If you want your guitar to sound the best if can for as long as it can, guitar maintenance is essential. It's good to be aware of how temperature changes affect your guitar, how to properly clean it, and how to change your strings correctly. It is very important to understand and research how to take care of your guitar as much as you can before you attempt to tinker with it. Here you will find tips, from general to advanced, on correctly taking care of your guitar.
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| Take care of your guitar and it will take care of you |
If you are just starting out on the guitar, it is important to know how the elements will affect your guitar. Also, it is important to know how to clean your guitar correctly and when to change your guitar strings. You find some general advice here at http://learntheguitarlessons.com/beginners-guitar-lessons/guitar-cleaning/.
Guitar Care – Humidity
The biggest enemy of wood is humidity, and even though much of an instrument’s surface is protected by a paint finish, the unfinished bits, such as the fingerboard on electric guitars, are not. Humidity is even more of an issue with acoustic guitars. The interior of the guitar is quite susceptible, and in addition to the fingerboard, bridges are often unfinished.
With too much humidity, wood swells, joints and glue becomes weak, and once the process begins, it is difficult or impossible to correct. Dry conditions suck moisture out of wood, and can cause wood, glue, and joints to split and crack, which also is difficult or impossible to correct when it reaches a certain point.
Commercial guitar humidifiers and dehumidifiers are inexpensive and reliable, and should be used according to seasonal and atmospheric conditions. Always store guitars in their case when not in use, and avoid basement or garage storage. As a general rule of thumb, if humidity levels are uncomfortable for you, your guitar probably feels the same way. Proper humidity levels for guitars are between 45 and 55% relative humidity.
Guitar Cleaning
Guitar cleaning not only makes your axe look good, it also protects the finish. Guitar finishes are designed not to clog wood pores, they allow acoustic soundboards to vibrate freely, and electric bodies to resonate properly. Guitar finishes are much different than furniture polishes, so furniture polish should never be substituted.
Furniture polish can contain waxes and other substances which may clog finish pores, and may actually damage the guitars finish eventually. Always use a commercial polish or cleaner made especially for guitars, and use a dedicated clean, dry, cotton cloth… one for polish application, and one for final buffing.
Generally, it is not advisable to apply cleaners to unfinished guitar parts, such as fingerboards and bridges, but it is worth checking the manufacturer’s literature or web site for specifics. For some instruments, these parts can be treated and cleaned with a small amount of linseed or lemon oil. In all cases, a wipe with a cotton cloth very lightly dampened with water, followed by immediate drying is using sufficient.
Clean metal parts with a damp cloth, and there are some commercially available guitar hardware cleaners or combination finish/metal cleaners that will do a fine job. Another rule of thumb for guitar cleaning: Use the mildest possible cleaner, progressing to stronger formulations only if necessary.
Tips On Guitar Strings
Guitar strings should be changed whenever you are unhappy with the sound. There is no set rule when to change strings, and it is a matter of preference. It is best to always tune your strings up to pitch so there is constant tension on the neck.
If the guitar is to be shipped, or will be stored for long periods of time, strings should be loosened. Of course this may result in neck adjustment when the guitar is ready to be played again, but the neck’s natural tendency to relax without strings is better than forced tension with strings installed over long periods of time.
So, there you go! Every manufacturer has suggested methods of guitar care, so visiting the website or reading the literature which came with your instrument is highly recommended. Keep up with your guitar cleaning and maintenance and you will have a guitar you can depend upon for years to come.
Guitar maintenance doesn't stop with changing strings and general cleaning. There is much more you can do to make sure your guitar always sounds great whenever you play it. For some more advanced tips on guitar maintenance look here at http://guitar.about.com/od/generalguitarrepair/a/guitar_maintenance.htm.
One of the most frustrating things a guitarist can experience is playing an improperly set up or poorly intonated guitar. I remember playing gigs with guitars so badly intonated I'd have to avoid playing particular chord shapes, because if I did, they'd sound horribly out-of-tune. It goes without saying that worrying about whether the next chord you strum is going to make your audience cringe does not make for a particularly fun gig.
