Custom electric guitars and semi hollow body, archtop, and acoustic guitars and hand made inlay - Pederson Custom Guitars (formerly Abyss Guitar Company)

TONE PROS WRAP AROUND OR TUNE-O-MATIC BRIDGES

We follow a consistent method to set up the guitars. Using standards and measuring tools we set them up to a factory standard. You can adjust the guitar how you would like once you get it. If you do not feel comfortable doing this, or lack experience, we recommend that you take the guitar to a qualified repairman in your area.

All the Pederson Custom (formerly Abyss) Guitars have a dual action truss rod that can correct up bow or back bow (relief). Use an 1/8” Long T-handle allen wrench to make the adjustments.

Most guitars are set up with either .009-.046 string gauge ore a .010- .046 string gauge. If you change string gauges you will have to use the following procedure to set the guitar up properly.

Tune the guitar to standard tuning. (Use a good tuner!)
Sight down the neck looking at the tops of the frets from the nut to the last fret at the heel. You should see some slight relief. Relief is a "down bow" or a "back bow," where the frets in the middle are further away from the strings. If you have a straight edge, put it on the bass side and hold the guitar in the playing position.

With the straight edge on the fret tops on the bass side, tighten the truss rod (clockwise) until the frets in the middle of the neck touch the straight edge. You now have the neck dead straight, or you are trying to get the neck dead straight.
Re-check the tuning of the guitar. (Again, use a good tuner!)
Now proceed to setting the action at 2/32” on the treble side and 5/64” on the bass side. This is a factory standard recommendation.
You can now intonate the guitar. Check the 12th fretted note position with the plucked open string tuning. If you are flat on the 12th fretted note position, move the saddle forward towards the nut end. If you are sharp move the saddle backwards towards the butt of the guitar.
Retune the open plucked string to correct pitch, then re-check the 12th fret position until they are both in tune. (everytime you change the action height you have to re-intonate).
Re-check tuning.
Once all the strings intonate to your tuning you can add a little relief back in the middle of the neck if you want. This would require loosening the truss rod ever so slightly so that the frets in the middle of the neck have a slight gap under the straight edge. You can measure .010 at the 8th fret if you want using a feeler gauge. Or if by sight, ever so small gap.
Re-check intonation set up, adjust any necessary strings.
Re-tune the guitar.
Play the guitar!
Take your time doing set ups. It may take days and even sometimes weeks for the guitar to settle into the set up.

Remember that you are working with wood and wood will react to your climate differently than it will in another climate, so expect these changes to take place over time and give the guitar a chance to react to the changes.

ARCHTOP MODELS

The set up on the archtop guitar is complete at our shop and are very accurate. They have a bone saddle and are compensated according to the action height. They are very accurate according to our set up. Once the guitar has settled into your climate, you may have to re adjust it to these set up standards

Using the same action set up 2/32" on the treble side and 5/64" on the bass side with .010" of relief will get the guitar set back up to factory specifications and your intonation should be correct at those measurements. If you require further adjustments, take it to a qualified repairman and you will be responsible for these set up charges.

On another side note, there is a silver or gold mark on the truss rod nut at top dead center. With this mark at top dead center, this is where the rod needed to be set up here in Iowa at the factory for the set up to be done correct. You may have to change the rod, but this marker can be a reference if you need to start over with the factory set up. For instance, this truss rod in California may need to be loosened to get to the same factory settings.