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Most blogs would stop at 10…
Why 11 guitar mistakes? Why not a nice, even number like 10? Sure, most blog posts would stop at 10, but this one goes to 11.
Here, I’d like to outline 11 common mistakes that I continually see new (and some experienced) guitar owners make, and how to avoid them. You’ve got plenty to work on and practice without these hurdles tripping you up and slowing you down.
1. Not getting the guitar set up properly
If you bought your guitar new, you might assume it came professionally adjusted–feeling and sounding its best. In fact, the opposite is usually true, especially if you ordered the guitar online and had it delivered. Your guitar probably needs a thorough “setup” by a pro in order to feel and sound its best. What the heck is a setup, you ask? You can read my blog post explaining guitar setups here.
Due to the sheer volume they move, guitar manufacturers and online retailers don’t have the time to give every outgoing guitar personalized attention. The manufacturers (e.g. Fender, Gibson, Ibanez, etc) have a very quick process they run through to get the guitar “in the ballpark.” Then, the guitar is subjected to the rigors of shipping and climate change which, best case, knocks the guitar a little out of whack.
If you instead buy a guitar on-site from a music store, insist that they include a “full setup” (and have them put on a fresh set of strings) as part of the sale price. Most are happy to do this for you.
2. Using strings that are too heavy (too thick)
Whenever I pick up a beginner’s guitar, I’m always stunned at how heavy/thick the strings are. When asked why, they usually have no idea and say they’re “just using what came with the guitar” or are “using the strings the store told me would sound the best.”
Forget about having thick (or “heavy” in guitar lingo) strings while you’re learning and instead install the lightest strings possible. Lighter strings make practicing easier and less painful, and you can gradually move up to thicker strings as you build hand strength and calluses.
After all these years of playing, I still use “ultra-light” strings on my acoustics and electrics. Don’t let anyone talk you into using heavier strings because “it’ll give you better tone” or other nonsense.
3. Not changing strings often enough, or ever
As a beginner, changing your own guitar strings can seem intimidating at first. However, it’s a necessary part of guitar ownership so it’s important to learn how to do it, then do it regularly. Even if you rarely play your guitar, you should still change your strings at least every 6-8 months. Change them more often depending on your climate, how much you sweat, and how often you play.
I’m always amazed when I encounter a guitar with strings that haven’t been changed in many, many months. I also occasionally encounter guitars where the strings have NEVER been changed–even after several years. Years! The strings are severely rusted and will no longer stay in tune, yet the owner is actively playing on them.
Playing on REALLY old strings not only diminishes your playing enjoyment, it can cause premature wear of your guitar’s frets and fretboard.
Wipe your guitar strings after playing and practicing, and you can prolong their life. I demonstrate 2 methods in this blog post on how to wipe your guitar strings.
4. Using the wrong type of strings
Another string-related mistake: using the wrong TYPE of strings for a particular guitar. Strings sets fall into two major categories: steel-string sets and nylon-string (aka Classical) sets.
“Steel” is just a generic term we use for convenience. In a “steel-string” set of guitar strings, all the strings are metal. “Nylon” or “Classical” guitar strings are a modern take on the early gut strings. “Nylon” is a generic term here as well. In a “nylon string” or “Classical” set of guitar strings, the lower 3 strings are metal, and the upper (skinnier) 3 strings are nylon.
You should never put a steel-string set on a “Classical” guitar. You can put nylon strings on a steel-string acoustic guitar (but it’s not recommended), but not the other way around. A Classical guitar neck can not handle the higher string tension created by a set of steel acoustic guitar strings.
Need help cutting through all the marketing hype that clutters guitar string packages? I wrote a blog post on how to choose the right guitar strings.
5. Holding the guitar incorrectly
Many new guitar players come to me struggling to play a specific chord (or chords), and right away I spot an issue: they’re holding the guitar wrong. As if the chord itself isn’t difficult enough, they’re putting themselves at an ergonomic disadvantage that makes it even MORE difficult.
