Martian

The only problem I have with those videos is that these guys are all professional techs and clearly have a lot of experience with what they're doing. They go very quickly and make it look easier than it is. You're going to want to move more slowly than that.

The bridge adjustment video works if you have a floating Strat-style bridge. I think your Peavey does, so you should be okay, but if it's a Tune-o-matic style bridge the procedure is slightly different. He also doesn't even mention adjusting the scale, and only does height. In order to get your instrument playing at it's best, you may have to adjust both.

Adjusting the truss works pretty much as demonstrated, but unless you've been doing it as long as he has you're going to want to go much more slowly. The rule is that you never give it more than a quarter turn at a time. Give it a quarter turn, re-tune, check the neck, and repeat as necessary.

I wouldn't suggest messing with the neck angle. If it's that far out, you'll probably want a professional tech or luthier to look at it. Screwing up the neck angle can really fuck up your guitar.

You're also going to want to replace the strings (I assume you either know how to do this or can at least figure it out; it's very simple), but that's probably as far as you'll want to go on your first set up. There are other adjustments that can be made, but those are the important and easy ones. Adjusting string height at the nut or messing with the fretboard is the sort of thing that should be left to the pros.

I don't disagree with this, precisely, but I think you may be over-emphasizing the difference. Yes, an acoustic has a very different feel from an electric, but there's more that carries over when going from acoustic to electric than when going the other way. In particular, acoustics are much less forgiving on play technique, since you can't mask sloppy playing with distortion or reverb, so starting on acoustic forces a player to learn to play well, whereas a player who learns exclusively on electric can get away with a bit of slop. This ultimately leads to acoustic players being superior down the road, in my opinion. At the same time, the differences aren't significant enough to really make a fuss over, and as I said above you'll learn much more from an electric you play than from an acoustic you don't.

__________________
I wake up in the morning more tired than before I slept
I get through cryin' and I'm sadder than before I wept
I get through thinkin' now, and the thoughts have left my head
I get through speakin' and I can't remember, not a word that I said

- Ben Harper, Show Me A Little Shame

Baraka_Guru

Martian, I'll probably only adjust the bridge and truss. I'm not too concerned about the neck. I want to see if I can get rid of the buzzing I have going on with some of my strings right now. Plus some of them are having trouble holding their notes (they ring in waves). Is this because I need to make these adjustments?

I have changed the strings a couple of times recently. That is the one thing I do know how to do. Do you have any recommendations on strings? Should I be going super slinky for ease of electric techniques, or should I keep them a bit heavier to "train" my fingers to do the work?

__________________
Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing?
—Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön

Humankind cannot bear very much reality.
—From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot

Martian

String buzz can be caused by a variety of things. Worn frets, a loose nut, and loose or worn out machine heads spring immediately to mind. It can be difficult to diagnose, because there are so many issues and because even if it's only one string that's buzzing it will sometimes seem like it's several or even all of them, due to the sympathetic tones. If it's a major concern, you might want to have it looked at. Most reputable techs should be able to diagnose it quickly for you, and at no charge (at least, I know my guy wouldn't charge for something like that).

I'm not sure what you mean when you say the ring in waves. Like a volume oscillation, a tremolo effect?

String choice has a lot more to do with play style and personal preference than level of ability. I use .010-.048 D'addarios on both of my electrics and have recently switched to flatwounds on my semi-hollow. The flatwounds were me trying something new, and I still haven't decided if I'm going to keep them; they don't really have the warmth I want out of that guitar.

The point is, strings are something you can experiment with. Find a set that suits your style of play and preferred sound. Ernie Ball Slinkies give you a great starting point, since there's a set that works well for almost any application. Super Slinky are very light (.009-.042, IIRC) and will be easy on your fingers and easy to bend, but they won't put a lot of weight into your tone. I played on Beefy Slinky for about a year, which are much heavier (.011-.054) and are very good for hard rock or punk. Something in the middle might do well for a good starting point if you don't know what you want. You could try Regular Slinky (.010-.046, according to their website) or Power Slinky (.011-.048) as a good 'middle ground' set.

Experiment with strings and picks. Try different string sets and different shapes and weights of picks until you find something that really feels right to you. It's a good idea to replace your strings at least every six months anyway, so you might use that as an opportunity to explore some different sounds.

__________________
I wake up in the morning more tired than before I slept
I get through cryin' and I'm sadder than before I wept
I get through thinkin' now, and the thoughts have left my head
I get through speakin' and I can't remember, not a word that I said

- Ben Harper, Show Me A Little Shame

Baraka_Guru

The note will fluctuate between too sharp or flat and back again, kinda like a wavelength. For example, when I use my electric tuner, the note will ring like this and the needle will wave back and forth between in tune and not-so-in-tune.

And thanks for the string tips. I will likely just stick with something more middle of the road. I have an overdrive pedal, so I will likely continue to use that to play grunge and alternative (the initial reason why I bought it back in the '90s). But I am also interested in clean sounds. I love the Beatles' early sound (although I do love all Beatles, I think it would be more fun for me to play the early stuff. I want to be able to wail on R&B and Chuck Berry-style rock one day.)

__________________
Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing?
—Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön

Humankind cannot bear very much reality.
—From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot