Changing strings...

I purchased my Strat a couple weeks ago and I want to change the strings to some Ernie Ball regulars. It is a MIM Standard Strat. What gauge are the factory strings? I did a search and it seems that it would be a good idea for me to have a luthier change the strings as other adjustments will be needed. Is this only if I am changing the string gauge or even if I change strings of the same gauge? I don't want to pay someone for doing something that seems so easy but on the same hand I don't want to mess around with my guitar. I was thinking about getting a professional set-up (I know, I know, I should have done this as soon as I got the guitar but it was my first axe so it really didn't make a difference to me). I am thinking about just taking it in to get it set up and having them change the strings for me but for future reference, is this something I can do myself? Also, how much does it usually cost to have a professional set-up, around $40-50, correct? Do I just ask them for a "set-up" and specify how I want the action? I don't want to go in there and make an ass out of myself. :)

It's always a good idea to get a pro to do a first set up and a good going over if you can't do it yourself. Don't worry about asking the right questions, a good luthier will ask you fro any info needed, some will even want to see & hear you play so they can get a feel for what you need...

$50 + strings sounds about right for a straight forward set up which should include any work to the nut. Fret work is usually extra....

Unless you're changing gauge of strings you can change them yourself without fear of stuffing something up.

The specs on most gtrs say they're strung with 10s, all of mine have had 9s on them though.

One last thing, if you like your guitar, find yourself a small luthier rather than taking it to a big place.


seagate

If I am happy with the current action on my guitar, would a setup still be a good idea? I realize they check the guitar and make adjustments but are these adjustments large enough to justify spending the money on it?

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Originally Posted by Anthony6377

If I am happy with the current action on my guitar, would a setup still be a good idea? I realize they check the guitar and make adjustments but are these adjustments large enough to justify spending the money on it?

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I'd do it just have a piece of mind, it's hard without seeing and playing the guitar to judge whether it needs it or not. If it's a Strat though and decide to change gauge of strings you should have it looked at...


seagate

if it sounds good and feels perfect i would just put the same gague strings on.. mine came with 9s, i got mine setup for 10s tho.

The setup i got was around 35 bucks....

There may be some disagreement here, but I find certain make guitars sound better with different gauges. I used to play with Hybrid Slinkys exclusively (9-46), and it worked well with my Gibsons. By that I mean, the Gibsons didn't lose anything with the thinner E-B-G strings, while the D-A-E are the same thickness as the Regular Slinkys. I think this has to do with the guitar having humbuckers, and the wood (a Les Paul has a lot more wood than a Strat).

But, I find that the Strats I have and play sound better with the standard Regular Slinky sets (10-46). Again, it's probably a product of this guitar having single-coil PUPs and the amount of wood vs. a Gibson LP, and so on. So, in my opinion (and remember, that's all it is -- an opinion), stick with the Regular Slinkys and rock on.

Regarding the set up, it doesn't hurt to have someone go through your guitar -- especially one that's used, but even a newer one. In fact, I highly recommend it. Don't assume a new instrument will be perfect. Sometimes an experieinced luthier will pickup on something you aren't even aware of.

I recently bought MIM Robert Cray Strat. It sounded and felt and played good to me. Perfect intonation, etc. But I decided I wanted to have the neck "rolled" and to have a few rough fret edges filed, so I sent it in for some tweaking.

It turns out the luthier detected something that sounded funny when he played through on certain chords. It turns out the nut wasn't quite cut right for one of the strings -- too deep, and it was sounding odd. He recommended replacing the nut -- which he did, with a bone nut.

It might have been a slight thing at the time -- so slight, I hadn't noticed it -- but to his ears, it jumped out at him. That's where a good, experieinced luthier can make a dfifference. So, YES, have someone go through it and set it up with whatever gauge of string you prefer to use.

Anthony, I'll go hte oher way here. Go to MR. Gearhead and learn how to do your own setups. It's part of being a guitar player. Assume that the guitar has no major problems - which is almost sure to be the case anyway - and do the setup yourself. It's easy and you won't permanantly mess anything up if you miss. If you can't get acceptable results, then take it to a tech.

