tension

Now its time to adjust the trem unit. I noticed the tremolo claw held five springs, and their
tension was holding the bridge base flush to the body. Before going any further, I needed to adjust
the springs and claw to allow the trem assembly to float. Heres the process:

1. Tune the guitar to pitch, then check the tremolo base plate to see if its floating, flush against
the body, or lifting up too much at the rear.

2. Turn the guitar over and rest it on a soft surface, such as a towel. Remove the trem cavity cover.

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3. Using a medium Phillips screwdriver, equally adjust the two screws holding the claw to the
guitar body (Photo 11). Loosen the claw to create more float on the tremolo. Tighten the screws
to pull the tremolo closer to the body.

Always retune after every adjustment and check your progress frequently. This process is very
painstaking and will require at least several attempts to get the trem adjusted parallel to the body
with the tension the way you like it.

I removed two springs from the claw and re-aligned the two outside springs to attach toward the
center of the claw. After adjusting the claw several timesand always retuning whenever I
tightened or loosened the springsI finally got the tremolo floating parallel to the body with just
enough clearance to pull the tremolo up a bit and raise the pitch slightly, as the owner requested
(Photo 12).

11. Adjusting the spring tension to allow the tremolo to float parallel to the body. 12. A floating trem has sufficient clearance from the body
to both lower and slightly raise string pitch.

Step 6
Adjust Basic Bridge Height

Once the trem base plate was parallel to the

body, my next task was to adjust the overall
bridge height by raising or lowering the two
screws located on either side of the bridge
(Photo 13). Note: Vintage Strats or vintage-
style reissues use six screws, rather than the
modern two-post system, but the principle of
adjusting the bridge height remains the same.

1. Tune the guitar to pitch. Then using the

appropriate screwdriver (this will be a Phillips
or flathead, depending on the model), adjust the
bridge plate to provide enough clearance to
operate the tremolo.

This is a balancing act: In the next step, youll

adjust the six saddles to set the action. But if
you raise the bridge too high at this point, even
with the saddles set flush against the plate, the
13. Adjusting the overall height of the bridge to allow the trem to
move up and down, while also providing enough leeway to fine-tune
string action by raising or lowering the individual saddles.

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Strat wont be playable. But if the plate is too low, the trem will hit the body as you gently raise
the strings pitch. The trick is to find the sweet spot that allows a floating trem and gives you
ample room to raise or lower the saddles to get the action the way you like it.

2. After adjusting the bridge height, retune the guitar and inspect the tremolo to determine if it
needs more adjustmentit probably will. Again, the goal is to keep the trem parallel to the body.
Tightening the springs pulls the trem tail down toward the body, loosening them allows the tail to
lift up.

Step 7
Adjust Saddle Height

Next, set the action by adjusting the height of the saddles. Saddle screws can vary, so use the
wrench that came with your guitar. For this Strat, I used a .050" hex key.

1. Tune the guitar to pitch.

2. Place a capo on top of the 1st fret.

3. Measure the action at the 12th fret using an action gauge or precision metal ruler as described in
Step 1.

4. Beginning with the 1st string, turn the height

adjustment screws located on either side of the
saddle to raise or lower the string to your
preferred height (Photo 14).

For a modern Strat fretboard with a radius of

9.5"12", such as on this guitar, official Fender
specs are 4/64" for both the 1st and 6th strings.
However, string height is personal, so this
measurement will vary according to your
technique and string gauge. After each
adjustment, retune the string youre working on
and re-measure the action at the 12th fret.

5. Repeat this process for each string until you

have the action where you want it. The goal is
to keep an even arc across all six strings that
matches the radius of your particular fretboard.
(Many repairmen and players eyeball this, but 14. Setting individual string height by adjusting the saddles.
if you want to be precise about matching the fretboard radius, stewmac. com sells metal radius
gauges designed for this purpose.)

For this guitar, I set the action at the 12th fret to 3/64" for the 1st string, graduating to 4/64" for the
6th string. These measurements are a little higher than I typically use, but the action felt
comfortable to the owner and worked perfectly for his beefy .012 gauge set.

Step 8
Adjust Action at the Nut

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Okaywere making progress! After setting the saddle height across all six strings, we shift our
attention to the nut. Its important that the string height is correct here too. When the action is too
high at the nut, the strings will go sharp when you fret them and the guitar will be hard to play.

1. Remove the capo.

2. Tune the guitar.

3. Beginning with the 1st string, measure the distance between the bottom of the string and the top
of the 1st fret. The height should measure 1/64" for the 1st string and graduate to 2/64" for the 6th
string. Each thicker string should be slightly higher than the one before it.

