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.

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.

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.

closeup of an acoustic guitar's binding that has deteriorated due to the aging and chemical breakdown process known as celluloid rot

Ask the Expert: All About Celluloid Rot—and What to Do About It

Celluloid rot, the degrading of the plastic used for the binding on vintage guitars, is a common occurrence. Here we take a look at why this deterioration happens.

Ask the Expert: How to Minimize String Breakage—and What to Do When it Happens

Is it safe for the guitar, the strings, and the player to switch back and forth between standard and open tunings? Ask the Expert!

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.

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...

Acoustic guitar with a rubber soundhole plug

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?

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.