WEEK3 MAINTENANCE

This week, I write about maintenance of the acoustic and electric guitar. If the guitar is played long time, the guitar may become trouble (for example, breaking of string, rust of fret, change of width between string and fret, curve of neck, and so on). To keep the guitar good condition Let`s know the guitar`s maintenance.

・Wiping the guitar`s blemish

If the guitar is left as it be played, dust soon attach to the guitar. When dust attaches to the guitar, the dust absorb the sound of the guitar so that the sound become retire. You may think this is problem of mood, but the sound become different if you wipe the guitar or not. So, let`s wipe the guitar.

・Changing strings

If you go playing the guitar, the string deteriorates. If the string breaks or rust, you must stretch new string. Even if the string does not break, when the strings die, you had better change the strings. “Strings die” means deterioration of string. You can play the guitar in the condition, but the sound is worse than new string`s sound. So, let`s know the way of changing the strings.

1. Loosen old strings and undo the string from spool

2. Pull the string from bridge.

3. After confirming the thickness of new string, insert the string into the hole of bride, and pull up the string until the string is fixed.

4. After inserting the string into spool, mark the best length of string by folding (Being the best length of string is that the length of rest of string extended is the length between spool and spool.)

5. Pull back the string until the mark and start rolling on pulling softly

6. On being careful about rolling the string under string rolled, roll the string

7. After finishing rolling the string, cut the rest of string.

This is basic way of changing of the guitar. The kind of way of changing is not only one, so please challenge another way.

・When you do not play the guitar long time

When you do not the guitar long time, you had better loosen strings as sound drop for half tone, because neck curves when the tension of strings is too high or too low.

・Check the curve of neck

Even if the guitar is expensive, as time passes, the guitar`s neck curves and the sound include noise called “BIBIRI” in Japanese.　Let`s know how to check the curve of the guitar`s neck.

When the neck is seen from the side, neck sagging as if dish sags is named forward bow. In contrast, Neck swelling is named backward bow. If the distortion is found, please pick the place`s fret. When the sound contain noise or sounds wrong scale sound, the neck may curve.

・When the neck curves…

To adjust the curve of neck, metal rod called truss rod must adjusted. Truss rod is implanted in the guitar`s neck. Many truss rod is adjustable rod which can adjust the curve, but, it only adjust curve caused by tension of strings. It cannot adjust hard curve. When the guitar`s neck curve extremely, we cannot adjust, so, checking the neck often is important.

Thanks for reading.