My local music shop charges ÂŁ40 for an electric setup, also throws two in with a new guitar, one immediately, another one within 12 months after purchase
If you have to ask --the answer is yes. You should not just be setting up a guitar, but setting up a relationship with a reputable guitar tech. I did my homework and found a really good local guy that is not connected to a store, he makes his living working on guitars and is in high demand.
Guitar store setups seem a bit sketchy to me with employees that come and go and seem less knowledgeable than me. It was a good investment getting that first setup and I am glad I did this. Now I know if I have any problems I know exactly where to go.
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I think you are actually reading the amended post, after @LievenDV one of our mods, tidied the original post. I have no objection to the headers, they are as you say very useful (which looking at the edit information, was Lievenâs doing). But the original had about 4 different font sizes and some sections of text highlighted. And that was what I found unnecessary, not how it now appears,
I find I can not read the OPs multiple font posts with highlights etc as it actually gives me a headache. So as James stated there maybe useful info but I just cannot read it. The one consistent thing about this forum is its uniform presentation and only one or two users, for reason known only to themselves go out of the way to present wildly varying texts. Trouble is the mods cannot read every post but I know from my many years here, @LievenDV in his mods role, took it upon himself to keep the forum tidy. Which is why I reached out to him yesterday.
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Admin notice:
As @TheMadman_tobyjenner pointed out:
I edited the formatting in theoriginal post, it was indeed somewhat messy. I cleaned it up for everyones convenience.
Alright, move along 
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Ah, indeed, I was looking at the edited version and now I understand your point and do support it. I had a peek at the original, but the edited version is cleaner, easier on the eyes (thanks @LievenDV)
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Oh boyâŚ
I thought it was just a bit of âFont Improvâ & was making allowances for âArtistic Expressionâ 
!!!
I wasnât expecting the Font Police 
!!!
Tod
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Live your best life friends.
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tuh-tah-tuh-tah
ânothing to see here, move alongâ
I just aimed at the best experience for people to appreciate @mundeli 's valuable contribution.
To stay on topic;
- String action is personal but this page and the other links offer rather to-the-point info you can use as reference for action and other setup questions.: https://www.sweetwater.com/sweetcare/articles/guitar-setup-what-is-the-correct-string-height-for-my-guitar/
When I (pretty much an amateur) set up my guitar; I donât go the step of filing nut slots. The other stuff I can do myself:
- in extreme cases: truss rod adjustment; only after reading a comprehensive inforgraphic 5 times. HOW to turn the key? WHAT does L en R mean from WHICH ANGLE? etc
- int
- intonation: string length between nut and bridge. can be adjusted with saddles, screw in the bridge
- string height: little screws in the saddles (or thewhole bridge in some other models)
you do not only check height relative to certain frets but also the way they follow the neck radius; the amount of curvature in the width (and not the length) of a neck - cleaning of parts with a small paintbrush
- oiling the non-laquered maple guitar, ceaning the lacquered maple guitars
- checking tuners: makign sure they donât slip. speaking of which; properly restringing has impact on tuning stability
All the things above can be done by yourself without changing or breaking anything on your guitar. Be wary when you step into truss rod territory though.
Donât be afraid to reasearch and try yourself and then taking it to a luthier.
You can ask him what he did and you will have a better comprehension because you studied it already.
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Even the truss rod isnât as scary as people claim it is. The main thing to understand is that with as little as a half turn you can make a big difference to your guitar. Just remember which way you did the quarter/half turn so you can reverse it if you went in the wrong direction. Unless youâre dealing with a second hand guitar where you donât know what the previous ham-fisted owner has been doing, then a half turn of the truss rod wonât break your guitar. Do, however, get an Allen key of the correct size, otherwise you run the risk of rounding off the end of the rod and you will increase your luthierâs bill if you do that.
People definitely should learn basic guitar setup/maintenance. Itâs not complicated and it doesnât require expensive tools. I draw the line when it comes to anything that involves cutting holes in my guitar or jobs like filing the slots in the nut that arenât easily reversed!
Bone blanks are as cheap as chips and much better than a plastic nut like most come with. Itâs not that difficult if you watch a good video on how to do it.
Yes but filing the nut requires a set of nut files to match the string gauge(s).
When the OP gets a little more experience and gets the NGB (new guitar bug) he will need to rethink and then invest in a complete set of tools for his huge collection!
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Bone has the disadvantage of being inconsistent because itâs a natural substance, with soft and hard spots. As Iâve looked at guitars, very few have a plastic nut. Most have a modern synthetic like Tusq or Nu-Bone, which are consistent in their hardness. Both my Zelinsky and my Taylor have Tusq nuts.
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Yeah, itâs basically an industry standard now. Pretty much everywhere you look, there are Graph Tech nuts.
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Haha!!
Iâve got 4 at the minute. But I really need a new acoustic.
Iâm hoping if I get a decent acoustic then Iâll be set for a few years.
The only thing I really do at the moment is change the strings. I did buy some feet board wax but then was advised to not use it and not leave the strings off for too long as it warps the board without the string tension.
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I have never bought nut files, I have always used a tapered edge diamond file and a short length of the correct gauge string with a single wrap of very fine abrasive sheet on it, never had any problems with it.
True it can be like that if you buy unwisely but sourced from the right place itâs unusual to get a bad piece, if I want anything other than bone itâs usually either brass or corian, both are superior to any of the synthetics but obviously more expensive. Tusq etc is used because it works well and isnât expensive not because itâs the best.
Corian is a synthetic.
I am aware of that but itâs not completely synthetic, itâs Alumina in an acrylic resin bonding agent. Itâs also easy to work with so good for getting the correct shape and setup.
For what itâs worth. Iâm no expert.