If you get stuck, just let us know and we'll talk you through the problem. Wasting $50 on a setup you can do yourself is just throwing money away.

I most definatly agree with offshore angler. setups arn't that hard. I know it seems kind of scary since you paid a lot of money for the guitar and you don't want to screw it up. Trust me you would have to try extremely hard to screw it up unless you are getting into fret work which i'm sure you definatly will not need.

Make that a third. The more I do, the more I realize that I'm capable of pulling off. Just get your feet wet and go! :yay

Make that a fourth.

Learn to do it yourself. I used to think that my guitar would play and sound better if I brought them to a luthier. It'd just come back sounding the same and playing differently than I like it.

If my guitar goes to a luthier for work that I can't do myself, I give him detailed instructions on how I want it set up. I know my taste better than him.

If it comes back different, I change it back and consider going to someone else next time.

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Originally Posted by Don

Make that a fourth...

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...and a 5th.

DIY,it's a doddle.

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Originally Posted by Offshore Angler

...It's part of being a guitar player. ... you won't permanantly mess anything up if you miss.

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... And sixth here.

Well I'm going to repeat... Learning to do it yourself is best...

Starts are great, but they are like British cars (no offense), they need a bit of tinkering to keep them healthy. It can be expensive to have a tech do it every time.

On the other hand. I've not got a guitar yet that did not need a bit of tweaking. Brand new our used. I go through every guitar I get my hands on.

They come from the factory with .009's. I like 10's on mine. And I do agree, hybrid .009-.046 on Gibson's. I had 10's on my 11-year-old son's Les Paul, but I put hybrids back on it. Even I found the 10's to be a bit stiff on the Lester.

I used 9's on my Strats for quite some time, but I switched to 10's last year. Now I'm used to them. I've also found that the closer you are to the beginner stage, the more difficult it is to transition between guitars and string gauges.

I don't have much of a problem with it now, but I did for quite some time.

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Originally Posted by Don

If my guitar goes to a luthier for work that I can't do myself, I give him detailed instructions on how I want it set up. I know my taste better than him.

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That makes sense. I set all my guitars the same way... Almost flat neck, and 5/64" string height on all the strings.... floating Trem with 1/8" gap at the back, three springs... Same formula over and over agian....

OA said it all... so get to it Anthony!
Nothing to it but to do it....
read up on it... take old string off...practice with an old string - then remove it and do the new strings... Patience and persistence - this might sound elementary but make sure you see exactly how the strings are on there now - how they are oriented - be familar with the wrap etc. and then go for it.
You'll do fine!

Thanks everyone for the great feedback! Can anyone offer any good links that show exactly what I would need to go through if I chose to do the work myself? I would rather read up on it first, get an idea of what has to be done, and then make a decision on whether or not I will pay someone to do it for me.

start here http://www.fender.com
find Mr. Gearhead
or do a google search on guitar strings and see what happens

I believe string changes are something you have to do for yourself at some point. I mean if you're playing a gig and one of them breaks you can't really stop the show to go to a guitar tech.

Just read about it a bit there are tons of sites out there that can teach you. when I got my first guitar I broke a string a week after I got it. I just figured it out on my own how to string it. After the second week I broke another so I asked for some advice at the music store and I upgraded to 10's, as per his recomendation, and he told me how to put a spring in the trem block if it was needed and how to adjust the trem.

don't take it to a tech to get it strung just ask for some advice and if he's a good guitar tech he'll help you out. jump in and get your hands dirty and if you really want you can give me an e-mail and I might be able to give you the info that you need I'm used to changing strings every 2 or 3 weeks (I'm a little hard on my attack and I'm thinking of getting some bigger strings again) done it a thousand times and I'm sure every other guy on here has done it that many times if not more.

im gonna repeat every one an say, try it yourself. An if you mess it completley up, then you justfied paying for a set up :D but theres tons of sites on how to do it. ID check out the daddario string site. they have a video on there how to change strings. An im probley sure your fender came with fender bullet strings, in either relgular or light.