Keeping Your Guitar In Best Condition

Will this instrument last forever? Will it be worth the $2,000 you've paid for it? How do I take care of it. All the answers are here. It's not always true to get what you pay for, some more affordable instruments will sometimes last longer than some expensive/luxery guitars. The handmade group usually stays in shape the shortest time, especially acoustics. Handmade acoustics ten to fall apart or lose their sound in a short period of abusing and playing. Here are 5 rules to keep your guitar in good condition:

01. Before you buy your guitar, play it first and make sure you like the sound and be sure to ask an assistant how long this particular instrument has been in the store.

02. When guitar is not in use, always keep it on a guitar stand.

03. Apply Finish protection or guitar polish atleast every month to keep finish in best condition.

04. Replace the strings when the rust to prevent to stings from scratching the fingerboard. Also, it will keep your fingers from being cut and bleeding everywere.

05. If you frequently play powerchords, or have really terrible picking skills like me, install a pickguard to prevent the gloss from being scratched.

About me - Out of my 3/4 years I've been playing i've always cared for my guitars as bestest friends. I'm only 12 but I play at concerts and solos. I like playing fast and speedy harmonics like the one in Papa Roach - Last Resort. While that keeps me ocupied I am still working on Stairway To Heaven (while it still seems a bit difficult). I usually practice 2-4 hours a day and hope top play in a band some day and play a PRS as one of my lifetime dreams. Right now I own an Ibanez RG320DX, a Yamaha Pacifica112c, a J. Reynold's Handmade Jr. Acoustic, an Ibanez 10-watt guitar combo, and a B-52 Stealth series All Tube Pro Amp. I'm always eager to meet new gutarists, so I joined Ultimate Guitar. They have a great site.

Have Fun and Take Care,
- Jeff

Comments

[chris_munday321]

1st thats all i have to say

[Zeke5000]

im #2

[busby_bass]

im 3rd

[Xeus]

rrrr hes only 12!

[Torn]

Decent article. Thanks for the tips

[JimmyJackrabbit]

You have that much equipment and you can't even play stairway?? I can play stairway, and i only have a shitty strat copy!!

[Brockley87]

yeah dude, but he's only 12, he could be good someday, and besides that, he practices a lot, and his parents obviously love him (at 12, having all that stuff)... He's on his way, good job Jeff, keep playin

[I_am_loSt]

heh i could play stairway when i was ten, it was an ok article

[Troy Simple]

I used to be able to play the beginning of stairway but didnt learn the rest when i realized that No ONE CARES if i can play stairway or if i cant. It doesnt matter. I don't get paid any money just because I can play Stairway. I am glad I didn't learn all of Stairway for I would have butchered the song. And even if i could play it perfectly who outside of my dad is really gonna give a crap.

[BassBeats098]

im 10th

i am a bassist

i em ze goodest

[fixxxer_928]

stairways a shit song anyway...

[REDS_RHCP]

@BassBeats098: don't say you're the best at anything, especially not guitar/bass playing.

@ Jeff: Keep up the good work kid, don't let your own opinion about music be affected by some dork.
Try playin some Hendrix stuff...

[Ihatemath2002]

poop

[Ihatemath2002]

dookie

[Ihatemath2002]

jeff eats both of them

[Ihatemath2002]

hahahahahahahahaha

[niCk owns You]

dont put him down, hes working hard on it and he'll get it someday, its just one song. good luck on it, jeff

[creepingdeth05]

dont worry about stairway to heaven, it's an old song and no one cares anymore. OVER RATED

[giveitaname87]

I started at 12. You sound much more dedicated than I was. I wish I had been more so, keep of the good work and well-done article.

[think11270]

A 12 year old with a PRS...what a waste of 2000$..

