“Complete Guitar Care & Maintenance, The Ultimate Owners Guide” is the essential care guide for guitar owners everywhere. Filled with over 220 pages of step-by-step instruction, 300 images and diagrams, and a plethora of exclusively derived specifications and manufacturers’ recommendations. You will have everything you need to take care of any guitar, no matter what experience level.
Get the low-down on instrument cleaning and preservation. Improve the performance and sound of your guitar with simple adjustments. Take your setup skills to the next level with precision neck adjustments, string height adjustments (bridge saddle and nut), pickup height adjustments, intonation, and more. Do minor repairs, fix electronics, and other common issues with total confidence. Learn about guitar care, such as humidity and storage. Use the included cut-out tool templates to broaden your guitar setup prowess.
This is a complete reference manual, perfect for players, collectors and budding professionals alike. Written to be simple, accessible, streamlined, and easy to follow. Pertains to electric, acoustic, classical, and bass guitars.
“Jonny’s guitar wizardry has been my guiding North Star through my past 10 years of guitar teching. He taught me the fundamentals so clearly and concisely that I was able to confidently take on expert work knowing that I had the perfect back bone of knowledge to grow from. Simple, impeccable and deep, Jon is a true guitar guru and a brilliant artist in it all!” -Daryl Chonka, Guitar Tech for Randy Bachman (The Guess Who & BTO), Recording Engineer, Recording & Performing Artist
INTRODUCTION
HOW TO USE THIS BOOK
PARTS OF THE GUITAR
GENERAL GUITAR MAINTENANCE
CHANGING THE STRINGS
REMOVING THE OLD STRINGS
REMOVING STRINGS ON A TREMOLO BRIDGE
REMOVING STRINGS ON A FLOYD ROSE-STYLE BRIDGE
REMOVING STRINGS ON AN ARCHTOP FLOATING BRIDGE
REMOVING STRINGS ON AN ACOUSTIC GUITAR BRIDGE
HOW TO INSTALL NEW STRINGS
FENDER-STYLE GUITARS
GIBSON-STYLE GUITARS
STANDARD TUNERS
SLOT-HEAD TUNERS
LOCKING TUNERS
FLOYD ROSE-STYLE BRIDGES
ACOUSTIC GUITARS
NYLON STRING GUITARS
TUNING TIPS
GUITAR STRING GAUGES
TUNINGS – STANDARD AND ALTERNATE
CLEANING
CLEANING THE BODY
CLEANING THE FRETBOARD
CLEANING THE NECK
CLEANING THE STRINGS
CLEANING THE HARDWARE
REPAIRING SCRATCHES
GENERAL HARDWARE ADJUSTMENTS
HOW TO FIX LOOSE STRAP BUTTONS
HOW TO REMOVE THE CONTROL KNOBS
HOW TO CLEAN DIRTY POTENTIOMETERS & CONTROLS
HOW TO CHECK BATTERY VOLTAGE
SETUPS & ADJUSTMENTS
ADJUST THE NECK RELIEF (BOW)
HOW TO MEASURE NECK RELIEF
HOW TO ADJUST THE TRUSS ROD
HOW TO REMOVE THE NECK FOR TRUSS ROD ACCESS
HOW TO ADJUST THE NECK ALIGNMENT
ADJUST THE STRING HEIGHT AT THE BRIDGE
ABOUT FRETBOARD RADIUS
GIBSON-STYLE HARD-TAIL BRIDGES (TUNE-O-MATIC)
FENDER-STYLE HARD-TAIL BRIDGES
HOW TO ADJUST INDIVIDUAL SADDLE HEIGHT
HOW TO USE UNDER-STRING RADIUS GAUGES
VINTAGE-STYLE TREMOLO BRIDGES
MODERN TREMOLO BRIDGES
HOW TO ADJUST TREMOLO BRIDGE ANGLE
FLOYD ROSE BRIDGES
ACOUSTIC GUITARS
ADJUST THE STRING HEIGHT AT THE NUT
HOW TO FILE NUT SLOTS
NUT REMOVAL & REPLACEMENT
ADJUST THE PICKUP HEIGHT
ADJUST THE INTONATION
WIRING & ELECTRONICS
GUITAR ELECTRONICS 101
HOW TO SOLDER
REPAIRING GUITAR ELECTRONICS
WIRING TIPS
GUITAR CARE
HUMIDITY & ENVIRONMENT
HUMIDITY SYMPTOMS CHART
INSTRUMENT STORAGE
SHIPPING GUITARS
BUYERS GUIDE
TROUBLESHOOTING
STRING BUZZ, RATTLE, & NOISE
TUNING ISSUES
BRIDGE & SADDLE PROBLEMS
TRUSS ROD ISSUES
ELECTRONICS ISSUES
OTHER PROBLEMS
TOOL TEMPLATES
SETUP SPEC SHEETS
MANUFACTURER PICKUP HEIGHT RECOMMENDATIONS
MEASUREMENT CONVERSION CHART
WIRING DIAGRAMS
FURTHER RESOURCES
