Your guitar should be easy to play, stay in tune, and sound like something you actually want to hear. If it doesn’t, there’s a good chance the problem isn’t you — it’s the setup.
I’ve been playing and teaching guitar for over 45 years, and I’ve seen it happen hundreds of times. A student comes in frustrated, thinking they’ll never get bar chords clean or that their tone is hopeless. First thing I do is look at their guitar. Nine times out of ten, the instrument just needs attention — the action’s too high, the strings are ancient, or the intonation is off. A proper guitar setup fixes most of those problems in an afternoon.
This page is your home base for everything related to getting your guitar playing right. Setup, tone, tuning, the gear itself — I’ve put together lessons on all of it, and they’re all linked from here. Whether you’re just starting out or you’ve been playing for years and something doesn’t feel right, you’ll find what you need below.
What Actually Goes Into a Guitar Setup
A guitar setup is the process of adjusting your instrument so it plays the way it should. That means getting the action right (the height of the strings above the fretboard), adjusting the truss rod so the neck has proper relief, setting the intonation so you’re in tune all the way up the neck, and checking that the nut slots and pickup heights are where they belong.
Every guitar needs this. I don’t care if you paid $200 or $2,000 — wood moves, hardware shifts, and what played fine at the factory might need attention after it’s traveled halfway around the world to get to your local music store. Budget $50 to $150 for a professional setup. It’s part of the purchase, not an extra.
If your guitar doesn’t stay in tune, if certain chords buzz no matter what you do, or if playing just feels harder than it should — those are setup issues. Not player issues. I’ve got a full lesson on guitar setup covering what’s involved and when you need one.
Tuning Your Guitar
Before anything else sounds right, your guitar has to be in tune. Seems obvious, but you’d be surprised how many players skip this step or don’t realize their tuner isn’t accurate.
I always tell my students: learn to tune by ear eventually, but start with a good chromatic tuner. It takes thirty seconds and makes everything you play sound better immediately. There’s also a trick to it — always tune up to the note, never down. If you overshoot, drop below the pitch and come back up. This keeps tension on the tuning peg in the right direction and the string stays put longer.
If your guitar won’t hold its tuning even after you’ve tuned it properly, that’s a setup issue. Old strings, a worn nut, or machine heads that are slipping can all cause it. Don’t blame yourself — check the hardware first. My guitar tuning lesson walks you through the whole process.
Strings, Action, and How They Affect Everything
String gauge and action height have more impact on how your guitar feels and sounds than most players realize.
Action is just the distance between the string and the fretboard. Too high, and you’re working twice as hard to press notes clean. Too low, and you get fret buzz. A good tech finds the sweet spot for your playing style. On all my guitars, I keep the action fairly low — but my slide guitars have it higher because that technique needs the room.
String gauge matters too. I use 10s on most of my guitars, which is a good middle ground. Thicker strings give you more volume and bass, but they’re harder to press and bend. Thinner strings are easier on your hands but can sound a bit thin. When I got to play Stevie Ray Vaughan’s guitar back in 1986, he had 13-gauge strings on it with the action sky-high. His hands were enormous — half an inch bigger around than mine — and he played every single day. That setup worked for Stevie, but it would crush most beginners.
If you’re just starting out, 10s are a solid place to begin. If your hands are weak or you’re dealing with arthritis, drop to 9s. And here’s something people forget: when you pull a new guitar out of the box, the factory puts cheap strings on it. They’re just there for packing. First thing you should do is yank those off and put on a decent set.
Getting Good Tone
Tone is one of those topics that can swallow you whole if you let it. Everyone’s chasing it. Everyone’s got an opinion. So let me give you the short version from 45 years of chasing it myself.
Your tone starts in your hands. Put a good player on a mediocre guitar through a mediocre amp, and it’ll still sound like that player. Swap the guitar out, change the amp — their character comes through regardless. The way you attack the string, the angle of your pick, whether you’re using flesh or plastic — that’s where your personal sound lives.
A thick pick gives you more control and a fatter attack for single-note lines. Fingers give you a softer, rounder sound. Both are valid. I prefer a thick pick myself — a custom-made one that’s harder than steel, no give at all. It slides over the strings and gives me the mechanical advantage of fast down-up picking. But Derek Trucks plays mostly with his thumb and first finger, and his tone is unbelievable. There’s no wrong answer.
After your hands, it’s the guitar itself — the pickups, the strings, the body type. Humbuckers sound warmer and thicker than single coils. A heavier gauge string brings out more bass, which is partly why Stevie Ray ran those heavy cables on a Strat with single coils. The wood, the construction, even the room you’re playing in all contribute.
