# Is Your Guitar a Ticking Time Bomb? Learn the #1 Maintenance Mistake to Avoid!
If you’re a guitar player, you know the importance of keeping your guitar in top-notch condition. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned pro, your guitar is a valuable investment. However, as you play your guitar day after day, wear and tear can take a toll on your instrument. Over time, a small maintenance mistake can turn into a big problem, and your guitar can become a ticking time bomb.
In this blog post, we will discuss the #1 maintenance mistake guitar players make, and how to avoid it. We’ll go through step-by-step instructions on how to properly maintain your guitar, so that you can avoid any potential disasters down the road.
## Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. The #1 Maintenance Mistake to Avoid
3. Detailed Section 1: Cleaning Your Guitar
4. Detailed Section 2: Restringing Your Guitar
5. Detailed Section 3: Adjusting Action and Intonation
6. Detailed Section 4: Truss Rod Adjustments
7. Conclusion
8. FAQ Section
## The #1 Maintenance Mistake to Avoid
The #1 maintenance mistake guitar players make is neglecting to clean their guitar regularly. It’s easy to forget, but over time, the accumulated sweat, grime, and dirt can damage your guitar’s finish, fretboard, and hardware. Not only can this affect the sound and playability of your instrument, but it can also lead to costly repairs.
To avoid this mistake, it’s important to make cleaning your guitar a regular part of your routine. Here’s a simple step-by-step guide on how to clean your guitar:
1. Gather your supplies: You will need a soft cloth, guitar cleaner, and guitar polish. Make sure your guitar cleaner is safe for your specific guitar finish.
2. Remove the strings: Before cleaning your guitar, remove the strings to allow for better access to the guitar’s fretboard and hardware.
3. Wipe down the guitar: Using a soft cloth, gently wipe the body, neck, and fretboard of your guitar. Be sure to remove any dirt and grime from hard-to-reach areas.
4. Apply guitar cleaner: Spray a small amount of guitar cleaner onto the cloth and wipe down the guitar. Be careful not to use too much cleaner, as it can damage your guitar’s finish.
5. Apply guitar polish: Apply a small amount of guitar polish onto the cloth and gently rub it onto the guitar’s body, neck, and headstock. This will help keep your guitar’s finish looking shiny and new.
6. Restring your guitar: Once your guitar is clean and polished, it’s time to restring your guitar. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for your specific guitar strings.
## Detailed Section 1: Cleaning Your Guitar
Cleaning your guitar is an essential part of guitar maintenance. Not only does it keep your guitar looking shiny and new, but it also helps prevent dirt and grime from building up on your guitar. Over time, this accumulated dirt and grime can cause your guitar’s finish to fade and hardware to rust.
To clean your guitar, you’ll need a few simple supplies: a soft cloth, guitar cleaner, and guitar polish. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to clean your guitar:
1. Gather your supplies: Before you begin cleaning your guitar, you will need to gather your supplies. Make sure you have a soft cloth, guitar cleaner, and guitar polish. Be sure your guitar cleaner is safe for your specific guitar finish.
2. Remove the strings: Before cleaning your guitar, remove the strings. This will allow you to access hard-to-reach areas of your guitar and make cleaning easier.
3. Wipe down your guitar:Using a soft cloth, gently wipe down your guitar’s body, neck, and fretboard. Be sure to remove any dirt or grime from hard-to-reach areas.
4. Apply guitar cleaner: Spray a small amount of guitar cleaner onto the cloth and wipe down your guitar. Be sure to use only a small amount of cleaner, as too much can damage your guitar’s finish.
5. Apply guitar polish: After cleaning your guitar, it’s time to apply guitar polish. Apply a small amount of guitar polish onto the cloth and gently rub it onto the guitar’s body, neck, and headstock. This will help keep your guitar looking shiny and new.
6. Restring your guitar: Once your guitar is clean and polished, it’s time to restring your guitar. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for your specific guitar strings.
## Detailed Section 2: Restringing Your Guitar
Restringing your guitar is another important part of guitar maintenance. Over time, guitar strings can become worn and lose their elasticity, which can lead to poor tone and intonation. By regularly restringing your guitar, you can ensure that your guitar is always sounding its best.