After a few embarassing moments, though, I learned my lesson. By taking a few steps address these problems, I've created a lot less hassles and worries for myself. I thought I'd share a few of my remedies here with you.
Intonation
If you've ever played a G chord that sounded fine, only to play an E chord which sounds out of tune, you've experienced an intonation problem with a guitar. Intonation problems can be a nightmare, and can sometimes be a symptom of very serious problems with a guitar, but often can be corrected with a minor adjustment. Projectguitar.com has a quick description on how to adjust intonation on an electric guitar (this includes information on Floyd Rose systems). Adjusting the intonation on an acoustic guitar is somewhat trickier, but with a few tools, is something most guitarists can do themselves at home. Luthier Jim Sullivan explains exactly how to handle this in an acoustic guitar intonation video (scroll down to the second video on the page).
Fret Buzz
Fret buzzing is another problem that plagues many guitars due to poor manufacturing or set-up. Although fret buzz can also be caused by significant problems, in many cases, simple adjustments like raising string action can make these problems go away. The Frets.com website has put together The Big Buzz List, a comprehensive list of the specific problems that cause fret buzz, and offers suggestions on how to correct it. Although the list is geared towards acoustic guitars, virtually all of the same conditions occur in electric guitars.
Humidity
Another guitar problem common in the winter months is neck shrinkage, top cracking, or body bowing, due to loss of moisture within the wood of the guitar. Although significant damage due to dryness is probably going to require professional repair, a few simple tricks might help you rescue your instrument from the brink of disaster. Bob Taylor of Taylor Guitars has put together a very informative YouTube video on humidifying your guitar. If you're interested in keeping your guitar at a proper level of humidity, but are short on cash, this tutorial on building a humidifier for your guitar should help.
Scratchy Pots
"Scratchy pots" - dirt that gets into the tone and volume knobs on electric guitars resulting in scratchy sounds - can be an annoyance to guitar players in live situations. Often, relieving yourself of this problem is fairly quick and painless procedure.
Next let's move onto changing your guitar strings. Keep in mind that the method of changing your guitar strings will probably change slightly depending on what guitar you are using. Be sure to do the correct research to find the method right for you. You will find a detailed method of changing guitar strings here at http://learntheguitarlessons.com/beginners-guitar-lessons/guitar-restringing/.
Learning how to restring your guitar can be frustrating and mysterious, but with a bit of experience and a few tips, you’ll be restringing like a pro in no time. Restringing your own instrument will save time and money, and will help you become familiar with your guitar.
Unless your guitar is fitted with special locking tuners or vibrato tailpieces, for which you should consult the owner’s manual or website, restringing guitars is very similar no matter what make you have.
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| To change strings on an acoustic guitar, start with the guitar laying flat. |
Guitar Restringing – Step 1
Place the guitar on a flat, padded surface, such as a table covered with a blanket or towel.
Step 2
Elevate and secure the neck by placing a small cardboard box or foam block underneath the neck below the nut.
Step 3
Notice how the previous strings were installed, and make mental or physical notes if necessary. In particular, note the wraps around the tuning posts, and the direction in which they are wound. Of course, this is assuming that the strings were installed correctly in the first place. Plan to restring your guitar one string at a time to minimize neck tension shock.
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| Here I'm using a stringwinder to completely slacken the low E string. |
Step 4
Loosen the 6th string (low “E”, or thickest string) by hand or with a peg winder, turning clockwise until the windings are loose.Step 5
Unwrap the windings, and pull the old string out of the tuning post hole.Step 6
Remove the string from the tailpiece, which will be on the top or underside of the guitar, depending on bridge type. You can snip the string with wire cutters to facilitate easier removal, as the bent winding end of the string may be difficult to pull through, but this is optional.
