By far the most common mistake I see with new students, be they novices or people who already play, is not about how they place their hand on the guitar neck. In fact it's about about how they place their thumb. Getting their thumb in the right place is often the single biggest thing they can do to make playing and learning the guitar easier. Let me explain...
Posts tagged as “Strings”
Keeping guitars in tune can be difficult at the best of times. Aside from the inherent compromises of guitar construction and how the human ear would rather hear things, we've all had those days when we've beautifully tuned a guitar and yet two minutes later it sounds like poop all over again. Let's look at some solutions...
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"American Lutherie", the journal of the Guild of American Luthiers[/caption]
"American Lutherie", the journal of the Guild of American Luthiers[/caption]
The following is a reprint of data sheet #45 from the Guild of American Luthiers. They don't know who wrote it and it never made it into publication. But it's so incredibly useful that it's one of their most requested articles (you can download a PDF version from them here). To anyone who ever gets frustrated when tuning their guitar, this article explains why and I strongly advise you to read it. I promise you that accepting the information presenting here will make your guitar and your music sound better and your life much easier.
People often wonder why two seemingly identical electric guitars sometimes require noticeably different bridge or saddle heights to achieve a similar string action and feel. The answer has to do with manufacturing tolerances when making the neck and body. Let's take a look at the issue and explain why shims are often used in guitar construction.
A few months back on one of the guitar forums I frequent, a guitarist asked for advice, wanting to buy a cheap mandolin for a country/rock band. Here is my reply, which I've expanded on for this blog.