Here are answers to many questions about acoustic guitar care and repair. If you’re uncertain about guitar care and maintenance, the ins-and-outs of guitar building, or another topic related to your guitar, we’re here to help! Ask Acoustic Guitar’s repair experts by sending an email with the subject “Repair Expert” to editors.ag [at] stringletter.com.
Ask the Expert: How Much Does Grain Orientation Matter?
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Ask the Expert: What is “French Polishing” and Is It Worth It?
Q: My understanding is that a type of finish known as “French polishing” gives not only a hand-built look to an instrument, but also a better quality of tone and a fuller sound. How does this process work, and is it worth having it done to my moderately priced Samick…
Ask the Expert: What Happens When Your Flattop Loses Its Flat Top?
Guitar Guru: Can You Hear the Difference in Tonewoods?
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Ask the Expert: How Do I Determine the Value of a High-End Guitar?
Q: What exactly is the difference between a “handmade” and a “handcrafted” guitar? Furthermore, in the high-end market, what qualities should a player (not a collector) look for when evaluating the differences between, for example, a $3,500 guitar and a $7,500-plus guitar? —Dan Liechty, Normal, Illinois A: A quick Google…
Ask the Expert: Can a Soft Top Wood Last as Long as Spruce?
Ask the Expert: How Do I Get Rid of this Annoying Buzz?
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Ask the Expert: Does a Guitar’s Finish Really Affect the Tone?
Ask the Expert: How are Guitars Voiced?
Ask the Expert: What Should I Look for When Selecting Wood for a Guitar?
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Ask the Expert: Should I Reset the Neck on My Vintage Guitar?
Ask the Expert: Do Vintage Guitars Live Up to Their Reputations?
Guitar Guru: Do the Tonewoods and Thickness of My Guitar’s Back Have an Impact on its Sound?
Q: “I noticed that some guitars have very stiff backs and there is no difference to the sound whether the back is held against your body or away from it. What are the advantages of stiff vs. active backs?”—Seth Brockman, Tulsa, Oklahoma A: To understand how backs function, look first…
Ask the Expert: What Causes Random Intonation Glitches?
Q: Using an electronic tuner, I can verify that when my open strings are in tune, my fretted octaves are accurate or nearly accurate. Individual notes of certain chords, however, can be very out of tune, and capoing in some positions requires retuning. I’ve noticed that all guitars, even electrics…
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Guitar Guru: Dana Bourgeois on the Sweet Sound of 12-Fret Guitars
Ask the Expert: How to Know When to Hang ‘er on the Wall
I have a Takamine dreadnought that I bought used, and it has been a trusted companion for the past ten years. I like it because it was affordable when I was just learning, and it sounds good. It’s become harder and harder to play in the last six months, so…
Ask the Expert: Commissioning the Right Repair for a Vintage Guitar
Q: I have a 1932 Gibson L-00 12-fret that appears to have had a neck reset and refret before I bought it. After finding a few muted notes around the 14th fret, I asked a local repair shop for an evaluation and was told they would need to sand down…
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Ask the Expert: Fixing String Spacing & Refretting a Bound Fingerboard
Thank you, dear readers, for all your write-in curios and questions over the past months. If I haven’t let you know, I really appreciate it. Sharing your question or concern, even about something small, can help clear things up for other readers—including things they didn’t know they needed cleared up.…