Caring for guitar(s) or a collection ?

[Mike63]

If you play a lot or if you have more than one instrument ( don't we all ? ) how often do you do maintenance on your guitar(s) : changing strings, oiling the fretboard, wiping down the top, tuning the instrument, doing a setup, or loosening the strings if it is going to be in the case for a while, etc ?

 

[JMintzer]

1. Change the strings when they get dead...

2. Check to see of a set-up is needed when I change the strings...

3. See #1...

 

[Steve's addiction]

What JMintzer said!

 

[Tone-y]

I don't have a maintenance routine. Strings get changed when they need it and whilst doing that if the guitar looks like it needs a bit of a wipe down, clean or polish the that gets done at the same time. If the guitar isn't being played it just sits in the case until wanted. No adjustments made. However, some guitars don't get payed much but I'm not leaving them years at a time or anything like that

 

[Tony M.]

1. Change the strings when they get dead...

2. Check to see of a set-up is needed when I change the strings...

3. See #1...

This is wrong.
Step 1 should be:

1. Play the Hell out of them.

then the rest.

 

[markd21]

Hmmmm, a couple of my guitars have 15 year old strings!! Pulled one out yesterday - my 87 Ibanez S - black strings but still in tune. Played it a few minutes and cased it back up. I'll play it for a couple minutes again in another 5 years or so, lol.

Usually, now that I don't so shows anymore, I change strings upon need.

 

[László]

Jamie has it right, at least in my world.

I really hate changing strings, but I find that the pure nickel wrapped strings I use last many months longer than the nickel plated steel strings that came into vogue in the '70s. The brand I use is nearly as bright as plated steel, and has fewer 'springy' overtones. Supposedly nickel is easier on frets, which, if true, is a nice bonus, but that's not why I use nickel strings.

I do play all of my guitars (I only have a handful) regularly enough that I don't loosen the strings. I keep them cased, and use a humidipak in the cases of all my electric guitars. This keeps the relative humidity in the case at around 45%, which is ideal. The humidipaks seem to reduce the need for setups - I've needed none since I started using them about 6-7 years ago; By controlling the humidity in the case (they absorb moisture when it's humid, and release it when it's too dry) the strings don't corrode as much. The fretboard doesn't get dry. I don't put the packs where they can get squished by the guitar, of course.

The lemon oil people use on fretboards is merely scented naphtha - i.e., lighter or dry cleaning fluid. It actually takes natural oils out of the fretboard the same way it removes oily stains at the dry cleaners - what appears to be an oiled fretboard is actually the oils pulled out of the rosewood just sitting on the surface). So I use it only for cleaning (with my dry hands, maybe every other year or so) then wipe it off and seal the fretboard as PRS recommends (they used to recommend furniture polish; however they now recommend their own brand of tung oil following cleaning. Note that with tung oil you have to be careful to keep it away from the finished part of the guitar).

All polishes have abrasives and remove finish. That's how they work. Unless you're polishing out fine scratches, you're better off with the PRS Cleaner that doesn't have abrasives, but cleans and puts a nice gloss on the finish, and it's fine for nitro.

My motto is don't overdo it. All of my guitars are as close to mint as one finds in guitars that actually get played, so it's not like I'm careless.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

I just changed strings on like, four or five guitars in the last two weeks, the strings started to smell rusty (eww).

 

[Mike63]

Great answers and insights, thanks. The reason(s) it comes up is that I trades a couple of Les Pauls to a dealer who complained that the fretboards were very dry. I thought: "Maybe I should have been oiling the fretboards more often". Another time I was going to open mic night and opened a case for a guitar for consideration, and one string was broken, and the others were very old, and I thought "I should be able to open any case for open mic night and be thrilled at what's ready for me inside". I do love locking tuners for ease of changing strings.

 

[Mike J.]

I change the string about once a month on average. I can do mild setups like a truss rod tweak if needed, string height and intonation but when it comes to fretwork I leave that to the tech I've known for years. His work is superior! I agree about the ease of changing strings with the locking tuners. My Vela is the first guitar I've owned that has them and they're great!

 

[Dedalus]

I don't feel the need to change my strings very often and I play every day. I once worked on a recording project for over a year and because my guitar had a great tone and feel - I purposefully did not change the strings and risk upsetting the balance. In fact throughout my gigging years, the only time I ever felt the need to change strings was because of the hurt I was putting on them - and I was more concerned about breaking them during a performance more than anything else. (I attribute that to user error / my attack.) Anyways, to each his own - I don't have a stake in anyone else's guitar strings. I only get a set up if it's needed; IE: not staying in tune, etc. I try not to baby my guitars. I was in a punk band for years and my guitars went through extreme temperature changes, humidity, indoor / outdoor gigs, and me flailing away on the strings night after night. They not only stayed in tune - but I still play them to this day - 35 years later and they sound f*****g awesome.