Before-and-After Setup Card

What this tool is for

Document setup changes without claiming guaranteed outcomes. Shop documents preserve who observed what, under which conditions, and with which permission. They are operational records rather than legal, payment, or customer-management systems.

Use it when you can describe the current state and need a defensible next check. It is not a shortcut around inspection: preserve the starting state, change one variable, and verify the result under the same conditions.

Before you begin

Define the complaint, test conditions, and measurement points before work. Keep “before,” work performed, and “after” in separate fields.

• Use a stable, tuned instrument unless the page specifically investigates tuning.
• Name the physical reference, unit, and test condition beside every important number.
• Keep the original measurements so any reversible change can be returned to baseline.

Input guide

Customer / owner

identifies the record so its result is not attached to the wrong instrument or work order.

Instrument

identifies the record so its result is not attached to the wrong instrument or work order.

Date

anchors this record in time so climate, strings, and later work can be compared.

Before measurements

captures the exact observation, list, or requirement that the result must preserve.

After measurements

captures the exact observation, list, or requirement that the result must preserve.

Work performed

captures the exact observation, list, or requirement that the result must preserve.

Notes

captures the exact observation, list, or requirement that the result must preserve.

Input labels describe evidence, not targets. A placeholder demonstrates format only; it is never a recommendation for a particular guitar.

How the result should be read

A useful card shows both improvement and unresolved behavior. Include the final tuning, string set, and player test rather than writing only “setup complete.”

Read priorities from top to bottom, but stop as soon as new evidence contradicts an earlier assumption. Save or print the result ticket with the entered conditions so another person can reproduce the decision.

Method and logic

The card creates an attributable change record. It emphasizes one-variable changes and repeat tests instead of outcome promises.

The page keeps calculation and diagnostic claims deliberately bounded. Display rounding improves readability, while the underlying logic uses entered values; descriptive branches report relative tendencies and the evidence needed to confirm them.

Worked example

Before: bass action 2.6 mm at fret 12 and relief 0.35 mm. Work: stabilized tuning and adjusted relief within service procedure. After: 2.3 mm and 0.22 mm, with remaining fret-15 rattle noted.

The example demonstrates reasoning, not a universal setup specification. Substitute real measurements and repeat the final test before accepting the next action.

Assumptions and limitations

Different strings, humidity, posture, or tools can invalidate comparison. The document is a service record, not proof that future climate or wear will preserve the result.

Instrument design, service history, measurement error, and player technique can outweigh a calculator or checklist. Where manufacturer instructions exist for the exact hardware, use those instructions and record the revision consulted.

Safety and stop conditions

Stop for abnormal resistance, cracking, heat, odor, electrical sensation, moving wood or joints, a measurement that cannot be repeated, or any step that would remove material without a confirmed cause. Secure strings and stored mechanical energy before hardware work. Refer structural, fret-cutting, mains-powered, or uncertain repairs to a qualified technician.

Related workflow

• Neck Relief Measurement Helper — Convert and interpret a measured relief gap as a comparison—not a repair verdict.
• String Action Converter — Convert string height between millimetres and common inch fractions.
• Setup Measurement Sheet — Create a printable baseline measurement record.

Open the related page that answers the next unresolved question; do not run every tool as if every system needs adjustment.