Miniature guitars

Did you know Slash’s Les Pauls aren’t made by Gibson? When these miniature guitars first surfaced a few years back I rushed out to get one that matches my full size stratocaster in the vain hope that I could somehow reverse the process when buying a small scale Lamborghini Diablo Roadster. It didn’t work but, […]

Carlos Santana

Who doesn’t know Mr. Carlos Santana? Lately I’ve read several comments on the Internet about Carlos Santana, some of them not very positive:  “… I am tired of his playing”, “He hasn’t innovated”, “He plays the same thing,” blah blah blah! I definitely respect everyone’s opinions but I also think that people who say these […]

Barre Chords

Barre Chords

A nightmare for most beginner guitarists! Anyone who has attempted to learn the guitar and stuck with it for a reasonable period of time will experience the notorious barre chord blues. In particular, the F chord has become infamous for wreaking havoc on budding guitarists causing discouragement, frustration and a general sense of helplessness. Perhaps […]

Guitar Luthiers

SO when and why should you take your guitar for a bit of a check up?

Over time general wear and tear, vigorous playing, temperature and humidity can all affect the playability of your guitar. The action and the intonation are crucial contributing factors, and you can set these yourself, but if you don’t have the necessary experience it’s probably best to take your guitar to your local luthier. Because your guitar is a living, breathing, and evolving organism then change will be inevitable but just how can you tell if your guitar needs a little medicine?

Well, the key signs to look for are string buzz, general playability difficulties, tuning anomalies up and down the neck, and action problems. Although fret buzz can also be caused by significant problems, in many cases, simple adjustments like raising string action can make these problems go away

When it comes the the action, ideally your strings/action should be set at a height that allows you to fret easily and comfortably at any position on the neck but without ANY buzzing. Buzzing can be caused by a combination of factors such as the saddle heights, uneven and heavily frets, the setting of the guitars nut, the string action and the situation of the neck. You should not be struggling hard to fret or voice chords up and down the neck. If you are finding that chords become progressively more difficult to voice the further up the neck you play then your action may need a little tweaking.

If the neck has become bowed then the truss rod will need adjusting (do not do this yourself). The truss rod is an adjustable metal rod that runs down the center of the neck. Problems with cheap guitar nuts or poor quality bridges and saddles can ruin your playing experience too.

Uneven frets can contribute to buzzing and your expert luthier will be able to locate any inconsistencies and redress them through grinding, replacing or adjusting your frets.

As a guitarist it’s very important to develop a healthy and positive relationship with your local guitar specialist. Take the time to find out which luthiers in your area have a solid reputation for quality and excellence. Preferably your luthier should have a long history of building and repairing instruments. Take your guitar and ask them to have a look at the current set up and show you how and where any adjustments can be made.

Choose your luthier wisely because your luthier can contribute so much to the quality of your guitar playing experience. It`s highly worthwhile cultivating a healthy and positive relationship with them.

In New Zealand`s north island Simcha Delft is one of the most highly respected luthiers and Steven String in the South Island.