J-Style and P-Style Bass Kit Assembly Instructions · 2017. 12. 5. · • Allen wrench for truss rod adjustments (provided with kit) • Mallet or hammer, scrap wood block (for tapping

J-Style and P-StyleBass Kit

Assembly Instructions

Version 1.1

1 December 2016

www.alloyguitars.com

[email protected]

888-214-8314

Copyright © 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 Alloy Instruments, Inc.

Alloy Instruments Inc. disclaims all liability, including infringement on proprietary rights, relating to the use of the information in this document. No license, express or implied, by estoppal or

otherwise, to any intellectual property rights is granted herein.

This material is protected under copyright and trade secret protections.

* Third-part brands and names are property of their respective owners.

Revision Number Release Date Comments1.0 1 September 2017 Initial release1.1 1 December 2017 Added photos and revised copy

P+JAssem Version 1.1 1 December 2017

1.0 Welcome and Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11.1. Contacting Us . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

2.0 Prepare for assembly. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22.1. Unpack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22.2. Tools you will need . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

3.0 Finish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64.0 Assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

4.1. Warnings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74.2. Controls assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74.3. Clear all screw holes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74.4. Neck Attachment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84.5. Install the Tuning Machines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94.6. Install the Pickups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114.7. Install the Pickguard/Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114.8. Install the Bridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124.9. Make Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134.10. Neck Fine Alignment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134.11. Neck Alignment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144.12. Installing the Strap Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144.13. Install the strings and initial tuning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154.14. Sound Check! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

5.0 Final Setup. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175.1. Truss Rod Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175.2. Set the Bridge/String Height . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185.3. Adjust the Intonation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185.4. Adjust the Nut Height . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195.5. Set Pickup Height . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

6.0 The End . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

P+JAssem Version 1.1 1 1 December 2017

1 December 2017 2 P+JAssem Version 1.1

1.0 Welcome and IntroductionThanks and congratulations on your purchase of an Alloy Guitars Kit!

We believe that after you build your first kit, you will be hooked! We hope that you will come back to us for future kits - perhaps a different model, or a “fancier” kit with better components - or just to try a different finishing technique.

This manual applies for both P- and J-style bass kits. Some photos may show only one or the other of the styles, but rest assured that the instructions apply to both.

1.1. Contacting UsYou can contact us by phone, email, on the web, or postal mail:

Alloy Guitars10940 SW Barnes Rd. #252Portland, OR 97225

888-214-8314

www.alloyguitars.com

[email protected]


2.0 Prepare for assembly.Get a cup of coffee. Have a snack. Assembling a guitar is a process that takes time, patience, and thought. It is not to be rushed. You will want to cherish this instrument for years to come. Go slow and be patient.

The assembly process is broken into the following sections:

• Unpacking and Parts Review

• Finishing

• Assembly

• Final Setup

Let’s get started. Open the box.

2.1. UnpackGently take out and unwrap the body and neck. Place them on a towel or work cloth. Remove all the hardware and spread on a towel or large work cloth.

• Inspect the neck and body for any shipping damage.

• The neck should be smooth and ready for final sanding and finishing.

• The body should be ready for finish sanding and either sealing, staining, or painting. (You will have to do finish work on the body and neck. That is half the fun of assembling your own guitar. Make it yours!!)

Identify all the hardware components. Please see the photos below, but note that some of these photos may differ slightly from the components that you received.

1.Body

2.Neck

3.Pickups x 2 (J-Style) or x 1 (P-Style)

4.Pickguard

5.Prewired volume/tone circuitry

6.Strings

7.Bridge

Figure 1 Box Contents (J-Style shown)


8.Tuning Machines X 4

9. Output Jack (on control plate, or pickguard)

10.Strap Pins (Pin, Screw, Washer) X 2

11.String Retainer

12.Pickguard/Control plate mounting Screws

13.Allen Wenches

If anything is missing or not correct, please contact our customer service department ASAP! (www.alloyguitars.com, 888-214-8314, [email protected])

