66 Westgarth Street
Fitzroy, Melbourne
Victoria 3065
ABN 99437344298
Ph/Fax : +613 9415 9888
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: Try before you buy :

Try Before You Buy Setups

Electric Guitar Pickup Section

Try Before You Buy Setups

At Matheas Guitars we understand that there are many options to consider when getting a guitar setup. This is something that I recognize. In order to help you decide what setup best suits you I have 'Try before you buy'. This is a series of dedicated guitars setup with the most popular or commonly used setups, in order to help you decide what setup suits your playing style the best. In addition we have designated guitars with interchangeable pickup modules that can be tried with a wide selection of amps such as a Soldano, Fender Twin, Fender Bassman and a Marshall Superlead.

Trial Guitars

Guitar Type	Superstrat with floyd rose tremolo
Musical Style	Lowest action shred style (Steve Vai)
String Gauge	9 to 42
Tuning(low to High)	E A D G B E
Fretwire Dimension	Jumbo(6000)
Fretboard Radius	16 inches or greater
Action(12 th Fret) High E	1 mm
Action(12 th Fret) Low E	1.2 mm
Action( nut) High E	0.15 mm
Action( nut) Low E	0.22 mm
Neck Relief	Straight

Picture Coming Soon!

This guitar is set up for those of you who like to play fast difficult passages with the least resistance, without any choking of the notes when you bend strings. It is set up to execute fast alternate picking, legato, two-handed tapping and sweeping lines. This type of setup would be common for players such as Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Allan Holdsworth, Shawn Lane , Carlos Santana and Eddie Van Halen.

Guitar Type	Strat Style
Musical Style	Low Rock
String Gauge	10 to 46
Tuning(Low to High)	E A D G B E
Fretwire Dimension	Standard Gibson
Fretboard Radius	20 inches compound
Action(12 th Fret) High E	1.2 mm
Action(12 th Fret) Low E	1.6 mm
Action( nut) High E	0.23 mm
Action( nut) Low E	0.45 mm
Neck Relief	0.25 mm at 9 th fret

this guitar is set up for players that like the setup and sound of a more traditionally set up guitar, but prefers the action to be a little bit lower than factory specifications. This type of setup enables you to play fast , difficult passages , and bend notes without the worry of notes choking or being inaudible , while keeping a more traditional feel to the guitar.

Guitar Type	Vintage Strat style
Musical Style/Setup	Fender Factory Specifications
String Gauge	10 to 46
Tuning(Low to High)	E A D G B E
Fretwire Dimension	2.6mm ´ 1.2mm
Fretboard Radius	9 ½ inches
Action(12th Fret) High E	1.6 mm
Action(12th Fret) Low E	2 mm
Action( nut) High E
Action( nut) Low E
Neck Relief	0.25 at 8 th fret

This guitar is set to the recommended Fender factory specifications.

Guitar Type	Gibson Les Paul
Musical Style/Setup	Gibson Factory Specifications
String Gauge	10 to 46
Tuning(Low to High)	E A D G B E
Fretwire Dimension	2.3mm ´ 1.3mm
Fretboard Radius	12 inches
Action(12th Fret) High E	1.2 mm
Action(12th Fret) Low E	2 mm
Action( nut) High E	0.4 mm
Action( nut) Low E	0.8 mm
Neck Relief	0.3 at 7 th fret

This guitar is set to the reccomended Gibson factory specifications.

Guitar Type	Aged Vintage Style Strat
Musical Style/Setup	Texas Blues
String Gauge	12 to 56
Tuning(Low to High)	D G C F A D
Fretwire Dimension	Jumbo(6000)
Fretboard Radius	7.25 Inches to12 inches
Action(12th Fret) High E	2 mm
Action(12th Fret) Low E	2.8 mm
Action( nut) High E	0.3 mm
Action( nut) Low E	0.45 mm
Neck Relief	0.3 at 9 th fret

This guitar has features that are suitable for blues rock players as popularised by Stevie Ray Vaughn. It has a reshaped neck with thin worn lacquer finish similar to the feel of vintage guitars from the 60s, flattened fingerboard and refretted with jumbo fretwire so bending strings is less restrictive and easier to excecute. String pitches are tuned down to D, so the guitar takes on a voice that is thicker and darker sounding than a regular guitar tuned concert pitch. The string guages are thicker to accomadate the lower string tension associated with lowering the open string pitches. The string clearances on this type of guitar are a little higher to accomadate the dynamic picking hand from light delicate to aggressive hitting. This guitar has fender custom 54 pickups for that vintage tone. This guitar tends to suit players who prefer an aggressive style with the picking and fretting hand.

Guitar Type	Danelectro
Musical Style/Setup	Alternate tuning/ slide
String Gauge	16 to 56
Tuning(Low to High)	D A D G A D
Fretwire Dimension	Jumbo (2.6*1)
Fretboard Radius	16 inch
Action(12th Fret) High E	2.1 mm
Action(12th Fret) Low E	3 mm
Action( nut) High E	.8 mm
Action( nut) Low E	1.1 mm
Neck Relief	.6 mm

For those of you that are interested in blues slide guitar and open tunings this setup may suit you. This uses thick diameter nickel wound strings .016" to .054".

The string guages are thicker to accomadate the lower string tension associated with lowering the open string pitches. The string clearances on this type of guitar are high to accomadate the dynamic picking hand and to have adequate clearance for when the metal slide is deppressed against the strings. String pitches are tuned down to D, so the guitar takes on a voice that is thicker and darker sounding than a regular guitar tuned concert pitch . This is suitable for the technique of playing vibrato with slide.

