This method aims to teach blues guitar to beginners or to rock players wishing to acquire knowledge of the blues. It is part of the National Guitar Workshop series and comes complete with a quality CD where the author plays all the book's examples for you.
The book follows two main threads that cover both rhythm guitar and soloing techniques. Both are presented in a very complete and clear manner and are clearly illustrated with examples.
Rhythm Playing
After a short introduction to some blues music theory the book kicks off with some rhythm guitar basics. Building from these you'll learn all about different blues styles such as shuffle, boogie-woogie, Chicago blues, Texas swing, minor blues and slow blues. There are great example songs to get your rhythm chops up to scratch in all of these styles.
Going Solo
The soloing chapters of the book provide an equally complete presentation of electric blues guitar skills. This starts out with an introduction to the blues scales and a number of ways to use them to build licks and solos. The essential blues techniques of hammer-on and pull-off, slides, bends, and vibrato are all given a thorough treatment.
The soloing material is topped off with some signature licks from blues greats such as T-Bone Walker, BB King, Albert King, and Albert Collins as well as advice on improvisation to help you build your own solos.
A Touch Of Class
Not content with an already excellent coverage of blues rhythm and solo playing, the book adds the finishing touches with some great intros, turnarounds and endings that will give your blues playing a classy edge.
You'll also find a final chapter with advice on planning and organizing your guitar learning, as well as recommendations for some backing tracks to accompany your practice.
Conclusion
This is an excellent method for guitarists with a little experience wanting to learn electric blues guitar. The book's presentation is very clear and the writing style makes it easy to follow. The author's knowledge and enthusiasm for blues guitar comes across clearly.
Complete newcomers to the guitar might find it a little hard going, but if you're willing to work then it really does contain all you need to know for a long while.
If you're interested in playing acoustic blues guitar then this is not the best book for you. You might, however, still enjoy it if you're looking to understand playing blues in a band or jam with other musicians.
The very complete coverage will keep you busy learning for a long time making this method excellent value for your money. When you get through with it you'll have all the knowledge you need to play blues songs in a variety of styles with other musicians. If that's your goal then this book is highly recommended.
Copyright (c) 2008, Gary Fletcher
Gary Fletcher is a writer and guitar player. Visit http://garysguitarblog.blogspot.com where he offers guitar learning tips, discussion and encouragement for learners. If you like this article you can hire Gary to write for you at his writer site http://www.writescribe.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gary_Fletcher
Tuesday 10 November 2009
Friday 6 November 2009
Check Out That Rattle Or Buzz With A Guitar Problems System
Sometimes your guitar will start playing different. It may not be a major problem but something is not quite right with it. Perhaps it has a small buzz or rattle. You know something does not feel right but the problem is so small it is hard to figure out just what the problem is. You need a system to try to figure out what your guitar problems may be.
Almost any major problem should be taken to a professional guitar repairman. They have the tools and the knowledge to fix problems that most people would have a hard time doing at home. You can often find small guitar problems by starting at one end and working your way to the other. This article will look at a few parts of the guitar and how they may give you problems.
Start at your tuning keys and check to make sure they are tight. If the screws are loose or missing the tuning keys may move slightly and cause you to have problems keeping your guitar in tune. Make sure they are turn smoothly and are not too tight or too loose. You may want to replace your tuners with a better set if you are having any problems keeping your guitar in tune.
You may want to turn your attention to the nut at the top of your fingerboard next. Take a look and see if the strings are sitting in the groves. They should all be about the same height and there should not be any part of the nut broken off. Sometimes a string may shift slightly out of the nut and cause a buzz or rattle when you play.
Take a look at the fingerboard and frets next. The fingerboard should not show any severe signs of wear or uneven spots. There may be some normal wear in this area but you should be fine here as long as you do not spot any extreme wear.
The frets are another story as they will wear and cause you all kinds of playing problems. Look for any uneven wear or sharp edges. A fret job is really a job for a guitar repair professional and is not something the average player will want to take on.
Take a look at the bridge and see if everything looks all right. You want to check for gaps between the top of the guitar and the bottom of the bridge. Make sure you do not see any cracks in the wood and the saddle is sitting in the bridge straight. Once again if you need the bridge worked on it is usually best to leave this to a pro.
By taking a look at the different parts of your guitar you may just find your guitar problems. If everything looks fine but you still have that buzz or rattle take your guitar into someone you trust to give it a better look.
For more information on different types of guitars try visiting http://www.your-guitar.com where you will find tips, advice and resources about topics such as how to read guitar tab.
Almost any major problem should be taken to a professional guitar repairman. They have the tools and the knowledge to fix problems that most people would have a hard time doing at home. You can often find small guitar problems by starting at one end and working your way to the other. This article will look at a few parts of the guitar and how they may give you problems.
Start at your tuning keys and check to make sure they are tight. If the screws are loose or missing the tuning keys may move slightly and cause you to have problems keeping your guitar in tune. Make sure they are turn smoothly and are not too tight or too loose. You may want to replace your tuners with a better set if you are having any problems keeping your guitar in tune.
You may want to turn your attention to the nut at the top of your fingerboard next. Take a look and see if the strings are sitting in the groves. They should all be about the same height and there should not be any part of the nut broken off. Sometimes a string may shift slightly out of the nut and cause a buzz or rattle when you play.
Take a look at the fingerboard and frets next. The fingerboard should not show any severe signs of wear or uneven spots. There may be some normal wear in this area but you should be fine here as long as you do not spot any extreme wear.
The frets are another story as they will wear and cause you all kinds of playing problems. Look for any uneven wear or sharp edges. A fret job is really a job for a guitar repair professional and is not something the average player will want to take on.
Take a look at the bridge and see if everything looks all right. You want to check for gaps between the top of the guitar and the bottom of the bridge. Make sure you do not see any cracks in the wood and the saddle is sitting in the bridge straight. Once again if you need the bridge worked on it is usually best to leave this to a pro.
By taking a look at the different parts of your guitar you may just find your guitar problems. If everything looks fine but you still have that buzz or rattle take your guitar into someone you trust to give it a better look.
For more information on different types of guitars try visiting http://www.your-guitar.com where you will find tips, advice and resources about topics such as how to read guitar tab.
Thursday 5 November 2009
How To Make An Electric Guitar
Every self respecting musician needs to know how to make an electric guitar. You need to at least know what all the parts do before learning how to make an electric guitar. The first thing you need to do is make sure you have all the parts (electrical and other) you need. Please remember that this article is here to make sure you know how to make an electric guitar, not an acoustic guitar which is constructed different.
Your best bet will be to choose a heavy hard wood. You have to remember that with a solid body guitar the material used does influence the sound you get, which to a professional ear is noticeable. A softer wood will absorb the high frequencies, heavier hard wood on the other hand dictates how long a string keeps vibrating, which is what you want. That’s the start of knowing how to make an electric guitar. However, beware of weaker parts in solid pieces of wood. It is a good idea to rather buy laminated wood.
The neck, as opposed to the body, is more intricate. You need to have the right neck made of a perfect wood like Maple wood where you will need a better quality maple, strong enough to withhold the pressure of the strings. One of the most important parts of how to make an electric guitar is proper neck alignment. You have to ensure that all your strings are correctly placed parallel to the fret board. Please keep in mind that if your neck is not perfectly aligned your outer strings might just end up way off the board.
Once you get your hands on the perfect wood for you body and neck you can start on you design. It is easier to use drawing software like Corel Draw as you can quickly make changes to the design without needing to erase and redraw on paper. It will also be wise to align your neck in your drawing software to determine where the neck will be placed. This is the fun part of the whole exercise – your guitar, your design … so go mad. Design all aspects of the guitar in your software: the body, neck, pick-ups, strings, bridge, potmeters, switches and cable connector. This way you will know exactly where everything will go. Remember all components have to line up or your stings will end up all over the show. Once you are happy with your design, you will now be ready to make an electric guitar.
All you need to do after you have carved out you design is find the centre of the body and line up the neck in accordance to that. How to make an electric guitar’s body and neck align is best done using a tape measure. Once you’ve determined the correct alignment and cut out a pocket, fix the neck in place with screws. The bridge used will determine the depth of the pocket. There is no general rule for positioning of all your components – this part of knowing how to make an electric guitar is strictly learn-as-you-go. One tip though is to place all of your components on the body before making any cuts and carvings.
In order for you to say that you know how to make an electric guitar you have to know all aspects of the technique. Once you have a broader understanding of the process of how to make an electric guitar, and have actually made on yourself, you will have a great appreciation of this authoritative instrument.
Gen Mason is a guitar player from Florida. Discover free how to improve your guitar skills at Jamorama
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gen_Mason
Your best bet will be to choose a heavy hard wood. You have to remember that with a solid body guitar the material used does influence the sound you get, which to a professional ear is noticeable. A softer wood will absorb the high frequencies, heavier hard wood on the other hand dictates how long a string keeps vibrating, which is what you want. That’s the start of knowing how to make an electric guitar. However, beware of weaker parts in solid pieces of wood. It is a good idea to rather buy laminated wood.
The neck, as opposed to the body, is more intricate. You need to have the right neck made of a perfect wood like Maple wood where you will need a better quality maple, strong enough to withhold the pressure of the strings. One of the most important parts of how to make an electric guitar is proper neck alignment. You have to ensure that all your strings are correctly placed parallel to the fret board. Please keep in mind that if your neck is not perfectly aligned your outer strings might just end up way off the board.
Once you get your hands on the perfect wood for you body and neck you can start on you design. It is easier to use drawing software like Corel Draw as you can quickly make changes to the design without needing to erase and redraw on paper. It will also be wise to align your neck in your drawing software to determine where the neck will be placed. This is the fun part of the whole exercise – your guitar, your design … so go mad. Design all aspects of the guitar in your software: the body, neck, pick-ups, strings, bridge, potmeters, switches and cable connector. This way you will know exactly where everything will go. Remember all components have to line up or your stings will end up all over the show. Once you are happy with your design, you will now be ready to make an electric guitar.
All you need to do after you have carved out you design is find the centre of the body and line up the neck in accordance to that. How to make an electric guitar’s body and neck align is best done using a tape measure. Once you’ve determined the correct alignment and cut out a pocket, fix the neck in place with screws. The bridge used will determine the depth of the pocket. There is no general rule for positioning of all your components – this part of knowing how to make an electric guitar is strictly learn-as-you-go. One tip though is to place all of your components on the body before making any cuts and carvings.
In order for you to say that you know how to make an electric guitar you have to know all aspects of the technique. Once you have a broader understanding of the process of how to make an electric guitar, and have actually made on yourself, you will have a great appreciation of this authoritative instrument.
Gen Mason is a guitar player from Florida. Discover free how to improve your guitar skills at Jamorama
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gen_Mason
Wednesday 4 November 2009
How To Fix A Guitar
The following four adjustments can be made to all kinds of guitars to fix them.
These adjustments will fix all guitars and make them playable. The adjustments are the amount of relief in the neck using an adjustable truss rod, the string height at the saddle, the string height at the nut and the intonation.
These adjustments should be made at least once on every guitar. Most manufacturers do not take time to properly do these adjustments. A manufacturer only does these adjustments for the average player, but not for the individual player.
How do you adjust the amount of the neck bow? It is supposed to be simple. Every adjustable truss rod shares the same principles of operation. Every truss rod has a threaded nut tightened on a threaded metal rod. The tension in the rod changes the curvature of the neck in which the the rod is embedded. To adjust the rod, you need to tighten or loosen the nut on the rod. When tighten the nut, the tension increases the tension in the rod as well the amount which the rod counteracts the pull of the strings. This should reduce the bow in the neck.
As far as adjusting the saddle height, you can do this either before or after adjusting the string height at the nut. You should start by measuring the distance from the top of the twelfth fret to the bottom of the sixth string. You should do this when the guitar's strings are at full strength. You should measure laying a 6-inch ruler, on edge, adjacent to and parallel to the string.
The ruler is supported at one end of the twelfth fret and along its length by adjacent frets, eleven, ten, nine, etc. You can use other methods to measure from the top of the twelfth to the bottom of the string.
Another thing that you might have to fix is the string height.
You can start by using elementary geometry. You will find that the change
in the string height at the twelfth fret needs to be about twice the of change at the saddle. If a string height at the twelfth fret is 4/32" and the desired measurement is 3/32", the change in height will have to be lowered by 1/32" at the twelfth fret is about 2/32".
After taking measurements, you should calculate the amount that each string needs to be lowered at the saddle. You should make adjustments the saddle must project at least 1/16" from the top of the bridge. This should make sure that the strings exert a sufficient downward force on the saddle to stop the strings from vibrating side-to-side on the top surface of the saddle. If you cannot maintain this 1/16" projection, it will be necessary to reset or shave the bridge. This should be done by a professional repairer or a skilled amateur.
The last adjustment that you should make is to the string height at the nut.
The required tools are a short straight edge (ruler), a standard set of feeler gages, a set of calibrated nut files, an X-acto saw and a tear-drop needle file. You should start by measuring the height of the first fret. You measure the first fret by placing a straight edge on the top of the first two frets so it straddles on the first and second frets. The slide feeler gages should be place between the fingerboard and the straight edge until the gages fill in the space between the fingerboard and the straight edge. When it doesn't fit the required measurement for a string height at the nut, you should adjust it.
Gen Mason is a guitar player from Florida. Discover free how to improve your guitar skills at Jamorama
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gen_Mason
These adjustments will fix all guitars and make them playable. The adjustments are the amount of relief in the neck using an adjustable truss rod, the string height at the saddle, the string height at the nut and the intonation.
These adjustments should be made at least once on every guitar. Most manufacturers do not take time to properly do these adjustments. A manufacturer only does these adjustments for the average player, but not for the individual player.
How do you adjust the amount of the neck bow? It is supposed to be simple. Every adjustable truss rod shares the same principles of operation. Every truss rod has a threaded nut tightened on a threaded metal rod. The tension in the rod changes the curvature of the neck in which the the rod is embedded. To adjust the rod, you need to tighten or loosen the nut on the rod. When tighten the nut, the tension increases the tension in the rod as well the amount which the rod counteracts the pull of the strings. This should reduce the bow in the neck.
As far as adjusting the saddle height, you can do this either before or after adjusting the string height at the nut. You should start by measuring the distance from the top of the twelfth fret to the bottom of the sixth string. You should do this when the guitar's strings are at full strength. You should measure laying a 6-inch ruler, on edge, adjacent to and parallel to the string.
The ruler is supported at one end of the twelfth fret and along its length by adjacent frets, eleven, ten, nine, etc. You can use other methods to measure from the top of the twelfth to the bottom of the string.
Another thing that you might have to fix is the string height.
You can start by using elementary geometry. You will find that the change
in the string height at the twelfth fret needs to be about twice the of change at the saddle. If a string height at the twelfth fret is 4/32" and the desired measurement is 3/32", the change in height will have to be lowered by 1/32" at the twelfth fret is about 2/32".
After taking measurements, you should calculate the amount that each string needs to be lowered at the saddle. You should make adjustments the saddle must project at least 1/16" from the top of the bridge. This should make sure that the strings exert a sufficient downward force on the saddle to stop the strings from vibrating side-to-side on the top surface of the saddle. If you cannot maintain this 1/16" projection, it will be necessary to reset or shave the bridge. This should be done by a professional repairer or a skilled amateur.
The last adjustment that you should make is to the string height at the nut.
The required tools are a short straight edge (ruler), a standard set of feeler gages, a set of calibrated nut files, an X-acto saw and a tear-drop needle file. You should start by measuring the height of the first fret. You measure the first fret by placing a straight edge on the top of the first two frets so it straddles on the first and second frets. The slide feeler gages should be place between the fingerboard and the straight edge until the gages fill in the space between the fingerboard and the straight edge. When it doesn't fit the required measurement for a string height at the nut, you should adjust it.
Gen Mason is a guitar player from Florida. Discover free how to improve your guitar skills at Jamorama
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gen_Mason
Tuesday 3 November 2009
Fix Yer Guitar Tutorials - Adjusting the Electric Guitar Pickups
What you'll need for this session:
Screwdriver for height adjustment
Does your guitar make tones that you really didn’t ask for? Dual “out of tune” tones? Mushy tones? Weak outputs? Hmmm… sounds like your pickups need to be at the right height. Not to worry, in most cases, we can fix that.
First off a quick “how duz it work” explanation. Most Electric guitar pickups are nothing more than a magnet with very thin lacquer coated copper wire wrapped thousands of times around it. The two ends of the coil go to a potentiometer with lets more or less voltage pass through. The magnet which has a field of electrons “floating around it in a field, they get “excited” when the steel string is plucked, going back and forth, and the electrons move through the coil of wire at a certain speed (frequency!). After they go past the potentiometer, and to the amplifier, the frequency of the electrons, the voltage, creates the sound. Your high school science teacher helped you to become a rock and roller! Depending on the location of the string to the pickup, is your sound.
Weak output or mushy sound. Most of the time this means the pickup is just plain too low. Using your screwdriver, tighten the screws located next to outside edge of your pickup. If you have two screws on one side, adjust each one accordingly so that the pickup is parallel to the strings. Rule of thumb is about ¼ “ from the strings.
Dual “out of tune” tones. Jimi Hendrix used this quite a bit. This was the sound on his strat with stock single coil pickups because the pickup was too high and created a false harmonic so to speak. Almost like having the string pressed down at the pickup. Again it has to do with the physics of how a pickup works. The magnetic field creates this false note. Instead it adds the extra tone… usually not in tune with the plucked note. Don’t get me wrong, Jimi did great no bones about it. However, that may not be the sound you are looking for. So, lower the pickup or pickups on your instrument until it doesn’t have that sound. One note to strat players, in order to get the right pickup height, you may need to adjust the neck angle using a thin shim under the end of the neck in the cavity. If you aren’t well versed in how this is done, talk to your repairman. We do talk about this in our classes that we teach.
Anyway, this should help on the tone of your guitar.
THINK IT!
BUILD IT!
PLAY IT!
To learn about the ROCK n' ROLL GUITAR BUILDING SCHOOL and what you'll learn, click on this link:
http://www.leefairstudio.com/Guitar_Building_Classes_Build_Custom_Guitar_Guitar_Making_Course.html
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=RobertMaxwell_Lee
Screwdriver for height adjustment
Does your guitar make tones that you really didn’t ask for? Dual “out of tune” tones? Mushy tones? Weak outputs? Hmmm… sounds like your pickups need to be at the right height. Not to worry, in most cases, we can fix that.
First off a quick “how duz it work” explanation. Most Electric guitar pickups are nothing more than a magnet with very thin lacquer coated copper wire wrapped thousands of times around it. The two ends of the coil go to a potentiometer with lets more or less voltage pass through. The magnet which has a field of electrons “floating around it in a field, they get “excited” when the steel string is plucked, going back and forth, and the electrons move through the coil of wire at a certain speed (frequency!). After they go past the potentiometer, and to the amplifier, the frequency of the electrons, the voltage, creates the sound. Your high school science teacher helped you to become a rock and roller! Depending on the location of the string to the pickup, is your sound.
Weak output or mushy sound. Most of the time this means the pickup is just plain too low. Using your screwdriver, tighten the screws located next to outside edge of your pickup. If you have two screws on one side, adjust each one accordingly so that the pickup is parallel to the strings. Rule of thumb is about ¼ “ from the strings.
Dual “out of tune” tones. Jimi Hendrix used this quite a bit. This was the sound on his strat with stock single coil pickups because the pickup was too high and created a false harmonic so to speak. Almost like having the string pressed down at the pickup. Again it has to do with the physics of how a pickup works. The magnetic field creates this false note. Instead it adds the extra tone… usually not in tune with the plucked note. Don’t get me wrong, Jimi did great no bones about it. However, that may not be the sound you are looking for. So, lower the pickup or pickups on your instrument until it doesn’t have that sound. One note to strat players, in order to get the right pickup height, you may need to adjust the neck angle using a thin shim under the end of the neck in the cavity. If you aren’t well versed in how this is done, talk to your repairman. We do talk about this in our classes that we teach.
Anyway, this should help on the tone of your guitar.
THINK IT!
BUILD IT!
PLAY IT!
To learn about the ROCK n' ROLL GUITAR BUILDING SCHOOL and what you'll learn, click on this link:
http://www.leefairstudio.com/Guitar_Building_Classes_Build_Custom_Guitar_Guitar_Making_Course.html
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=RobertMaxwell_Lee
Monday 2 November 2009
How To Repair Your Guitar
There is no doubt about it - the best way to have repairs made to your guitar is to take it to a professional guitar repairer. This is because most repairs necessary are way beyond the know-how of an amateur and if you try to fiddle around with it yourself you are likely to do even more damage. Of course, if you take good care of your guitar it should not really need any repairs carrying out. One frequent mistake that people make with their guitars is to leave them in the car. When it's boiling outside, the temperature within the vehicle is far too hot to leave the guitar there as the adhesive on it will break down and it will literally fall to pieces.
If it is really necessary for you to have your guitar with you when you travel, you should pack it in a hard case surrounded by lots of padding in particular around the neck of the guitar. If you are traveling on an airplane, you should secure it further in a well padded box.
There are, however, some minor adjustments which are easy for the amateur to make, for example, the adjustment of the intonation of your electric guitar. This will be necessary if you have recently altered the thickness of your strings or the action, which is the distance between the strings and the fret board. Many guitarists do this twice a year as a matter of course.
It is quite simple maneuver to do by moving the bridge saddle (that's the bit of metal on the bridge of the guitar which the strings rest on) either backwards or forwards. To move the bridge saddle, the screw which holds it in place needs adjusting and it is useful to have an Allen key to use for this operation. Other than that, the only tool you will need is a small screwdriver. The bridge saddle only needs to be moved very slightly so take care when you are turning the screw.
When you carry out the adjustment you need to make sure each string sounds the same when played in the open position as it does on the 12th fret. If you are not confident in your own sense of hearing to get this just right, you should use an electric guitar tuner. Every time you make an adjustment, you will need to turn the string back to E again before you can check the intonation.
From time to time on an electric guitar the truss rod will also need adjusting. Don't attempt to do this yourself unless you are absolutely certain you are capable - it really is best to take it to a professional. The truss rod is a piece of steel running down the neck of your guitar and making an adjustment to it will relieve a convex or concave bow in the neck of the guitar. Be warned - if this is not done properly your guitar may suffer permanent and irreparable damage.
Kevin Sinclair is the publisher and editor of MusicianHome.com, a site that provides information and articles for musicians at all stages of their development.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kevin_Sinclair
If it is really necessary for you to have your guitar with you when you travel, you should pack it in a hard case surrounded by lots of padding in particular around the neck of the guitar. If you are traveling on an airplane, you should secure it further in a well padded box.