I’ll be writing an in-depth blog post about the proper way to hold your guitar in various sitting and standing positions, but for now I encourage you to check out Nate Savage’s YouTube videos:
6. Ignoring the environment (humidity and temperature)
I always say that the degree to which you should worry about the environment’s effect on your guitar is proportionate to how much you paid for your guitar. If yours is a cheap “starter guitar” (anything under $150), you can worry less about potentially ruining it if money’s not an issue for you.
On the other hand, if you bought a decent mid-priced or higher guitar that you hope will last for years, spend a little extra to protect your investment with some sort of in-case dehumidifier or humidifier (depending on whether you live in a very wet or dry climate, respectively). Your guitar is happiest in a relative humidity of 45% – 55%. Buy a digital in-case hygrometer first to see what the humidity reading is inside your guitar case after it’s been in there 1-2 days, then decide if you need to remove or add moisture, or do nothing at all.
I wrote an in-depth article on humidity here if you’d like to learn more about how to keep your guitar safe.
You should avoid extremes of temperature as well. Your guitar is happiest in a temperature somewhere between 68F – 78F… give or take a few degrees. Do NOT leave your guitar in an extremely cold or hot car.
7. Unintentionally scratching the finish with belt buckles, metal buttons, etc.
If your guitar is already pretty beat-up and you’re not concerned about scratching it, you can ignore this one. However, many people get pretty upset when they discover that they’ve unintentionally scratched the glossy finish of their new guitar with a belt buckle, metal shirt buttons, jean rivets, etc.
So, if you’re fond of your guitar’s finish, be aware of what you’re wearing before you pick it up to play it.
8. Not cleaning the guitar properly
Never use standard household cleaners, furniture polish, etc. on your guitar. If a cleaning product is on the shelf in a grocery or department store, it’s probably unsuitable for your guitar. Only use cleaning products specifically made for guitars, by well-known guitar companies such as Music Nomad (my #1 choice), Ernie Ball, Gibson, Martin, etc.
Nothing you see on the shelves at a grocery (or similar) store should be used on your guitar.
Unless you’re playing on stage and sweating all over your guitar every night, you really don’t need to clean your guitar very often. If you only play for a few minutes each day in the comfort of your home, a good cleaning a few times a year (or less) is usually sufficient.
Want to learn more about what you should and should not use on your guitar? I’ve written a couple good articles on the topic of cleaning:
9. Setting the guitar where it can fall or be knocked over easily
Oh… the things I’ve seen: broken headstocks, broken necks, cracked bodies, chipped paint, and much worse. This is one of the most common guitar mistakes I see that is responsible for damage.
A proper guitar stand isn’t going to save your guitar from every possible situation, but it definitely lowers the likelihood of the guitar falling over. Avoid leaning your guitar haphazardly against the edge of a table, a couch cushion, etc. This is a recipe for disaster.
If you’re on-the-go, there are a number of portable guitar stands, and some will even fit inside your guitar case (depending on your case’s design). If you’d like some recommendations, just let me know in the comments below.
10. Buying the wrong kind of guitar amp, or buying an amp that’s not necessary
Sure, a Marshall JCM800 half-stack would be great, but is a tad overkill for beginners
If you bought an electric guitar, buy an amp designed for electric guitar, and one that is designed for the style of music you want to play–one that will produce the kind of music/tones you ultimately want to make. Whether it’s Heavy Metal or Country Twang, be sure the amp you buy is the right one for that style.
Next, don’t buy an amp that is too small or too big. Avoid the cute, battery-powered “amps” that run $20 – $40. They’re novelty items, and you’ll be disappointed. At the opposite end, don’t buy a monstrous guitar amp–even if you imagine yourself one day playing live in clubs. Cross that bridge when you get to it, and for now buy a good starter amp. These usually run $100 – $200.
