I have to say that one item needs to be addressed. Do not polish your instrument with absolutely anything and I mean anything without consulting with the manufacturer unless you are very sure of what was used on it in terms of finish. Some manufacturers specifically tell you to not use any furniture polishes or polishes with cylicone in them. Its important to know about the wood and what was applied by the manufacturer and what they recommend. This mostly applies to the neck, but it is important to take care in what you apply. Some necks have nothing on the fret board so you need to take even more care not to do anything which could damage the wood or you might find frets falling out etc. It is perfectly ok to hang your guitar on a wall hanger and most stores do this and it causes no damage to the instrument and hey you want to show them off. grin You certainly can take your instrument to be tuned up, but you actually can learn to perform most adjustments on your own as well, but if your not sure, learn from someone who really knows what they are doing or leave it to a professional. You can easily mess things up if you start fiddling with the sattles and so forth. Neck adjustments are probably the easist thing to do and I've done them myself, mostly to lower the action. I also have to agree, never lean your guitar against a wall etc. besides the chance of being knocked over,, over time you can cause the neck to warp and you surely wouldn't want that. Good tips here, but it does pay to consult if not with the manufacturer, you should consult with someone who is well trained and knowledgible about stringed instruments. Whether its a $400 or $4,000 guitar, take care of it and it'll serve you for years.
Scott [EMAIL PROTECTED] On Sep 12, 2007, at 7:16 PM, Boyce, Ray wrote: > Don't just leave your guitar out in open all the time! > > Whether you are a professional musician or a person who likes to sit > around the house and play, taking care of your guitar is very > important. Guitar manufacturers > today take great care in building their products, and they actually > handpick different types of wood to craft an instrument which is > visually appealing. > This also provides a resonance that can be unique to the particular > type of guitar. This is true of electric guitars, as well as > acoustic guitars. My > review will deal with the care of an electric guitar, but many of > the points that I raise will apply to the acoustic guitar also. > > A guitar player should maintain his instrument with two things in > mind: first, to preserve the beauty that is inherent in a well- > crafted guitar that was > built from quality woods, and second, to keep the instrument in the > best possible playing condition. > > Here are my suggestions for caring for your guitar: > > * Clean and polish the top, sides and back of your guitar regularly. > You can use a top-of-the line furniture polish to apply to your > guitar, or your can > buy any number of polishes offered by guitar companies specifically > for the guitar application. If you establish a regular clean and > polish regimen, your > guitar will always look good. The beauty of the woods will be > enhanced, and if you should ever decide to part with your guitar, it > will bring a premium > price because of your efforts. > > * Dress the frets every time you change strings. If you play often, > a lot of dirt, grime and oils from your hands can build up on the > fret board. This isn't > good for the strings and probably affects the sound also. I use a > very soft-bristled toothbrush and a little soapy water, and I make > sure to wipe the fret > dry after cleaning. Use this routine when your change strings and > your fret board won't ever have that "soft" feel. > > * Wipe down the neck with a dry cloth after every use to protect > your fret board and to prolong string life. Sweat, oils, dirt and > grime can accumulate > very quickly, and if you wipe the fret board frequently, you can > make dressing the frets a much simpler task. You will also prolong > string life by removing > some of the elements that cause strings to deteriorate. > > * Never expose your instrument to excessive heat or cold for > prolonged periods of time. Heat and sunlight can cause premature > finish checking, and can make > the finely crafted woods in your guitar look old and faded almost > overnight. Cold weather might not affect the finish so much, but it > can cause damage > to binding, inlays and the neck, often requiring unnecessary work > with the truss rod. Guitars need a cool, dry environment, so try to > keep your guitar > in that type of setting. > > * Protect your guitar when it's stored in the case. I'm talking > about humidity here, and it can be one of the most insidious enemies > to the health of your > guitar. You can buy a capsule from your local guitar store that will > stabilize the humidity in the case; just put it in your case and it > will provide the > protection that you need. > > * Regularly check and tighten all screws, strap-pins and tuning > machines. This just makes good sense, because you don't want any > unneeded rattling or jingling > when you're playing your instrument, either at a gig or at home for > your own pleasure. > > * Make it a point to regularly clean all metal parts of your guitar > with a good metal cleaning compound. Chrome and nickel are notorious > for corrosion and > tarnish, particularly in certain environments, so setting up a > regimen to clean your pickup covers, bridge, and tuning buttons will > help in maintaining > the visual appeal of your instrument. > > * Avoid things that can cause scratches, dings and other scars on > your instrument. Don't wear a belt with a buckle when you have your > guitar strapped on; > I have seen many beautiful vintage instruments which have been > ruined by belt-buckle scratches on the back. Also, buy a stand! > Never leave your guitar > propped up against the wall or your amplifier-I've seen irreparable > damage done to some quality instruments because they fell from being > propped up. Spend > the money and buy a stand--consider it an investment. > > * At least once a year, carry your instrument to your local guitar > technician for a complete look-over. No matter how well you take > care of your instrument, > the truss rod will need adjusting regularly, and the intonation > screws on the pickups will need to be adjusted to ensure that your > are getting the balanced > sound that you want from your guitar. Your guitar may need bridge > adjustments also, so it's always good to take it in annually to let > the expert make the > fine adjustments that will give you the maximum in playability. > > * My last tip-PLAY YOUR GUITAR!!! There is no better way to keep > your guitar in tip-top shape than to play it every day. I have > always been dismayed to > see how they "go down" from lack of use. Play your guitar, take care > of it, and it will take care of you. > > ********************************************************************** > This message and its attachments may contain legally > privileged or confidential information. If you are not the > intended recipient, you must not disclose or use the > information contained in it. 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