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| Insert the ball end of the E string into the hole in the bridge, then place the bridge pin on top of it. |
Step 7
Thread the new string through the bridge hole, and pull all the way through.Step 8
Wrap the string around the machine head several times, and insert the tip into the tuning post hole. Pre-wrapping takes the guesswork out if some other string slackening methods, and allows a suitable number of wraps to prevent string slippage.
Step 9
Secure the string by grasping the end near the tuning post hole with needle-nose pliers and pulling snug. Bending it up at a 90 degree angle will lock the string into place.
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| Notice how I keep the string in place with one hand while increasing tension with the other hand on the guitar tuner. |
Step 10
Bring up to pitch by turning counter-clockwise. Hold the string and pull up slightly as you tune, which will help to pre-stretch the string, but don’t pull too hard! This may need to be repeated several times until the string stabilizes.Step 11
Repeat steps 3 through 10 for additional strings.Step 12
Guitar tuning after restringing – Stretch and tune all strings two to three additional times with a tuner, pitch pipe, or tuning fork, to further stabilize.
That’s about it! Guitar Restringing does require some practice, but is a vital part of the learn the guitar puzzle.
Another more advanced guitar maintenance technique is guitar neck adjustment. Don't dive into this task until you have determined it does not proper adjustment. You will find a method to check for this at http://www.guitarworld.com/eds-shed-how-tell-if-your-guitar-s-neck-needs-be-adjusted.
I realize that you’re keen to dig out some tools and learn how to repair your faulty nut. Me too. We’re almost there, but, just for a moment, let’s take it down a notch. Think baby steps.
Those nasty string buzzes and rattles can also be caused by nut slots that are cut too low. In extreme cases, the string(s) might actually be sitting on the first fret; or often a string just has to be close enough to the fret to make contact when it’s struck open.
Your gut reaction might be to grab a hammer to beat the offending top nut to death and glue a new one in there. But wait. Just like a nut with worn or over-wide slots, you can repair perilously low slots with super glue.
Again, as Dick Van Dyke would say, diagnosis is everything here. Don’t approach your guitar with any tool until you know A) what the problem is, and B) what you need to do to fix it.
Last time I mentioned that you should always make sure that a guitar is tuned up to pitch - or to any alternate tuning that it may be set up to handle. If the tuning isn’t right, it can affect the neck.
If the slots on the nut appear too low - you’re getting the buzzes and rattles when you play open strings etc - it could be that the neck needs to be adjusted. If the guitar is tuned too low, the neck won’t have enough tension on it and could be over-bent.
In layman’s terms, this means the middle of the fingerboard is higher than the headstock and body end. This can cause the strings to buzz over the first five or so frets.
To check if your guitar’s neck needs to be adjusted, you have to eyeball the neck itself. Hold the guitar by the body (See pic 1 in the photo gallery below), never the headstock. If you hold the guitar by the headstock (See pic 2), you’ll put pressure on the neck, which, although slight, will give you a false reading of the neck’s "straightness."
Now look down the bass side of the fingerboard (See pic 3). Try closing one eye. You’ll look like Popeye, but it will help you focus. You should be able to tell if the neck is straight, dipped or over-bent. Repeat the process with the treble side of the fingerboard.
Armed with this information, you can decide whether the neck needs to be adjusted.
You might find that not only the neck might need adjusting. To test for other adjustments your guitar may need, take a look here at http://learntheguitarlessons.com/beginners-guitar-lessons/guitar-adjustments/.
While this is not a tutorial for performing guitar adjustments, as most are best left to repair pros, it does help to understand what the terms mean, and how they affect your guitar.
Intonation
Intonation is the pitch of all notes over the entire guitar neck. The basic idea of intonation, is that a string’s length from the nut to its center (the 12th fret octave) must be must the same distance to the bridge saddle. If its not, notes higher up on the fretboard will sound out of tune.
Improper intonation can come about when changing string gauges, improper neck adjustments, action set too high, or instrument damage. Since each string is of a different thickness, slightly different lengths are required for the notes to sound true.