If you bought an acoustic-electric guitar (an acoustic guitar that can be plugged into a guitar amp), you don’t need an amp at all, not at first. In-store sales people will usually try to sell you an amp anytime you buy an acoustic-electric guitar. Just say no. Your acoustic guitar is going to be loud enough acoustically (unplugged) for most situations you’ll encounter as a beginner. In fact, it can get loud enough by itself to disturb neighbors. You really don’t need an amp for your acoustic-electric guitar until you get to the point of performing live outdoors, or in decent-sized venues. So, wait a couple years on that one.
11. Over-stressing about dings and scratches
Of course, you never want to purposely damage your guitar, but on the other hand being overly paranoid and protective isn’t healthy or practical. Guitars are meant to be played and are designed to withstand a certain amount of abuse and cosmetic damage while retaining their sound quality and playability.
If your guitar gets dinged or scratched, it’s natural to be upset (especially when it’s someone else’s fault). Take a deep breath, relax, ensure there isn’t any serious damage that needs professional repair, and then play on. Veteran guitar players believe these mishaps “add character” and give the guitar an interesting history. They affectionately refer to such damage as “mojo” or “battle scars.”
The source of joy that a guitar provides should come (primarily) from the sounds it produces, not how it looks.
Question:
Have you made any of these mistakes? Maybe you’ve made a few I didn’t list here? If so, let me know in the comments section down below!
Here’s one for you, be sure and wind the strings around the tuning posts in the correct direction. I’ve been playing for 20+ years; for the first 5 years of playing I only owned a guitar with 6 inline tuners before I bought my first acoustic, and subsequently, a Les Paul. For longer than I care to admit, I didn’t pay attention to which direction I wound the strings. For several years I did it backwards on the 1st-3rd strings.
I don’t think this damages anything, and as far as I can tell it never created tuning stability issues, it just made me feel like a blockhead when I realized what I was doing was wrong.
Thanks for the story Steve. Really, your main risk here is tuning instability (unless you have a locking nut) due to the more extreme angle of the string behind the nut. In more extreme cases, the sharp sideways angle could chip the nut. But, sounds like you got lucky and didn’t have any issues.
It’s awesome that this article talked about how important is to choose the right amplifier for your style. I’m thinking about learning to play an electric guitar, I’ve always wanted to, but I never had the chance to learn. So, I’ve been reading about everything that I’ll need to know. I appreciate you helping me learn more about buying an amplifier that will produce the kind of music that I want to achieve.
Hi Eli! I’m glad to know this article helped you. Feel free to come back once you’ve bought an amp and let us know what you chose.
Great tips..!!Wow! Amazing post.
Thanks for the information. I was thinking about buying a new guitar but I was so confused suddenly I have read your article and it is very helpful for me. I have more time at home. This is a great and interesting blog, keep sharing more. Thank you
You’re very welcome Beatrix! I’m glad to hear that it helped you and hopefully you can now avoid some of these pitfalls.
My husband and I have been thinking about hiring guitar lessons online for our 10-year-old son. You made a great point when you talked about the importance of using the right strings when you are a beginner. We will definitely have this information in mind, and we’ll start our research.
Hi megan,
I am guessing you already have a guitar for your son. If not, keep in mind that a more expensive guitar is not nessecarily better for him. As the article states a setup is very important, especially on beginer and intermediate guitars. I do my own and as a result all any of my guitars, and I have owned dozens from buget models to pro level instruments, all are great tools for making music. My two go-to guitars are some of the least expensive I have ever purchased. Another great tip is going easy on the amplifer. A beginer usually is best off keeping it simple. More adanced amps, pedals, and effects can be added later. Hope you find this useful.
I love the tip about string gauge. This is an important one and I see so many guitarists playing heavy strings and wondering why it hurts to play guitar!!! Thank you for this reminder and a great article
Thanks for the information. I just bought my first guitar ever a few months ago. I have more time at home now and I hope to learn how to play. Please let me know if there are any websites or YouTube channels you would recommend for a beginner. Your tips were a great start for me to care for my new guitar. Thank you so much!
