Lightning Joe’s Locker
Come hang out in Lightning Joe’s locker where we’ll talk about all things guitar and music, have fun & more!
Guitar related info will be discussed below. Learn how to do your own neck adjustments, restring & tune your guitar, and take good care of it; there is even a “Choosing a Guitar 101” section.
Neck Adjustments
When your neck is out of adjustment it can feel something awful. It might be difficult to play or impossible. There may seem to be some kind of slight problem. It just doesn't feel right, somethings off. Believe it or not sometimes it can actually feel fine except it buzzes just a little or even a lot. Perhaps a combination of any of these symptoms. Unfortunately, there's no one universal spec for all necks. It's more like each neck requires a different set of rules depending on the available hardware on the guitar and the inherent disposition of the neck as well as the neck angle, as it aligns with the body. All of this may sound a bit confusing if you're not familiar with some of the terms, but fear not there is a cure and it's a fairly simple one at that.
Since there's no possible way to cover all these situations that may occur, we'll start with the one that takes place in a perfect world. Let us presume that the neck is okay, the neck angle is correct, and the saddle or other hardware is alright and is correctly adjusted. In this case it is simply a question of "RELIEF". Relief is a term that refers to distance between the bottom of a string and the top of a fret that takes place in the middle of your fingerboard. It's related to "ACTION" but not the same. To measure your necks relief, hold down the low E string on the first fret with your index finger on your left hand. Now with you little finger on your right hand, hold down the same string at your body fret (the first fret that falls over the body of your guitar). Next look in the center of those two positions and tap the top of the string with your right thumb in that center position down until it touches the top of the fret below and take note of the distance between the two. It should be 5-10 thousandths of an inch or roughly the size of your high E string or smaller. If it's a whole bunch more than that you'll need to tighten your "TRUSS ROD", an adjustable bar that runs the length of your neck directly below your fingerboard inside your neck. If there is less than 5/000 or no relief at all than you'll most likely need to loosen your truss rod.
If all this seems too much you could always refer this to a qualified guitar technician in your area or bring it to me and I would be happy to make the adjustment for you.
Restring & Tune Your Guitar
Depending on the type of guitar you have the stringing methods can be a bit vague and sometimes quite confusing. Everybody's got their own way of doing it, usually it's some kind of method that has been passed on from father to son or from one friend to another but I'm here to tell you that 90% of what we see out there is wrong in one way or another. Double loops, knots, in through this way, around once or twice and then back through this way, under and over then fold back, wind the entire string around the post, all that is a poorly executed string job. It will leave slack in the string windings that will gradually cinch up over time causing frustration and tuning problems plus it doesn't look good. I have strung an untold number of guitars and today I use what we call a "factory wrap". I picked up on it from several manufacturers who simply put the string in the hole then wind it down the post and cut of the excess. "How perfectly simple", I thought to myself when I first saw this. This is really obvious, and it looks quite elegant but more importantly it works exceptionally well. Just a couple of times around for the big wound strings. A few times around for the smaller wound strings and several windings down the post for the plain strings. Winding down the post has always been the "soup de' jour" because it allows for a greater "sting break angle" behind the nut which in turn offers more downward pressure on the nut resulting in increased sustain and volume and indeed better tone as well as improved intonation.
Some manufacturers still insist upon locking the string in place. The reason they use this technique is understandable, they don't want to take any chances. However, these people string guitars - they don't spend a lot of time removing old strings from guitars and when you try to take out a string that has been locked into place it may not be so easy. You run the risk of impaling your finger with the stiff bent end of the string but what's worse is the possibility of scratching the finish on the headstock. I've seen this thousands of times. Another big problem is all the unnecessary wear on the post holes as you force the bent string out through the small hole on the tuning post. Ever see any specs of chrome or gold on your headstock after removing locked strings? With the "factory wrap" you simply pull the string out of the post. It slides right out, no muss, no fuss. But hey, if you just don't feel secure without locking that string down then please do be careful, try pushing the string further into the post hole and bending the string back into a relatively straight shape before pulling it out through the post hole, and take your time when removing those strings on your next string change.
Care & Feeding
Proper maintenance of your instrument(s) is essential, beginning with placement. If you intend on playing your guitar daily the best place is not necessarily in the case but rather in a floor stand or on a wall stand, however these stands should never be placed near a heater vent or an air conditioning vent or a window, nor an area where it is exposed to direct sunlight and preferably not against an outside or exterior wall. Having said that, the most beneficial location would be toward the center of the home, if possible, a room surrounded by rooms on all sides - or near an interior wall. If you should choose your case over a stand the same rules need to be observed, and for long term storage remove the strings entirely. This will eliminate not only damage as a result from the inevitable changing of string tension but also from chemical reactions inside the closed environment of the case. Remember to open the case periodically to introduce fresh air and allow the chemical soup to dissipate.
Often times people do more damage cleaning their guitars than playing them. Here's a scenario; Let's say you have a gentle touch when you play, yet the need to clean your guitar is nearly compulsive. Chances are you're doing more harm than good. It's kinda' like this... You wear a shirt once, normal wear, nothing radical, then you wash it. Which do you think results in more wear & tear on the shirt?
The real problem with cleaning guitars is scratching the finish with the polishing cloth. Tiny abrasive particles get caught up in the fibers of the cloth and if you press too hard or use a dry cloth and don't use a liquid, you'll scratch that finish. You know how that temptation to rub some irritating thing off with your finger is great, right? Ignore it. That smearing effect will most certainly scratch your beloved instrument.
