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Instrument Notes
 The
articles, pages, that follow are written with Oklahomans in
mind. I’ll try to do a couple each year and will do as much
as possible to be responsive to the Oklahoma environment.
The first few pages are on humidity. I’ve checked on the
specifics that we face in Oklahoma so my comments are
practical rather than theoretical. I’m open to suggestions
for short pieces and original contributions, so don’t
hesitate to contact me.
Previous article: Stringing Your Guitar >>
Previous article: Oklahoma, Humidity, and Guitars >>
Keeping Your Guitar or
Mandolin in Playing Condition
When I started writing these
little gems I said I’d try to add some Oklahoma specifics
when I could. Most of this piece is very general and
applies to any location – but if you look closely you’ll
find some Oklahoma history and specifics sprinkled within.
Mandolin and Guitar - Care and
Feeding
My first guitar was a May Bell
in a cardboard case that had lots of wiggle room, I got a
clean rag and stuffed it inside to keep the guitar from
floating around. Later I discovered that not only was that
a really good move in terms of protecting the guitar, it was
also handy for wiping off sweat – I got horribly nervous
playing in front of folks, even if it was folk music! A
soft clean rag rubbed along the neck, under and over the
strings, on the part of the instrument where your pick hits,
and especially under the arm pit area goes a long way to
keep that instrument looking good.
What you might consider to be
the next approach to cleaning is the breath of the owner.
You know how you can breathe a bit of haze on a window, do
the same on your guitar and then wipe it off. It’s a simple
step up with no hazards.
Some times it is
helpful to consider the use of a guitar cleaner. I only use
products made by guitar companies (Gibson and Martin both
have products) and follow the directions. The usual process
involves putting the cleaner/polish on a clean cloth first
and then using the cloth on the guitar or mandolin.
Spraying or flowing the cleaner/polish directly on the body
is just messy and not good practice.
If you are dealing with a
vintage instrument you want to be extra careful. There is
the possibility that the finish will not like the
cleaner/polish, so the advice is to test it in a very small
and not visible location. Also, if the finish is worn
partially or completely, you may not want anything foreign
on that location. If there are any cracks in the finish you
should avoid getting polish into them. It could cause
problems down the road if you want to refinish, and it could
leave a visible mark on the wood.
If you’ve bought an old dirty
instrument or yours has somehow gotten nasty, you might
consider having a repairperson work on it. Whatever you do,
avoid the strong cleaners unless you really don’t care about
the instrument.
Annual Care and Feeding
There are some
things you should probably check annually. For some of you,
this could include changing strings! If you really hate
changing strings find someone to do it for you. You can
find a repair type person who will happily replace strings
for a nominal fee – then you can ask them to do the rest of
the check up as well.
It doesn’t hurt to
clean the fret board, especially if you play regularly and
sweat lots. A light rub with 0000 steel wool is all it
should need. I rub with the grain, but if there is a lot of
crud by the frets you may want to get that off first.
Vacuum up the steel wool and vacuum it off the instrument –
it can scratch. Some people are more comfortable using the
newer synthetic material – makes little difference in my
mind.
Then, it doesn’t hurt to oil
the fret board with some light lemon oil. Don’t get carried
away. I know some folks who do this every time they change
strings (and they do it several times in a year), and it
just should not need that much, at least not in Oklahoma.
Rub on and rub off.
A little dab of
oil, 3-in-1 type, on the tuning machines can’t hurt. Use a
clean rag, rub it on and clean them up a bit. Do not use a
silicon lubricant – you don’t want it on the finish. While
you care for the machines it’s a good idea to check the
screws to the headstock and secure them if necessary. Be
careful not to scratch the instrument if you tighten the
nuts around the tuners. There is no need to crank hard on
these.
Strings
In terms of care
and feeding, wiping off the strings when you’re done playing
is about all you can do. Change them when you want to, but
do understand that they age like us. Over time they just
don’t have the same ring.
The most critical
thing to know in terms of strings is which string to use.
There is one hard and fast rule – do not use a higher
tension or gauge string than is recommended for your
instrument! Lots of older guitars have been severely
damaged because someone was sure that they would be fine
with steel strings though they were built for nylon or gut.
Look inside your instrument to see if the label has a notice
on string tension and if not, ask a repair person or someone
at an instrument store (nothing against chain stores, but
personal experience says they know what they sell and not
much more).
One last thought,
if you change string gauges or tension from what the
instrument was intended for, even if you go to a lighter
string, it may cause some set up problems – buzzing might be
an issue or it could change the playability in a way you did
not anticipate. If that happens, change back or take to a
repair person. If you find a string you like, and it plays
well on the instrument, stay with it. Trying new strings
can be like the search for the Fountain of Youth – it won’t
make you younger and won’t improve your playing!