Hi Arlene. Lessons aren’t really my specialty (I’m the world’s ‘okayest’ guitar player myself), so I don’t usually talk about that topic. However, I’ve made a few book recommendations on my Recommendations page here: https://www.guitaranswerguy.com/guitar-resources/#lessons
Marty Schwartz
Marty Schwartz is indeed a good one to check out. I also really like Justin Sandercoe’s lessons for beginners. Both are all over YouTube.
Hi, I am new here, thanks for such valuable pieces of advice. I am not a beginner, but I am over sensitive to what happens to my guitar, lets go straight to the problem, I accidentally placed my Ibanez RG Prestige guitar on a table without putting something under the neck to fill the space between the headstock and the table, it was there for like 5 mins and then I came to my senses and placed the guitar on its stand. I know it is a ridiculous mistake, and it is so careless of me, but it happened, do you think it is damaged? How can I know whether there is a serious problem? The guitar still plays ok. And I chekced the straightness of the neck, it seems to me direct and without obtrusive twist. I will have lots of other problems, and I have no expert luthier to answer me, I will post more questions if possible.
Hi Moe. You have nothing to worry about. Though I usually try to use a proper neck rest whenever I lay my guitars on their backs, I do often just lay them flat in the manner you’re describing. It’s no problem at all.
A guitar’s neck can tolerate hundreds of pounds of extra bend pressure in either direction without risk of damage.
I own numerous Ibanez Prestige guitars, and though they’ve got thin necks, they’re plenty durable. Something as mundane as laying (and leaving) them on their backs isn’t anything to be concerned about.
In fact, many years ago my 1989 Ibanez RG550 (which featured the thinnest Wizard neck Ibanez has ever made) fell over backwards and actually BOUNCED off the headstock tip several times before settling flat.
With the exception of a severe dent on that pointy tip (and scratches elsewhere), neither the neck or the headstock cracked and the guitar continued to provide many years of good service. I never had any problems with the neck as a result.
Admittedly, I got lucky that day, but it illustrates how durable guitar necks are, in general.
Hi, I just wanted to say thanks for your response, which came as a great relief for me, on the account that my cautiousness is bordering on obsessive behavior. However, I have a serious question as well, and I guess that might be on many people’s minds. I bought a Hercules triple stand, on which 3 guitars are hung by the headstock. This stand is the only one of its kind, Hercules triple. Also it has back rests for the three of the guitars, which I didnt know their accurate and intended locations on the back of the guitar, it may be at the ending of the body near the strap button, or near the neck joint. I wish I could post a picture of it as well, so I could clearly show you which one it is. After 5 or 6 days I noticed that the headstocks and the neck are twisted, not in the direction of the neck, but at the opposite direction. At the direction of the frets. I searched high and low for an answer to confirm or deny my interpretation, as usual there are countless positive reviews for this stand, but there are few people who have seriously challenged the design of this stand. Some said that this kind of stands are only appropriate for 3-3 headstocks. However, my guitars were two Ibanez prestige and one premium which have a 6 (Left)-0 tuner shape. The question is that, do you recommend this kind of stands from which guitars are hung by the headstock, and specifically the Hercules Triple, or you think they are harmful. Can you give me a general idea which can affirm that this stand has been the cause of the twist? Also I am not sure about the neck twist, but there is something which makes me skeptic, the high E string, while hammering on and pulling off goes outside the fret board and besides being extremely frustrating can be related to this stand somehow. The high E does not always go outside the fingerboard, and it is an occasional incident and if I play with care doesnt happen easily. Can you help me with this? I have a BC Rich JRV DLX in which the high E never goes out of the fretboard. Do the stands which hang the guitar by the headstock have the potential to hurt and twist the neck? Even in very rare cases? The problem of high E going outside of the finger board, is a serious one? I appreciate your help, and I hope it wont be too much trouble to read all this. Thanks again.
Hi Moe. I know exactly what kind of stand you’re using. It’s probably some version of the Hercules Tri-Guitar Stand. It’s not the only one of its kind. Hercules makes a few versions of this triple-hanging stand, and OnStage also makes a very similar triple-guitar hanging stand.