Here at the shop, we use clean, dry, cotton jersey cloths not the little felt cloths that you always see. While felt is very good at buffing, it leaves behind a lot of lint. Two cloths are better than one. One to clean and one to polish or buff. If the instrument isn't dirty or dusty you can simply use a little of your own breath and a clean dry cloth to gently remove fingerprints, streaks or other marks. If the instrument is dirty or especially if it's dusty you've got to apply liquid before using the cloth. Always work your cloth in a circular motion wherever possible, applying gentle pressure and try your best to avoid straight back and forth sawing motions, even when it's around hardware like bridges, tailpieces, pick guards and the like.
Our strings wear out for several reasons; the environment in which they are subjected to, how hard we pick and push and bend and pull (in general the way we play), and most important of all - our bodies very own PH. Some of us are acidic (- 6.8 ), while others may lean more towards alkaline (8.0 +), the lucky ones are somewhere between or what is referred to as neutral or (7.2 +/-). Your own PH, present in the oils in your skin, will have some sort of reaction with the alloys in the strings own chemical composition. If you're one of those who tend to go through a set of strings fast, there is hope, you can double or even triple the life of your strings if you simply wipe them down with a clean, dry cloth after playing. This approach will at least limit or if you're quick enough and thorough enough, eliminate the inner-action between your bodies chemistry and the strings chemical make up altogether. You could be a good candidate for coated strings.
Temperature & Humidity play a crucial role in the care and feeding of your instrument. Whether it's an electric or an acoustic, regardless of the type of finish it may have or lack thereof, if it has wood in its construction then it is going to contract and expand with changes in temperature and humidity. The big culprits are: #1 extreme heat #2 dryness #3 excessive cold #4 humidity.
Humidity alone isn't generally a problem, however too much of it can cause your instrument to sound tubby. It becomes difficult for your top to resonate if its pores are filled with moisture. Humidity combined with excessive heat are often fatal. Most guitars are held together with water soluble glues and adhesives. Most of these glues get pretty soft around 110 degrees Fahrenheit and with the presence of excessive moisture (70% and up) things can start coming apart or shifting under the strings tension. If you have no choice but to expose your instrument to this type of condition, then loosening or removing your strings will help prevent the parts from shifting under the string’s tension.
In the absence of high humidity (50% or less) with a temperature somewhere around 120 degrees Fahrenheit and up the structural integrity of your instrument is at risk. This kind of heat alone can melt the glue using any naturally available moisture present in the guitar itself.
As heat causes expansion, cold causes contraction and in extreme cold (45 degrees Fahrenheit or less) the wood may begin to shrink, the adhesives can lose their elasticity and become brittle, and the instrument is once again at risk.
You can purchase thermometers, hygrometers and humidifiers as well as monitor your guitars environment. One way I like to think of it is: if I'm comfortable, my guitar is comfortable. A safe guideline for an instrument’s ideal environmental conditions is this: 70 degrees Fahrenheit and 50% relative humidity.
Choosing a Guitar 101
The most frequently asked question concerning the choosing of one’s guitar has been this; "How do you know if it's the right guitar for me?" Our standard answer for this is a relatively complex one. There are several aspects worthy of your consideration when shopping for a guitar and as an experienced player I can certainly provide you with the two most important - #1 SOUND or tone, balance, projection, and/or volume (Does it sound good?) #2 FEEL or playability (How good does it play?). When you go out to find your first guitar your motivations can really be quite simple. #1 LOOKS and #2 COMFORT. These may be more important than you think; after all, you're not so sure how it's supposed to sound or feel at this point, and you may simply be making a modest investment in yourself just to see if you'll stick with it.
I'm more concerned with sound than playability and that is simply because you can make most guitars play good with a decent set up, however if a guitar feels fine and is set up in proper working order yet it still sounds bad then I am going to ask myself... What is wrong? First of all, are the strings any good? If they look good and feel alright than maybe the saddle has been filed down too far, look for some height in the saddle 1/8 " or a little higher is great. The neck could have a slight reverse bow causing the strings to buzz here and there. It could have dead sounding notes usually caused by lifting frets. These things are all easily remedied with a proper set up but often missed in a quick overview. If it's all good, then chances are the guitar just doesn't sound good to me and I'll move onto another.
All of the guitars here at Lightning Joe's have been professionally set up and put into good working order by Lightning Joe himself. With a proven set of techniques and a progressive approach to the specifications used by manufacturers, a guitar set up by Lightnin' feels like a million bucks, whether it's $50.00 or $5,000.00. This is by no means true of all stores, nor is it true of the so called "wholesale" catalogs. It's certainly not the case with most online purchases, guitars sold on television, and most definitely not in the big box stores.
This may all seem dandy but what if you're a beginner and this is your first guitar? Maybe you can't tell the difference between a good sound and a bad sound and you probably wouldn't recognize a properly set up guitar if you held it in your hands. So what should you do? If you shop here, you’re safe because we set up all the guitars and we really do care about you and what goes on with you after you've made your purchase. You could have a friend who plays guitar lend you a hand, however they should help you more with the feel not so much the sound. After all, you're the one who will be waking up in the morning with your new guitar so be sure you like the sound.
A list of some of my favorite guitarists and bands:
(In no particular order, and as told by his son Joseph)
Allan Holdsworth
Steve Vai
Led Zeppelin
The Beatles
Greg Howe
Matteo Mancuso
Al Di Meola
John McLaughlin
Yes
Jeff Beck
Jimi Hendrix
Joe Bonamassa
The Who