[Skugg]

lmao, he's like that kid in school o rock

[strangled]

wasteing 2000 on a twelve year old? hey i bet he practices a helloflot more then most of us
and good article keep on playing maybe one of these days i be able to tell my kids that i sorta know that guitarist

[kooldonuts]

no way hes 12 years old, his grammar is way too good, and his wrod selection is like highschool level, i say BS to the age but the articel is pretty good

[Man Made Errer]

A 12 year old can have that kinda grammer, and although some other things could be skeptical (where does a 12 year old get 2-4 hours A DAY, assuimng he goes to school? etc.) @strangled, he doesn't have a PRS, he wants one.
Just thought I'd clear it up.
Wish I could've started back when I was 12 with that much practice time......
Best of luck Jeff.

[ensaepit]

Kooldonuts - I was like that when I was twelve, some people are just educated, and actually try.

Man Made Errer - I had 2-4 hours a day back when I was twelve, I practice 3-4 every day. Got off of school at 3 - and played from 5 to 8 or 9. It's not that hard to get 4 hours of practice in.

Anyways, nice article Jeff, thats' exactly what you need to do to keep your guitar in good condition.

[BibaLin]

thanks guys, you all are the coolest. I'm working on part two right now. And dont forget to read Taking Care of Your Tube Amp .

[Cliff_rules]

my guitar almost falls apart, but because all of the broken stuff it sounds better. But good article anyway. Keep on playin

[fixxxer_928]

Never keep a guitar open to air for too long....well i don't anyway....i either put it straight back into a gig-bag or hardcase after i practise...it kepps the strings in good condition (doesn't rust too easy)

[Oswald]

I have never tried Stairway to Heaven.
Should I??

[fixxxer_928]

its gay, u should just improve ur soloing techniques

[josephde]

I started when I was 12. Tho I still can only play the intro and solo of stairway... Much overrated. As for his age, he cant even spell luxury, so I believe it. Word choice my ass....

[burningAnkh]

I'm almost 19 years old and have been playing for many years. Too bad I've never had as much sense as Jeff just to take care of my guitars. I don't even own a guitar stand - when I play shows I just lay my guitars down in their case or even on the floor. I've never polished my guitars. Good tips Jeff.

And Stairway to Heaven is a great song, as is every Zeppelin song. Don't knock it just because it was written long before any of us were born.

[koneboy]

Hey Jeff !
Keep it bro, who knows all our kids will probably be listening to your music someday ! But don`t concentrate too much on playing songs that have been written already, but rather be a creator ! We need innovators and not cd players ! Take care and god bless!

[tumble]

If he hadnt have said how old he was then he wouldnt have bin knocked for being a young spoilt c**t! i thought it was good tho

[alaskanbassist]

If you are only twelve, and you have like infinity guitars, sell some and just work on one or two. And don't be doing concerts and stuff if you can't do Stairway and have to do other people's songs. Please.

[alaskanbassist]

Oh and by the way, I practise two to four hours a day on both my bass and guitar. Try practising a little bit more before you think you're the best because you practise a fairly normal amount.

[tC2oo4]

dude... the guy was writing about how to keep your guitar in good condition, he gave some good tips. this is the idea of the forum, so dont go slagging off people who you don't even know and are you his dad? didnt think so so keep your useless comments to yourself.

[reaperofblood]

alaskanbassist:
If you are only twelve, and you have like infinity guitars, sell some and just work on one or two. And don't be doing concerts and stuff if you can't do Stairway and have to do other people's songs. Please.

Why not play at concerts?
There are billions of people who only play chords at concerts, and another billions of people that play covers.
Ever heard of cover bands?

[freebirdisepic]

creepingdeth05:
dont worry about stairway to heaven, it's an old song and no one cares anymore. OVER RATED
[POSTED: 08 April 2004 - 15:59]|

fall over, die, and burn in hell...





and pretty good article, kid, but I'd leave out the "about me" thing at the end, next time since that's where the criticism keeps coming from. And be sure to look into AP english classes in high school if you can write this well and you're only 12 (if you live in the states, that is).

[thejester]

12 huh well keep rockin, i wish i had time to practice 2-4hrs a day, lucky. stairway is easy besides the solo and very ending anywho keep rockin everyone

[floydsquared]

i thought this was a terrible article.


my problems with the article:

#1:
if you buy a guitar you usually dont buy the floor model unless its used, and you can take it out of the box and play it brand new.