4. To lower a string, youll need to cut its slot

deeper in the nut (Photo 15). For this job, use a
correctly sized nut file. (Nut-slotting files are
available from online suppliers, including
Luthiers Mercantile, Stewart-MacDonald, and
even eBay.)

Slowly cut the slot, paying very close attention

to the angle of the nut file. It should match the
descending angle of the string, from the face of
the nut to the post where the string attaches. If
you cut too shallow or too steep of an angle, the
string wont seat properly in the nut, causing
both tuning and sonic problems.
15. Deepening the 2nd-string nut slot with a properly gauged nut file.
Notice how the file angle matches the strings descending angle
Make sure the string doesnt stick in the slot. It toward the tuner post.
should move in and out freely without binding.
If it sticks, gently roll your file from side to side in the slot to open it up. After a few passes with
the file, place the string back into the slot, retune, and again measure the action at the 1st fret.

5. Repeat this process for each string with the proper nut file for each gauge.

Because our bench Strat was now equipped with heavier strings than before, I needed to widen
several nuts slots, but it didnt take long to get the strings to sit where I wanted them.

Step 9
Adjust Pickup Height

Pickup height is commonly overlooked during a setup. If the pickups are adjusted too close to the
strings, they can cause string rattle and intonation problems. If the pickups are too low, youll end
up with a weak signal.

Here are the measurements I use for each pickup on a Strat:

And heres my system for proper pickup adjustment:

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1. Fret the 1st string at the last fret. Using a 6" machinist rule, measure from the top of the
corresponding pole piece on the bridge pickup to the bottom of the string (Photo 16). Adjust the
pickup height by turning the screw on the treble side of the pickup.

2. Fret the 6th string at the last fret, measure, and adjust the screw on the bass side of the pickup.

3. Repeat the process for the middle and neck pickups (Photo 17).

16. Measuring the distance between the pole piece and 1st string to determine the correct height for the bridge pickup. 17. Measuring neck
pickup height.

Step 10
Adjust Intonation

Once the pickups are at proper height, its time

to adjust intonation. Note: Unless the strings
are freshas they were on this guitar when it
arrived at the shopinstall a new set before
going any further.

This final setup step involves moving the

saddles closer to or further away from the nut.
The saddle-intonation adjustment screw is
located at the rear of the trem assembly. Using
a small Phillips screwdriver, move each saddle
forward (by turning the screw
counterclockwise) or backward (clockwise) to
shorten or lengthen the vibrating portion of the
string (Photo 18).
18. Moving the saddle to adjust the 1st strings intonation.
1. Armed with a high-quality electronic tuner, bring each string to pitch. But this time, instead of
playing an open string and tuning it, strike the 12th-fret harmonic and tune it to pitch.

2. Starting with the 1st string, play the 12th-fret harmonic and then fret and pluck the same note. If
the fretted note is sharp compared to the harmonic, move the saddle away from the neck.
Conversely, if the fretted note is flat, move the saddle toward the neck. Make small
adjustmentsand retune the harmonic each time you make an adjustment. Continue comparing
the 12th-fret note to its reference harmonic until the former matches the latter.

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3. Repeat this process until all the 12th-fret notes on all six strings match their corresponding
12th-fret harmonics.

Rock Out!

At this point, the setup is complete and its time to take your Strat for a test drive. After a few
days, you may find you want to adjust something, such as the trem-spring tension, pickup height,
neck relief, or saddle height. And thats greatthe Strat is a supremely mechanical beast that will
accommodate your tweakers urges.

But as you dive into any re-adjustments, remember that changing one thing can affect something
else in the setup equation. If you find yourself chasing an adjustment or discover that youve
caused your Strat to drift out of whack, put it down, take a deep breath, and review the 10-step
setup process outlined in this article. You can always start back at the beginning and confirm each
adjustment as you move through the list.

In time, youll develop a sixth sense for how all the elements interact, and this knowledge will
allow you to continue to fine-tune your Strat for ultimate playability and tone. Its a skill worth
developing!

John LeVan, Nashville guitar tech, has written five guitar repair books, all published by Mel Bay.
His bestseller, Guitar Care, Setup & Maintenance, is a detailed guide with a forward by Bob
Taylor. LeVan welcomes questions about his PG column or books. Drop an email to
guitarservices@ aol.com or visit guitarservices.com for more info on his guitar repair workshops.

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