Ask the Expert | Acoustic Guitar

Here are answers to many questions about acoustic guitar care and repair.

Uncertain about guitar care and maintenance? The ins-and-outs of guitar building? Or another topic related to your guitar? Ask Acoustic Guitar’s repair experts by sending an email with the subject “Repair Expert” to editors.ag [at] stringletter.com. If AG selects your question for publication, you’ll receive a complimentary copy of our Acoustic Guitar Owner’s Manual.

How a Skilled Touchup Artist Can Make Your Guitar’s Dings and Scratches Disappear

Touchup is one of the real dark arts of instrument repair, and one that exists in an almost entirely different universe from structural and functional repairs.

Finding and Fixing Rattles and Buzzes on Acoustic Guitars

Here is an end-to-end approach for for finding and fixing those annoying rattles and buzzes on your acoustic guitar.

collage showing three different packages of nylon guitar strings

Ask the Expert: What’s the Deal with Nylon Guitar Strings?

Guitar repair expert Martin Keith explains the differences between steel and nylon guitar strings and shares some useful terminology.

Ask the Expert: How To Diagnose and Eliminate Common Nut Problems

Here's a guide to understanding the acoustic guitar nut, a critical area where a few thousandths of an inch can make a big difference in intonation and tuning stability

placing the bottom edge against a the saddle of a guitar placed against a ruler

Ask the Expert: Why Does My Plugged-In Acoustic-Electric Guitar Sound So Uneven?

From the March/April 2021 issue of Acoustic Guitar | By Martin Keith Q: “I recently had the action adjusted on my acoustic-electric... Read More...

closeup of an acoustic guitar fretboard and a tape measure being used to measure scale length

Ask the Expert: Understanding Acoustic Guitar Scale Length

Here's a guide to understanding scale length on acoustic guitars, an often overlooked design variable that has a big impact on the sound & feel of the guitar.

Acoustic-guitar-Soundhole-plug_Courtesy-of-DADDARIO

How Plugging the Soundhole Affects an Acoustic Guitar’s Sound

Using a rubber soundhole plug is a go-to move for reducing feedback when plugging in an acoustic guitar. But what effect does it have on tone?

closeup of an acoustic guitar bridge and bridge pins

Can Bridge Pins Enhance Your Acoustic Guitar’s Tone?

There are so many different materials for acoustic guitar bridge pins, but how much difference do they make in your guitar tone?

Why Isn’t My Acoustic Guitar Intonating Well, and What Can I Do About It?

Here are some things to check if you notice something is outside of the reasonable range of intonation on your guitar and it’s off enough to bother the ear.

ruler checking action (string height) at the bridge on an acoustic guitar

How to Fix Problems Caused by Incorrect Neck Angles on Acoustic Guitars

Neck angle is probably the single most crucial variable for the playability of a flattop guitar. Here's how to fix it if it's off.