Honestly, the best thing I ever did was find a person who works on guitars for a living. I bring all my instruments to them for setup, etc. It feels like a new instrument, after every setup. They lower the action, reduce string buzz, check electronics, make fine adjustments and do repairs. It’s usually around $60 to $100 depending on where you go. But it is well worth every penny. You’ll also need to supply them with a new set of strings as they change them as well.

If you are handy, you can learn how to do all of this yourself. There are plenty of instructions on the internet and YouTube of how to do this yourself. It’s worth a try, if you mess it up, then you take it to someone. But I’m not handy at all, so I choose to pay for it.

Things involved in setup:

• Adjusting the truss rod
• Adjusting the bridge height
• Adjust the pickup height
• Set the intonation
• Check the nut height
• Check the electronics
• Check the tuning machines and hardware
• Inspect for structural issues
• Clean and polish the frets
• Clean and oil the fretboard
• Change the strings
• Clean and polish

Changing strings regularly should be included in your regular maintenance. Make sure you learn how to do it properly, as you will do it a lot if you play a lot.