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Ok, you play guitar pretty well, maybe you even change your strings now and then. However, few of us know as much about guitar maintenance as we should, given the amount of time we spend with our instrument. Unfortunately, it's not too uncommon for a person to walk into a music store asking: "Will you tune my guitar for me? I think it's out". Every guitarist, professional or hobbyist, should know the rudiments of guitar care.
Cleaning
Proper cleaning of a guitar is the most basic of all repair tasks, and it's very easily accomplished. First the don'ts:
- Don't use any aerosol-based products, unless they're first applied to a cloth, because the spray can get into the small mechanical parts.
- Don't use any sort of oil-based or greasy product. Endust would be an example of what not to use.
- Don't use anything that has a drying effect. Guitars need to stay relatively moist, so any product that has a fast drying action should not be used on guitars, except on some electric guitar finishes.
- Don't get polish or cleaning products on your strings.
- Never use guitar polish on an ebony or rosewood fretboard.
Now, here are some dos:
- Use a polish that is specifically recommended for guitar.
- Use a soft, dry cloth for all polishing, never anything abrasive.
- Wipe off your strings with a dry cloth after playing; this will preserve your string life.
- Treat rosewood or ebony fretboards with lemon oil. This stuff can be hard to find (look in a well-stocked paint supply store) but it's worth it. Treating your fretboard lightly with lemon oil and a paper towel can prevent fretboard cracking and other moisture-related damage.
Basic Maintenance
Most guitar maintenance can be easily done with a little practice by the average guitarist. However, most electronic repair, or anything that involves filing, such as fret dressing, nut or saddle groove alteration should be left in the hands of a qualified repairperson.
Whenever you change your strings, it's a good idea to go around your guitar with a screwdriver and make sure that everything's bolted down where it's supposed to be. Due to extreme vibration, screws and bolts have a way of working themselves out of the guitar. Screws should fit snugly, but not too tight, especially around the pickguard. Bolts around the tuning heads can be tightened by placing a soft cloth over them (to prevent scratching) and tightening with pliers. Most rattling or buzzing, especially around the headstock area, can be solved in this way.
Changing strings is also a good time to check your batteries, if you have a guitar with an active pickup or active electronics. An inexpensive battery tester is great for doing this and is available at most hardware stores.
There are also many fine books available on this subject. It is highly recommended that you purchase a couple of these titles for more complete information about this subject. You can learn more, as well as finding out where to purchase books and videos on the subject of guitar maintenance, at Guitar-4u-Online Guitar Stores. Keep playing!
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