Guitar Type	Modified Epiphone SG Tony Iommi Model
Musical Style/Setup	Modern Metal Low Pitch (SYL, Meshuggah, Order of Chaos)
String Gauge	13 to 58
Tuning (Low to High)	C G Bb F G C
Fretwire Dimension	Jumbo (2.7 * 1)
Fretboard Radius	14 inch
Action(12th Fret) High E	2
Action(12th Fret) Low E	2.8
Action( nut) High E	.5
Action( nut) Low E	.8
Neck Relief	.45

For those of you that are into modern heavy music, it is commom for these bands to play guitars that are tuned well below concert pitch. To set a standard guitar tuned to low pitches requires re adjustments. String pitches are tuned down to C, which is technically Baritone tuning and falls within the range of the Bass guitar, so the guitar takes on a voice that is thicker and darker sounding than a regular guitar tuned concert pitch.It is important to substitute the strings with thicker guages to accomadate the lower string tension associated with lowering the open string pitches. The string clearances on this type of guitar are low but can be a little higher to accomadate more aggressive pickers. Modifications are sometime required to the location of nut and bridge to introduce more compensation to the strings. The bridge saddles and nut are recut to accomadate the thicker guage of strings.

Guitar Type	Cort Acoustic Steel String w/Buzz Feiten
Musical Style/Setup	Lower than standard
String Gauge	12 to 54
Tuning(Low to High)	E,A,D,G,B,E
Fretwire Dimension	2MM
Fretboard Radius	14
Action( 12th Fret) High E	1.4
Action(12th Fret) Low E	2.4
Action( nut) High E	.45
Action( nut) Low E	.45
Neck Relief	.2

This is a production guitar that is set up for those of you who are used to an electric and would like to keep that same feel when playing a steel string acoustic. To establish such easy playability the frets were re seated and milled to a higher tolerance that allows adequate clearance for the string vibration pattern while the string clearances are lower than factory specifications. This is a popular request for many performing artists.

Guitar Type	Gurian Workshops OOO Style Acoustic
Musical Style/Setup	Finger Picking setup
String Gauge	12 to 54
Tuning(Low to High)	E A D G B E
Fretwire Dimension	Medium/Jumbo(2.4 1.2)MM
Fretboard Radius	7 ½
Action(12th Fret) High E	1.6
Action(12th Fret) Low E	2.5
Action( nut) High E	.45
Action( nut) Low E	.63
Neck Relief	.38 at the 7 th fret

Picture coming soon

This is a fine musical instrument with a clear tone. The setup and string clearances were deliberately adjusted to enhance the radius of the round fingerboard . The higher than normal fretwire allows you to grab the string with your left hand and manipulate the notes. The saddle location has been adjusted and intonation is accurate. The adjustments are suitable for the tone and behaviour of the guitar and the solo acoustic fingerpicking style. There are other variations on this setup, primarily standard medium fretwire.

Guitar Type	Peter Van Ree Rosewood Flamenco
Musical Style/Setup	Standard Flamenco Setup
String Gauge	Medium
Tuning(Low to High)	E A D G B E
Fretwire Dimension	Medium (2mm)
Fretboard Radius	Flat
Action(12th Fret) High E	2.6mm
Action(12th Fret) Low E	2.9mm
Action( nut) High E	.3mm
Action( nut) Low E	.5mm
Neck Relief	Straight

For traditional flamenco setup the string clearances are required to be low and evenly distributed over the entire fretboard. In addition it is essential that the strings at the bridge are close to the soundboard., no more than 9mm.This facilitates easier execution of flamenco technique, rascuedo, percussive drum sound by tapping of the soundboard with individual fingers, thumb or palm in between playing melodies and rhythms on the strings.

Guitar Type	Fender Jazz Master
Musical Style/Setup
String Gauge	10 to 46
Tuning(Low to High)	E A D G B E
Fretwire Dimension
Fretboard Radius	7.25 inches
Action(12th Fret) High E
Action(12th Fret) Low E
Action( nut) High E
Action( nut) Low E
Neck Relief

Picture coming soon

Guitar Type	ES 335
Musical Style/Setup	Jazz/Rock style
String Gauge
Tuning(Low to High)	E A D G B E
Fretwire Dimension
Fretboard Radius	12 inches
Action(12th Fret) High E
Action(12th Fret) Low E
Action( nut) High E
Action( nut) Low E
Neck Relief

Guitar Type	'50s Style modified Tele
Musical Style/Setup
String Gauge
Tuning(Low to High)	E A D G B E
Fretwire Dimension
Fretboard Radius
Action(12th Fret) High E
Action(12th Fret) Low E
Action( nut) High E
Action( nut) Low E
Neck Relief

Electric Guitar Pickup Section

At Matheas Guitars we understand the difficulty in choosing pickups. Whether you want to upgrade your current pickups or change your existing pickups, Matheas Guitars can help you decide what pickups will best suit you. We do this by having two popular styles of electric guitars. A Stratocaster with interchangeable pickguards that slot on and off the guitar, and a Les Paul with pickups that slot in and out. This service is so you can try numerous styles of pickups so you can come to a conclusion as to what you most like.

Strat Pickup Test Guitar	Les Paul Test Guitar
Pickups available for you to try:
Seymour Duncan DiMarzio Bartolini EMG Kinman Fender Gibson WSC Schaller	Jim Dyson Also available on special order PRS Lindy Fralin Rio Grande Tom Holmes Joe Barden Don Lace Tom Anderson

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