Figure 2 Body (J-style body shown) Figure 3 Neck

Figure 4 J-style Control Plate and Pickups Figure 5 J-style Pickguard


Figure 6 Strings

Figure 7 String Retainer Figure 8 Bridge

Figure 9 Strap Pins Figure 10 Neck Plate and Screws

Figure 11 Figure 12 Tuning Machines


2.2. Tools you will needWe do everything we can to make building your guitar straight-forward. Besides the materials to finish the guitar (paint, stain, sealant, etc.) you shouldn’t need anything else that most people don’t already have in their garages (such as a soldering iron, or saws). Nor do you need to do any exacting measurements that might make it difficult to get a high quality instrument. You do, however, need a short list of tools and supplies:

• #1 Phillips Screwdriver (small)

• #2 Phillips Screwdriver (medium)

• Short metal ruler (6”) with 1/32” markings or feeler gauges

• Needle-nosed pliers

• Painters or Masking Tape

• Wood Finishing Materials

• Bar soap or wax candle

• Large towel or work cloth (big enough to lay a guitar on)

• Allen wrench for truss rod adjustments (provided with kit)

• Mallet or hammer, scrap wood block (for tapping in tuner gromets)

Additionally, you will be much happier and the setup steps detailed belove will be much easier to perform if you have the following:

• a capo

• a chromatic electronic tuner

Figure 13 Tools


3.0 FinishBefore you assemble your guitar, we suggest you complete all finishing of the wood components. Otherwise, you will need to disassemble the guitar before finishing it.

Now... we know that most of you will want to assemble your guitar right out of the box and worry about finishing it later. And this is OK! Just reverse all the steps in the instructions which follow carefully.

Weather you are going to oil to natural color, stain, paint, or attempt that sunburst you saw at the guitar shop, in the end it should be what you want. Our only suggestion is to not bite off more than you can chew; if this is your first instrument, don’t try to do a fancy 6 layer sunburst with custom color tone mixing. Rather, start simple and plan on doing more instruments in the future. Things only get better with time and practice.

And we know from personal experience: building the first guitar only makes you want to build another one. You better start working on your spouse now. There are going to be a lot of guitars in your house.

There are many books, articles, videos, and web sites dedicated to different ways to finish a guitar. Additionally, there are a large number of places to buy finishing materials. Here are a suggestions for places to start:

Books:

• Guitar Finishing Step-by-Step by Dan Erlewine. Dan is the primary guy at Stewart MacDonald. He has been a guitar tech for decades and is a good teacher, too.(http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0977651908)

• Understanding Wood Finishing by Bob Flexner. This is truly a deep dive into the art and science of finishing wood. Great book! http://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Wood-Finishing-HC-Woodworker/dp/1565235487

Supplies:

• Stewart MacDonald. http://www.stewmac.com A great source for tools and finishing supplies.

• Shellac.net. A good supply of different finishes, including Behlen’s line: http://www.shellac.net/stringed_Instrument_finishes.html

• Wudtone. UK company, but they ship internationally. http://www.wudtone.com/

Online:

• Search for “guitar finishing” on youtube.com. There are hundreds of videos to watch.

And lastly, be safe. A few warnings:

• Many finishing products are flammable and can produce noxious fumes. Always work in well ventilated areas away from sources of ignition. Wear appropriate mask and respirator gear!

• Sanding, polishing and steel wool can produce large quantities of fine dust. You don’t want to be breathing this material. Wear appropriate mask and respirator gear!

• Both finishing (spraying or wiping coats) and sanding/buffing can make a real mess. Make sure you are working in an area that can handle the fumes, dust, spills and overspray without forcing you to sleep on the couch!

Allo

y P

ro T

ip We suggest that you clean out screw holes with each layer of finish that you do. This will

make it much easier to find the holes!


4.0 AssemblyOnce your guitar body and neck have the look you desire and is COMPLETELY dry, it is time for final assembly. Waiting is tough, but fingerprints in that otherwise perfect finish can be hard to live with. And please be extra patient. Even after finishes are dry to the touch, they still need time to cure. If you mount hardware, pickguards, tuners, etc. too early, they will stick to the uncured finish and potentially and damage the finish. Waiting is hard!

4.1. WarningsThough we aren’t handling explosives here, there are places that you can get hurt and we need to give you a few warnings and suggestions.

