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Instrument care and maintenance
Cleaning a Guitar
The best time to clean your guitar is when you change your strings. When the strings are removed you can access all the parts that are usually hidden by the strings. Prepare a very soft cloth by very slightly dampening it and lightly rub away fingermarks and dust. Next wipe the guitar with a very dry duster - the old fashioned yellow duster is the best. It is a good idea to make sure that there is no grit on the duster.
There are many polishes on the market but in my opinion they are a waste of money as the above treatment does the job. In addition I am suspicious that a thin layer of polish will dull the tone very slightly. If you feel a need to have a shiny guitar a good solution is to use Brasso. Brasso is one of the finest polishes available and is used by many luthiers to give a final gleam to the guitar. This treatment will remove the fine scratches the occur from everyday use but the treatment is only needed every year or so if such scrathes are detected. Beware though and don’t use brasso if your guitar is French Polished as this finish is extremely vulnerable to solvents.
Its now a good idea to put a minute amount of light oil such as sewing machine oil on the gears of the tuners. The best way to do this is to place a single drop of oil on a coin and apply the oil with a pin head. Simply dip the pinhead in the oil and apply it to the worm drive NOT the cog. This will ensure that the oil is evenly distributed as you tune. If the machines are stiff it is often because the bone or plastic roller is sticking in its hole. with strings still removed take out the 3 or 4 screws that hold the machines in place and slip them from their seat on the guitar. Now get a piece of candle wax and apply it to the parts of the roller that are rubbing on the wood of the headstock. If this doesn’t cure the problem then you should consult a repair technician.
Changing Guitar strings
There’s a ton of information on the internet on how to change strings on the guitar. Its worth remembering that anyone can post information on the “net. Unfortunately its not all true. I will try to explain the reasoning behind the method listed here and you can decide for yourself.
The rest of this article coming soon
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