Guitar Tips
Extending String
Life
Pic
Stuck In Your Guitar
Identify
Your Acoustic Guitar In Case Of Theft
Pulling
Stubborn Bridge Pins When Changing Strings
Tips
On Storing Your Guitar For A Long Time
Advice On Changing
Your Strings
Tuning Machine
Head Care
The
WRONG WAY & RIGHT WAY To Carry A Guitar
A Certain
String Breaking Prematurely?
Concerns About
Direct Sunlight
Pockets, Belt
Buckles, & Suspenders
Tips On Tuning
Your Guitar
The
Difference Between Steel & Nylon String Acoustic Guitars
Instructions
on how to tie Nylon strings to the bridge.
Help On Playing
Barre Chords
Protect
Your Guitar From Sweat
What
type of a guitar slide should I buy?
Extending
String Life
Sweat and dirt will cause your string to wear prematurely. Washing
and drying your hands thoroughly before playing will lengthen the life
of your strings.
String should be cleaned after every play session. Pinch each string
with two fingers while wiping to get off the residue that builds up under
the string as well. A lint free cloth works best. Try using a diaper.
Pic
Stuck In Your Guitar
Hold the guitar flat, strings up, and shake it gently
until the pick is located directly below
the center of the sound hole. Then after making
sure you have a tight grip, a high enough
ceiling, and everything and everyone is out of
the way, in a swooping motion that starts
rapidly upward, turn the guitar over your head
stopping directly above. The centrifugal
force holds the pick in place until you stop
over your head and then the pick falls out
through the sound hole.
Another way to get picks, etc. out of the
guitar is to put a piece of Blu-Tack or puddy on the
end of a pencil and just press it down on the
pick and lift it out.
Identify
Your Acoustic Guitar In Case Of Theft
Of course the first thing to do is record the serial number somewhere and
save it but on top
of that, write your name, address, and phone number on a stick-on address
label and then
stick the label inside the guitar attached to the top. No one will
see it unless you instruct
them where to look with a mirror.
Pulling
Stubborn Bridge Pins When Changing Strings
After you loosen the string with enough slack, push the ball end of the
string into the bridge
wire hole while gently jiggling the bridge pin with your fingers. You'll
feel the ball end go
into the guitar body, removing pressure against the bridge pin. The
pin should now pull out
very easily with your fingers, however if it is still stuck tighter
than your fingertips can
handle, you can purchase a very common plastic tool at a local
music store that is shaped like a U.
Put the head of the pin in the U and gently rock it back and the pin
comes out.
NOTE: The other part of the plastic tool is a crank so you can turn
the tuning pegs fast. I
don't recommend that part.
I have tried many techiques for removing bridge pins - most damaged
my bridge. Here is
the best method I have found. Keep a short length of smooth twine in
your guitar case.
Wrap it around the pin and gently pull.
Tips
On Storing Your Guitar For A Long Time
(over 4 months)
Remove some but not all of the tension from the strings, clean & polish
the guitar, and then
put a little lemon oil on the fret board. Put the guitar in its case
and store it where it won't
get too warm, cold, or humid and won't get bumped around. A good place
is an interior
closet.
Advice On
Changing Your Strings
When changing guitar strings, it is best to change them one at a time starting
with the
thickest. This keeps the tension on the instrument and you will have
less trouble getting it
in tune because the guitar doesn't have to stabilize again.
Tuning Machine
Head Care
OPEN (EXPOSED) GEAR TYPE TUNING MACHINES:
Lubricate every other string change. If you change your strings every
2 weeks or sooner, do it once a month.
Apply a very small drop of 3-in-1 or similar oil to each end of the
worm gear and a couple of drops where the 2
gears meet.
CLOSED (SEALED) TYPE:
Need no lubrication. It's sealed inside.
If there is an adjustment screw on the tuning knob, don't over-tighten
it. It will cause the worm gear to strip. The
knob should turn freely with a small amount of drag.
If you see small metal flakes coming off the gears, it's time to have
a new set of machines installed.
The
WRONG WAY & RIGHT WAY To Carry A Guitar
Promotional photos look pretty cool, some guitarists actually try
this only to hear their guitar crash to the ground. The strap peg in the
butt of the guitar can pull out very easily or the button holes on the
strap can pull off the strap pegs. The proper way to carry your guitar
is in it's case. If you have a case with undependable latches, walk with
the case lid placed next to your leg so if it opens accidentally, the lid
will open into your leg and the guitar will not fall out as easily.
A
Certain String Breaking Prematurely?