My 1st question is: are you SURE your neck is twisted? You sighted the neck and defintely see a corkscrew twist in the neck? I ask, because it takes a bit of skill/experience to properly sight and diagnose an actual “twist.” I just want to be sure that’s actually what we’re talking about here.
If your high E string is slipping off the fretboard, the most common cause of this is the neck simply shifting a bit to one side in the neck pocket. It’s not uncommon, and very easy to fix. You simply loosen your strings, then loosen the neck bolts slightly, and gently pull the neck straight in the pocket. Sometimes you have to hold it in position while re-tightening the bolts. Due to minor imperfections from the factory, or a somewhat loose-fitting neck joint, some necks are prone to shifting to one side in the pocket. Usually, doing what I just outlined fixes the issue, but some necks may require extra measures to keep them in place. One trick is to sandwich a piece of screen/mesh in the pocket to keep it from shifting. I had to do this for one of my guitars. No matter how tight I’d tighten the neck bolts after setting the neck straight, that sucker would eventually drift to one side, so my lowest string would start slipping off the edge while I played. Sandwiching a piece of mesh in there did the trick, and I haven’t had any more problems.
So, I doubt that the stand is the problem. Consider the fact that guitar stores have been hanging their guitars from the headstocks for decades. If it was found to warp necks or otherwise damage the guitar, they’d have stopped doing it long ago.
I’m an Ibanez owner too, and I use a Hercules stand that hangs the guitar from the headstock. In fact, I did a review of it here: Hercules Guitar Stand Review. I wrote that review 3 years ago, and have continued to use that stand every day, and I love it. You can see a few of my Prestige Ibanezes in that review.
Hope that helps! If you’re unsure about the “twist” thing, you can email me a photo of the neck. Take the picture from the headstock end, at the nut pointing the camera down the fretboard toward the body. If you want to see examples of the type of photo I’d need, just Google “guitar neck twist” and you’ll find a ton of examples.
Thank you for your quick reply. I found the answer. However, my new question: what is “screen/mesh”? Can you explain what is it? what if there is no enough space to insert this screen/mesh? You know the neck is tightly attached to the body, I dont think anything would fit in there. And should I use this material to cover the whole neck pocket? I am extremely sorry that I take too much of your time, as I said I dont know many people here who could help me out. Stay safe.
Hi Moe. I don’t think you actually need to do this procedure–it’s considered somewhat extreme and rarely necessary. If you DO feel that your neck continually moves in the pocket and won’t stay straight, then based on your questions I’d suggest taking the guitar to a professional instead of attempting it yourself.
Screen mesh can be bought at a home store like Home Depot (or an equivalent if you’re not in the United States). It’s the stuff we put over windows to keep bugs out while the windows are open. Here’s an example on Amazon: Standard window screen mesh.
Assuming you actually need to do this procedure, you’ll have to first remove your strings, then completely remove the neck of your guitar from the body.
Then, you cut the screen mesh to the same size as the neck pocket (covering the entire pocket), and then bolt the neck back onto the guitar.
The screen mesh will bite into both pieces of wood, providing enough friction to prevent the neck from moving side-to-side. However, this will raise the neck, so you’ll have to redo your guitar’s setup to account for the difference, otherwise you’ll have some pretty bad fret buzz.
Like I said, probably best to leave this to a professional, but I doubt that it’s something you actually need to do. I think just loosening the neck bolts a bit (be sure you loosen the strings first) and giving the neck alignment a slight adjustment will probably do the trick.
Here’s a good video on how to do it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXya9Z-2H4o
I suggest adding that neck width at the nut is important. Rickenbacker 12 strings are notoriously narrow and hard to play if you don’t have long slim fingers, and most classical guitars and many steel string acoustics have wider necks to accommodate finger picking. If a neck is too wide, barre chords requiring one finger to depress two strings (Bm7 for example) can be impossible
Best you can do is, learn how to setup and maintain your instrument. You will save a shitload of money.
I did all these things when I was a learner. It was really fun to read this article and remember these silly mistakes. Thanks for sharing this article.
