7 Essential Guitar Maintenance Tips To Keep Your Instrument Performing At Its Best.
The guitar is one of the most versatile instruments and can be found in a variety of genres, but the primary factor that keeps it sounding great is regular maintenance and care. Even the most expensive and high-quality guitars require regular maintenance to stay in top condition and make sure that it stays in ‘like-new’ condition for years to come.
Guitars are surprisingly sensitive to environmental changes and in-order to keep them performing at its best, here are 7 essential guitar maintenance tips to help you keep your guitar in pristine condition:
1. Cleaning The Instrument Body
Guitars will accumulate dirt, dust, and sweat which in the long-term can cause permanent damage and affect its sound. To prevent this from happening, you should regularly clean the body of your guitar. The best way to do this is to use a soft microfiber or cotton cloth and gently clean the body of the guitar paying close attention to the frets, pickups, and hardware.
2. Cleaning The Guitar Strings
To ensure a great sound and prevent string-slippage, you should regularly clean the guitar strings. You can do this by simply wiping them down with a soft cloth or a specialized guitar string-cleaning solution. After wiping down the strings, lubricate them with some guitar string lubricant to make sure they don’t snap or snap off easily.
3. Restringing The Guitar
Guitar strings should be restrung at least once every three months (depending on how often you play) to make sure they remain at their best and produce quality sound. The process of restringing the guitar is quite simple and can be done with a Phillips screwdriver and some replacement guitar strings.
4. Adjusting the Truss Rod
The truss rod is a steel rod running through the neck of the guitar and helps to adjust the amount of relief in the neck. Over time, the truss rod will require some adjustments to make sure it holds the strings in the right tension. To adjust the rod, adjust the truss rod nut slightly and then finish by adjusting the string-action at the bridge.
5. Adjusting the Intonation
After restringing or adjusting the truss rod, you may need to adjust the intonation of the guitar to make sure the instrument sounds its best. A simple and effective way to do this is to use a strobe tuner and adjust the guitar’s bridge saddle to match the specific frequency desired.
6. Inspecting the Hardware and Electronics
Although guitars are quite durable, the small bolts, screws, and electronics can become loose over time. It is a good idea to inspect the electronics, bridge, and all the other hardware for quality control every once in a while. To do this, use a screwdriver to tighten any loose bolts and screws and also check for any signs of wear on the pickups and other components.
7. Give the Guitar a Break
When playing electric guitars, exposure to direct sunlight can cause the guitar to overheat due to the strings, pickups, and electronics amplifying the heat and the wood of the instrument. As such, you should give your instrument a break by exposing it to direct sunlight for a short amount of time (if necessary). This will also help to extend the life of the guitar and help it stay in its best condition.
The guitar is an incredible instrument and requires regular maintenance to make sure it stays in top condition and produces its best sound. By following the above guitar maintenance tips, you can help extend the life of your guitar and make sure that it stays in ‘like-new’ condition for years to come.