A measured path from symptom to record
Guitar Setup Lab is organized around dependencies. Stable strings and intended tuning come before relief; relief comes before bridge action; pickup clearance follows the string path; intonation is checked only after the earlier geometry is stable. Electronics begins with a safe cable and environment substitution, while build geometry begins with named datums and calibrated transfer.
Choose one unresolved question
Use Diagnose when the cause is unknown, Measure when a datum needs conversion or comparison, Electronics when signal behavior can be isolated safely, Record when shop evidence or permission must be preserved, and Build when coordinates or angles must be tested before material is marked. Each tool links to only the next related decisions so an isolated symptom does not become an unnecessary complete overhaul.
Evidence over targets
The site does not publish one action, relief, pickup height, nut margin, or neck angle as correct for every instrument. Record the instrument, strings, tuning, position, fret, unit, tool resolution, climate when relevant, and the player’s actual symptom. Repeat the measurement, change one reversible variable, retune, and repeat the same test.
Boundaries
No browser can feel truss-rod resistance, inspect a joint, authenticate a used instrument, model every pickup circuit, or verify that a printer transferred a template at physical size. Stop for conflicting readings, abnormal force, structural movement, electrical sensation, heat, odor, or an irreversible step whose cause is not confirmed. Use manufacturer documentation and a qualified technician where the instrument or powered equipment requires direct inspection.