Hi Ben. I hear ya. A lot of this is based on first-hand experience, so I’ve made most of these mistakes myself.
Just got a real nice sandblasted n chromed resonator, had the guitar by the window and growing up in a big city where theft was common, i decided to move it. I don’t live in a big city anymore and really should have no worries about theft. Residual thinking of times past I guess.
Little did i know, that I had left the case unlatched (for some reason?!?!?!) and this beautiful chrome sandblasted scene guitar fell out of it and scratched the sandblasted design…on both the left and front side of the guitar…feel like a bonehead and feel as if it goes to show I cannot have anything nice 🙁
Rob, I’m so sorry to hear that! This happened to me once when I was a kid, but luckily my guitar didn’t fall completely out of the case, so I got lucky.
This is good advice. I have cheap practice amp and one even lets me use batteries and has different effects and amp models. Cost less than $200, sounds amazing plus I can use headphones and ipod with it to jam. I did buy a nicer guitar when I started an ESP Eclipse but it motivated me to practice hard daily and it looks, sounds and feels great compared to cheap junk guitars. A year later, I wanted a superstrat with a whammy bar and found a deal on a new Suhr which is a really great guitar for life.
I agree that, if you have the money, there’s nothing wrong with buying a slightly better-quality guitar as your first axe. In fact, that’s why I wrote the article: Really Great Beginner Electric Guitars. Prior to that article, I’d only recommended the cheaper “starter” guitars, but a lot of readers asked me if I could recommend guitars to those willing (and able) to spend a bit more. Congrats on the Suhr. Those are fantastic guitars all-around.
Thanks, yes, it motivate to practice way more and I improved at a much faster rate. My rock heroes use ESP guitars and I like the neck. They make a cheaper version for beginners on a budget the made in Korea LTD series which are great for rock and metal under 1k. I treated myself to the Suhr on my birthday and love that as well. But I am at a point of now focus on skill improvement and not collecting anymore guitars or amps for a while. I now have multiple guitars for use in case one is in the shop and have a project guitar that my sister gave me. I started up lessons again which is super helpful as learning just from books or videos is a good supplement but not as direct as one on one instruction from a good teacher.
Question: where can one learn luthier skills to work on a guitar without paying a tech to do pickup and electronics work or change the action and setup?
Well, it depends on whether you’re wanting to learn luthiery (building stringed instruments from scratch) or just tech skills like you’re describing: learning to do some basic electronics and/or setups. If you’re just wanting to learn the basic tech skills you need to do some electronics work and setups, have a look at the “Books” section of my Guitar Gear Recommendations Page. I list several books and e-books there, but I’d highly recommend the Guitar Player Repair Guide. The other books are lighter on content and more specific, whereas the Repair Guide goes in-depth on setups, electronics, and even repairs. That’s the book that started it all for me, and I still refer to it to this day (in its 3rd edition now).
On the other hand, if you’re actually wanting to learn full-on luthiery (guitar building), let me know, and I can give you some resources for online as well as in-person classes you can take.
Thanks! Yeah right now I want to learn basic guitar maintenance on how to do a setup, fix intonation issues, swap pickups and replace electronics, replace old rusted parts like new tuners and bridge/tailpiece stuff. Later on, learning guitar luthier skills is a desire in the long run. I am saving up for a CNC machine and tools. Would be fun to eventually design and build my own guitar to my specs using a carbon fiber no truss rod neck like what Vigier does and so forth. Most custom guitars use crappy pickups which amazes me why pay 4k for a guitar that uses $100 Seymour Duncan hotrod pickups that suck so bad when you can put blazing Lundgrens or Bare Knuckle pickups?
YouTube!