And then there’s the amp. I’m a tube amp guy — always have been. Nothing beats the way a good tube amp responds to your playing. As you dig in harder, the tubes react differently. Crank the volume and the whole character changes. It’s electromechanical, not digital, and to my ears there’s a warmth you just can’t replicate. I use a little 30-watt Peavey Classic combo from the late ’70s for teaching, and I love it. But that’s personal preference — there’s nothing wrong with solid state or modeling if that’s what works for you.
The real lesson with tone? It’s deeply personal. What worked for Clapton won’t work for you, and what works for me won’t work for the next guy. Experiment. Pay attention to what you like. And don’t spend so much time chasing someone else’s sound that you never find your own. I break this all down in my guide to getting good guitar tone.
Know Your Instrument
Understanding the parts of your guitar — what they’re called and what they do — makes everything else easier. When a tech says your nut needs filing, or a forum post talks about saddle height, or someone recommends adjusting your truss rod, you want to know what they’re talking about.
Electric and acoustic guitars share a lot of common parts (neck, fretboard, tuning machines, bridge, nut), but they’ve got key differences too. Electrics have pickups, toggle switches, and tone/volume knobs. Acoustics rely on the sound hole and body construction to project their sound. A solid-body electric is a completely different animal than a semi-hollow or a full hollow body.
I’ve got dedicated lessons covering the parts of an electric guitar and the parts of an acoustic guitar. If you’re new to the instrument, spending ten minutes learning the terminology will save you hours of confusion later.
Playing Comfort
If your hands feel stiff and uncooperative — especially if you’re coming back to guitar later in life — there are two simple exercises that make a real difference. One is a tendon stretch you do off the guitar (great for carpal tunnel prevention too), and the other is a chromatic scale warm-up that builds finger independence. Ten minutes a day. That’s all it takes. I’ve seen students transform their playing in a few weeks just by being consistent with these. Check out the finger exercises lesson for the full breakdown.
Playing standing up versus sitting down is another comfort factor most people don’t think about until they have to. Playing on stage is a different physical experience than playing on your couch. Your strap length, the guitar’s balance point, and how high or low you hang it all affect your technique. Getting comfortable standing up takes practice, but it’s worth spending some time on — even if you never plan to play a gig. My lesson on how to play guitar standing up covers strap height, balance, and technique adjustments.
Buying the Right Guitar
All the setup and tone advice in the world doesn’t help much if you’ve got the wrong guitar for your hands and your style. Buying a guitar — especially your first one — is one of those decisions where a little knowledge goes a long way.
For electrics, you’re looking at neck feel first, then pickups, then body type. A humbucker-equipped guitar sounds very different from one with single coils. A Floyd Rose tremolo is fantastic if you know what you’re getting into, but it’s not where I’d start. Bridge types, body construction (solid vs semi-hollow vs hollow), bolt-on vs set neck — there’s a lot to consider. I walk through all of it in the electric guitar buying guide, including buying used, budgeting for a setup, and finding a good technician.
For acoustics, it’s a similar story. Sound and feel first, looks last. Dreadnoughts project beautifully but can feel massive if you’re smaller. Parlor and folk guitars are often a better fit for women and players with smaller frames. And the myth that beginners “have to” start on acoustic? Not true. The finger movements are identical on both instruments. Pick whichever one makes you want to play. The acoustic buying guide covers body types, wood, action, cutaways vs non-cutaway, nylon string, and everything else you’d want to know.
Gear Worth Looking At
I’m not a gear junkie. I’d rather spend an hour practicing than an hour reading about the latest pedal. But some gear decisions genuinely affect your playing experience, and a couple of my reviews might save you some money and headaches.
The Hagstrom Viking is a semi-hollow body that punches way above its price point. I own one and it’s become a go-to guitar for me. I did a full review covering what’s good about it and what to watch for if you’re considering one.
And strap locks — boring topic, but hear me out. If you’ve ever had a guitar slip off your strap mid-song, you know the panic. I’ve seen guitars hit the floor. I’ve seen headstocks snap. A $15 set of strap locks prevents all of that. It’s cheap insurance, and if you play standing up at all, you need them.
If you’re into slide or just want something with a different personality, take a look at my Danelectro guitar review. It’s the Chinese reissue of the model Jimmy Page used for slide work with Led Zeppelin — lipstick tube pickups, a Gibson-style neck, and a price tag that won’t break you. For $275 to $375, it punches way above its weight.
Where to Start
If you’re new here, start with whatever’s bugging you most. Guitar feels hard to play? Look at setup and action. Sounds thin or buzzy? Check your strings and tone section. Just bought a guitar and not sure if it’s right? Hit the buying guides.
I’ll keep adding lessons to this page as I publish them. The guitar will keep you busy for the rest of your life — there’s always something new to learn, and that’s what makes it worth playing.
If you want more structured learning with video lessons, come check out the Riff Ninja Academy. You can try it free and see if my teaching style works for you. I’d love to help you get your guitar playing right.