Often you will find
that tuners
have a way of getting loose because the
wood, metal, and finish all expand and
contract at different rates. So every four
to six months it is a good idea to snug the
tuners tight using the tuners' bushing bolt.
Be careful not to over tighten this nut and
crack the peghead finish. Snug is tight
enough.
The strings dragging
through the
nut
actually file the slots and over time you
will notice a bit of wear. When you change
strings, you can put a drop of silicon oil
on the nut and wipe it into the nut slots
with your finger. A little bit of oil can
help keep the strings from binding and
prolong the nuts' life. About once a year
(of average use) you will want your local
luthier to touch up your nut with a nut
file.
The
fret wear
varies drastically with the individual. I've
seen guitars ten years old with perfect
frets and some a few months old in need of a
dressing. Just watch for wear. If they are a
little worn you can get by with polishing
the frets or a fret dressing which simply
files out the wear and recrowns the frets. A
fret dressing usually is about half the cost
of a fret job. A fret job is worthwhile when
the frets are so badly worn that there is
not enough height for a reasonable recrown.
Usually a guitar needs a fret job in five to
ten years of average use.
The
fingerboard
and bridge
are finished with an oil and wax finish.
About every six months it is a good idea to
polish and clean the fingerboard with a fine
'Scotch Brite' pad (or fine steel wool) then
wipe a little lemon oil (or boiled linseed
oil) on the fingerboard and bridge to help
keep them from drying out. A few drops will
do the job.
The
truss rod
is not an action adjuster. Its sole purpose
in life is to counter the strings' tension.
The truss rod needs adjusting with major
climate changes or if you change your string
gauge. And how often it needs adjusting
varies with your area's climate and the
individual instrument's neck. Usually a six
month to one year interval is plenty or as
buzzes appear.
The
saddle is
adjustable by fitting little hardwood shims
under it to raise the string's height or by
removing shims or saddle material to lower
the height. I do not suggest more than two
shims (approximately 1/32" each. 1/32" at
the saddle raises the string action at the
12th fret 1/64"). If it needs more than that
it is time for a new saddle. The height of
your guitar top raises and lowers annually
with heat and humidity changes. If the
strings rattle or the action feels a little
high, it's time for an adjustment. Again
this varies greatly with different areas.
Your guitar might need a tune up every
season change or it might never need one.
Natural aging of an instrument involves the
neck settling into the body and the top
raising a bit. So annually it is a good idea
to have your local luthier check your
action. That is a good time to have the
saddle top dusted smooth with 220 grit
sandpaper to slow string wear.
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