How to Care for and Maintain Your Guitar
Just like we need to sharpen our hockey skates or clean our dance shoes, we need to take care of our guitars! Ideally, the guitar should receive a full tune-up at least twice a year.
There are two basic levels to maintenance. The first level is changing the guitar strings. The second level is a full tune-up of the instrument.
Over time, strings lose their fresh tone and playability because of moisture, sweat, and exposure to air. They start to feel rusty and less pliable.
In the beginning, I recommend taking your guitar to the shop for a string change. Although you can learn the skill of changing guitar strings with some guidance, it’s best to let professionals do it in the beginning!
If you’d like to learn how to change your own strings, your teacher can show you how, or you can teach yourself using instructional materials. More about this a little later.
The next level of care is a full tune-up or service of your instrument. What’s involved in a tune up, you ask? Good question!
A full tune-up involves examining things like the height of the strings, the straightness of the neck, old strings, loose tuning pegs, etc. It’s kind of like an oil change for the guitar. A professional will inspect your guitar and make any adjustments as needed.
It can be good to get this done seasonally – once in cold weather and once in warm weather. In fact, you can use your car’s oil change as a reminder to get your guitar serviced. Put it on the calendar or simply remember to visit your local music shop when you visit the auto shop.
Lots of guitar shops and music stores offer guitar tune-ups. It’s always worth it to explore your options. You’ll want to visit a reputable shop or luthier (guitar craftsman). It is best to set aside several days for a full tune-up to be performed.
In the best-case scenario, a technician can get the guitar back to you in a day or so. Sometimes, however, it may take several days. It all depends on how busy your technician is, how much work needs to be done on the instrument, and when you drop the instrument off. You may want to call ahead and ask.
You are no doubt wondering how much all of this costs! As of 2024, a full set-up averages $40 plus the cost of new strings. Strings typically run from about $5-$10 total for a pack of six. So, it’s about a $50 investment total. A simple string change without a tune-up is around $12 plus the cost of new strings.
Lastly, let’s talk strings! Strings are sold in packs by gauge (thickness). It is best to bring your guitar with you to the shop to ask what strings are right for your guitar. Typically, acoustics use heavier metal strings, usually an 11- or 12-gauge set.
Classical acoustic guitars, or kid-sized guitars that are modeled after classical ones (Hohner brand, for instance) typically use nylon strings. Nylon strings are not the same as those that you would use for a non-classical instrument.
Electric guitars use lighter strings (at least in the early years), usually a 9- or 10-gauge set. Rarely, a musician will prefer a heavier gauge set. (Stevie Ray Vaughan was notorious for stringing his guitar with “telephone pole wires” or 12-gauge and higher.) For acoustics I like Martin strings and for electrics I like Ernie Ball or D’Addario.
Your technician may recommend something other than these brands. They need to see your guitar in person or ask you about the make and model to make the best choice. Please note that if you have purchased a brand-new guitar in the past few (maybe 1-4) months, you probably do not need to worry about a string change or maintenance quite yet.
Let me know what you think or if you have questions or concerns! Also, please let me know if you have any concerns about financing or how to get the best value for your dollar. Please know that none of these services are mandatory, but they help to improve the quality of music-making. I am happy to advise. 🙂