• TAKE YOUR TIME!

• As mentioned earlier, you need to protect your eyes and lungs while doing any of this work - in particular when doing sanding and finishing.

• Warning - Follow directions for any finishing products. Some of these materials are toxic, produce noxious fumes or are flammable. Use in well ventilated areas and away from sources of ignition.

• You should always wear safety glasses while working on your guitar kit. These protective glasses should meet the appropriate standards of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).

• We assume that you have basic skills in working with hand tools - screwdrivers, pliers, Allen wrenches, drills and the like. We assume that you are familiar with the safe operation and use of the various tools and techniques described i this document. If you are not qualified to do these operations, then you need to stop building your guitar kit for your own safety.

4.2. Controls assemblyIf you received a fully wired guitar kit from us, there isn’t any work to do here - the pickups, volume and tone controls, and output jack are pre wired with snap together connectors. If you received your kit unwired, you will need to prepare the pickups, switch, and controls, including soldering all the connectors. The rest of this manual assumes that this is all completed.

A great source for wiring diagrams is Seymour Duncan: https://www.seymourduncan.com/wiring-diagrams

4.3. Clear all screw holesIt is important to clear all the screw holes prior to assembly. It can be difficult to screw through tough and durable sealants, such as polyurethane. Additionally, it will be difficult to get everything lined up in the correct locations. The best way to clear screw holes by hand with a very small drill bit (1/16”).

• On front of body:

• pickguard/control plate mounting holes

Allo

y P

ro T

ip

“High Scratch Risk Zones!” ahead. The last thing you want to do is scratch the surface of your

beautiful guitar. You will see “High Scratch Risk zone!” notations in the remaining instructions. We recommend placing painters tape on your guitar in several areas to reduce the chance of damage caused by screw slips, screwdriver gouges, and

the like. Go slow, be patient!

Allo

y P

ro T

ip

Always think first. Don’t hurt yourself, or your guitar. Gouges in your wood

grain will not heal. Measure twice, cut once. If you don’t have experience

using the tools or techniques needed for assembly, please seek help from

someone who does.


• On the guitar body edges

• 2 strap button pilot holes

• On the neck heel:

• 2 neck mounting pilot holes

• On the headstock

• 16 tuner screw pilot holes

4.4. Neck AttachmentStart with the body resting on a sturdy, flat, soft surface.

•LOOK AT AND UNDERSTAND THE PICTURES. The neck should only be inserted from the top, not from the end. The neck widens as you approach the end, so it does not fit into the front of the slot. (Figure 15)

•Attempting to insert the neck from the end can result in damaging the body and/or neck. (Figure 14) DO NOT DO THIS!!!!

• Ensure the neck sits flat and against the body. The fit will be snug but not tight.

•Once the neck is in place, gently turn the guitar over and lay on its face. Be sure to hold the neck and body together firmly while you turn the guitar over. You don’t want to twist the neck as this can damage the neck or body.

•Place the neck plate (with the countersunk holes facing up) on the neck and align the 4 holes. (Figure 16)

•DO NOT USE A POWERSCREWDRIVER!

Troubleshooting!

• If the neck does not fit flat against the body, remove and ensure the neck slot is clean and free of debris. Ensure the neck is clean and free of debris and finish.

• If the neck does not fit into the slot, check the clearance on each side. Sometimes light sanding is required on the neck to place into the slot. The fit is very snug by design and wood can expand and contract depending on weather conditions.

• If the neck is not fitting , check both the neck and body for any raised grain areas, extra paint or gloss. (Finish coats may be thicker than you think!)

• Using #320 or #400 sandpaper, remove any excess finish that is affecting the neck fit. DO NOT OVERSAND! FIT SHOULD BE SNUG!

Allo

y P

ro T

ip Neck screws are big and long and can be difficult to drive,

even with pilot holes. To make it easier, rub the screw threads on the soap or candle to add a little

non-oil based lubricant.

Allo

y P

ro T

ip

This is where caring and patience really count! DO NOT

USE A POWER SCREWDRIVER! If using an electric screw driver to install the body screws, stop well before the end of the screw.

Complete the install by hand with a good, well fitting

screwdriver.


