So I just got a new/used Jackson DKMG and I'm attempting to set it up all by myself. I'm tuning this one to C and using 13 - 56's as you guys have awesomely recommended. It's going great so far, as I've successfully done the bridge last night. Of course the neck is going to need some adjusting because the bottom 3 strings keep on buzzing on some of the first six frets and some open strings buzz, especially the D.
I was looking for some kind of relief measurement to shoot for, but everything I consult either says "oh it depends on your preferences" or just lists it for Fenders, Gibsons, PRS, etc. I don't know any other players that use thicker gauge strings or tune down. What relief/action measurements are you guys setting on your guitars?

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i like to set the action as low as it can go without buzz - allows me to play faster and makes fretting easier.

for a quick setup without a ruler, i crank the bridge down then wedge a quarter between the string and the 5th fret (the metal fret, not the fretboard). i then raise the action to the point where the quarter slides out. this gives me a starting point. from there i will raise or lower it depending on the buzz.

if you find that most of your frets are buzz free but you have a 'dead zone' here or there, the frets may need to be filed to balance them out. for this i'd see a luthier.

if you can't get an acceptable action by adjusting the bridge, you might be able to file the nut down a bit. again, i'd see a luthier and get a nice custom nut made of bone etc to replace the stock plastic.

adjusting the truss rod is not something you want to do to fix the action. but if you want to make sure your neck is bowed properly, there are some good instructions here:
http://www.athensmusician.net/archi...geneimbody1.php

for pickup height, i'll press down with a firm palm mute and get the pickups as close as i can without touching the strings. for metal/gain you generally want them as close to the strings as possible.

hope this helps!

I'm going to assume a few things here first.

I'm assuming you know how to adjust neck relief correctly and and how to correctly measurement it.

After the strings have stretched, tuned, and the intonation+action optimal I allow a few days for the neck wood to settle and several hours playing before I start messing with relief. I normally start with a 5/128" relief, which for most Jackson type necks is a high medium relief. I'll then adjust the action, intonation, and tuning again; then check the relief again. Adjust everything in slow and small turns at this point until everything is zeroed in to the correct measurements and tune. If the relief feels to low/high than adjust it up/down 1/128" and repeat the process until you get it where it feels and sounds good. It is also important to note fret wear as it will affect some notes and not others as far as buzz is concerned. Plus, some necks have a very slight twist in them that will effect relief on one side and not the other. Note this and adjust accordingly.

Now play several hours and wait a few days and check it again. Don't be surprised if things have changed. Go through it all again as many times needed until nothing changes. On new made guitars it could take about a year before the neck and relief settles even if the same tuning and strings are used consistently.

See why it cost so much to have this done and why it changes later

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Killer posts! I need to adjust the relief on a bolt-on I've had off for awhile while I've remodeled the body. Put everything back on and I can see the neck has 'relaxed' quite nicely.

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with guitar in tune... and assuming your fretwork is nice and level and your not using pussy floppy strings....

press and hold the 1st fret and the last fret on the lowest string (any string will do, but lowest is easiest to see), you would want about 1 mm space between the string and the 12th fret, if its more, tighten the trussrod, if its less or if the string is actually touching the frets untighten the trussrod... also the 1 mm space is a basic setup, you could set the neck more staight or more hollow whatever you want.

if you have buzz on the 1st few frets the neck is set to tight (bowed back to far), if you have buzz in the middle region the trussrod is too loose.

also a neck does NOT need days or hours to set, in most cases the neck will set right away (if a neck has been stringless for a long time id give it more time to settle, just to be sure), ive build a lot of neck and did alot of proffesional fretleveling and refrets. so i know from my own experience how fast a neck sets.

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Basically how I do it with my guitars is tune it up right(without locking the tremolo if u have one) and keep the bridge at a moderate height(the bridge should be left til the end for adjustments) then look at the profile of the neck(aim it at a source of light) and try to seek out minor inclinations. Then adjust the truss accordingly. If the headstock bends forwards then turn clockwise, counterclockwise to relieve it if it's bent too backwards(ie: string tension aint enough). Make SMALL turns, like 1 hour-like notches on a clock, in fact that might even be unnecessary in your case. If you're tuning to just plain C with that gauge I think the adjustment you'll need for the truss will be pretty minimal. I have only needed to touch the truss once on 1 guitar and twice on another one, and I don't plan on making any more adjustments to them until they make any visible warping.

Remember it can also just be imperfections in the fret job. If you ever want to play a guitar that'll NEVER have fret buzz you're either going to have to spend a lot of money or play with the strings clean off the fretboard.

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i use normal gauge string, im in C tuning, when you tune down, your brige will get up, so i just put it down with my hexagonal key to a comfortable pisition and i check all fret if there are any string buzz. And i also turn my string into a diagonal, so my little strings are lower than the biggest ones...not in the tuning, in the position....hard to explain but i can play faster on little ones and i cant miss any chord with biggest ones....

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