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Beginner guitar setup


kevin.muller
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Joined: 12/28/24
Posts: 4
kevin.muller
Registered User
Joined: 12/28/24
Posts: 4
01/01/2025 8:52 pm

As a brand new guitar player, I recently purchased a Best Choice Products beginner guitar. It's the first guitar I've ever picked up to play (less than a week ago). It didn't seem smart to spend a lot of money on a nice guitar having never played before and not being sure how it would go. I'm able to successfully tune it with a tuner that came with it; however, do you suggest that I have it professionally set up even though it's a starter guitar? If so, do you have any advice for what specifically I should pay to have done?


# 1
William MG
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Joined: 03/08/19
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William MG
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Joined: 03/08/19
Posts: 1,989
01/02/2025 1:51 am

A setup will likely cost close to what you paid for the guitar or more, making it questionable. 
If the guitar will hold its tuning, not indefinitely, but you should only have to tune it at the beginning of practice and it should hold it. And if there is no fret buzz, I wouldn’t spend the money. Just practice with it and get some foundation in. Check for fret buzz by going down each string and fret and see if you get a clear note or you get buzz. Buzzing could be a high fret or it could be a neck adjustment which you can easily do yourself.  Check YouTube. 


The one I saw on Amazon had nylon strings. If that is what you have it should be easy to play. 


I have a new bass guitar that I am waiting to take in for a setup on the 7th because it is horrible to play. The action is crazy high and the fret edges are too rough. But, I can still play it because I know how to play.


Unless a guitar is absolutely unplayable because of tuning instability or fret buzz, I would hold your money and see how your practice goes. You could put that setup money into a very nice guitar for the future. 


edited

One more pizza for the road!

# 2
kevin.muller
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Joined: 12/28/24
Posts: 4
kevin.muller
Registered User
Joined: 12/28/24
Posts: 4
01/02/2025 11:56 pm
#2 Originally Posted by: William MG

A setup will likely cost close to what you paid for the guitar or more, making it questionable. 
If the guitar will hold its tuning, not indefinitely, but you should only have to tune it at the beginning of practice and it should hold it. And if there is no fret buzz, I wouldn’t spend the money. Just practice with it and get some foundation in. Check for fret buzz by going down each string and fret and see if you get a clear note or you get buzz. Buzzing could be a high fret or it could be a neck adjustment which you can easily do yourself.  Check YouTube. 


The one I saw on Amazon had nylon strings. If that is what you have it should be easy to play. 


I have a new bass guitar that I am waiting to take in for a setup on the 7th because it is horrible to play. The action is crazy high and the fret edges are too rough. But, I can still play it because I know how to play.


Unless a guitar is absolutely unplayable because of tuning instability or fret buzz, I would hold your money and see how your practice goes. You could put that setup money into a very nice guitar for the future. 

Thank you William! This is great advice. The guitar I got has alloy steel strings that do a good job of staying tuned. I always re-tune before I practice. I have noticed some buzz and didn't realize I could do a truss rod adjustment myself. I'll try that and see how it goes.


Overall, it's still playable, and I'm really enjoying learning. I'll take your advice and save my money and make the most of the guitar as is and save the investment for a better guitar in the future.


# 3
William MG
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William MG
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Joined: 03/08/19
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01/03/2025 2:07 am

Glad it helped. Buzz can also just be finger placement, but you’re going to learn that through the courses. One of the best feelings is moving up to a better guitar because you’ve earned it through regular practice. 

Good luck


One more pizza for the road!

# 4

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