• Screw in one of the 4 body screws into one of the two holes closest to the end of the next. Do not tightened it all the way leaving room for the plate to move a bit.

• Screw in the remaining screws. Leave them a tiny bit loose, too. (Figure 17)

• When all the screws are in, verify that the plate is aligned well for all of the holes in the plate. At this point, you can continue the tightening of the screws. All of the screws should be tightened enough to hold the body and neck together snug, but they should not be completely tightened down.

• Turn guitar over and place on its back.

4.5. Install the Tuning MachinesThere are three parts to each tuner: the tuner itself, a knurled barrel, and 4 small screws per tuner.

• If you have excess finish that has rounded the lip of the tuner holes, make sure it is scraped out. Otherwise, the fit of the tuner inserts may be too tight.

• Hand press the 4 knurled barrels into the holes from the top of the headstock. (Figure 19)

• To fully insert the knurled barrels, you may need to tap them in using a hammer and mallet. Be sure to

Figure 14 The WRONG WAY to insert the neck

(Figure shows a T-style neck/body. Same principals apply for J- and P-style basses)

Figure 15 The correct way!

Figure 16 Neck plate in place Figure 17 Neck Screws Nearly Tight

Allo

y P

ro T

ip Rub the screw threads on the soap or candle to add a

little wax. This will help them go in much more

smoothly.


lay a scrap block of wood firmly on top of the insert. The fit should be tight. (Figure 20)

• Insert a tuner closest to the neck from behind the head stock, aligning the screw hole.

• Align the tuner screw holes with the hole in the back of the headstock.

• Place a piece of painters tape along the sides of the tuners to protect the headstock. (Figure 21)

• Repeat for tape placement for each of the other 3 tuners.

• Rub the screws on the soap bar before attempting to scew them in.

• Carefully install the screws into each of the tuner screw holes.

Caution: Do not over tighten. It is very easy to strip the heads of these small screws - or break them off entirely!

• Twist each of the tuners to ensure it turns smoothly.

• Repeat for the other 3 tuners.

• Remove the protective tape from the back of the neck and remove any film from the back of the tuners.

Figure 18 Tuners Figure 19 Knurled insert started

Figure 20 Knurled Barrel pressed in fully


4.6. Install the PickupsElectrical connections are starting to come together!

• Ensure all of the 8 pickup mounting holes in the body are open and clean.

• Neck Pickup and Bridge Pickup differ in size; the neck pickup will not fit in the route for the bridge pickup.

• Pass the wires for the bridge pickup through the passageway and into the control pocket.

• For each of the pickups, pass each of the pickup mounting screws through the pickup and then through a mounting spring. Next carefully screw in 4 screws to hold each of the pickups down. Just get the screws started so that the pickup is held firmly. We’ll tighten them further and get the pickup height correct later in the process. Do not over tighten.

4.7. Install the Pickguard/ControlsOn P-style instruments, the controls are attached to the pickguard. On J-style instruments, there is a seperate control plate. In both cases, we need to attach the ground line from the controls to the bridge.

• Confirm that at least 1/2” of wire is bare at the end of the lone ground wire coming off of the controls.

• Place the pickguard/control plate over the control hole, but keep it tilted up so that you can get your fingers into the hole to do the next steps.

• J-style instruments: connect the bridge pickup to the controls using the snap together connector. You can’t get this backwards, and there is only one connection.

• P-style instruments: The pickup’s electrical connection is already done.

Figure 21 Painters tape and screws installed (guitar headstock shown in this image; same

procedure applies)

Figure 22 Pickup mounting holes x 8 (J-style). P-style has only one pickup with 4 holes


• Feed the single conductor wire with a bare end through the hole to the drill point that will be under the bridge when installed. (Figure 23)

• Bend the wire over so that it will seat firmly into the body when the bridge is on top of it. (Figure 23)

• When you screw down the bridge and it pins the wire underneath this will serve to ground the bridge and strings and thereby reduce the amount of noise and electrical interference you might experience.

• Allow the pickguard (P-style instruments) or control panel (on J-style instruments) to fully seat onto the face of the instrument. On J-style instruments you will need to get the pickup to slide into the hole on the pickguard as it sits down fully

• On P-style instruments, seat the pickguard over the pickup and down onto the face of the guitar.