And don’t be
ashamed to have someone change them for you. You can also
ask them to give it a once over and that might be worth the
small fee.
Case
Cases are not cheap,
especially good ones. If you treat them with some sense of
gentleness they will last a long, long time. Occasionally
wipe them off with a clean cloth. Use some 3in1 or similar
oil on hinges and locking mechanism. It doesn’t hurt to
vacuum the inside once in a while as well. We have this
strange thing in Oklahoma called “dust”, lots of it, and the
case and the instrument can develop a layer.
I just did some major repair
work on a case. It had been damaged by someone flinging
open the top so the cloth latches that kept it partially
open were torn. The owner also had a strap button that
gouged the end of the case to pieces. Cases are expensive –
be gentle with them and they can serve you a long time.
Control the environment
I have probably said enough
about this in the piece on humidity. The simplest and most
direct way to say it is that you should treat your
instrument with the same feel for environmental stability
that you want for yourself – don’t over heat, don’t over
cool, let it acclimate if you do change environments (like
traveling from Oklahoma to Nebraska).
There are lots of folks who
will tell you to leave your instrument out in the open where
you can see it. That is supposed to remind you to play it.
If you really enjoy your music you don’t need to leave the
instrument sitting out as a reminder. I recommend you keep
it in the case. Instruments are delicate, light weight for
the most part, so it doesn’t take much to knock them off a
stand – dog tails, cats chasing the air, little children
(and big ones too). Treat it well.
Hibernation
If you plan on putting your
instrument to rest for a period of time, get it ready for
bed like you would a child. Clean it first. Loosen the
strings a couple of turns and as you put it in the case you
might pad around the head – just in case. It is probably
best stored in an interior closet, but most definitely not
in your attic or garage. A case, even a good case, won’t
protect it from extreme temperatures in the attic. The more
you control the environment the better for the instrument.
Bad things do happen
So, even the best musician,
the most careful player, will at some point have a ding or a
crack or something else enter their relationship with the
guitar or mandolin. For issues that are aesthetic, the ding
or scratch, the choice is yours: leave it alone or repair
it. If you decide to repair it yourself know that there are
lots of types of finish and you might want to do some
research before hand. A repair person will likely test the
finish before they start any work on it.
If the damage is structural I
would suggest you visit your local repair person. I say
that not because I enjoy doing repair work on guitars and
mandolins, but for two reasons. First, structural damage in
one part of the instrument weakens the whole. If you’ve
ever had a twisted ankle you know how after a day or two
your hip or shoulder starts to hurt? Same type thing goes
on. The second reason is that, unless you regularly do
woodwork, guitar repair and mandolin repair are special
cases. It’s not the same as a broken leg on a chair.
Instruments aren’t furniture. If you botch it, you could
easily create an impossible situation for the repair
person. I have a picture on my site that shows a few screws
and some strap iron holding together a broken headstock –
the result was I had to rebuild a head stock as the original
was not salvageable. Get a loaner to play and take your
injured friend to the repair person.
I’ve recently worked on two
nylon string guitars that had hit the floor hard. It
happens! One of these belongs to an Oklahoma City guitar
teacher. He got it to me quickly and as a result it was a
relatively easy structural repair. He was not concerned
about refinishing so I did a “structural refinish” – making
sure there were no chips that would fall out or cut him as
he plays.
Festivals
I never knew there were so
many festivals! We’re not talking one a week, but within
the state of Oklahoma we have many really great
opportunities for festivals and jams every weekend in every
corner of the state. So enjoy with three thoughts in mind.
First, take care of your instrument and maybe consider
taking your old banged up one to the festival rather than
your brand new, fresh out of the case gem. Keep it out of
direct sunlight and out of the rain (need that be said?)
Second, you don’t have to let others play it. It’s not rude
or impolite to say “No, I’m just not comfortable with other
folks playing my guitar or mandolin.” Good folks will
understand.
Lastly, keep it with you.
Every time I’m out of the state I’m reminded how good most
folks are in Oklahoma - nice, friendly, decent people. But
you probably don’t let your kids run loose in crowded
places, or your dog, so keep your instrument close and have
a good time.
Ed Cunliff,
MandoAiki
You are welcome to use this
article on your website, blog, or in your newsletter as long
as you include this complete credit line: Copyright
2008 Ed Cunliff.
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Previous article: Oklahoma, Humidity, and Guitars >>
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