| Today we are down at the other end of the | | | | into the neck and leave soaking for a few |
| guitar, the Bridge, and we have the same | | | | minutes. Wipe any excess off with a dry cloth |
| problem with "string-slack" as it's called, | | | | and cover the whole board in this way. Tune |
| as mentioned in the previous article on | | | | back up and don't forget to s-t-r-e-t-c-h the |
| whammybars and Strats. It is a bit more | | | | strings again. It will not take long if they |
| difficult to get the graphite under the | | | | have been done before. This makes the neck |
| string here, so loosen the strings a bit one | | | | feel nice and smooth to the touch, and also |
| by one, pull aside, and pencil the saddle | | | | brings out the wood design. Improves general |
| itself, just under where the string lies. | | | | sliding notes around, and feels so |
| After you finish one, tune it back up and | | | | professional to play.Do not mess around with |
| move on to the next one. Do not release the | | | | the guitar-neck regarding "Bowing or Concave" |
| tension of all the strings at once with a | | | | problems unless you are experienced and fully |
| floating bridge, as you can imagine this | | | | confident of doing the job. Doing this wrong |
| plays havoc with the tuning.Giddyup there... | | | | can not only destroy your guitar tuning, but |
| If you notice a lot of strings breaking | | | | the your precious guitar itself! Any problems |
| across the bridge, it's time to replace your | | | | in this area I would strongly advise you to |
| bridge saddles. If your handy at doing your | | | | see a guitar tech.Another huge factor to be |
| own servicing, this is relatively easy. If | | | | considered in Staying-in-Guitar-Tune Land, is |
| not, get them done in a good, reputable | | | | your musical lug'oles or as they are more |
| repair shop. It's not expensive, and after | | | | commonly called, ears! Lose these and you can |
| you have gone through breaking string after | | | | forget about playing anything. (unless your |
| string every night, you will be so relieved, | | | | as good as Beethoven... fair play to ya' if |
| not to have to worry about that anymore, that | | | | so).You know what they say "Ear Today, Gone |
| it is worth every cent! Now you can | | | | Tomorrow". Use special ear-plugs at |
| concentrate on your playing instead. Yeh!Do | | | | rehearsals. Make sure they are audio |
| not do the job yourself if your not sure how | | | | ear-protectors. There is more than one type. |
| to reset the saddles, distance, action and | | | | Oh while I think of it, get yourself a good |
| string heights. If you set these wrong, this | | | | guitar tuner that will last you.BEGINNERS |
| will play HAVOC with your Guitar Tuning! You | | | | GUITAR TUNING TIPS: For a professional vibe |
| have been politely warned.If you use special | | | | on stage you need an Inline-tuner (a private |
| replacement graphite saddles and a graphite | | | | tuner with headphones that only you can |
| nut this will improve things considerably. | | | | hear). There is nothing worse than hearing |
| These are not much more expensive than the | | | | someone on stage giving it the old "doi, doi, |
| normal ones and they really do make a huge | | | | doi, doirrng" before your first number and |
| difference. As constantly stated before, when | | | | during the gig. When two or three in the band |
| you do not have to worry about gear and | | | | are doing it at the same time including |
| equipment performance and breakdown, it's | | | | possibly the drummer, you have complete |
| half the battle.Under the Bridge (that sounds | | | | "amateur hour". It doesn't exactly induce a |
| familiar), you will see 6 screws lying flush | | | | gig-owner to book you again and it is not |
| along a metal plate. If you dip the bar you | | | | only amateurish but extremely annoying to the |
| will notice a little gap appearing underneath | | | | punters.So look after your guitar bridge, |
| these, and you can lubricate under each one, | | | | saddles, strings and nut on a regular basis |
| with 3 in 1 sewing-machine oil. It is ideal | | | | and it will help keep tuning problems down to |
| for guitars and not to heavy.Next, we are | | | | a minimum. Learning the art of tuning can |
| onto the Guitar-Neck itself. While this does | | | | make a very important difference to your |
| not affect the tuning as such, it is the | | | | playing, and is one of the hallmarks of a |
| final piece in our Strat tip-top jigsaw. Once | | | | professional. So it is well worth knowing how |
| a month or so, depending on how often you | | | | to get your guitar perfectly in tune and |
| gig, loosen off 2 strings at a time and pull | | | | keeping it there.***David O'Toole is a guitar |
| them aside. Rub a small amount of almond oil | | | | player, music fan, and musician from Ireland. |