4.8. Install the Bridge Now we will install the bridge to the body. The bridge already has the bridge pickup mounted.

• Make sure that the ground wire is extending onto the body surface so that the wire will make contact with the underside of the bridge.

• Carefully set the bridge onto the body in approximately the correct place.

• Set the (now fully wired) control plate into the control cavity. We will finish installing it in a few minutes.

• Make sure that the ground wire is on the body surface under the bridge where it will make contact with the bridge.

• Align the bridge’s mounting holes to the predrilled holes in the body. (Figure 25)

• Carefully screw the bridge onto the body by driving screws in the outside holes on the bridge. Do NOT tighten these screws tight onto the body. Tighten the screws until just before they seat into the bridge. (Figure 26)

• Assure that all four of the screws line up well with the bridge holes and tighten them down. DO NOT

Figure 23 Ground wire to Bridge Post Figure 24 Ground Wire bend for bridge install


OVERTIGHTEN!.

4.9. Make ConnectionsAll wire connections are done using snap together connectors. While we have had no issues with these connectors, if you prefer a more traditional connection, you can solder the wires together.

• Seat the control plate or pickguard down onto the body and make sure that all the wires are safely into the cavities, rather than trapped under the plate/pickguard.

• Start screwing in the hold down screws for the pikguard/control plate. Don’t tighten them all the way until you have all started and you are confident that the wires are not being pinched by the plate/guard.

• Tighten all screws down. Done!

4.10. Neck Fine AlignmentAt this point, the major components are assembled and the overall alignment can be completed.

• String the high G and low E strings. They don’t need to be up to pitch - rather, we will use the taut

Figure 25 Bridge aligned with Holes Figure 26 Screws partially tightened

Figure 27 Figure 28

Troubleshooting!

• You may have to rearrange the wires several times to get them into body. It can be a tight fit. Be patient and don’t force things as this can bend components and break wires.


strings as straight edges to make sure that the neck is straight relative to the bridge. (Figure 29).

• Now look at the distance from each of the strings to the edge of the neck and measure with a ruler slid under the strings. Compare these two distances. (Figure 30)

• The distances should be very close to the same. If adjustment is needed, lightly tap on the tuner head of the guitar with you hand to adjust the neck alignment. If the neck won’t move with a gentle nudge, you may need to loosen the neck mount screws slightly and try again. If you can’t get good alignment after loosening the screws a bit, please see below.

• Once the alignment is set, gently turn the guitar over and tighten the screws in the neck plate. Tighten these by hand! A power screwdriver is likely to over tighten and/or damage the screws!

• Turn the guitar back and check the alignment again.

4.11. Neck AlignmentAt this point the neck and the bridge are set.

4.12. Installing the Strap ButtonsThis is a very easy step in the process, but definitely in the High Scratch Risk Zone!. Go slow, and be patient.

• Locate the two button holes on the body. One on the end, and one on the top. Ensure the holes are clear of paint and sealer. Use 1/16” bit to manually clear if needed.

• Place painters tape around both holes to protect around them. (Figure 31, Figure 32)

Figure 29 Line to check alignment(An S-style guitar is shown; the process is identical for J- and P-style basses)

Figure 30 String to edge distance matches

Troubleshooting!

• If the neck will not align, gently remove the screws and lift the neck out if the neck pocket.

• Inspect both the neck and body for excess paint or sealer that may be affecting the fit.

• Remove any unwanted material with #320 or #400 grit sand paper.

• If you are still having alignment problems, please contact us!


• Assemble the button, screw and washer. The washer goes between the button and the body. (Figure 33)

• Place the guitar vertically and screw the button into the horn.

• Just before the button is tight against the body, remove the tape.

• Final tighten carefully by hand. Do not over tighten!

• Repeat for the second button, again removing the tape when the screws is almost in.

• Hand tighten the second button. Do not over tighten!

4.13. Install the strings and initial tuningFinally!! We are getting closer to making some music!

• Install the bridge and tailpiece. Be careful that they don’t fall off while you string the first strings and scratch your finish!

