Would you get a set-up at guitar center?

[JacksonVHT]

Just wondering what you think on this subject.

I know my guitars. I restring and do everything myself but my neck over the last year has developed a NASTY bow and I am completely unfamiliar with truss rod adjustments. It's the only thing I've never really learned to do. Although, I feel that I'd be able to do the adjustment, I don't know if an $1,800 guitar is the best thing to try it on first.

The luthier over at guitar center has already done a bridge pickup swap for me, would you leave your Jackson USA to get a truss adjustment and a setup (which he said he would prefer to do, so that everything is right (action, intonationation, etc)) at guitar center?

[Foulacy]

well, my first answer would be: hell. f'n. no.

but then I actually read your post and, a truss adjustment is really f'n easy... just look up how to do it on the web.

[Joelski]

This is a pretty good run-down of how to do the adjustment:

http://www.ibanezrules.com/tech/setup/truss.htm

[Larz]

A guy could work at GC and be damn good at it. Some guys I've seen have the talent and care about their shit being high quality.

But I'd worry about GC accidentally selling it or letting some 13 year old try it out or the goth girl at the check in counter dinging it as she pulls it out and jots down the serial number.

If they can do it while you wait in the store and try other shit out for a bit, I'd feel safer.

[shreddermon]

Hell no. I wouldn't let the clowns at GC touch anything.

And learn to do it yourself - it's pretty simple. Just remember: small adjustment, let it set, adjust again only if you need to.

[Axewielder]

My experiences in this area have been poor, but I'm sure it varies from store to store. Interview the setup guy there. Let him work on your ESPee before handing him a Jackson.

[straycat]

Not hard at all do it yourself.

[DocNrock]

No, I'd find a local guitar set up hero (which I have) to do this stuff for me. $60 for a flat setup, and $140 if the frets need dressed or filed. Most of my guitars come back with setup fee alone. He only files if he really needs to. Not going to find that at Guitar Center.

[triplehold]

Do it yourself. Take your time, do your research and after you get a feel for it, it's easy. Why pay anybody to do something you could do yourself?

[axetogrind]

The Tech at the Guitar Center in my area is very good and has done work for me, however that store is about 45 mins away and there is a very good tech in my small town.
Anyway, it varies store to store. At the same GC where the Tech works there is also a very good salesman. No-nonsense, not pushy at all. In fact he's honest. He's actually talked me out of buying stuff. I tell you what though.. whenever I go there he's the only one I deal with with.

[TVTiZtiK]

Like a couple a other people said; it varies store to store, but for the most part I would say letting GC do anything like that is a negative.

[JacksonVHT]

How are Jackson truss rods setup? By this I mean, which direction (clockwise, counter-cw) does what kind of adjustment on the truss rod?

[Strangletooth]

The luthier over at guitar center

I met one of my best buds at GC and he's a tech for a lot of road bands, toured with a lot of headliners, etc, so it's certainly possible to find a good one, but that line right there almost caused me to fall out of my chair!

Luthier, Guitar Center, same sentence? :ROTF:

I'd do it yourself, it's not hard, just don't force anything, anywhere!

[Danno]

How are Jackson truss rods setup? By this I mean, which direction (clockwise, counter-cw) does what kind of adjustment on the truss rod?

I got the nerve up to to adjust the truss rod on my dxmgt which had developed, like your guitar a sudden back bow. Lots of buzzing on the first two frets from the nut.

I marked the rod with a marker to show the position it was in as 12:00 in case I needed to go back. Then I held the guitar with the bottom strap lock on the floor with me looking down into the truss rod cavity. Then I got the right sized hex nut on the ratchet screwdriver and very gently began to move the rod to the left (on the basis of the less than scientific principle of lefty-loosey; righty-tighty), first to about 10:00 and finally to about 8:00 in slow increments, each time stopping to sight along the neck and try out the frets in question. After a little initial force to get it moving, the rod moved easily thereafter.

I got rid of the back bow and the buzz, but when I changed strings about a week later the buzz came back on the g string, so it looks like I might need to work on that. I'll probably first try a new g string before going back to the neck.

All that said, my dxmgt is used and was not an expensive buy, so I don't feel bad about trying things out on it. I'm trying to learn how to do this stuff so I don't have to keep paying my guitar tech, who is a good guy and does good work, but $40-50 a pop just gets too expensive. Good luck, if you decide to give it a shot.

And to anyone on the board: if what I described above is wrong in any way, please don't hesitate to jump in. I'm a newb to this stuff.

[Shawn Lutz]

a lot of times they sub out work...I would just talk to the guy first and see. It hit or miss but I'd thunk they could do any truss rod adjustments rather easily.