This isn’t just for brand new guitars - it’s for any guitar that’s new to you. You’ve got it home, giving it its first proper play - but it doesn’t feel right. Maybe the frets are scratchy, it sounds a bit dull or it feels like it’s fighting you.
Don’t send it back! The decision to buy wasn’t wrong, the guitar just needs a bit of love. ❤️
1. Change the strings for a fresh set.
Even if you know they’re decent quality (which is unlikely), you’ve no idea how long that guitar has been sat in a warehouse somewhere, and that's after it’s probably travelled halfway round the world to get to you. So the strings may be 6 months old. Get rid of them. Replace them with your favourite gauge set from a trusted manufacturer. If in doubt, go for 9’s from D’Addario.
2. Polish the frets.
While the strings are off, polish the frets. There’s nothing quite like the smooth, slinky feel of polished frets. There are several proprietary systems for doing this and many YouTube videos on how, but a cheap option is to use nail buffer blocks as used by nail manicurists. You can cut a fingerboard protector from cardboard.
3. Set the guitar up to suit the new strings and your playing style.
Once the new strings are back on and tuned to pitch, adjust the truss rod to suit the string tension of the strings you’ve chosen. Then adjust the bridge height to get the action to how you like it. Finally set the intonation.
4. Now enjoy your new guitar as you know it’s now capable of giving its best.
D’Addario have a Guitar Maintenance Kit which contains all the tools and supplies you need to be able to get and keep your guitar in top playing condition. Other manufacturer’s have similar kits. It seems expensive but it will last for many years.
Alternatively give your local guitar tech a call - they’ll be more than happy to get you sorted out.
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