Ask the Expert: Is There a Correct Way to Position a Saddle on an Acoustic Guitar?
Although guitar tuning is something that can be easily measured, there are many differences in saddle/bridge position and treatment between popular makes.
Ask the Expert: Caring for Your Guitar Over the Long Haul
Guitar repair expert Mamie Minch gives a rundown of some basic things a guitar owner can do, and not do, to maintain the health of their guitar.
ADVERTISEMENT
Ask the Expert: What can Torrefaction Do for Your Guitar?
Properly torrefied, properly selected wood used in conjunction with a well-engineered design, can produce guitars that are both great-sounding and durable.
Ask the Expert: Why Is My Guitar Buzzing?
Is your acoustic guitar making an unwanted buzzing sound? Here our resident expert offers some possible causes and solutions.
Acoustic Guitar Maintenance 101: 4 Tips to Keep Your Instrument Playing, Sounding, and Looking Great
Here we give primers on acoustic guitar maintenance, including adjusting the truss rod and saddle height, fixing loose tuners, and properly cleaning the instrument
ADVERTISEMENT
Ask the Expert: Vintage Guitars and Aging Plastic Parts
Hello, gentle readers. Lately, I’ve received lots of questions about issues stemming from aging plastics on old guitars. From curling pickguards to binding rot, it’s one of the things that people have to bear in mind when buying and playing older instruments. Q: I bought a Martin 0-18 from the…
Ask the Expert: All About Slotted Headstocks and Dead G Strings
Repair expert Martin Keith discusses acoustic guitar headstock design and how to maintain evenness and consistency of timbre on your classical guitar's thickest string.
Ask the Expert: What’s the History Behind Solid Headstocks and Banjo Tuners on Guitars?
It is often said that early Martin guitars with 12-fret necks typically have slotted pegheads similar to classical guitars, while those with 14-fret necks only have solid pegheads. But this does not, in fact, correspond to the reality of Martin history.
ADVERTISEMENT
Review: MusicNomad Keep It Simple, Setup (KISS) DIY Kit
MusicNomad has introduced the Keep It Simple, Setup (KISS), a DIY kit designed to make guitar setups easy even for the entirely uninitiated.
Ask the Expert: Is It Safe to Hang My Guitar on the Wall?
Will hanging my guitar on the wall alter the setup or damage it? Expert luthier Mamie Minch offers two great reasons to hang your guitar, plus some caveats to consider.
Ask the Expert: How Does a Truss Rod Work?
The truss rod is a long metal rod installed in a channel running most of the length of your guitar’s neck. Here's how it works and how to tell if it needs adjustment.
ADVERTISEMENT
Ask the Expert: When Is it Time for a Re-Fret? And What Is “Back Buzz?”
Should you keep the vintage frets on your vintage Gibson for the sake of the guitar’s authenticity? What's causing that mysterious metallic fret buzz? Ask the Expert!
Ask the Expert: Is Fingerboard Oil “Snake Oil?”
Does applying oil to an acoustic guitar's fingerboard have any benefits other than making it look nice? Our expert weighs in on fingerboard oil.
Ask the Expert: Does My Guitar Need A Neck Reset?
Neck repairs are a common occurrence on a vintage acoustic guitar and can enhance the sound of a valued instrument. Don’t feel nervous about getting this repair done.
Ask the Expert: If Your Guitar Isn’t Playing or Feeling Right, Check for a Loose Bridge
Q: Over the last few months, the action on my older Yamaha dreadnought has gotten uncomfortably high up the neck. I brought it into the repair shop for what I expected to be a setup, but there was apparently an issue that I hadn’t anticipated. I was told it could…
ADVERTISEMENT
Ask the Expert: When it Comes to Repairs, When Is Enough Enough?
If restoration is executed by craftsmen as skilled as those charged with maintaining Stradivaris, the spirit of the original guitar will eventually return after a bit of breaking in.
Guitar Guru: Troubleshooting Unwanted Sounds on Acoustic Guitar
By Dana Bourgeois |This article originally appeared in the April 2014 issue of Acoustic Guitar magazine and was reprinted in the September/October 2020 issue. Q: My 1983 Martin HD-28 has a buzzing or rattling high E string. The rest of the strings sound great. A local fellow worked on the frets and smoothed them…
Ask the Expert: How Much Do Acoustic Guitar Top Woods Contribute to Tone?
In general, lighter tops respond more efficiently to lighter playing styles, and more aggressive playing styles are required to bring out the full sonic potential of heavier tops.
ADVERTISEMENT
Ask the Expert: Is It “Right” to Experiment?
Q: What do you feel are the “right” areas to try to improve upon the classic styles? What areas of design must remain true to vintage originals in order to preserve integrity, and what areas have wiggle room for experimentation? On a more personal note, do you still feel challenged…
Ask the Expert: How Do You Acquire the Wood for Your Instruments?
The short answer is that I usually work closely with a variety of trusted tonewood suppliers to acquire woods that are sawn, matched, and cured specifically for making acoustic guitars. Typically, I try to inventory a six-month supply of most woods.
Ask the Expert: Do Bonding Agents Affect a Guitar’s Sound?
Q: Why is hot hide glue preferred by some luthiers, while others use synthetic glues, and what are its advantages and disadvantages? —Doug MacKenzie, Cary, North Carolina A: Hide glue, animal glue, and protein colloid glue are names for adhesives made from the connective tissues of various animals. Used by woodworkers…
ADVERTISEMENT
Ask the Expert: How Long Should it Take to Break In a New Guitar?
Numerous and complex elements contribute to breaking in an acoustic guitar, and it requires a lot of playing. But long long does it take to break in a new guitar?
Ask the Expert: Should I Put a Pickup on My High-End Instrument?
Mounting a magnetic pickup on a prewar D-28 seems like an obvious no-no, now that the pickup is long gone, and prewar D-28s cost more than my first house. But what about installing a modern pickup on a Brazilian Santa Cruz?
Ask the Expert: What’s the Difference Between Long-Scale and Short-Scale Guitars?
Scale length can have a significant effect on playability. But what’s the difference between long-scale and short-scale guitars, and what are the advantages and disadvantages of each?
ADVERTISEMENT
Ask the Expert: How Much Does Grain Orientation Matter?
Differences between riftsawn, quartersawn, and flatsawn wood can be significant. Stiffness-to-weight ratio, highest when boards are perfectly riftsawn, drops noticeably when a top is cut even slightly different. Velocity of sound—the ability to vibrate efficiently—corresponds closely with stiffness-to-weight ratio.