• Finish stringing up the guitar and tune it!

• As there are several to go about this, and a video is worth more than a thousand words, here are a few of our favorite videos on how to string a guitar:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHgSSzpsxuw (John Carruthers).

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIfP3v-bxwE (Gary Brawer)

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CtqfHmssx8 (The Fender way.)

• If your kit came with locking tuners, there are great videos on Youtube teaching you how to string instruments with this style of tuner.

• Tune the strings as close to correct as possible at this time. This puts the proper tension on them as we do the remainder of the setup.

• If you do not have some type of electronic tuner, it is highly recommended that you get one. This will make tuning much easier and accurate. There are also lots of tuning apps for phones. Search your app store and you will find one for free.

4.14. Sound Check!• You can now plug in and test all of the electronics! If things don’t work right, or if you have the pickups

hooked up backwards or the switch is backwards you can easily swap things around now.

Figure 31 Horn hole w/ Tape Figure 32 Bottom hole w/ tape Figure 33 Button assembly


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHgSSzpsxuw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIfP3v-bxwE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CtqfHmssx8

• If it all works correctly, place the covers on the back and screw them down. Be careful not to scratch up your finish!


5.0 Final Setup

At this point your guitar is assembled and is ‘whole string’ tuned. Go ahead, play it a little, finally! You will probably notice that it plays OK, but you may want to adjust various parts of the setup for your playing and to improve tuning. To improve the sound and playability of the instrument, there are a variety of important adjustments that need to be done:

• Truss rod adjustment.

• Set the String Height

• Set the Intonation

• Set the Pickup height.

This instruction manual provides only the most basic procedures. We suggest that you buy a copy of Dan Erlewine’s Guitar Player Repair Guide.

5.1. Truss Rod AdjustmentThe truss rod controls the bow, or curve, of the neck. The truss is pre-checked at the factory and should not need adjustment to have a playable instrument. However, depending on your playing style and level of experience you may want to adjust the neck curve using the truss rod. This sets the foundation for several other pieces, it is good to double check.

• Place a capo on the between the nut and first fret. If you do not have a capo you will need an extra set of hands for this section.

• Place the instrument in playing position. Gravity does play a part in the curvature of the neck!

• On the 3rd (A) string, hold down the string at the last (highest) fret.

• Check the height of the string at the 7th fret using a good ruler with 1/32 markings, or using feeler gauges. The string should be just off of the fret. The target height is 1/64”, or the thickness of a business card, or very thin guitar pick.

• Space too great means the truss rod needs to be tightened, to pull back the neck.

• Space too small means the truss rod needs to be loosened, to release the neck.

• If the rod needs to be adjusted, follow these steps:

• Insert the Allen wrench into the hole at the top of the neck

• Turn the wrench 1/8 - ¼ of a turn at most at any time.

• Turning the wrench clockwise tightens the rod (Righty-tighty!), pulling the headstock back (and lowering the strings).

• Turning the wrench counterclockwise loosens the rod (Lefty-loosey!) allowing hte headstock to move forward under string tension (and raising the strings).

• Re-check the string height.

• Here are a few videos on this processes:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHHepmTX3So (John Carruthers).

Allo

y P

ro T

ip

This is an advanced procedure. If you aren’t sure - then don’t do it! You probably won’t “break” your guitar, but you may need some professional help to get

things adjusted properly if you make mistakes here!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHHepmTX3So

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4j3QryKIXrc

• There are many other videos and guides on the web.

5.2. Set the Bridge/String HeightThe string action or string height is the distance that the strings are above the frets while at rest. In the end, this is a matter of player preference. Light players tend to prefer a low action, while those that love to thrash or play hard, tend to prefer a higher action.

• Tune all strings to proper pitch.

• The standard string height is 3/32” on the bass side and 5/64” on the high string. Start there for your guitar setup and adjust later as you become more experienced with your guitar and your playing style.

• Place a capo between the nut and 1st fret.

• With the guitar laying flat, place the end of a metal ruler on the 17th fret (Where the neck meets the

body), against the 4th (Low E) string and measure the distance from the top of the fret to the bottom of the string.

• The height should be 3/32” or a little less on the higer strings.