I have a few guitars, and they need to be setup badly. But, I live in a very small town with no professionals anywhere. I definitely don’t want to do it myself, because my guitars are too nice for me to ruin. So what should I do? My electrics definitely need work. I’ve been playing for a while and know how to care for and fix most things on my guitar, but I have no idea how to give one a setup
Hi Kasey. If you definitely don’t want to do setups yourself, I’m not sure you have many options. You said you know how to “care for and fix most things” on your guitar. If that’s the case, doing your setups shouldn’t be much of a challenge for you. Have a look at the setup books and guides that I recommend near the end of this article, give it some thought, and seriously consider learning to do your own setups. If you live in a rural area, it’s really your only choice. Perhaps ask around and see if anyone has a guitar (or guitars) they’d be willing to let you practice on. You’d be surprised how many people have neglected guitars shoved under beds, in closets, and in garages that they don’t really care about.
YouTube
I am a self taught guitarist, not real good , but definitely good enough to keep me happy, I now have 3 6 string accoustics and a 12 string. 2 Yamahas, a Luna and my pride and joy is a takamine. I paid only $70 for the 1st one I got “a Yamaha” my Luna cost $400, “Yamaha 12 string I got for $200, and then my takamine I purchased off eBay, got it for $230, (retail $759.) It was brand new, the love of my life . I bought wall hangers , all 4 of them hang on the wall, I own 2 very large dogs that stay in the house , so I figured they are safer hanging, on an Interior wall, my piano and uke’s , all my instruments in same room. Is a hanging the guitars a good way safe way to keep them. (Was told it was the best way to store them) just wondered. I play all of them, 2 or 3 times a week. Just wondering
Hi Diana. I hang all of my guitars as well. I do it more for convenience, but it’s also a great option for people with small children, dogs, etc. You won’t damage the guitars by hanging them–it’s what music stores do, after all. There IS one thing you’ll want to consider though…
Since yours are all acoustics, you’ll want to check the humidity levels in that room. Get yourself an Oasis Digital Hygrometer (one of the few with a calibration feature), calibrate it properly, and then measure the humidity level in your room. Humidity will fluctuate throughout the year, so keep the hygrometer visible somewhere. If your room’s humidity isn’t somewhere between 45% – 55%, you should consider a humidity solution, depending on whether the room is too dry or too wet. I offer solutions for both situations here: Humidity Control Solutions for Guitars.
When I go to buy a guitar, here’s my usual checklist:
First and foremost, look at the price. Ask yourself: can I afford this guitar? Does it’s price tag fall outside of my budget? Is it too cheap for what I’m looking for?
Once you’ve got that settled, you need to know what you need the guitar to do. Do you need single-coil pickups, or humbuckers? Do you need a tremolo arm? Are you playing blues? Jazz? Rock? Metal? Once you know what you need the guitar to do, then you need to do a little research into what guitars will match that.
Finally, what I consider an extremely important step that’s often overlooked: does this guitar fit me? Not in terms of style, but in terms of size and weight. Can you comfortably hold/wear this guitar? Is it a little too unwieldy? A lot of guitarists go for what looks cool, despite the fact that it may not be the right fit in terms of size
Great insights, thanks Monica!
Well, you’re doing all the right things. Just learn how to setup and maintain your guitar, the you won’t get robbed.
All very good tips. Number 7) on your list I believe is in reference to “buckle rash.” That’s a peeve of mine. Bought my Tele, with no regrets, from an individual who put it down rather carelessly prior to purchase. I then question this person about “buckle rash” and inspect the back. Realization set in and perhaps this individual understands how others treat these instruments with some reverence. Both parties left happy but it’s one small example of a smart list. The thick metal strings do build up callouses and can be uncomfortable for some grasping the time element of, progression of learning, along with simple enjoyment. Long term views of callous buildup are mixed because you can play harder, longer. A few things to add for opinion and oversight. Nice article too.
I just bought a new electric guitar and had a complete set up. It plays like butter now.I’m very happy. Paid $60
My next goal is to get my acoustic done.
But I assume that it won’t be quite as good as the electric because it only has a truss rod.I’d like to have the saddle shaved a bit.Is this possible Bobby? The higher you go up the neck, the strings are way farther away from the fretboard. Harder to play for me.
Jackie, you can absolutely setup an acoustic guitar to feel great, regardless of the fixed bridge.
