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If your guitar uses a tune-up, you may do many things at home to retain its look and play the sound, as you want. However, before you should go deep analysis into cleaning and maintenance, you have to know the difference between electric guitar, acoustic guitar, and bass guitar.
Difference between Acoustic Guitar and Bass Guitar
If you are playing guitar for the first time, you may not identify the difference between an acoustic and a bass guitar. The reason is both of them are almost identical to one another. However, by watching closely, you will notice differences between the two based on their strings. An acoustic guitar has 6 strings and its standard tuning is E-A-D-G-B-E. Accordingly, the guitar tunes its lowest string to E note and the highest string to B note.
In contrast, the standard bass guitar has only four strings and it is larger than acoustic guitars. The tuning of a bass guitar string is E-A-D-G, which means it has the lowest tune at E. However, the difference is that the low note E on a bass is a complete octave low in terms of pitch.
Difference between Acoustic Guitar and Electric Guitar
Electric guitars have lighter strings, small bodies, and thin necks. In contrast, acoustic guitars have a heavy body and a thick neck. Moreover, an acoustic guitar supports the tension of heavy strings. The amplifier and pickups of an electric guitar boost the learning process by producing melodious sound. Moreover, one cannot turn off an acoustic guitar. However, you may practice an electric guitar at low volume by using your headphones or even unplugged.
DIY Maintenance Tips for Acoustic Guitar
Adjustment of the Truss Rod
You have to adjust the truss rod of your acoustic guitar if it has excessive or very little up-bow. For this, you must check the following signs-
- You notice any change in the guitar action due to too low or too high height of the guitar strings on its fret.
- A few guitar strings buzz on its fret between the fifth fret and the nut. This condition indicates a straight neck or slow back-bow from its truss rod and constant pressure with time.
Adjustment of the Saddle Height
The bridge saddle of your guitar is an important piece to raise or lower your action. Luckily, you may adjust the height of a guitar saddle without professional help. Only, you have to remove the drop-in saddle by keeping the guitar strings off to adjust its height.
Wipe the Guitar Strings after Playing It
Many guitar strings are available with a wound coil. Indeed, they can accumulate moisture from the air and other substances, like grime, sweat, oils, and dirt from hands. However, when you wipe the guitar strings every time after playing it, you avoid the transfer of grime to the fretboard with time.
Inspect the Guitar Tuner
You must inspect the tuner of your acoustic guitar at least once a week. For this, you should check the washers and bushings by using a 10mm thickness nut driver or an adjustable wrench. Make sure to snug the button screws moderately tight to avoid any hard gear in your instrument.
Tighten Loose Screws
Vibrations that take place while playing your guitar may loosen its bolts and screws. With time, the loose bolts and screws may change the guitar sound. In some cases, loose bolts and screws may cause difficulty in playing your instrument. We suggest you get a small tool kit in the guitar case to tighten any loose screw easily based on your requirements.
DIY Maintenance Tips for Bass Guitar
Scrub the Bass Guitar
We recommend you use an old toothbrush as a scrubber to clean the bass guitar. It is an excellent tool to remove dirt and dust across the bridge and pickups up other hard-to-reach guitar parts.
Clean the Bass Metal Components
You must use a good quality metal polish or metal cleaning compound to clean the base metal component. However, you have to avoid overusing it, as the compound is abrasive.
Check Screws, Pins, and Heads of Your Bass
You must check and make sure the guitar screws are tight at least once a month. Simultaneously, you must check the pickguards, tuning heads, and strap pins.
Change the Bass Guitar Battery Regularly
We know that guitar basses come with active pickups and each pickup has diverse battery life. Hence, if you use a guitar bass frequently, you have to change its battery regularly.
Avoid Exposure to Extreme Cold or Heat
You must strictly avoid exposure of your bass guitar to extreme cold or extreme heat. Both of these conditions may lead to the wrapping of the wood followed by severe damage to the instrument.
DIY Maintenance Tips for an Electric Guitar
Clean the Strings with Wipes after Play
Strings of an electric guitar consist of metal and the sweat from the finger may cause corrosion and wear out prematurely. When you wipe them regularly after play, you increase the life of your guitar strings significantly. In this way, your guitar lets you sound and feel better.
Clean the Guitar Body and its Neck
You must use a small wipe or a piece of cotton cloth to clean the body and neck of your electric guitar. Besides, you should use guitar polish to shine the instrument.
Keep the Guitar in the Guitar Case
Tone knobs, switches, and volume knobs of your electric guitar accumulate dirt and dust on its points of contact to affect its tone. Consistent accumulation of dust leads to crackling sounds. To prevent this, you must keep your guitar in its case only.
Turn and Flick Guitar Knobs and Switches Respectively
Next, you should turn the guitar knobs forth and back quickly to remove dust particles from them. Simultaneously, you should flick the guitar switches forth and back several times to keep them clean.
Tuck the Guitar Cable
Whether you stand up to play your electric guitar or do so by sitting at a place, you should tuck its cable with a strap. It will prevent you from stepping on the cable accidentally.
Summary
Acoustic, bass and electric guitars are somewhat different from one another but all of them give a pleasant experience. However, a guitarist must learn and apply a few DIY maintenance tips to keep their guitars in working condition for many years.
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