• To adjust the height of the bridge, you may need to loosen the strings first. Then gently turn the screw posts to raise or lower the bridge. Note that the two sides of the bridge can be at different heights - meaning that the E string can be higher or lower than the G string.

• Raise or lower the E side of the bridge as appropriate.

• Repeat the procedure on the high side of the E string.

• Remove the capo

• Retune all strings.

• Play a little, see how it feels. If OK, move to next step, if not readjust the string height.

5.3. Adjust the IntonationThe guitar is a funny instrument. There is an assumption that the frets being perpendicular to all strings will produce the correct changes in pitch even though the strings are different gauges and the tension on the strings varies depending on which fret is being depressed. The physical properties cause tuning difficulties across the fretboard and along its length. For example a string can be perfectly in tune when played open

(e.g., an open D) but play slightly flat or sharp when the D one octave higher is played at the 12th fret. We call the ability to play in tune across all possible notes that the instrument can produce “intonation”.

In this section, we are going to adjust the intonation of your new guitar.

There have been some high-tech attempts to work around this limitation, including special nuts and different fanned fret layouts. Your guitar doesn’t have any of these fancy elements to adjust intonation. However, like all standard electric guitars, your instrument allows adjustment of individual string lengths by changing the positioning of the six bridge saddles independently. Using this technique, we can correct many of the issues with out of tune notes across the length of the fretboard.

• If you don’t have an electronic tuner, you should go out and buy one. Be sure that it is fully chromatic, both for this intonation work and for more general usage.

• Tuning is critical here. Check the tuning of each string.

• Starting with the 4th string, pick the string and check the tuning for “E” note.

• Hold the 12th fret and pick the 4th string again. The tuning should be an “E” note one octave higher


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4j3QryKIXrc

than the open string.

• The relative pitch between the two notes is adjusted by moving the bridge saddle for that string.

• If the note played at the 12th fret is flat, the string needs to be shortened.

• If the note played at the 12th fret is sharp, the string needs to be lengthened.

• Place a good, small screwdriver in the screw at the front of the saddle, and tighten or loosen the screw ½ turn at most to adjust the string length. You may want to detune the string a bit before adjustment to make it easier for the saddle to move. (Figure 34)

• After each adjustment to the saddle, retune the string.

• Test the open note and the note at the 12th fret again.

• Adjust again, tune again, test again...

• Note: This can be a very tedious process, but once it is done, you should not have to do it again. Go slow, be patient.

• After each string is completed, check all previous strings.

• Repeat for all strings.

• There are a variety of other techniques to do this intonation adjustment, including using the harmonic at the 12th fret and the note fretted at the 12th fret (which should be the exact same fundamental note). Search Youtube for many videos demonstrating this technique.

5.4. Adjust the Nut HeightThis is the point in the setup process where one would normally adjust the nut for height, angle and slot width, according to player preferences.

Adjusting the nut height is a complicated process that generally requires tools that you likely won’t have on hand. For this reason, we do not detail it here. The nuts that we provide are already slotted and shaped and should provide a well playing instrument when all of the other setup steps detailed here are completed. If you feel that your nut needs to be adjusted, we suggest taking the instrument to a qualified guitar technician to have the work completed.

Figure 34 Adjusting the Bridge saddle


5.5. Set Pickup HeightPickup height is easy to adjust. There are screws on the sides of the pickups which raise and lower the pickup.

• Press the 4th string (E) down at the last fret.

• Set the distance from the top of the pickup (i.e., the top of the magnets) to the string to 7/64”.

• Press the 1st string (G) down at the last fret.

• Set the distance from the top of the pickup (i.e., the top of the magnets) to the string to 5/64”.


6.0 The EndYour guitar is finished. Play it like you mean it.

Please share your experience with us by providing any comments, corrections, or suggestions at www.alloyguitars.com.

We would love to share our customer’s success stories. Please send us pictures of your completed instruments to [email protected].


http://www.alloyguitars.com


Documents

J-Style and P-Style Bass Kit Assembly Instructions · 2017. 12. 5. · • Allen wrench for truss rod adjustments (provided with kit) • Mallet or hammer, scrap wood block (for tapping