This blog is about the proper care and treatment of a guitar.  It's about getting to know the instrument well enough to make friends with it.  If you don't do that, you probably won't ever become a master player.  A common question is:  "Do you play the guitar?"  Common, but not easy to answer because the word play should be removed from the guitar experience . . . unless you're talking about playing with a toy guitar.  But a real guitar?  And a real artist at making music with one?  That's not playing around.  We need a new word for that, but I'm sure that will never happen.  It's too ingrained in the process of making music.

One of the things you learn early on about most guitars players (including owners) is that they are usually deadheads when it comes to understanding how their instrument works and what it needs to produce good music.  And some of the biggest deadheads are musicians who use the guitar as a tool of their trade.  Some of the dumbest, most off-base ideas I've ever heard about guitars come from so-called professional guitarists.  They just don't know their instruments.

But . . . anyone who has shucked out big bucks for a guitar has the right to own an instrument that fits their expectations.  The trouble is, they often expect too much.  They forget that the guitar is an instrument, and it can only do so much.  The real music is in the player, and how well the guitar sounds is mostly dependent upon his skill.  I've seen players get sounds out of some guitar I made that sure surprised the hell out of me.  That's a good feeling.  What isn't a good feeling is when a competent player picks up an instrument you've crafted and the sound just isn't there . . . and from no fault of the player.

It takes two to tango, as the old saying goes, and that's surely true of a player and his guitar.  They should fit each other, and when they do, the result is magical.  When they don't . . . . well, it's sure not magic, and it just might be muy malo.  I appreciate players who've developed a real fondness for the instrument they play, and I'm likewise highly suspicious of a player who views the guitar as nothing more than a tool of the trade.  I'll hump up and try hard to please a player who really loves his guitar, but I don't do much for some whimpering pansy-ass player who wants his guitar "tweeked."  If that word comes out of his mouth, I usually send him somewhere else.  He might even notice a sign in my shop that says, "WE DON'T TWEEK!"

I'm pretty much an acoustic guitar man, and I've surely got some definite opinions about how they should be played.  I occasionally get some guy in my shop who wants me to intonate his guitar.  "Nope, don't do that," I say.  And if they persist, I take the time to explain that the guitar is not the perfect instrument.  Too many variables are present with a guitar to have perfect intonation, even though you'll find people who claim to be able to do it.  If you ear is so sensitive that the flaws in a guitar bother you, then take up another instrument because nobody will be able to satisfy you.

I'll give you one example of why this is true.  Some players have a soft touch in fretting a guitar, don't depress the strings any more than is barely necessary for a clean tone.  That player will have more success with perfect tune than will a guy with a more firm grip that depresses string deeper into the neck, which may pull the chord a slight bit out of tune.  Most people won't ever notice, but a few will.  A guy came into my shop a few years ago with just that problem.  I watched him play, noticed how hard he pressed the strings, then asked what strings he had on the instrument.   "Ultra lights," he said.  "Heavier strings hurt my fingers."

I pointed out to him that medium strings would sound better, would also resist his firm pressure a little more, therefore keeping his chord from going sharp on him (I think it was a G he was having trouble with).  He didn't believe me, but that's no skin off my ass.  It's his guitar so he can do anything with it that suits his fancy . . . and he'll keep playing a G chored that just a tad bit sharp, or whatever.

You also get the folks who want the strings right down on the frets for east of playing, and then they want to hammer on the guitar.  It buzzes, of course, and that's the guitar's fault.  Raise the strings, I tell them, but they don't want that because it's too hard to play that way.  What I want to say is, "Quit being a big pussy and learn to play the damn thing."  And sometimes, I do just exactly that.

Here's a few other things you should do with you guitar . . . if you really love it.  Don't leave it in the case all the time.  They call them travel cases for a reason.  When you don't travel, take it out but put it somewhere out of the way.  Don't lean it against the wall with the pressure on the headstock.  I usually lay mine flat on top of a table or bed or something . . . and some of them stay in the case quite a bit.  Better the case than a dangerous place where it will get dinged or broken.  Also, keep it clean, and make sure you use guitar cleaners and polishes.  No furniture polish.  And here's the biggie.  Change the strings often!  They don't cost that much, so a new set of strings every month or two won't break you.  And learn to do some things yourself.  Fool around with your guitar do your own adjustments (unless they require an expert).  

My granddaughter is learning to play, and she spends some time just holding the guitar.  She still looks clumsy holding it, but that will pass in time.  The clumsy feeling of making chords and strumming it passes too, and at some point in time you get to where you can call yourself a player.  The guitar will never change much . . . but you will, if you make friends with it.
 
One final thing.  A guitar is made of wood, a substance which is highly sensitive to moisture.  No basements . . . ever . . . as a place to store one.  If you live east of the Mississippi, make sure your guitar is kept in a dry place.  Moisture is a killer.

Enough for now. 

D. Paz,  11/24/07