#2:
dur. anyone who doesnt do this is just absolutley insane

#3:
acually, that doesnt matter, your still gonna get the same amount of scratches and whatnot even if you dont have the guitar polished

#4:
you have the same chance of getting cuts if you have new strings or old strings. only difference is you might get the cut infected. also, there are such things as callouses.

#5:
if your guitar doesnt have a pickgaurd in the first place, why the hell would you install one? your just ruining the originality of the guitar, lowering the resale value, and quite probably voiding the warranty.

and why do we need to know your age, gear, and practicing habits?

[nc182]

12 yrs. old? rock on dude

[DesiLover]

Pretty good to the BASIC guitarist....but I think just about everyone on this site knows the basics. But hey, it's buggin me, did you MEAN to type, "Bestest" it's not a word man. But otherwise, god article

[WhiteKnight123]

ok....
how about instead of babying my guitar i jsut play it and let it get a couple of digns insted of practicing for 10 mintues and making it look pretty for an hour and a half, and who cares about your age gear and practice?

[acillatem]

Nice. My guitar has a black finish, thus every little thing shows up. I've already banged it against my bed and made a little scratch x.x I probably don't pamper my guitar as much as I should, but hey..I got this article if I wanna change my habits. Good Job Man.( It's cool that you're twelve and already doin' all that. I stared when I was thirteen and have been playin' for a year)

[StuartR]

Troy Simple:
I used to be able to play the beginning of stairway but didnt learn the rest when i realized that No ONE CARES if i can play stairway or if i cant. It doesnt matter. I don't get paid any money just because I can play Stairway. I am glad I didn't learn all of Stairway for I would have butchered the song. And even if i could play it perfectly who outside of my dad is really gonna give a crap.
[POSTED: 08 April 2004 - 08:35]|

Exactly

[_TheBassist01_]

a 12 year old is trying to tell me how to take care of my guitar. like its my 'bestest' friend.

[Pyroflameout]

welcome to the hell of writin an article for UG man

[zerowley]

Good article, I've been training myself to take better care of my guitar lately. Anyway, it's good that you have determination, because that can really help you later, even if it's not with guitar/music. Also, about the whole being 12 thing, I know a kid thgat is maybe 13 who totally kicks my ass on guitar, I mean I kind of look up/down to him. Keep up the good work, it's appreciated.

[mikey192002]

stairways a shit song anyway
uuuuuuuuuuuh ya ok u idiot

[andrestx182]

I think everybody who have something negative to say, should go easy with the kid, yeah he's 12 years old, so Fu#$%^g what?, the little dude it's taking care of his guitars and amps like we never do, and he also want to learn how to play stairway... (yeah, I do think it's an overrated song), but it's his choice, at least he is trying to learn something new for him. Keep the good work Jeff.

[burndttoast]

That's a lot of guitars you have there. Anyhow, I just wipe my guitar with a soft cloth after I play. This works well too.

[jimjam3]

that's not new.....
but he's 12...man....he's good 4 a kid...lol..
kepp it up!!

[harvestersorrow]

dude don't put him down, keep working man! But you should listen to other stuff other than Papa Roch

[chinko]

BassBeats098:
im 10th

i am a bassist

i em ze goodest

um no i am :P

gd luk with the playin lil dude, i should take care of my bass more, but its a piece of shit!

[Underhander]

lol ill b lookin out foru man, ull b on the charts sumday

[chinko]

indeed he will, most of us will if we would get off our asses and do something!

[slash_rhoads]

FUCK,FUCK

[orcutt989]

Troy Simple:
I used to be able to play the beginning of stairway but didnt learn the rest when i realized that No ONE CARES if i can play stairway or if i cant. It doesnt matter. I don't get paid any money just because I can play Stairway. I am glad I didn't learn all of Stairway for I would have butchered the song. And even if i could play it perfectly who outside of my dad is really gonna give a crap.
[POSTED: 08 April 2004 - 08:35]|

Exactly, same here. Nobody cares if you can play Stairway to heaven, or Blackbird. It is always hilarious to go into a guitar store like Guitar Center and always see 12 year olds playing Stairway to heaven trying to impress people. Its just funny how everyone thinks they should learn those songs.

[Ze_Gibson]

ehhh..... whoops. i kinda have a huge chunk out of my guitar lol... *dropping, banging around, occasional throwing...*

[metalneck]

Wow he's 12 and he can type and read, AMAZING,

[metalneck]

I have an old bc rich, Its a goddamn tank. I have dropped it, punched it, Its been wet, The damn thing is still bad ass and its from 1988!

[herrly]

good article man, keep up the good, it sounds like u know what yer doing and it also sounds like yer very passionate about yer guitar. i have a 1983 squier precision bass japanese vintage and the previous owner knew how to take care of the guitar and so do i. im hoping my bass lasts for many more decades.stairway is a great song one of led zeppelins greatest songs, i wanna learn the bass for it but you cant really hear it. anyways stay dedicated like you are right now and one day you'll make it big. i started when i was 13 and i practice around 2 hours a day.

[herrly]

the worst damage on my bass guitar is a few scratches and considerin its from 1983, its in pretty damn good condition

[flowerpower89]

ahaha i like how everyon'e so mean
and i tihnk he means he can't play the solo caseu tha'ts pretty much the only hard part..
and whoever said that stairway is a sh!tsong is a moron fukhead

[power chordz]

im 14 and i practice over 7 hours a day and all i have is a crappy j reynolds that is a right-handed guitar switched upside down so i can play it (im a lefty)

[masterb0b0]

your only 12?!!! that talkshit.... who are you? that kid on the movie "school of hard rock"! do you still go to school? maybe not at all it that kind of dedication.... just keep on going!! you'll be a rock star!!

[cajon88]

12???cool,man!!!rock on!!!..

[julian2k4]

stair way to heaven was like my second song dude.....TRY SOMTHING A LITTLE HARDER...no offense

[Supern00b]

im, 13..

[LeoKhenir]

Very nice article - don't bother the flaming. They're just jealous. I have some additions however:

Guitar stands are nice. HOWEVER, if you're one of those (like me) who own a guitar that's not nice and simple at the bottom (think of strat) like almost ANY B.C. Rich (except their ESM, as it's strat-type), an Explorer, a "Dimebag" guitar (the hybrid between V and Explorer), a Flying V or other weird shapes, you simply can't put it on a normal stand.

The solution, you ask? Simple. 2 options:

- Get yourself a wall hanger (they cost like half of a floor stand, and the guitar is much less out of the way on the wall and if you have some nice custom graphics on it you don't need so many cheap posters on your wall)

- Put it in your case or bag. (as said by countless)

And dedication is no bad thing! I play the guitar for 5-6 hours every single day (not that I'm improving so much) and I'm loving it! Only thing I wish was that I've had an electronic drumkit so that I could practise my drums every day without disturbing other people. As long as you have no problem sitting down with your guitar for a long time every day, do it! Keep up! This article rocked, now I'm gonna go read your tubeamp article.

[GuitaPlaya]

i learned stairway to heaven in like 2 weeks and that was when i had only beean playing for like 7 months

[Hong Siah]

hey...good job...wish i had started guitar when i was 12..which was 2 plus years ago...i've only been playing for 5 months...bet you are better than me jeff...

[ruberducky]

wow 12 i wish i could play stairway to heaven at age 12. heck i cant play it now i suck but a great bassest ROCK ON DUDE.

[trainwreck79]

good job man, keep goin. I dont see why a lot of people are saying he can't be 12 and is way too good and stuff. I know a lot of young guitarists out there. I've been playing since i was 14. A lot of them just learn so much and then stop playing. And his grammar is normal lol. I can play stairway pretty damn good. I play it like Page when he improvises it live. I like those versions.
I've been playing for nearly a year and 1/2 and im doing great. I've recieved tons of compliments from other players who have been playing for years now. They can't believe how good i am for only playing 1 1/2 years. I'm not trying to brag i'm just saying you have to stay committed to the instrument and really listen to what you're playing. I'm a perfectionist and if what i'm playing doesn't sound like something i would want to listen to, i play it better.
And also to you young players, get in a band, it makes you a hell of a lot better. That's all i can think of right now.

[corotion]

wow damn he wants a prs thats a kik ass dream dude 1 day man 1 day it shall come true we only hope. good to c ur enthusiasm. dont listen to the guys that put u dont just tell them to a pick a finger between the index and the ring hhehehehehehehehe. i have a les paul epiphone and im 15 years old its my baby. my girlfriends dad has a prs veryy cool very cool indeed. tnx 4 da article

[aussieguitarman]

trainwreck79 wrote:

good job man, keep goin. I dont see why a lot of people are saying he can't be 12 and is way too good and stuff. I know a lot of young guitarists out there. I've been playing since i was 14. A lot of them just learn so much and then stop playing. And his grammar is normal lol. I can play stairway pretty damn good. I play it like Page when he improvises it live. I like those versions.
I've been playing for nearly a year and 1/2 and im doing great. I've recieved tons of compliments from other players who have been playing for years now. They can't believe how good i am for only playing 1 1/2 years. I'm not trying to brag i'm just saying you have to stay committed to the instrument and really listen to what you're playing. I'm a perfectionist and if what i'm playing doesn't sound like something i would want to listen to, i play it better.
And also to you young players, get in a band, it makes you a hell of a lot better. That's all i can think of right now.

its a nice article something that some people might need advice on I have seen some guitars in horrible condition

you sound like your doing well at 12 just keep practicing and you will get very good one day. good luck with guitar, and have a good one mate.

[Supadude]

nice little article!!! i bought a Epiphone SG Special (hothothot) just before christmas and im polishing it at least four times more than im playin on it!!!!
my best tip is to put in your bag!! i didnt have one the first week and when some dust appeared on it i went crazy as hell!!

[Snorglorf]

I been playing since 12... Stairway is way too easy, stupid, cliched, and satanic for me. Article wasn't anything special.. I knew everything, but could be helpful to completely braindead beginners.

[Snorglorf]

Rusted strings is cracking me up. =D

[DashBlaster]

Hey Jeff

I am quite amazed by your dedication to guitar. Some people at our ages(im 13) play 1 hour tops. For you (and me), we practise 2 hours a day. I would play guitar 2 hours, but its my violin lessons that sucks up my life. My parents make me take violin, but electric guitar isn't something your parents would make you play, so i am pretty sure that you wanted to play it willingly!

Good luck for the future!

[DashBlaster]

Meant to say 3 hours, sorry!

[guantan]

Funny how this was written over 2 years ago and there are still people ragging on the Stairway to Heaven part. Give him a break. I wish I was paying at 12. I didnt start till I was in my 20s and was bored one day and bought a Fender Acoustic guitar for kicks.

Its been 11 years since I bought my first guitar. all i play are acoustics, I know very little of the electric side of the house. But I must agree with you on the PRS guitar. I recently saw Collective Soul's special on DirectTV and fell in love with the Paul Reed Smith Tremonti SE version Dean was playing.

So I share the same dream as you because that PRS will be my first electric guitar. Got the looks of a Les Paul and a little cheaper. The version Dean played isnt exactly the same as what they advertise for sale. But if a pro is sporting the PRS, then they cant be all thad bad.

Keep it up BibaLin and keep on rocking

[westo]

creepingdeth05 wrote:

dont worry about stairway to heaven, it's an old song and no one cares anymore. OVER RATED

hey man speek for yourself. its true everyone learns that song but maybe that's because it teaches you a lot of stuff in the process. if you want to hear over rated, look at those damn modern bands with no talent guitar players who can't do anything but damn power chords.

[hippy82]

damm 12 year olds. im so jealous

[jamayor]

I wouldn't play " Stairway " on a C.D. !

[Jim de Mighty]

kashmir is better