Guitar Care

leeson
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Wed Dec 01, 2010 8:14 pm

Neil needs to put in a lesson on "how to care for your guitar".
How often should I change the strings?
should I get a humidifier for the sound hole?
Should I polish the neck?
How to safely travel?
Is change of temperature bad for the guitar?
Should I mess with the truss rod?
How do I know if my guitar is warped?
Are the strings too high, too low?
Should I tune down before I leave my guitar for an extended period of time? (I hope that never happens)
I am sure I can think of more.
Since this is Totally Guitars, we need to know how to care for our loved ones.
How about it, Neil?

Bill


dennisg
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Wed Dec 01, 2010 8:43 pm

leeson wrote:
Neil needs to put in a lesson on "how to care for your guitar".
Good idea. Until he does, I'd go to TaylorGuitars.com and watch their guitar-care videos. Very informative.
How often should I change the strings?
We can't possibly know how much you play, how often you wash your hands, or what kind of strings you're currently using. At one end of the continuum is a performer using uncoated strings who changes them every week. At the other end of the continuum is the person who plays a few minutes every day and uses coated strings, and will need to change them about every three months. Where are you on that continuum?
should I get a humidifier for the sound hole?
If the humidity where you keep your guitar falls below 45 percent or rises higher than about 50 percent humidity, then yes, I'd advise you to get a soundhole humidifier. I highly recommend the Planet Waves HumidPaks for a no-muss, no-fuss approach to humidity control.
Should I polish the neck?
The back of the neck, yes. The fret board, definitely not.
How to safely travel?
Go to YouTube and do a search on United Breaks Guitars for the answer to that question. I bought a special travel-sized guitar that I can take onboard when I fly. The last thing I'm ever going to do is trust the apes who handle baggage to treat my Taylor with any respect. If you absolutely must check your guitar as baggage, and you value the life of the guitar, I'd consider getting one of the many bullet-proof flight cases made just to withstand such abuse.
Is change of temperature bad for the guitar?
Not really. Guitars are far more sensitive to humidity than to temperature. That doesn't mean I'd leave my guitar in the trunk of my car during the summer.
Should I mess with the truss rod?
Not unless you have a problem with the neck that can only be solved by a truss-rod adjustment and you know what the hell you're doing. Me, I'd probably screw it all up and end up paying double to undo the damage I've done.
How do I know if my guitar is warped?
If you're not experiencing a problem with the guitar, it's probably not warped. If you are, take it to a luthier and let her figure it out.
Are the strings too high, too low?
Did I miss something? Did you post a picture of your guitar somewhere along with the distance of the strings from the fretboard? But the answer depends on your playing style: someone who exclusively plays fingerstyle will want very low action for comfort and control; someone who exclusively thrashes the guitar with a pick (think Pete Townsend) will want high action to prevent string buzz.
Should I tune down before I leave my guitar for an extended period of time? (I hope that never happens)
Absolutely not necessary. Your guitar doesn't know whether it's being played or not, so it doesn't at all benefit from detuning. In fact, your guitar is built and set up for a specific amount of string tension. Don't muck with it.


TGMatt
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Wed Dec 01, 2010 8:57 pm

Check out the new Video column Luthiers corner and ask questions to this forum category


jayswett
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Wed Dec 01, 2010 9:07 pm

Thanks Denis for that useful post. I will save it to my favorites.


thereshopeyet
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Wed Dec 01, 2010 9:11 pm

Thanks


d_dog
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Thu Dec 02, 2010 12:04 am

Good answers Dennis


TGMatt
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Thu Dec 02, 2010 12:13 am

Thx Dennis, I posted before yours comae through, thx for the response..Hopefully the new section Luthiers corner will become a great resource for you all to accompany excellent replies like these


thereshopeyet
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Thu Dec 02, 2010 8:45 am

Thanks


leeson
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Thu Dec 02, 2010 12:20 pm

Thanks Dennis. That was more helpful than I expected. I live in New Mexico where the humidty rarely gets anywhere near 40%. We feel sticky if it gets to 20%. I will go to planet waves and get that humidifier you suggested. I'll also check out the Taylor vids. I would still like to see what Neil has to say about guitar care.


dennisg
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Fri Dec 03, 2010 10:22 am

leeson wrote:
Thanks Dennis. That was more helpful than I expected. I live in New Mexico where the humidty rarely gets anywhere near 40%. We feel sticky if it gets to 20%. I will go to planet waves and get that humidifier you suggested. I'll also check out the Taylor vids. I would still like to see what Neil has to say about guitar care.
Over in a Taylor support forum I check out every day, there have been numerous reports from people who live in climates like yours who have told horror stories of huge cracks forming in their guitars from the wood drying out. The thing is, it's so preventable with some kind of humidity control. While the HumidPak system is pricy in the beginning (you have to buy the three little fabric pouches the first time), it's the only system I'm aware of that's essentially "set it and forget it." With the others, you have to monitor the amount of water you're using, and, n a climate like yours, you'd be adding water every day. With HumidPaks, you don't even use water.


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