You’re correct about shaving the saddle. In addition to adjusting the truss rod properly, a tech will (if necessary) shave some height off the bottom-side of the saddle to reduce the overall string height. Conversely, they’ll shim it up if the strings are too low. They can also (if necessary) shape the top of the saddle to adjust for intonation. They can lower the action at the NUT too, by deepening the string slots a bit. This lowers the action at the first few frets (where you’d play open chords)–something a lot of people forget about or ignore.
Now, to set realistic expectations, the action on acoustic guitars is always a tad higher than electric guitars–that’s just the nature of acoustic guitars. However, it can be made quite comfortable to play, especially with a set of lighter gauge strings. Also, it’s normal for the strings to be a little higher up on the higher frets than on the lower frets–but it shouldn’t be a very dramatic difference.
You should get a case, especially if taking it out and about. A hard case is not necessary unless you’re gigging regularly. If you’ve bought a guitar, get a decent padded gig bag that fits properly for your size guitar. Snug is good. And don’t get the ‘carry bags’ which are just fabric with no padding at all.
Great tips!
Couldn’t agree more Niki. If you search online a bit, low-cost hardshell cases can be found on Amazon nowadays for well under $100.
1. It’s kind’ve a combination of 2,3,4.
Until you can establish your “sound,” you really have no idea what strings you need to get that specific tone out of your guitar. You will go through several guitars and string types until you find your “sound.”
2. No.7, Texas belt buckles are expected on stage and are hell on destroying the back of acoustic and electric guitars! You can try to move the guitar to a different position. If you can play it well there, fine, but I have seen people use duct tape, or glue on a thin pad to protect the back of the guitar without changing the tone.
3. No.8, I used to “Pledge” my guitars to clean and make them shiny! Traveling around a lot, your guitar will get smudged and dirty. On stage, it has to shine! Depending on the manufacturer’s finish, I never noticed a problem with the finish, or tone.
4. No. 9 and 11 are combined.
No matter how you try to protect and baby your baby, on tour it’s going to collect scratches and dings. Much like a war wound, some people like to show off their terror and travails. Yes, it shows that you’ve been through hell. It also shows that you are not taking care of your equipment. Good guitars are expensive. When you find one with the tone/sound that you like/need, you tend to take care of it because your lively hood relies on it. But as they say “S**t Happens.” You can’t let a scratch in your new $8,000.00 guitar throw you off your game. No matter how much you go out of your way to protect your new baby, the gremlins always seem to be able to get into your “bomb proof” guitar case and scratch your guitar. Scratches just seem to magically appear. It happens.
* I have seen people buy colored furniture markers to hide a scratch on their guitar.
I don’t know what effect it might have on the finish, but you have to look pretty close to see the scratch! To some people on stage, that means a lot!
* Some people say that you can steam out a dent. Never tried that one. It works on furniture, but I’m not so sure on the thin soundboard of a guitar. Humidity/vibration issues…
Hi Luke!
The steaming trick doesn’t work as well as you’d hope. It depends on how deep the dent is, really. I had a minor dent on one of my natural-finish guitars, so it was a perfect opportunity to try the technique out. It did lessen the dent, but didn’t completely remove it. Once those wood fibers are compressed, it’s basically impossible to fully re-expand them. Also, you have to be careful as the steaming can discolor the wood a bit, depending on what it’s finished with.
As a real newbie, changing the strings on my moderately priced guitar, I managed to carve off part of the nut. I’d seen strings changed on another guitar the day before, and tried one of the ones in the middle myself. This was the heaviest string on my guitar. Much sadness was had, but I know a guy who works at a guitar manufacturing company, and he replaced the nut for me. Why didn’t I get him to help me in the first place? Too independent and stubborn, I guess. 🙂
Yikes, I’m sorry to hear that! If you’ve never changed your own strings before, I definitely recommend getting help or watching some YouTube videos first. There’s a lot of tension on those strings, so it’s important to know what you’re doing. However, once you do it a few times and get the hang of it, it’s pretty easy.