First thing you do with a new guitar...

Maybe I've been lucky, but I have always found the frets to be extremely level.
The first thing I do is start lowering the strings at tha bridge, listening for buzz and watching the relief and After getting that action I want I evaluate the nut for height and then apply lubricant when necessary.
Then I plug up and set pickup heights to find out how that effects the overall tone. After that I replace the strings. I have found some models might have older strings, in which case I replace them before making my modifications.

 

Everything.

 

Last time i got a new one I more or less started with tuning it down a half step and then i released the trussrod a little bit to compensate. To be honest a tried a day or two with regular tuning but found it too akward compared to my other strats

 

maybe new strings and a basic setup then play it for a day or 2.

then it gets disassembled, stickers removed, everything gone through and put back together the way i would have done it. then level the frets, set it up including nut slots and then it is "mine".

 

Are you sure you're sure about that?

The 10+ year old inspection sticker around the back on my Ibby's control cover has character!

 

Not another Duke's vs Hellmann's thread!

 

Ooh, you've opened up a can of mayo now...

 

1. Tune
2. Play
3. Check intonation and action - adjust if necessary
4. Play some more
5. Change strings, take care of all issues that have presented themselves. Fret ends, fretboard, nut, pickup height, full setup. Some times that's after a week, sometimes a couple months. Just depends how good it is upon arrival.

 

Everyone knows Hellman’s is the best

 

I give it the once over especially action and intonation. Then I just play it, since I buy used from a dealer that I trust online. Ok, then I have to put it on a stand and just look at how cool it is...art.

 

Play it for at least three months. I rarely alter a new guitar right away - with the exception of the time I bought one with a naugatortoise pickguard. I dislike those with such intensity that I ordered the replacement the same day I got the guitar.

 

First thing you do with a new guitar...

Return it?

 

I plug it in and play it. THEN I go about string change, set-up, etc...

 

With a new guitar? I usually tell the owner, "I'm jealous!"

With a new-to-me guitar, it depends on the condition. In many cases, there is basement grime to remove, fret crud to scour away, neck bow to straighten, etc. I've got to get it clean so I can string it and set it up.

 

Attempt to justify/explain "why" to my wife!!

 

I usually try to drop it or ding it up in some way- just to get it over with.

 

Take the plastic off and play it. Make any necessary adjustments and continue playing.....

 

Whatever necessary, depends on the guitar. 10-52 strings. Intonation. Fret edges. Decking trem. Polish neck. Sometimes locking tuners.

Been using the same luthiers for twenty years, they know how I like my set-up.

 

Tune - play.

When I got my Classic series Strat a few years back it played fine out of the box and hasn't been messed with since, apart from string changes.

 

Take it completely apart. Verify.