Care for the guitar


canuck01
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canuck01
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12/31/2001 9:42 pm
What would be some of the essentials for taking care of my guitar. I have an electric guitar. I suppose moving it away from the heat register would be a good start, eh?

I plan to live and play forever,
so far, so good!
# 1
Gulder
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Gulder
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01/01/2002 12:14 am
- By regulary cleaning your snares. You should take a look underneath the snares (look between the fretboard and the snares) when you've played a pretty long session... there is this freaky 'fungus'like stuff hanging down from them. So I'd suggest you'd clean them like, after every long session. I use a little piece of rag, thin enough to fit between the snares and the fretboard and I go up and down (nut to bridge wise) I also gently clean the top of the snares.
-By not smashing your guitar on anything. When our practising at home and you came to the luminous idea to wear the strap in stead of sitting down, watch our where you are going :) I have a small room and I must have banged in to everything that stands there.
-Don't freak out on it. A guitar is still a delicate instrument which should be handled with care imho.
-Don't keep in in too cold/moist places either.
When you want to clean the body: DONT USE A HANKY ! I did and now it's full of light scratches :( Use a little piece of clean rag (like the things to clean your cd's with) and don't press it too hard !
-Make sure you have clean hands (don't rush off the diner table to play you're beauty, wash you're hands first ! filthy pig :), or when you've played for a long time and you've swet like a pig make sure your dry your fingers when you can before you play again. I personnaly don't like to play with sticky fingers and it makes your snares rust much quicker and it gets these filthy stains on your body when you grab your guitar...

Well it's all I can think of for the moment. I'm sure there's plenty more that I forgot.

P.S. I even talk to my guitar to make her play better and smoother :)
# 2
lalimacefolle
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lalimacefolle
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01/01/2002 1:56 am
When you have to leave it for a long time in its case, take the pressure off the neck by unwinding the strings.
Put it in its case when you know you won't play it for more than a day.
# 3
canuck01
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canuck01
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01/01/2002 4:24 am
Thanks guys, thus far, I have been washing my hands before I play, and the guitar rests upright on a stand in the corner, that way it is in sight and I will remember to play as often as I can. As for the hanky panky thing, I'll keep it in mind and pick up some soft rags somewhere...oh somewhere...there is that pair of silk....ah nevermind, I'm sure that I'll find something.

I plan to live and play forever,
so far, so good!
# 4
trebledamage
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trebledamage
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01/01/2002 7:23 am
Clean your strings after every use. I tend to use a generic, non abrasive guitar polish, but they do actually make a product called "fast fret" which does the same job. I managed to play on the same strings for over a year thanks to this tecnique.
:cool:
# 5
lalimacefolle
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lalimacefolle
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01/01/2002 1:57 pm
A yeaaaaaaaaaaar? Man, I have to change them every two weeks...
# 6
Psycho Amram
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Psycho Amram
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01/02/2002 11:19 am
yep it lasts this long for me too
clean the pickups or they'll rust
i clean mine after every time i play, that is every day, but befure that i didn't clean it and after two weeks it looked like hell so what i say comes from my bitter experience. clean everything you can think of ater every time you play with soft cloth and alcohol or some guitar cleaner.
ya and dont bang it around your room mine has nasty f*** in the bridge 'cause of that. :(

by the way i kiis her when she goes to sleep so she'll have nice dreams and she's always happy to my touch ;)
God sent meat,
and the Devil sent cooks.

Excuse me while i keep this eye
# 7
lalimacefolle
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lalimacefolle
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01/02/2002 11:55 am
I clean it every time, but I have very moist hands, and it looks like my sweat attacks things, my glasses melt too, so I have to change them very often if they aren't made of plastic...
# 8
trebledamage
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trebledamage
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01/02/2002 10:26 pm
Even with sweaty hands, if you make a habit of cleaning your strings immediately after you stop playing, your strings will last much longer and will stay in better condition (they won't build up deposits or rust) That also transfers into longer fret life as well. Playing with corroded (sp?) strings will wear out the frets much quicker than if you keep your strings clean.

Whoever made the point of stating "don't walk around with your guitar strapped on has given you the best advice of all. I have done more damage to my guitar by being too lazy to take the thing off before going to get a cup of coffee, answering the phone, etc...

Also, never pull your guitar overhead (like to take it off without undoing the guitar strap) in a room with a ceiling fan!!! I still have nightmares about that one!!!
:cool:
# 9
canuck01
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canuck01
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01/04/2002 5:48 am
Originally posted by trebledamage

Also, never pull your guitar overhead (like to take it off without undoing the guitar strap) in a room with a ceiling fan!!! I still have nightmares about that one!!!



I think that I can remember that one.
:)
I plan to live and play forever,
so far, so good!
# 10
friskynibbles
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Joined: 12/20/01
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friskynibbles
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01/04/2002 6:04 pm
10 months without changing strings here...
I feel like I'm seeing how long I can hold my breath lol.

# 11
DiscoSamurai
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DiscoSamurai
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01/04/2002 7:14 pm
Just a brief note to recommend 'Fast Fret' you can buy this in most guitar shops for about £5 ($4ish). It basically comes in the form of a brush type applicator that you rub on your strings and the fretboard. As mentioned it adds alot to the lifetime of your strings and gets rid of grease on the fretboard. As a little test the first time you use it on some strings you've been using for a week or so you'll be surprise the amount of **** that comes of them.

Neal
# 12
Barreta_jetstream1
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Barreta_jetstream1
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01/04/2002 8:57 pm
talking of imortal stings.....
this summer i was down in london and i popped into the hard rock cafe and went down to the vault. in there, there was hendrix's flying V he used at the isle of wight with, i don't belive it, the original strings!!! 31 years old!!! mine last 1 month at the most!!!
Tandem Felix
# 13

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