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Strings Off!
One of the best things you can learn to do for your guitar is change your own strings. There is a sense of empowerment that comes along with being able to do this, not just because it opens the gates to experimenting with different strings, but it means that you can clean your guitar from top to bottom in an expert fashion with the utmost confidence and care. Time now to take your guitar and with these cleaning hints get it all fancied up.
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Took my first crack at this last night. Snapped the low E but continued on with the rest…5 for 6 not bad for a total beginner!
It is so wonderful to have someone willing to teach us basic information. Many of these things were new to me and I have bought a number of guitars and paid repair shops for work a number of times. I guess I didn’t spend enough money to qualify for some simple how to’s? Anyway, thanks Tony.
Finally changing my strings feels like a big win!
Graphite.great idea. Old strings . Let’s recycle! The deck needs a wind harp.
Is it possible for instructions on a (Martin 000-15sm ) slotted headstock?
Yes! I would like to see a video for this!
This helped me replace the strings on my old Norman to get it ready for the Challenge!
Tony,
My year-old GS Mini fretboard is so much happier now. Just admired it for a few hours over the weekend after the cleaning, conditioning. Many thanks!!!
BTW – after doing waaaaay too much research I ended up deciding on The Bore Doctor / Fret Doctor conditioner. It’s more expensive than lemon oil products, but took the chance. Plus there are other fretboards to do later. Happy so far.
Thanks again.
Tom
Tom,
Excellent!!! A freshly conditioned fretboard is certainly a thing of beauty 🙂 Thank you also for sharing your product selection, it is always nice to hear what people are using and their experiences with it 🙂
Cheers,
Tony
Noticed you have some sort of a brace/rest to hold the neck of the guitar . As guitars differ in depth, is this a homemade device or something that can be purchased. Thanks for the how to’ of string changing as well as how to best clean the guitar…..very much needed by this novice.
Marilyn,
The neck rest can indeed be purchased in fact, Stew Mac has one that is really nice: http://www.stewmac.com/Luthier_Tools/Tools_by_Job/Tools_for_Maintenance/Guitar_Bench_Rest.html
Glad you dug these courses 🙂
Cheers,
Tony
This is so awesome!
A buddy of mine who had a couple of acoustics (one 12 string and one 6) that he had in storage for YEARS!!! The frets are almost green. Instead of simply going with the grain with the steel wool I actually taped off the rosewood board leaving the frets exposed and went at the frets with the hulk like effort you may have referred too. They looked like they did the day we learned to play Bon Jovi: Dead or Alive in 19whatever… haha… Just an FYI, in case anyone has some serious gunk on those frets. Just tape the board off. 🙂
Trace,
Great stuff here!!! This is wonderful news thank you for sharing!!! And for using hulk like strength you took the necessary precautions 🙂 Great job!!!
Cheers,
Tony
Really was tempted to choose ‘Go to a nudist guitar beach’ but wanted the points so i gave the appropriate answer!
Good lessons and fun
Bruce,
LOL I had so much fun writing the quizzes 🙂
Cheers,
Tony
The graphite on the nut was a new one for me. Thanks.
Jeff,
Glad you like that tip, it was new for me when Marcus (our local luthier ) it has really helped the tuning stability on all my guitars.
Cheers,
Tony
Same here for graphite on the nut. Never heard it before.
Drew,
Glad I could share that with you it really helps tuning smoothness and stability 🙂 A trick my local repairman taught me.
Cheers,
Tony