A setup, a fret dress, a refret and a neck reset are not four prices for the same job. They solve different problems. The most useful way to approach guitar or bass repair is to separate adjustments from wear, electronics faults and structural damage—then ask the technician to show which category your instrument is actually in.
What a Professional Setup Actually Does
A setup is a coordinated series of measurements and adjustments. Neck relief is checked first, followed by string height, nut-slot behavior, saddle or bridge height, intonation and pickup height where applicable. The order matters: changing relief changes action, and changing action can affect intonation. Manufacturer setup specifications are useful starting points, but playing style, string gauge and tuning determine the final target.
Fender's published setup procedure, for example, measures relief with the string held at the first and last frets, then checks action, pickup clearance and intonation. Fender also tells owners to stop if a truss rod meets excessive resistance or has no effect. A competent setup is therefore not simply “turning the truss rod”; it is checking how the entire playing geometry works together.
| Setup stage | What is checked | What it can change |
|---|---|---|
| Baseline | Strings, tuning, hardware, neck and body condition | Whether adjustment is meaningful before worn or broken parts are addressed |
| Neck relief | Controlled forward curve under string tension | Clearance in the middle of the neck |
| Nut and action | Open-string clearance and string height | First-position comfort, open-string buzz and overall playability |
| Intonation | Open or harmonic pitch compared with fretted pitch | Accuracy up the neck after relief and action are stable |
| Pickups/electronics | Output balance, controls, jack and noise | String-to-string balance and reliable amplified output |
When a Setup Is Not Enough
Adjustments cannot make uneven, loose or deeply worn frets level. A localized high fret may need reseating or spot work. Broader wear may justify a level, crown and polish: the technician levels the fret tops, reshapes each one to a narrow crown and polishes the playing surface. This removes material, so it only works while enough usable fret height remains.
A refret replaces the wire. It becomes the better option when frets are too low after earlier dressing, deeply grooved, loose across the board, or incompatible with the player's needs. Bound fingerboards, finished maple boards, stainless wire and damaged fret slots add labor. A PLEK scan can map the neck and assist precision fretwork, but it does not replace diagnosis, setup decisions or finishing by a technician.
Nut and Saddle Work
Nut slots that are too high can make first-position notes feel stiff and pull sharp under normal finger pressure. Slots that are too low can produce open-string buzz. Filing lowers a slot; it cannot raise one. A low slot may need a controlled fill-and-recut repair or a replacement nut. On an acoustic guitar, lowering the saddle can reduce action, but removing material is not automatically the right response to a swollen top, poor neck angle or loose bridge.
Electronics: Simple Symptom, Several Possible Faults
Crackling while a control turns often points toward a dirty or worn potentiometer. Output that cuts in and out when the cable moves can involve the jack, its solder joints or the cable itself. Hum may come from expected single-coil behavior, environmental interference, shielding or a grounding fault. The first useful test is substitution: try a known-good cable and amplifier before opening the instrument.
Pickup height affects output and balance, but there is no universal distance for every pickup. Fender publishes different starting clearances for different pickup families and measures them with the last fret depressed. Adjusting mounting screws is reversible; modifying cavities, soldering an unfamiliar circuit or using household sprays inside a guitar is not a sensible diagnostic shortcut.
Structural Repairs Are a Different Category
A lifting acoustic bridge, open wood crack, loose brace, failing neck joint or broken headstock is not a setup. String tension continues to load the damaged area, while heat and humidity can affect glue joints and wooden components. Taylor notes that dry conditions can contribute to cracking, a sinking top and bridge lifting, while prolonged heat can soften glue and loosen a bridge.
Do not push a lifting bridge flat, flood a crack with household glue or compensate by shaving the saddle. Loosen the strings enough to reduce tension if movement is obvious, keep loose parts, photograph the damage and arrange an in-person assessment. A finish check may be cosmetic; a crack that moves, crosses a loaded area or opens through the wood needs professional inspection.
Safe Owner Checks—and the Stop Point
- Reasonable checks: install the intended string gauge, tune accurately, try a known-good cable, tighten an accessible loose jack nut while preventing the jack from spinning, and record where a symptom occurs.
- Proceed only with model-specific instructions: small reversible saddle, pickup-height or truss-rod adjustments, measured after each change.
- Stop and book a technician: a truss rod that resists or has no effect, uneven or loose frets, a low nut slot, intermittent internal wiring, a lifting bridge, cracks, loose braces or a visibly twisted neck.
What Published Prices Do—and Do Not—Tell You
Price menus are useful for understanding scope, not for declaring one worldwide “correct” price. Current published examples show the spread clearly: Belforti in France lists a full setup and intonation at €40–€80 and fret leveling at €100–€200; Guitar Mechanic in Melbourne lists setups at A$145, a fret dress at A$250 and refrets at A$400–A$450; Music City Canada publishes an C$85 hourly bench rate; Third Coast Guitar in Chicago lists a US$300 standard PLEK service. Strings, parts and additional repairs may be separate.
Ask for a written estimate that identifies the observed fault, the work included, parts, strings, tax, expected turnaround and what happens if hidden damage appears. A lower number is not a saving if it describes less work.
Sources and Further Reading
- Fender: factory setup specifications and measurement sequence
- Third Coast Guitar: published repair estimates and setup scope
- Belforti Instruments: published repair and setup menu
- Guitar Mechanic: published setup, fretwork and electronics prices
- Music City Canada: repair scope and bench rate
- Taylor Guitars: humidity-related playability and structural damage
If you are starting from a symptom rather than a repair quote, use our guitar troubleshooting guide. You can also find listed technicians in the instrument repair shop directory.