As seen in Guitar Girl Magazine Issue 19 – Spring 2022
If you are reading this, chances are you are a fan of listening to the electric guitar. You are probably even a fan of playing the electric guitar. However, many of us are not necessarily fans of proper electric guitar setup and maintenance. Fortunately, UK sessions guitarist Lisa Reed has made guitar upkeep a much more enjoyable experience. As a formerly self-taught beginner, Reed understands the frustrations that come with trying to teach yourself how to do something. When we look for advice in videos and tutorials, we often encounter gaps in knowledge and personal bias; “When I was learning and starting to understand everything, I realized there were a lot of people giving their opinion on things and stating them as if they were fact. They often gave bad advice too, which I hated. I decided to write a book that gave people as much knowledge as possible, in an easy-to-follow step-by-step guide.”
First, the overall presentation of the guide is refreshing. Many manuals try to fit a lot of diagrams and oddly formatted text into a small space, which can make the manual feel more chaotic and confusing than helpful. The pages of the Guitar Geeks guide are clean, simple, in standard paragraph form, with large easy-to-follow font and only necessary photos.
As for content, this guide covers both the broad and specific topics of guitar maintenance. The first section is dedicated to changing strings on multiple types of electric guitars, from Les Pauls to Floyd Rose systems. The rest of the book goes on to discuss the truss rod, guitar action, intonation, fretboard care, cleaning, and even small repairs. Within each section, Reed goes into greater detail about the function and importance of each part of the guitar, which tools you will need, different features of different guitars, recommended products, and the step-by-step instructions for completing the task. Because Reed is so mindful of players having options, she often provides multiple methods. Perhaps some of the most helpful additions to this guide are the strategically placed QR codes that lead to bonus videos for players that need a little more assistance.
In summary, the Guitar Geeks Set Up Guide is a comforting must-have for all electric guitar players. It is especially useful for beginner players who want to develop positive maintenance habits with their guitars early on. Consult this guide as needed to ensure your guitar is getting the attention it deserves.
This guide is available as a physical copy and an E-book. To purchase either version of the guide, email lisareedguitarist@hotmail.com.