Having a good instrument to play or practice on is crucial in order to progress on it.
There is nothing more discouraging than not being able to play your best because of fret buzz or strings being so high that it is very hard press them down.
I have always been setting up my own guitars and through trial and error I learned what it takes to make a guitar sound good.
There are two things you MUST do in order to get your guitar sounding as best as it can sound.
Truss Rod Adjustment Your guitar absorbs different amounts of moisture throughout the year.
When it does that the wood starts to swell.
Your guitar neck is where you can see that swelling the best.
Fret buzz is an indicator that the neck might need an adjustment.
First find out what adjustment it needs.
Put a capo on the first fret and also push down on the last fret with your finger.
That forms a straightedge and if you go to the eighth fret, you can clearly see if the neck needs adjustment or not.
If there is a big gap in between the string and the neck, tighten the truss rod to get rid of it.
If there is no gap in between, loosen the truss rod a bit to get a small gap.
You need to have a small gap between the string and the neck to achieve the best playability.
Truss rod adjustment is one of the easiest maintenance procedures to do but remember NOT to over tighten the rod or it will snap.
Intonation Having a good intonation on your guitar can really make it sing.
To adjust the intonation properly you need a guitar tuner.
Tune the guitar.
Play an open E-string and then play the 12th fret on the same string.
If the 12th fret note is sharp, you need to tighten the bridge saddle.
If the note is flat, you need to loosen the saddle.
Repeat the procedure on all strings until the notes on the 12th fret are the same as the open string notes.