Playing the guitar should be fun right? When it comes to troubleshooting problems or doing routine guitar maintenance and setup, a lot of guitar players can be overwhelmed and get discouraged from playing. Here are 7 DIY Guitar Tips You Can Do For Free that will keep you playing guitar more, and fiddling around less
O-Ring Under The Knob
Have you ever been playing guitar and you constantly bump a knob and move it from where you want it? It happens to me a lot when I play "Strat Style" guitars. Here is a tip, Put an o-ring like this one under the knob and then squish the knob down on top of it. This will add enough friction to slow the knob down just enough. It works like a charm and it's very cheap.
How To Remove a Guitar Knob
We actually see this question a lot. I think everyone should own this tool. It is not expensive and it works great. If you do not have one handy, use your shoe lace. Work the shoelace under the knob on both sides and pull up. Be careful . to do it evenly so it does not crack the knob as it comes off. If you can, get the tool. It is worth it!
How To Stop PickGuard Static
If you have ever played the guitar with a pickguard you know the static crackle I am talking about. Rub your fingers on it and it will cause a static charge that you can hear through the amp. Fortunately, it is an easy fix. Go to your laundry room and get some dryer sheets! Rub one on the pickguard and Viola, the antistatic properties of the fabric softener fixes the crackle.
How To find a High Fret
Fret buzzes are the worst. This is how you find a high fret! It is easier than you think. You can use a business card or a razor blade. Span it across three frets at a time. If it rocks back and forth, you have a high fret. I use a fret rocker made for the task. It is made to be useful no matter where you are on the neck.
How To Fix a Loose Tremolo Bar
A loose tremolo bar has always been a pet peeve of mine. You reach for it and it has fallen away. It wiggles and rattles, and is generally annoying. The fix is easy. Just drop a spring in the hole before you screw in the tremolo bar. A pen spring works in a pinch, but these trem bar springs work perfectly. The springs put a bit of preload on the threads and keep the bar where you want it.
How To Repair A Binding Nut
Have you ever tuned your guitar and heard that "plink" noise coming from the nut? that is because the string is binding in the nut. As the nut wears, there can be little burs and junk and dirt that can cause this. Next time you change your strings, run the old strings through their nut sluts to clean them out. Rub the plain strings on some concrete to make them rough and do the same with them. Don't overdo it and ruin the nut. A couple of passes will clean everything up nicely. I use these nut files every day in the shop to do this sort of work.
How To Raise The Action On an Acoustic (in a pinch)
Let's say you have a gig tonight and you need to raise the action on your acoustic. There is not time to get to the shop. Cut a business card longways and put a piece under the saddle. If you have a pickup, put it under that too. This will raise it just enough to get by. It is not optimal, but it works in a pinch. You will still want to get to a shop as soon as possible and replace your saddle.
There you have it. 7 DIY Guitar Tips You Can Do For Free or very cheaply. Check out the video below for demos of most of these hacks. Comment below if you have any others you would like to share