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4 Essential Guitar Maintenance Tips

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In order to keep any musical instrument playing at its best, it needs to be properly maintained. The same applies for guitars as well. If a guitar is not well maintained, it will not perform like it is supposed to, no matter how good of a guitarist plays it. A nice guitar does not come cheap and buying even an average quality guitar can be a sizable investment for some folk. In such cases, proper guitar maintenance is crucial to ensure that the guitar functions properly for a very long time. Here are some essential guitar maintenance tips shared by some of the greatest guitarists in the business:

Clean after you play

Most guitarists make the mistake of not cleaning up their instrument after playing it. We would like to think that it is only amateurs who make this mistake, but the truth is that even some of the most experienced guitarists overlook this simple, yet crucial, step. All you have to do is use a soft dry cloth to wipe down the guitar right after playing. Pay special attention to wiping the strings since they are the most likely part of the guitar to pick up oil and dirt.

Polishing is good, but don’t overdo it

Too much of anything is harmful for you, no matter how good it is in small doses. The same relationship exists between guitar and polish. Many a fine guitar has been ruined thanks to owners who were over-zealous with their use of polish. Polishing is good; it gives the guitar a nice shine and provides a protective layer. However, polish too often and you will end up doing more harm than good to the instrument. You don’t go around polishing your wooden furniture once a week, so why do it to your guitar. Polish sparingly and remember to use sensible amounts of polish; you want to polish the guitar, not bathe it.

Keep an eye on the condition of the fingerboard & bridge

Most people simply wipe down the fingerboard and bridge and then forget about them. While it is good to clean them after every use, the wood will start drying out over time. It won’t weaken the guitar structurally, but it will definitely affect the quality of sound produced. A little lemon oil goes a long way to restore the fingerboard and bridge to a condition where they seem to be as good as new. It is possible to buy conditioners in stores specifically designed for this purpose, but none of them can match natural lemon oil. Conditioning the parts requires removal of the strings and is hence, best done only twice a year.

Buy a good case and a humidifier

Everyone probably understands why a good guitar case is an obvious recommendation, but will be stumped about the humidifier. How can a humidifier possibly help with guitar maintenance? Humidity levels are very important for properly maintaining wood and guitars do not get to be the exception to the rule. For naturally humid areas, a humidifier is not required. However, in dry places and air-conditioned studios, the low humidity levels will have a direct affect on the quality of music the guitar produces.

The 4 tips mentioned here may seem very simple, but are in fact essential for proper guitar maintenance.

This guest post is written by Jim Thomas. He helps provide guitar lessons online through his website which helps you choose between beginner, intermediate, advanced and master level programs.





Set up Guitar Action for Fender like Bridge

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If your a do it yourself kinda person and want to set/adjust the action of your guitar saddle, then you have to watch this video!

I attempted this back in 1978 with disastrous results. I tried this out on my 1959 Fender Duo-Sonic. Soon after I realized that I screwed my guitar up royally, I had to take my patient to the local guitar shop, Music and Sound on Market Street in Brantford, to have it done right.

Back then, we didn’t have the internet and all the wonders that come with it. The way we gathered information was just by asking someone if they had done it or went to this thing called the library, are those things still around?

So if I have spurred your interest in this topic, check out this video, and then tell me what you think of it and if you could pull something like this off yourself.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zd5DbChTzoM&feature=related

Keep on Jammin’

Adjusting your guitar Tuning Heads

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Adjusting your guitar Tuning Heads/machines is another excellent way of keeping your guitar in tune. This is part of my ongoing series of posts that highlight how to troubleshoot what you can do to keep your guitar strings in tune and for good overall guitar maintenance.

Over the lifespan of your guitar, the tuning heads will vibrate and loose that snug fit they once had when they were brand new. This could be caused by many factors. For example putting your guitar into it’s case and carrying it around or accidentally dropping it from time to time could cause the tuning heads to loosen.

Just a side note here, one time I ran over my very old acoustic with my car! When I reluctantly opened it, it was fine and still in tune. Another great reason why you should always purchase a very strong guitar case!

One of the easiest way of rectifying the problem of loose tuning heads is by bringing out a pocket-sized screw driver, either a Flathead or a Philips will do, and tightening the screws that hold the tuning heads to the head stock. Sometimes companies use a hexagonal socket set or wrench. The most common size is 7/16 – 10 mm.

First tighten the Tuning Head mounting screws on the back of the headstock with your screwdriver, this is fairly simple. Remember righty tighty and lefty loosy! Now we can turn our attention to the front of the headstock.

installing guitar tuning heads This is when we bring out our socket or wrench set. By glancing down directly at it, locate the bolt which is on top of the grommet or washer at the base of the peg post on the front of the headstock. Now with either the wrench or socket set, find the right sized one that will fit tightly on the bolt. Here we will turn your tool very carefully to right. DO NOT OVER TIGHTEN. To make things easy for you, remove the string that you are working on first.

You may have completely different tuning heads then the ones that I have just covered. Some tuners may be adjusted by just pushing the grommets back into place. Once again, remove the string that you are working on first. If there is only one loose, then you might as well take the time to check the other ones while your at it.

If you’ve attempted to adjust your tuners and your instrument is still going out of tune too frequently, then maybe you should replace them all together. I have never ventured into doing this before so it maybe wise to contact your local luthier for advice on this one.

If you have a head stock that is made of wood, it sometimes shrinks and cracks due to lack of proper humidity inside the guitar case. This is a fantastic reason to get a acoustic guitar Dampits for your acoustic or classical guitar! It’s also a great gift you someone. I strongly insist that you purchase this product. It helps keep the humidity levels just right so that the wood on your acoustic guitar stays intact.

I hope this post has cleared up any questions that you may have about this very common topic and hope that you find it useful.

Keep on Jammin’

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