Guitar Setup Calculator
Get recommended action height, neck relief, and pickup height based on your playing style and string gauge.
Inputs
in
Results
Action at 12th Fret
0.07 in
Neck Relief0.01 in
Pickup Height0.15 in
Intonation Offset0.8 mm
Estimated Setup Cost$50.00
How to Use This Calculator
- Enter Playing Style, String Gauge, and Neck Radius.
- Set Fret Condition.
- Review the Action at 12th Fret (in) result.
- Use Neck Relief (in) and Pickup Height (in) to inform your decision.
- Use the chart to visualize the results and explore different scenarios by adjusting inputs.
What each input means
- Playing Style
- 1=Fingerpicking, 2=Strumming, 3=Shredding, 4=Slide.
- String Gauge
- 1=Light (9s/10s), 2=Medium (11s), 3=Heavy (12s/13s).
- Neck Radius
- Fretboard radius in inches (e.g., 7.25, 9.5, 12, 16, 20).
- Fret Condition
- 1=New/good, 2=Worn (divots visible), 3=Recently leveled.
How this is calculated
Worked example, using the default values
- Identify Input Parameters4 parametersPlaying Style = 2, String Gauge = 2, Neck Radius = 9.5, Fret Condition = 1 = 4 input(s) provided
- Calculate Action at 12th FretAction at 12th Fret0.065 = 0.065
- Calculate Neck ReliefNeck Relief0.008 = 0.008
- Calculate Pickup HeightPickup Height0.148 = 0.148
Engine last updated . Checked against 3 independently-derived tests — how we verify calculators.
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