Do you have a problem with a certain string breaking prematurely, usually
while you're
tuning your guitar? (Usually one of the high strings, E B or G)
You may have a sharp spot on the top of your saddle or in the groove
of the nut. Or check the hole on the tuning peg. If there is a burr anywhere
around the hole or just an
overly sharp edge, you could have this problem as well.
Concerns
About Direct Sunlight
Direct sunlight is enough to soften the glues in your acoustic guitar,
which will weaken or
destroy the joints and destroy it. Do not display your guitar anywhere
that will be exposed
to the sun even as the light moves across your room during the day.
One of the most
unsettling experiences I ever had when shopping for a guitar, a Taylor
no less, was after
playing a few, the owner of the music store came up with a guitar and
said, "Here, try this
one". When I grabbed the guitar, it was hot. This was a beautiful air-conditioned
store! I
asked him why it was hot and he said he just took it out of the window.
He said he took
turns with all the guitars putting them in the window. Needless to
say I didn't buy a guitar
there. Also be careful if you perform outside on nice sunny days. Try
to be in subdued light if
possible.
Pockets,
Belt Buckles, & Suspenders
Be careful what you have in your front pockets if you sit when you play
your guitar.
When you rest the side of your guitar on your lap, it sits right on
top of your pocket. . Something hard like car keys or change in your pocket
can damage, possibly crack the side of your guitar
because of the pressure of your arm resting on the other side of the
guitar. Either empty
your respective front pocket or before you sit, reach in and push the
pocket to the outside of your leg so it doesn't touch the guitar. Also
be careful of your belt buckle, especially if you stand and play your guitar.
It will scratch the back of your guitar very badly. Suspenders and jean
rivets can also cause a problem with your guitar.
Tips On Tuning
Your Guitar
The old 5th fret method is nice to know in case you are without
out a tuner or batteries or perhaps you are tuning relatively. It
is also nice to have an electronic tuner, pitch pipe, or piano, etc. I
will follow up with more tuning advice in the near future.
The
Difference Between Steel & Nylon String Acoustic Guitars
You can usually tell the difference between Steel & Nylon string
guitars by the way the strings are attached. Steel strings are usually
held in the bridge with bridge pins where as Nylon strings are tied
to the bridge. Steel strings exert a great deal of force on an acoustic
guitar neck & body where as Nylon strings exert much less. You should
never put Steel strings on a guitar designed for Nylon
strings. The results would be desasterous.
Instructions
on how to tie Nylon strings to the bridge.
The method that many factories use is the single loop over the top of
the bridge where the
decorative inlay is sometimes and tuck under where the string enters
the bridge. We use
the method that wraps the string about 3 times over the top of the
bridge and tuck the end
by the rear where the strings enters back of the bridge. It kind of
looks like a rope or braid
across the top of the bridge.
Help On Playing
Barre Chords
Yes, barre chords can be a pain.
Make a slight curve to your index finger and concentrate only on the
strings you HAVE to
push down for that chord. Also keep your barre finger as close to the
respective fret as
possible.
Also consider your guitar. The setups on some guitars make it hard
to play regular chords
not to mention barre chords. Check out your setup by comparing it to
others in stores. If
you find it much easier to barre chords on a new Taylor for example,
which usually has very
low action and is easy to play, then you might want to consider having
someone set up your
saddle more to your liking.
Protect
Your Guitar From Sweat
Sweat from your bare arm can damage the finish on your guitar. To prevent
this, I keep a
polishing cloth in my guitar case and drape it over the guitar all
of the time while practicing
or else wear a long sleeve shirt. This cloth doesn't have to be store
bought or anything
special. A cloth made from a white 100% cotton T-shirt works just fine.
Baby Your Guitar With The Right Polishing Cloth.
Don't buy special polishing cloths for your nice acoustic guitar. The
best (and cheapest)
polishing cloth is BABY DIAPERS. Needless to say, these are absorbent
and soft--
perfect wiping down your "baby." One pack of cloth diapers should last
you for years. You
can get them at any discount store for a few dollars.
What
type of a guitar slide should I buy?
Slides usually come in 2 basic materials, glass or metal. Choosing one
material over
another comes down to figuring out the sound and feel that is right
for you. Glass slides
have a mellow sound, but they are more fragile and can break. Metal
slides are sturdy and
produce a sharper sound.
It is best to play with the slide on the third or fourth finger of your
left hand if you play right
handed or wear it on the right hand if you play left handed. This will
leave your other
fingers free to play chords and leads. I'v
Try on a slide and test it on a guitar in the store before purchasing
it to make sure it fits
and you like the sound. This is hard to do because sometimes they are
packaged up pretty
tightly. If this is the case, ask the sales person to get you one out
of the package.
Be sure your guitar is opened tuned