The Guitar Player Repair Guide, Third Edition: How to Set Up, Maintain and Repair Electrics and Acoustics

I've been playing guitar for about 15 years, but for most of that time I've been pretty ignorant about maintenance. I could do basic things like intonation, but I had no idea what kins of a difference a good setup could do for a guitar. Most of the guitars I've owned were pretty cheap, so when I'd run them into the ground I just got a new one. But my latest guitar is a Fender Strat - It cost me too much to replace at a whim! It sounded amazing for the first couple of years but seemed to sound a bit duller as time went on. I'd always kept the intonation in check but it was still loosing the sound. I looked up a few tips and tricks to see what I was doing wrong and tried a few things like changing the tremolo springs from the two it was set up with at an angle to three straight ones (I'd read that heavier gauge strings needed more springs). Big mistake! I put the extra spring in without reading up on balancing the trem and it sounded horrible, wouldn't keep in tune and I had put a noticeable bend in my neck. My guitar sounded horrible and even when I put the springs back to what they were it was still sounding bad and wouldn't stay in tune. I considered taking it to a guitar shop to get it fixed but I couldn't believe the prices I would have been charged. I did some searching on the net for information and books on guitar setup and repairs and this book and the authors name kept cropping up. So I bought the book and some feeler gauges Draper 10094 18-Blade Metric/Imperial Feeler Gauge Set - you'll need these for the really small measurements when you're adjusting the truss rod) and in one weekend I've completely sorted my guitar out. I've even adjusted the truss rod to straighten the neck (leaving only Fenders recommended amount of relief to eliminate fret buzz) Apart from the feeler gauges, the only tools you'll need for a good setup are some screwdrivers (standard and precision), a steel rule (mine had mm and inches which you will need), some allen keys (all the ones I needed came with the guitar)and some pliers (makes it easy to get the springs off when you're setting up the trem). I also made a plastic wedge by gluing some of the slanted spacers you use for laying laminate flooring to stop it being flush to the skirting board. This slanted wedge is essential to balancing your trem. In a few hours over the weekend I completely transformed the sound of my guitar. It's better now than when I first had it. The strings stay in tune, the sustain is longer and I've eliminated all the fret buzz problems I was having. I read up the relevant sections on the truss rod and tremolo and then followed a 10 step setup guide carefully and bingo! I noticed the guitar was sounding better as soon as I'd finished it and it was a big difference!. I checked and double checked the measurements and it was all good. The book also caters for other guitar types (including basses and accoustics) but the electric part does seem more geared towards Gibson and Fender (but you could apply the information to any make). The book even has in depth sections on customising guitars, cleaning, restoration and electronics. All of the information is very clear and explained thoroughly without being too technical (but if you want to go further in depth as far as refretting and even building your own pickups). If like me you're from the UK then be prepared to start reading measurements in inches and parts of an inch (If you download a spec sheet for your guitar you'll find all the measurements for string height etc in fractions of an inch anyway). I learnt more from reading this book than I've ever picked up from discussions with other guitar players and guitar magazines. Sorry about the long boring review, but this is my experience from owning this book less than a week! If you own a guitar get this book! If you have any questions about the book I'll try to answer as many as I can.

I've been struggling with an out of tune guitar for months now and it's been driving me round the bend. I had decided that I needed a shop to sort out the intonation for me but on the off chance I thought to look if there was a book on the matter and I found this. I had a fairly quick thumb through and decided I could give adjusting the intonation and action a go myself, and if it didn't work out, I could still take it to the shop. I'm glad I did. There is a whole world of guitar science that I never really knew existed and this covers most of it off. The book covers a whole host of topics but crucially includes measurements for some typical set ups against which you can compare your guitar. I had a quick look over my guitar, realised the neck was pretty straight and good but perhaps with a slight bow in the wrong place - no big deal and no need to adjust. But what I did find is that the string height at the nut was way off on the top three strings. It would never have crossed my mind that such a problem would exist and affect the tuning of the guitar so badly. Anyway, I adjusted this carefully and the tuning is now impeccable - I almost can't believe it. Well worth the price of the book. One thing to note, as other reviewers have done - all the measurements in the book are in inches, or fractions of an inch. A bit of a nightmare if you come from any country in the world outside the US, or you live in the UK and are under the age of 50. My trick was to go through the sections I needed to use with an on-line calculator working out conversion and writing the metric equivalent next to each imperial measurement in the book. Yes, this means I've totally defaced some pages but I can now use the book much more quickly.

This book offers really good advice and numerous insights into the whole concept of guitar building, repairing and most importantly for me personally ' How To Set Up A Guitar Correctly'. Although I knew most of the 'basics' beforehand this book gave a great many tips and advice that I had never even considered prior to reading. Although the tools and equipment used and recommended by Dan Erlewine are most probably beyond the reach (and budget) of 'Mr Average' guitarist (ie Me), the actual methods used are enlightening and very helpful. From the novice to the experienced guitarist there will be many things in this book that we can learn and apply when performing a set-up or repair. I found 'The Guitar Player Repair' an excellent read and I know that it will be an invaluable future reference guide.

Dan Erlewine's "Guitar Player Repair Guide" is a fantastic resource for anyone looking to learn the basics of guitar maintenance. The book is thorough and well-organized, making it accessible for beginners. The instructions are clear, and the illustrations are extremely helpful. However, he does tend to go off-topic and delve into too much detail in some areas that might not be necessary for everyone. While these sections can be interesting, they do interrupt the flow and could be trimmed down for a more streamlined read. Overall, it's a great guide for guitar maintenance, and I would recommend it to anyone wanting to take better care of their instrument. Just be prepared for a few detours along the way!

This book is the closest thing to a bible for any guitar player for repair and setup, either professional or hobbyist! Especially for the price, this is a must have!

Il libro tratta un po’ ogni argomento relativo a setup e riparazione delle chitarre elettriche e acustiche, da piccoli aggiustamenti fai da te alla portata di tutti, a cose da liutaio professionista. Forse l’unico problema è proprio che non è una lettura veloce, ma credo che nel acquistare un libro su questo argomento, meglio optare per uno che contenga tutto, come questo. Include anche interviste e dettagli sul setup delle chitarre di artisti famosi, soprattutto bluesmen. Necessita ovviamente di una certa padronanza dell’inglese.

Dan Erlewine is the kind of guy that designs flying V’s that people that would normally never buy one want. My personal experience is that not all guitar store owners are created equal and some of them seek to limit your chances of success. They sell you solid state amps that appear to be broken down even though you asked for a tube amp and set up your guitar with string action higher than the Mount Everest. It just isn’t going to work… And we don’t all have access to technicians that support our endeavors. You need to figure things out for yourself. This book helps you do that. It will help you check and maintain your guitar. If it’s a high end guitar it will help you keep it in shape. If it’s a budget guitar with expansion opportunities, this book will help you do it. If you need a reference to show you how to make sure your neck is straight, this book is that reference guide. If you want to know how to wind your own pickups – it’s only a small gargantuan step from fixing and maintaining your guitar to building one from the ground up, right? – this book will help you do that. It’s a good reference guide with all the info you need. I’ve found that in the contents a few page numbers are off, which may be due to this being a later edition, and a few pictures have shifted from the right to the left, but hey, they have subtitles, the info is still there. No biggie and practical people won’t mind all that much, they’ll find it. It’s all there. It’s all clearly illustrated, verbally and with pictures. This is the book you want to have.

Covers everything you need to know.

全編英語のギターのリペアガイドです。 内容的にはほかのレビュワー様のおっしゃる通り非の打ちどころがないのではと思います。 第３版ですので、内容も相当に洗練されているかと思います。 私はセットアップの部分が目当てにこの本を購入しました。 その部分では、弦交換といった基本的なところからはじまり、 ギブソンやフェンダーといった、メーカーでのセットアップが弦の高さと何インチだとか具体的な数値で載っていたり、 その数値と著者のセットアップの数値の対比なども載っており、見ているだけでも興味深いです。 さらには、スティーヴィーレイヴォーンやバディ・ガイ、B.B.キングなど、 ブルース系のプレイヤーに偏っていますが、著名なプレイヤーのセットアップが載っていたり、 人によってはインタビューも載っています。 付属のDVDもとても参考になります。 付属のDVDの内容は、ギターの選び方（構造上の欠陥などを見つける方法） から始まり、メンテナンスや、弦交換の実演など、 私にとっては初めて知るような（そして役に立つような）情報がたくさん詰め込まれていました。 購入して良かったと思っています。 英語であることを除けば、ギターのメンテナンスに興味をお持ちの方すべてにお勧めできる本だと思っています。