It is always advised to visit a professional guitar repairman when you have any kind of repairs to undertake on your guitar. A majority of guitar repairs are simply beyond the capability of an amateur, and if you attempt to repair your guitar yourself, you may well end up causing more damage. Of course, the best thing to do is to ensure that your guitar is well cared for so that you don't need to have it repaired in any way. One way in which you can take care of your guitar is by not leaving it in a hot car. This is because the high temperature will break down the adhesive that is used on guitars, and a closed car on a hot day will exceed this temperature.
If it is necessary to travel with your guitar then it should always be packed into a hard case with sufficient padding around the neck. If you are flying with your guitar, then ensure that you use an additional, well-padded box.
There are of course, some simple adjustments that an amateur can make to their guitar. One of these adjustments is the intonation of your electric guitar. It is important to do this if you have altered the thickness of your guitar strings, or the action, which is the distance between the strings and the fretboard. It is advised to undertake these adjustments every six months, regardless of whether you have made any changes or not.
The adjustment of the intonation is a relatively simple process. This can be done by moving the bridge saddle, which is the piece of metal on the bridge on which the strings rest, either forwards or backwards. Making an adjustment to the screw that holds it in place does this. There are some guitars that have an Allen key for this process, whilst others require a small screwdriver. It is only necessary to move it a tiny bit, so it is important that you are careful when turning the screw.
When you make the adjustment yourself, you must ensure that each string sounds the same on the 12th fret, as it does when it is played in the open position. If your ear cannot be trusted to clarify this, then you should use an electric tuner. Each time an adjustment is made, you will need to ensure that the string is tuned back to E before checking the intonation.
It is possible that the truss rod on an electric guitar needs to be adjusted at times. However, unless you are absolutely certain that you can do this correctly, it is advised to take the guitar to a professional. The truss rod is a piece of steel that runs along the guitars neck. A concave or convex bow in the neck will be relieved when adjusting it. If this process is not undertaken correctly, you may find that your guitar is permanently damaged. |
