Why don't people take care of thier instruments?

Re: Why don't people take care of thier instruments?

Chris of Arabia said:
Are you sure your avatar shouldn't read OCD?
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Possibly... It's probable... yes, yes it should :P ... but I just don't see the point in spending $1000 extra for something new, when you could just spend about $150 and be able to play the same, not that I have any problem with the craftsmanship of higher end guitars, I might be getting a decent Schecter Blackjack here soon.... the only real investment if you were modding a guitar is the pickups, but everything else can be done by the user with a little intuition and mettle.
 
Re: Why don't people take care of thier instruments?

Oinkus said:
Just doing some work on a few pretty miserable guitars today that have never had any maintenance done on them at all and was wondering why ?
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When I was a kid starting out learning guitar, I read guitar magazines and books all the time. I still do. You learn all about how often to change strings and how to do it, caring for the finish, caring for the wood, etc that way.
I teach guitar students on Saturdays. I've noticed that few of them read about guitars. Hence, I have answered basic questions for them such as how often to change strings, adjustments, maintenance, and so forth, which I'm happy to do. It's just curious since I was so into guitar at their age that I read up on all that stuff, and I didn't have the internet back then.

I even changed strings every month or so on my first crappy acoustic that I got in 8th grade, and got guitar polish and a cloth for it. Then when I got my first good guitar, a Fender Strat (they only made them in the US in those days), I was already in the habit of taking care of the guitar.
 
Re: Why don't people take care of thier instruments?

Demanic said:
When I had gotten to that Aria, it had only two rusty strings on it, about an 1/8" of grime everywhere and a child had written her name as a claim on the headstock in black sharpie.
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That is quite a story. I also got in the habit of making sure to wash my hands before playing very early on.
But I have seen guitars whose owners or previous owners got grime and gunk all over the fretboard. Everyone's different I guess.
 
Re: Why don't people take care of thier instruments?

It is amazing how much just washing your hands properly and wiping down a guitar after use will improve how long your strings last.
 
Re: Why don't people take care of thier instruments?

There are special string cleaning cloths even. I got a couple of those. I play my guitars, as time allows. But I take a minute when I'm done to clean them, and the strings too. It takes less time than putting on new strings more often. And cost less money too.
 
Re: Why don't people take care of thier instruments?

I always wipe my strings down thoroughly after playing, but never wipe down the guitar unless its really dirty.
 
Re: Why don't people take care of thier instruments?

DreX said:
I think in terms of causing dings and scratches, we have to tell ourselves that they are just tools because the wood and finish are very delicate, and once they are dinged they can be difficult or impossible to return them to new condition without a ton of work, so we just have to think about it in terms that keep us from shedding tears over it. That's why it's probably a good idea to ask one's self "how will this guitar look with a few fat dents?" when shopping around, and that's where solid color Fenders really seem to shine. I bought MIJ Fender with a nice Koa veneer, and it definitely won't take dings too gracefully, so I have to keep that one far away from any danger.

As for Cheeto dust in every crevice, some people just don't even see or feel that sort of thing. As for intonation and the like, most guitarists I know stick with their guitar's stock setup and have no inclination to adjust anything.
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O'RLY?

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Re: Why don't people take care of thier instruments?

I try my best but i am a heavy smoker so they get a bit ash covered.
 
Re: Why don't people take care of thier instruments?

LReese said:
I always wipe my strings down thoroughly after playing, but never wipe down the guitar unless its really dirty.
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What's wrong with this picture? Strings cost a few bucks, and guitars cost a few hundred to a few thousand.
 
Re: Why don't people take care of thier instruments?

People are at all different levels.

Some are casual hobbyists about music, not really 'musicians' at all, so to them a guitar is like any other device or appliance. You use it until it wears out. They're completely ignorant that there's all kinds of maintenance and upkeep for it to work properly and play in tune, assuming they could even tell it was in tune.

Other people are musical, but novices and still learning. They just don't know about all the maintenance aspects that need attention.

Others are musicians and know better, but don't care about cosmetics and upkeep as long as it produces the sound they need. It's just a tool to get the job done. It's more about energy, show, vibe, honesty, they'll thrash it, repair it, get working just enough to play in tune and sound good, and thrash it all over again.

Others are musicians who have learned about all the necessary maintenance and why it should be done. They care about those details in maintaining their instrument.

Others may buy instruments as an investment. If you catch the right, low-production-number guitar when it's new, buy low and hold onto it for 20+ years, you can almost retire on the proceeds. Some guitars way outperform the stock market and guitar values are immune to economical down turns. Once it's a classic, the price just keeps going up. The only difference is how long you have to wait to find a buyer.

I'm just old enough that I've been all of the above in my lifetime.
 
Re: Why don't people take care of thier instruments?

blueman335 said:
What's wrong with this picture? Strings cost a few bucks, and guitars cost a few hundred to a few thousand.
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I never wipe down my strings.
I never wipe down my guitars unless I'm giving them a setup.

I know this is a lot to take in, and it must be really hard for you to keep it together right now, but please don't kill yourself over my indiscretions.
 
Re: Why don't people take care of thier instruments?

Has everybody seen my Squier Strat?
 
Re: Why don't people take care of thier instruments?

CTN said:
I never wipe down my strings.
I never wipe down my guitars unless I'm giving them a setup.

I know this is a lot to take in, and it must be really hard for you to keep it together right now, but please don't kill yourself over my indiscretions.
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Same here, I will clean them if i change the strings otherwise they just get left.
 
Re: Why don't people take care of thier instruments?

I wipe the guitar down if the buildup is so heavy that I can't reach the strings with a standard pick anymore.
 
Re: Why don't people take care of thier instruments?

beaubrummels said:
Others are musicians and know better, but don't care about cosmetics and upkeep as long as it produces the sound they need. It's just a tool to get the job done. It's more about energy, show, vibe, honesty, they'll thrash it, repair it, get working just enough to play in tune and sound good, and thrash it all over again.

Others are musicians who have learned about all the necessary maintenance and why it should be done. They care about those details in maintaining their instrument.
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I'm definitely in between those two. I know about all the necessary maintenance, repairs and upkeep stuff. I love working on guitars. But they are just tools, meant to be played (at least mine are). They don't get babied unless I'm working on them.
 
Re: Why don't people take care of thier instruments?

Blueman, do you really think that any and all guitar damage can be prevented by just putting the guitar in a case?
 
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