FAQs

We often get asked if we "set up" guitars before we ship them. It’s a great question — and one that deserves a thoughtful answer. While some online retailers advertise a "full setup" as part of their service, we believe that it can be a bit misleading. A guitar setup is a deeply personal thing, much like a pair of prescription glasses. What feels perfect to one player might feel totally off to another, depending on factors like playing style, string choice, and tone preference.

That’s why our approach is a little different. Before we ship any guitar, we carefully inspect it to ensure it’s in excellent condition and matches factory specifications. We check for issues like fret buzz, high action, sharp fret ends, or anything else that might compromise the playability. If something’s off, we fix it — but we avoid altering the instrument in ways that could limit your ability to fine-tune it to your own needs.

For example, on an acoustic guitar, lowering the saddle to make the action super low might make it easier to play for some, but others might lose the dynamic tone and projection that slightly higher action provides. Rather than guessing what’s “perfect,” we prefer to leave the guitar with enough flexibility for you or your local tech to dial in exactly what works best for you.

That said, if you know precisely what specs you’re looking for — string height, relief, saddle height, etc. — we’re happy to accommodate whenever possible. Just let us know in advance. Keep in mind that guitars can shift slightly during shipping, especially across different climates. Wood reacts to temperature and humidity, so even a perfectly dialed-in setup here might need some adjustment once the instrument settles into its new home.

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