manual. The pots are marked as A500 and B500 – A500 (Audio Taper) are usually for Volume
controls and B500 (Linear Taper) for Tone controls. Some musicians, however, like it better when
linear pots are used for volume and audio are used for tone (and some guitar manufacturers use
only one Audio type for both controls).
STEP 6 - After you complete the wiring, install all electronics into the control cavity – 4 pots, jack and
before mounting the toggle switch use the switch ring – find the proper position of the switch by
rotating it, then tighten all mounting nuts. Before mounting the control cavity cover it’s good to check
out the electronics: plug it in with a cable to the amp and see if all switches and pots are working
properly by slightly tapping the magnetic poles of each pickup with a screwdriver.
STEP 7 – Install the two pickguards, the tailpiece and the bridge – note that the bridge must be
installed with the saddle adjustment screws on the side turned towards the pickups.
STEP 8 – Before stringing your guitar, apply some oil to the Rosewood fingerboard to protect it
from possible shrinking and cracking. Tung oil or Linseed oil work well, or it’s OK to use Walnut or
Olive oil. One thin layer is enough. Wipe the fingerboard thoroughly with a clean cloth.
STEP 9 – Install the strings by inserting them through the holes on the back of the tailpiece, over
the bridge saddles. There are a few different ways to wrap the strings around the post of a tuning
head. When threading the string through the post hole, bring it tight before wrapping it in the
opposite direction of the threading, under and then back over the string and around the post,
holding it tight as you tighten to pitch. Wrapping each string around two-three times should be
enough.
6. TUNING AND SETUP
Tuning a 6-string guitar:
The open strings of a guitar, from the thickest to thinnest, in standard tuning are:
•
E (2
nd
octave) – the thickest (or lowest sounding) string - is the 6th string
•
A (2
nd
octave) – is the 5th
•
D (3
rd
octave) – is the 4th
•
G (3
rd
octave) – is the 3rd
•
B (3
rd
octave) – is the 2nd
•
E (4
th
octave) – the thinnest (or highest sounding) is the 1
st
string.
There are different methods to tune a guitar. Using a digital tuner is the easiest way. However, it
is good to learn tuning (and checking the accuracy of tuning) by ear with natural harmonics,
unisons, octaves etc.
Guitar playability and intonation depends on its setup, so you may want to spend some time
mastering the necessary skills – be persistent in finding the optimal action (string height), neck
relief and intonation throughout the entire neck.
Adjusting Strings Height:
String height is adjusted by the bridge height of tune-o-matic bridge. You may use a flat
screwdriver to turn the adjustable studs – turning the stud clockwise sets the bridge lower,
turning it counterclockwise sets it higher. The saddles are already pre-notched to match neck
radius. Inspect the notches and if they have any sharp edges smooth them down with a fine
needle file or fine sandpaper to prevent string breaking. Thicker strings need more room for
vibration without “buzzing” (touching frets) so the bridge must be set up a bit higher on bass
(wound) strings side. Low action allows easier fretting and faster playing. Recommended
measurements for electric guitar with low action:
