Taking Care Of Your Guitar. Part 2

Table of Contents:

1. Taking care of high end guitars.
2. Songs to try.

Taking Care Of High End Guitars

More expensive guitars -- such as those typically priced at $700 or more -- often require special care. If you have such a guitar, you need to take special care of your instrument to ensure that it does not get damaged, and that it's value is secured. The steps needed to take care of your guitar can be found below.

1. Visit a guitar tech.
Guitar techs are individuals who specialize in maintaining and fixing guitars. Think of them like mechanics, but for guitars instead.

It is wise to find a good guitar tech. Often, the place where you purchased your guitar will have a guitar tech in house, or will be able to refer you to a professional guitar tech. If you have a high end guitar, you should take your guitar in for a standard maintenance service -- known as a "set up" -- every six months. The price of such a service can vary substantially, but a typical set up will most likely be priced at about $60.

2. Use a humidifier.
For high end acoustic guitars, a device known as a humidifier is often needed to preserve the quality of the sensitive wood. Below are instructions regarding how a humidifer is used, as a well as a sample video clip.

Insert 8 - 10 milliliters of distilled water (such as bottled water) into your humidifer. This can most easily be done with the syringe that is typically packaged with the humidifier when you purchase it. Watch the video clip for an example.

The humidifer will have ridges on both sides. Identify these ridges, and insert the humidifer in between the 3rd and 4th guitar strings. Click here to view an example.

Once the humidifier is securely in place, you can return the guitar to its case.

Songs To Try

While taking care of your guitar is something we firmly believe is a wise idea, there have been a number of great guitarists who not only have disregarded the importance of guitar maintenance but have actually gone about intentionally damaging their guitars. While we discourage imitating their behavior, we do encourage learning their material.

All Apologies. [sound clip, video clip]
Kurt Cobain penned this Nirvana classic that appeared on the In Utero album, their last studio album released before Cobain's untimely death. Kurt and company may not shown much care for treating their guitars delicately, but the soft melody and organized rhythm of this song show that they very much had a knack for creating refined music.

Below is an excerpt of the song, as well as the corresponding tablature. And a video demonstrating how to play the main riff!

E|----------------------|----------------------|----------------------|
B|----------------------|----------------------|----------------------|
G|----------------------|----------------------|----------------------|
D|----------------------|-----------14-14-11-12|----------------------|
A|--11-12-11-14-14-11-12|--11-12-11------------|--11-12-11-14-14-11-12|
E|-0--------------------|-0--------------------|0---------------------|

E|------------------------|
B|------------------------|
G|------------13-13-11----|
D|---------------------14-|
A|---11-12-11-------------|
E|-0----------------------|

Pinball Wizard. [sound clip, video clip]
The Who's Pete Townsend was one of the pioneers of guitar showmanship. Part of his act included uninhibited destruction of his guitar.

Pinball Wizard is one of the Who's most timeless songs, surviving well beyond the band's demise. Below is tablature and an audio clip for the introductory portion of the song.

|-2---------------|-0---------------|-0---------------|
|-3---------------|-3---------------|-2---------------|
|-4---------------|-4---------------|-4---------------|
|-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-|-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-|-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|

|-0---------------|-0---------------|-0---------------|
|-2---------------|-2---------------|-0---------------|
|-3---------------|-2---------------|-0---------------|
|-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-|-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-|-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|

|-----------------|---------------------|-------------------|
|-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-|-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-|-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2---|
|-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-|-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-|-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3---|
|-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-|-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-|-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-0-|
|-----------------|---------------------|-------------------|
|-----------------|-2-------------------|-2-----------------|

||-----------------------|-----------------------||
||-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-|-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-||
||-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-|-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-||
||-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-|-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-||
||-----------------------|-----------------------||
||-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-|-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-||

||-----------------------|-----------------------||
||-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-|-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-||
||-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-|-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-||
||-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-|-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-||
||-----------------------|-----------------------||
||-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-|-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-||

Manic Depression. [sound clip]
Considered by many to be the most innovative and revolutionary guitarist of all time, Jimi Hendrix was also the innovator of stylishly destroying guitars. He didn't just smash into pieces; he burned it, making it more of a ritual than a destruction.

Manic Depression is a dark and dreary song lyrically, although its main guitar riff has an upbeat, waltz-like feel to it. Below is a clip from the song as well as its corresponding tablature.

E|--------------------|
B|--------------------|
G|--------------------|
D|--------------------|
A|--5-----6-----7-----|
E|--------------------|

E|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
B|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
G|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
D|--5-----6-----7---7-|--------7--5--7--5--|--------7--5--7--5--|
A|--------------------|--0-----------------|--0-----------------|
E|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|

E|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
B|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
G|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
D|--------7--5--7--5--|--------7--5--7--5--|--------------------|
A|--0-----------------|--0-----------------|--0-----4-----7-----|
E|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|

E|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
B|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
G|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
D|--------------------|--------------------|--------7--5--7--5--|
A|--------2-----5--3--|--5-----6-----7-----|--0-----------------|
E|--3-----------------|--------------------|--------------------|

E|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
B|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
G|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|
D|--------7--5--7--5--|--------7--5--7--5--|--------7--5--7--5--|
A|--0-----------------|--0-----------------|--0-----------------|
E|--------------------|--------------------|--------------------|

ActoGuitar's purpose is to help people learn to play guitar, and to help experienced guitarists with professional ambitions reach their aspirations. Be sure to check out ActoGuitar website at this location.

Comments

[sumfears]

hmm pretty good lesson!

[aguynamedlarry]

wow dude this helped me alot man

[aguynamedlarry]

thanks

[XNeo```]

gr8, keep up the good work.. the songs part was awesome..

[philfisher]

hmm the tab for all apologies is wrong... 1)it doesn match the video clip (should read 9) and secondly even if you do start at 11 it should go 11,12,14,14,12,11 !!! come on guys and this was my first lesson!!! Phil

[loudfastramones]

Phil is right. I was wondering why it didnt song right. Thanks phil.

Checked.

[nboenzi]

Many times do you have to use a humidifier! Every single time you put your guitar in the case or just every week.

[I_Dont_Know]

what about oiling your neck so teh frets don't expand your neck and ruin your guitar...

What about keeping your bridge in tune...

What about reducing how many strings you break by strumming a certain way...

What about keeping dust off of it to protect hardware...

That was really basic

[595Metallica595]

I_Dont_Know :
what about oiling your neck so teh frets don't expand your neck and ruin your guitar...

What about keeping your bridge in tune...

What about reducing how many strings you break by strumming a certain way...

What about keeping dust off of it to protect hardware...

That was really basic

those are also very obvious and im very surprized that those wern't on there and checking your intunation (i think that is bridge in tune)this getting around 6 stars for me

[rayIII]

What was the point of the song section? I mean it's called 'taking care of your guitar'....

[aguynamedlarry]

it sure helped me

[chalres]

[quote]I_Dont_Know :
what about oiling your neck so teh frets don't expand your neck and ruin your guitar...

What about keeping your bridge in tune...

What about reducing how many strings you break by strumming a certain way...

What about keeping dust off of it to protect hardware...

That was really basic

those are also very obvious and im very surprized that those wern't on there and checking your intunation (i think that is bridge in tune)this getting around 6 stars for me[/quote]

i hope you both realise its classes as 'for beginners'?
nice jod man, keep at them lessons. good to do when bored.

[josh1311]

lol what about holding ur guitar right by the body ..... pretty basic but very good lesson seemed to help out quite a few 7/10

[Metal_Injection]

what about proper straps so ur gitar doesnt slide off the edges, or strap locks

[Billie236]

Love it Just simply Love it thnx dude/dudette(s) lol

[hucksyboy]

This tab for all apologies seems to be slightly wrong the 14-11-12 part of riff should be 14-12-11 as shown in your clip,also there is no mention of tuning down your guitar which is clearly the correct way to play this song.

[ragweedfan04]

whats up folks? i just bought a new guitar online and played it for the 1st time tonight. the strings buzz a bit. which way do i need to turn the truss rod so it goes away? i know not to turn it too much or im screwd. so holler at me and let me know thanks. [e-mail]

[fabfab75]

thanks for the advices, i have descovered a cool site to learn new songs not to hard for a beginner like me. It's called Magic tab guitar :
http://www.tabs-guitar.com

[difitzio]

three great songs. What a strange mix of lesson subjects all the same.

[jasonho1987]

ALWAYS CHECK THE NUT AROUND WHERE THE JACK PLUGS IN ON YOUR GUITAR!

i've seen so many people let them get really loose and eventually the actual bit the jac plug into retract into the body!

peace.

[binary_0011]

can someone rewrite the tab for all apologies? thanks.

[shane_jw]

Does any one know why the sound clip or video clip won't play on my computer? It opens up and it just a white screen with the website in the URL box.

[naculus]

the correct version of all apologies.

E|-----|-----|-----|
B|-----|-----|-----|
G| -----|-----|-----|
D|-----|-----14-14-12-11|-----|
A|--11- 12-11-14-14-12-11|--11-12-11-----|--11-12-11-14-14-12-11|
E |-0-----|-0-----|0-----|

E|-----|
B|-----|
G|-----13-13 -11----|
D|-----14-|
A|---11-12-11-----|
E|-0-----|

Ju st a switch from the 11 and 12. Thanks for these lessons I'm a beginner and both lessons were pretty helpful.

[naculus]

e|-----|-----|
b|-----|-----|
g|-----|-----|
d|-----|---- -14-14-12-11|
a|--11-12-11-14-14-12-11|--11-12-11-----|
e| 0-----|0-----|

e|-----|-----|
b|-----|-----|
g|-----|-- ---13-13-11--|
d|-----|-----14|
a|--11-12-11-14-14-12-11|- -11-12-11-----|
e|0-----|0-----|

sorry don't know why the last one came up weird looking. maybe this one will work.

[naculus]

nvm this is gay just go to 12 after 14 instead of 11

[Sublimeluvs420]

wrong tab for all apologies its in drop d and in starts on 9

so its

9-10-9-12-12-10-9

and strum low e (which is supposed to be D in this song) randomly

[dchenex]

really good lessons but im just saying this
ive set-up my guitar 3 times before and once taking the whole thing apart. it was fun and easy if you know how. i learned this online and i could change anything i want with my guitar and how i play it. its so much better than i got it. ive had 2 teacher and they both have told me that it is a really good guitar even though its like 200-300 bucks like i said but i never told them i optimized my guitar myself. and fyi i have a squire start made in indo [i was born in indo] and it did cost like 200 bucks (i really need a new one) :] btw im just a 13 year old guitar player that loves his guitar.

[rockinrolo]

Yea I took my guitar a apart also. It feels alot nicer to play it just knowing I put it together myself and it sounds better aswell as everythings just the right taughtness.
Im not a beginner but The info on the songs were interesting.
7/10 Stars