There are, however, some minor adjustments which are easy for the amateur to make, for example, the adjustment of the intonation of your electric guitar. This will be necessary if you have recently altered the thickness of your strings or the action, which is the distance between the strings and the fret board. Many guitarists do this twice a year as a matter of course.
It is quite simple maneuver to do by moving the bridge saddle (that's the bit of metal on the bridge of the guitar which the strings rest on) either backwards or forwards. To move the bridge saddle, the screw which holds it in place needs adjusting and it is useful to have an Allen key to use for this operation. Other than that, the only tool you will need is a small screwdriver. The bridge saddle only needs to be moved very slightly so take care when you are turning the screw.
When you carry out the adjustment you need to make sure each string sounds the same when played in the open position as it does on the 12th fret. If you are not confident in your own sense of hearing to get this just right, you should use an electric guitar tuner. Every time you make an adjustment, you will need to turn the string back to E again before you can check the intonation.
From time to time on an electric guitar the truss rod will also need adjusting. Don't attempt to do this yourself unless you are absolutely certain you are capable - it really is best to take it to a professional. The truss rod is a piece of steel running down the neck of your guitar and making an adjustment to it will relieve a convex or concave bow in the neck of the guitar. Be warned - if this is not done properly your guitar may suffer permanent and irreparable damage.
Kevin Sinclair is the publisher and editor of MusicianHome.com, a site that provides information and articles for musicians at all stages of their development.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kevin_Sinclair
Wednesday 28 October 2009
Guitar Maintenance Tips to Lengthen the Life of Your Guitar
Last longer!!!
You are about to receive some good news in the form of guitar maintenance tips. Why should you consider guitar maintenance tips good news? Guitars are very expensive and it only makes sense that you follow guitar maintenance tips so that you can preserve your investment. While playing your guitar is your main focus, you should also concentrate on preserving your instrument so that you can continue to play it for years to come. Guitar maintenance doesn't have to be an involved chore. Just following the few guitar maintenance tips listed here can ensure that your instrument will be there for you to play years from now. In addition, if you perform general maintenance on your guitar it is unlikely that you will have bigger problems to worry about later.
The Easy Way to Clean a Guitar
There are plenty of products on the market that are designed for cleaning guitars. There are products to help you maintain your strings. You can buy solutions designed especially for cleaning the fretboard. You can surely try any of these. However, you can use a simple approach to keeping your guitar clean that can save your money. Dust is the main form of debris that will collect on your guitar. If at least once each week (or more if you play often) you dust you guitar, you can prevent dust buildup that can actually affect your playing. If you want to get a bit fancy with your cleaning, you can skip the fancy cleaners and purchase a solvent that is designed to be used on guitars. You can expect to pay only a couple of dollars for solvent, whereas guitar cleaners can cost as much as $10 a bottle.
If you want to take cleaning your guitar a step further, a good polish can help preserve the wood of your guitar and give it an excellent shine. There is one tip to remember about polishing your guitar. Make sure you only use polish that is designed for guitars. Other types of polish can ruin the smooth finish on guitars.
Installing Guitar Strings
When you first learn to play a guitar you will want someone to help you install new guitar strings. Later you will be able to handle this task on your own. You will install guitar strings probably more than any other maintenance task. If you purchase a used guitar, one of the first things you will want to do is replace the strings. A good rule of thumb is to replace your strings every two months. In about this time, the oil from your fingers can over time weaken the strings and their tone.
There are actually several methods that you can use to install new guitar strings. Probably the most common and simplified method that prevents ruining of the string is to allow some slack to fall at the post that you are stringing. Once the string is secure at both ends, simply tighten the string by twisting the tuner until you no longer have any slack.
For more more information about how to play the guitar please visit http://www.guitar-directory.net/LearningGuitar/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/
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