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.

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.

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.

Ask the Expert: How to Cure Your Guitar’s Wintertime Humidity Blues

Maintaining your guitar’s humidity level is key in avoiding lots of headaches, from a fluctuating setup to potentially expensive structural repairs.

closeup of open back tuners on an acoustic guitar headstock

How to Keep Acoustic Guitar Tuners Moving Smoothly

Here's how to keep the tuning components on your acoustic guitar moving smoothly, from cleaning to proper lubricant selection for both modern and vintage guitars.

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?

Ask the Expert: Why Is the Action Suddenly High on My Guitar?

Action (string height) plays a big role in how comfortable it is to play your guitar. High action could be due to a lot of different reasons—some are easy fixes.

Stewart-Macdonald truss rod rescue tool kit

Acoustic Guitar Truss Rods: Correcting an Adjustment Gone Wrong

Truss rod adjustments can make a big difference in an acoustic guitar's playability. However, even the most straightforward adjustments can have their pitfalls.

Can a Budget Guitar Be Transformed into Something Better?

How can you improve a budget guitar? This is a simple question with a complicated answer. To really tackle the subject, we’ll have to let's consider a few different areas.

a repair tech making adjustment to an acoustic guitar in a workshop

Ask the Expert: Why Does My New Guitar Need a Setup?

It can be frustrating when a brand new acoustic guitar isn't set up for optimum playability. Here are some reasons your new axe may need setup work right out of the box.

Lyon and Healy Lakeside parlor guitar early 20th Century

How to Avoid String Tension Problems on Vintage Parlor Guitars

Should you be concerned about string tension on parlor guitars from the early 1900s? Considering that very few of these instruments have truss rods, it's a valid worry.