Here’s how to restring your guitar:
1. Remove the old strings: Begin by removing the old strings from your guitar. Be sure to remove the strings one at a time, so that you can always have tension on the guitar’s neck.
2. Clean your guitar: Once you have removed the old strings, take the time to clean your guitar as outlined in the previous section.
3. Install the new strings: Begin by inserting the ball end of the string into the bridge of your guitar. Pull the string through the bridge and insert it into the corresponding tuning peg. Make sure the string is properly seated and then begin winding the string onto the tuning peg.
4. Tune the guitar: Once you have inserted and wound all of the new strings, it’s time to tune your guitar. Use an electronic tuner or or tuning app on your phone to ensure that each string is tuned to the proper pitch.
## Detailed Section 3: Adjusting Action and Intonation
Action and intonation are critical elements of guitar setup. Action refers to the height of the guitar strings relative to the fretboard, while intonation refers to the accuracy of the guitar’s tuning at different frets. Proper action and intonation are essential for achieving good tone and playability.
Here’s how to adjust action and intonation on your guitar:
1. Check the action: Begin by checking the action of your guitar. Use a ruler to measure the distance between the bottom of the string and the top of the fret at the 12th fret. The recommended action for most guitars is around 1/16 of an inch on the low E string and 1/32 of an inch on the high E string.
2. Adjust the action: To adjust the action, use a wrench to loosen the screws on the bridge of your guitar. Raise or lower the bridge to achieve the desired action. Once you have made adjustments, check the action again and repeat as necessary.
3. Check the intonation: Once you have adjusted the action, it’s time to check the intonation. Use an electronic tuner to tune your guitar to the 12th fret harmonic on each string. Then, fret the same note and compare the pitch. The pitch should be the same. If not, adjust the string length by moving the saddle forward or backward until the pitch is correct.
4. Fine-tune the intonation: Once you have adjusted the intonation on all strings, it’s time to fine-tune. Play the guitar at different positions on the neck and check the tuning at each position. Make small adjustments as necessary until the guitar is intonated properly.
## Detailed Section 4: Truss Rod Adjustments
The truss rod is an adjustable steel rod that runs through the neck of your guitar. It helps maintain the neck’s straightness and prevents the action from getting too high or too low. Truss rod adjustments are important for maintaining good playability and preventing fret buzzing.
Here’s how to adjust the truss rod on your guitar:
1. Check the relief: Before adjusting the truss rod, it’s important to check the relief. To do this, hold down the low E string at the first and 14th frets. Measure the distance between the top of the seventh fret and the bottom of the low E string. The recommended relief for most guitars is around .010 to .012 inches.
2. Adjust the truss rod: To adjust the truss rod, use an appropriate wrench to turn the adjustment nut. If your guitar needs additional relief, turn the truss rod counter-clockwise. If your guitar has too much relief, turn the truss rod clockwise.
3. Check the relief again: After making adjustments to the truss rod, check the relief again. Repeat the process until the relief is within the recommended range.
## Conclusion
Keeping your guitar in top-notch condition is essential for achieving good tone and playability. Neglecting to maintain your guitar can lead to costly repairs and even permanent damage. By avoiding the #1 maintenance mistake, cleaning your guitar regularly, and making necessary adjustments to action, intonation, and truss rod, you’ll ensure that your guitar continues to be a valuable investment for years to come.
## FAQ Section
Q: How often should I clean my guitar?
A: It’s recommended that you clean your guitar every time you change your strings, which is usually every 3-4 months for most players.
Q: Do I need any special tools to maintain my guitar?
A: While it’s helpful to have specific guitar maintenance tools, such as a string winder or fret cleaner, you can also get by with basic household items such as a soft cloth and guitar cleaner.
Q: Can I adjust the truss rod myself, or should I take it to a professional?
A: Basic truss rod adjustments are simple enough to do yourself, but if you’re unsure or uncomfortable with the process, it’s always recommended to take your guitar to a professional for adjustments.
Image Credit: Pexels