Originally Posted by: Mike51Learning to properly set up action (string height) and intonation on your guitar are pretty basic things. It isn't rocket science. A good and worthwhile book to have is Dan Erlewine's How to Make Your Electric Guitar Play Great. Buy it new so that you'll be sure to have his measuring tools that he includes in the book. Tools to measure the radius of the frets and tools to make sure that your string height matches that radius.

When I purchased my first electric guitar I loved it, who wouldn't. After buying this book and properly setting up the guitar I loved the way it played and sounded even more. It was a world of difference. Very rarely do you get a guitar "off the rack" that's ready to go.

I agree its pretty basic but if he's never had it set up properly from a Luthier, he should have it done, as they do more than just the basics. Action is not just string height as the above poseter staes - it includes truss rod adjustment(for neck relief), sting height at bridge(which includes saddle adjustment and bridge adjustment, as well as string height at the nut in relation to the gauge strings you are using.

Most every guitar comes from the factory without proper setup since the manufacturer does not know your personal playing preferences. I do all my own setup and adjustments, but when I get a new guitar I have it done by a pro for the first time around, since they will do nutwork and saddlework as well, which involves filing, and is beyond most peoples skillset(And you don't have the right tools). A decent all around setup will cost you $50 to $60 bucks and will include a new set of strings(Important to use new strings when setting intonation). One thing I would recommend is make sure they know how you like your action, as they usually default to low action, which isn't good for all players. I prefer higher action because I am a hard strummer and notes sustain longer and I can't stand string buzz. Last guitar I had set up was my Less Paul, and it was worth it because he did alot of work on the nut and the saddle, but the action ended up being too low for me and I ended up changing it within a week, but it was still worth it for the other work done.