Glossary
Words from the bench
Set-ups, frets, nuts, saddles and the rest, in plain English. Tap a letter, or search.
A
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A Grade Set-up
The Strings of Reno’s fuller set-up. On top of the B grade work it adds minor fretwork, lubricated tuning machines, a deep…
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Action
How high the strings sit above the frets. It is set at the nut and at the saddle or bridge; too high…
B
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B Grade Set-up
The Strings of Reno’s playability set-up: truss rod, action at the nut and saddle, fret end filing, strobe-tuner intonation on electric guitars…
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Bridge Plate
The hardwood plate glued under the top inside an acoustic guitar, where the bridge pins and string ends sit. Worn plates can…
C
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Cleat
A small piece of wood glued inside an instrument across a crack, to keep it closed. Crack repair at The Strings of…
F
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Floyd Rose
A locking tremolo bridge on electric guitars. Its set-ups and restrings take longer: at The Strings of Reno an A grade set-up…
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Fret End Filing
Filing down sharp fret ends that stick out past the edge of the fingerboard, often after the wood has dried and shrunk.…
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Fret Level
Levelling the tops of the frets so none sits high, then reshaping (crowning) and polishing them. A fret level, crown and polish…
I
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Intonation
Whether notes stay in tune all the way up the neck. It is set by adjusting each string’s length at the saddle;…
L
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Luthier
A craftsperson who builds and repairs stringed instruments. Wesley Wilkerson is the luthier at The Strings of Reno (Reno Guitar Repair) on…
N
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Neck Relief
The slight forward bow in a neck that lets the strings ring without buzzing. It is set with the truss rod.
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Neck Reset
Taking the neck off an acoustic instrument and setting it back at the right angle, so the action can be set properly…
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Nut
The slotted strip at the headstock end of the fingerboard that spaces the strings. How deep its slots are decides how hard…
R
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Railroad Spike
A small spike set into a banjo’s fingerboard so the fifth string can be capoed. The Strings of Reno installs them for…
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Re-fret
Pulling the old frets and installing new fret wire. A complete re-fret at The Strings of Reno starts at $425; bound fingerboards,…
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Roberto-Venn School of Luthiery
The school of guitar building and repair in Phoenix, Arizona, where Wesley Wilkerson of The Strings of Reno graduated.
S
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Saddle
The strip in the bridge that the strings rest on at the body end. It sets string height there and, on acoustic…
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Set-up
The adjustments that make an instrument play well: neck relief at the truss rod, string height (action) at the nut and saddle,…
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Strobe Tuner
A very precise tuner that shows pitch as a moving pattern instead of a needle. The Strings of Reno sets intonation with…
T
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Truss Rod
A steel rod inside a guitar or bass neck that counters the pull of the strings. Turning it sets the neck relief,…
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