Electric guitars are normally fitted with adjustable bridges, allowing individual string saddles to be adjusted accordingly. Most acoustic guitars are equipped with non-adjustable bridges, called compensating bridges, and are pre-set at the factory.
Intonation cannot be accurately determined by ear, so guitar shop personnel use a stroboscopic (strobe) tuner when performing the procedure. The technician frets each string on the 12th fret (the octave) and checks the tuner to determine if the note is sharp (high) or flat (low). If the note is sharp, the technician adjusts the saddle backwards to add length to the string. If the note is flat, the saddle is adjusted forward to shorten the string’s length.
Intonation should be checked as part of your guitar maintenance schedule, particularly when making other adjustments and string modifications. Improper intonation will not harm your guitar or cause playability problems, but will cause the guitar to sound out of tune in the higher note registers.
Unless you own an accurate tuner such as a strobe, and don’t bother fiddling around with your instrument, intonation is best handled by professionals.
Guitar Adjustments – Action
Every guitar player searches for the guitar’s perfect “action” or string height. While this is normally accomplished by adjusting the bridge up and down on electric guitars, or shaving or shimming the saddle on acoustic guitars, it’s not always as simple as that. While lowering the bridge will bring the strings closer to the fretboard, neck or fret misalignment can cause buzzing notes and flat spots.
As with intonation, unless you are prepared to fiddle about for a while, with no positive results guaranteed, these type of guitar adjustments are best left to professionals considering all the variables involved.
Guitar Adjustments – Neck
Neck adjustments are perhaps one of the most important guitar adjustments needed, and should be taken care of before all else. A maladjusted neck will cause buzzing frets, intonation issues, and action problems. Performing string adjustments with a neck out of whack will cause undesirable results, and may make problems worse.
Guitars are usually supplied with a neck adjustment tool, typically a hex wrench, but attempting to adjust a neck on your own can cause disastrous results if done improperly. Guitar necks contain an internal truss rod, which expands or contracts when adjusted, prompting the wood to follow suit. Truss rods can break, sometimes causing wood damage and always causing the neck to adjust whichever way it likes, resulting in very expensive repairs or neck replacement.
A warped neck is when the guitar neck warps upward toward the strings. Frets are pushed up as well, causing the guitar to play badly, sometimes to the point of being unplayable. Warped necks are just plain bad!
A bowed neck is when the neck is bowed away from the strings, which is how a properly adjusted neck should be. If too much bow exists, the action and intonation will be affected, and the guitar will be difficult to play, and can sound out of tune. Bowed necks are good, as long as they are not bowed too much.
A reliable way of telling whether a neck needs adjusting, is not sighting the neck down the center, as many believe. This is okay to do when inspecting a guitar to see if the neck is off-kilter side to side (which is rare), but frets will create an optical illusion, preventing visible evidence of warping or bowing. To do this, look at the guitar fingerboard from the side. Press the low “E” string down on the first fret with one hand, and the last fret with the other hand. If the frets are making positive contact with the guitar strings (indicating a possibly warped neck), or if there is a considerable gap between them (indicating a possibly bowed neck) the guitar should probably be brought in for adjustment. Doing this adjustment check with a straight-edge or ruler of sufficient length is also acceptable, and will actually give you a more accurate indication. The string method is handy when a straight edge is not available.
Hope this clears up some of the mystery of guitar adjustments and terms. A bit of advice: When purchasing a new or used instrument from a store, always ask them to throw in a complete set-up, which will include string change, intonation, neck and action adjustments. If they refuse, and you have to pay a bit for set-up, it’s totally worth the expense. You’ll know that your guitar is starting out its new life properly adjusted, and you will better be able to feel the difference if problems come up.
Knowing how to take care of your guitar will ensure it sounds good and lasts as long as it possibly can. Take care of your guitar and it will take care of you.
Have fun and stay tuned!
Mike
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