|
Home • Body Shape • Wood • Neck • Electronics • More Features • Care
Relative Humidity and your Guitar
Relative humidity conditions can affect your guitar in adverse way and it is important that the owner take precautions to prevent exposing the instrument to extreme conditions. Being aware of the relative humidity is a good place to start. My guitars are assembled in a controlled environment where the 45-55% relative humidity is maintained.
The bottom line is that wood shrinks when it dries and expands when it takes on water. High humidity can cause problems, but they are minor in contrast to extreme dryness. Your warranty emphasizes the importance of controlling the humidity conditions to keep your guitar from drying out and cracking. This is especially important in areas of the country that are either very dry or very cold (when heating systems dry the air). Most problems can be prevented simply by leaving your guitar in its case when its not being played. If a guitar is exposed to low humidity for any length of time, the wood will dry out, causing buzzing and other problems, including cracking.
If you live in areas with a dry climate, it is recommend that you purchase a sound hole humidifier (such as Dampit) at your nearest music dealer. Some of the problems caused by wood drying are string buzz, ‘falling’ of the top, etc. and may possibly be correct by soaking the Dampit, removing excess water and drying off the tube, and then inserting the Dampit into the guitar (in its case) and leave it closed for three days. Repeat this process for another three days if your guitar hasn't regained the playability. If your guitar is very dry, you might even need to add a couple of days to this process. To monitor the humidity
levels inside the guitar case itself, it is recommended that you use a thermal hygrometer, available at your local music dealer, at Radio Shack, and/or at good hardware or building-supplies stores.
Strings:
Using the proper strings is very important –The brand of the strings that you use is less important than the gauge of strings used. I design my small body guitars (Parlor and OOO) to sound their best with light gauge stings and large body guitars for light or medium gauge strings, according to your playing style. A typical light gauge set is (12-16-25-32-42-54) and medium gauge strings are (13-17-26-35-45-56). In most cases, changing from one string gauge to another will cause problems with how the guitar sounds, feels and plays. These problems may include string buzz, high action, intonation problems and ‘bridge bubble,’ and at least will require that a truss rod adjustment. Also, I slot the nuts precisely to accommodate the recommended string gauge so heavier gauge strings may not seat properly
Abnormal String Wear Advice:
Some players go through strings faster than normal. This might be caused by a fairly common condition called hyperhidrosis, in which one's fingers have abnormally high acid content. This condition is treatable by a dermatologist but you may find some of following tips helpful. Using coated strings (e.g. Elixer, Martin SP, et.) may be the simplest solution for extending string life. Also, washing your hands before you play, then waiting a few minutes to let your skin oils go to work may help as well. Washing helps remove some of the acidity, as well as any dirt or grime that also can eat away at the strings. Wiping down the strings after playing with a dry rag over (and under) each string will extend string life as well.
String Breakage & Staying In Tune:
Staying in tune and not breaking strings are two important issues. Depending on what tuners your Joel Guitar comes equiped with make sure to string the guitar properly and give the strings a chance to stretch. We've found a product that really works when it comes to string breakage and staying in tune. You simply apply to the bridge and nut and away you go. Big Bends Nut Sauce is the product.
Some Excerpts From Big Bends Web Site:
• Stop the string drag or friction at the nut and string guides.
• Reduce string breakage at the bridge and saddles by reducing friction and wear from the see-saw action of hard playing, especially with a thick pick.
Well, it's no secret that guitar players for years have used pencil lead, Vaseline, lip balm, and many other things to help keep their guitars in tune. With a technical background that extends to lubricants, I approached the problem with a scientific perspective and finally created NUT SAUCE. After giving the sauce away to friends for years, I decided to make it available to everyone and created BIG BENDS LLC. My criteria was simple - it had to be non-toxic, non-corrosive, created with state-of-the-art lubricants, could not affect the finish of your guitar, and had to be so thick that it would stay where you put it (that means in the nut slots, under the string guides or on the bridge or saddles). NUT SAUCE meets this criteria and more.
Used by Dwight Yoakam & The Eagles on Acoustic Guitars.
Alternate Tunings:
Remember that if you change the string tension, the other systems of the guitar react to this and may affect the playability of your guitar. Occasional use of these tunings will neither adversely affect your guitar nor require any adjustments. However, frequent or sustained use of alternate tunings require specific allowances that necessitate adjustments to the guitar.
If you want to use lower overall tunings, the neck might need adjusting, because the decreased tension might back-bow the neck and cause buzzing. You also might want to switch to heavier strings, which are less likely to buzz under the reduced tension of lower tunings (heavier strings can be used on any guitar, if a lower overall tuning is used). More caution should be taken when using higher overall tunings. Light-gauge strings are the most "user-friendly" to your guitar in these modes, and will not do any harm. Medium strings tuned higher can put too much stress on the whole guitar, and particularly on the top. Eventually, this stress can cause structural damage, make the instrument difficult to play, and necessitate a premature neck reset. Tuning higher for a song or two in performance or in the studio is okay, but do not leave your guitar tuned high for extended periods.
If you use multiple alternate tunings on one guitar, you might experience buzzing problems caused by the repeated movement of the neck - the result of constantly changing string tension. An experienced repairperson can easily correct this by adjusting the neck and action to a "sweet spot" that accommodates a variety of alternate tunings and the individual tensions they create.
Also, frequent tuning changes create an up-and-down, back-and-forth pull on strings that make them lose their tone faster, and makes them more prone to breaking. If you change your strings fairly often anyway, this shouldn't pose much of a problem.
Continue To Order ->
Contact Joel Guitars ->
|
