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During assembly, use a padded surface to protect the finish from scratches and
dents.
Installing the tuners.
Fit the tuner post bushings in the face of the headstock. These can be tapped in
place with a hammer using a small maple dowel to save damaging the face of the
bushing, Alternatively if you have a small drill press then close the empty chuck and
use this to press the bushing home.
Lay out the tuners, using a ruler to make sure they're in line with one another and
square to the edge of the peghead.
Now you are ready to install the strings
String up your guitar with the strings supplied (or a set of you choice). I ususally install the supplied set
rst and do all the setup and adjustments, tuning etc... and when this is complete re-string with a new
set as this will give you the best sound as tuning and re-tuning stings many times can a ect their tone.
After tuning to pitch adjust the truss rodbefore making the nal adjustments to action saddle height
and nut height etc.. explained later in these instructions
Adjusting the Truss rod
Mark out your mounting holes with a scribe or punch. Tuner mounting screws are
very delicate, and will break off if forced into hard maple. Use a 5/64" drill bit to make
pilot holes for the screws; if these holes are any smaller you risk shearing off the
Neck relief refers to adjusting a neck so that it has a very slight upbow, rather than being perfectly
screw heads.
straight. This relief allows a little more room for string vibration, reducing the chance of hitting the
Lubricate the screw threads with the Wilkinson Slipstick provided in the kit.
lower frets and causing fret buzz. Depending on your playing style, and how perfectly level your
fret tops are, a neck should be anywhere from perfectly straight to having 0.012" of relief. This
With the tuners in place, install the screws in the pilot holes with a #1 Phillips.
measurement refers additional string height over the 12th fret, compared to a perfectly straight
Whenever you drill a hole be sure to countersink slightly larger than the screw diam-
neck. A straight neck tends to play and sound better, but very few guitars end up with no relief at
eter. this will reduce wood tearout amd make for a clean assembly.
all, and several thousandths of an inch or more is perfectly normal.
Assembling your guitar
Install the bridge with pickup
Drill the 4 bridge mounting
holes deeper to accomodate the
screws using a 1/8" drill . Mark
the depth of the screw with tape
on the drill after comparing the
screw length. Countersink the
hole slightly to avoid tearout
when tting the screws. Mount
the pickup in the bridge and
attach the assembly to the
guitar. Lubricatring the screw
with a small amount of Slipstick
will make the assembly easier
Straight neck, or a little relief?
Increase relief
Truss rod
Heel adjuster
Decrease relief
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