By Matthew Bennett

Your electric guitar is your baby: it will require a lot of care and attention to keep the instrument from losing its feel, and more importantly, its sound quality. While tuning and parts repair are what most people are concerned about, cleaning will be one of the most helpful means for you to keep your guitar looking and sounding new. Here are some tips and techniques for you to follow when cleaning your electric guitar.

  1. Keep the tuning keys well lubricated. The knobs you use to tune each string are prone to rusting. Make sure you lubricate them from time to time. While there are a lot of supposed “home remedies” on the internet, it is best for you to seek the advice of an expert repair man, and ask him for the lubricant of his choice. Avoid using cooking oil, no matter what your friends say.
  2. Watch that guitar nut and keep the bridge lubricated. You will not be able to maintain the tone of your guitar if you don’t keep the nut slots (where each string lies) well lubricated. Some people use soap shavings: after removing the strings, run the damp edge of a bar of soap over each groove for the strings. You can also use a professional solution of DIY bothers you. Dry it afterwards. You can also do the same measures on the bridge of your guitar.
  3. Replace the strings regularly. Few things will be more embarrassing than having your guitar strings snap onstage. Avoid that nasty incident by replacing your guitar strings every so often. Make sure you give your strings some time to adjust to the guitar before going on gigs – strings need some time to adjust to the length of the guitar, so you might have to tune several times before it stretches appropriately.
  4. Check the fretboard. While this is the part of the guitar that gets the most wear and tear, avoid trying DIY solutions to fix this one. Worn out fretboards make the guitar have a “buzzing” sound when you play. Unless you have experience, attempting to do this repair on your own will only aggravate the problem.
  5. Clean the fingerboard and knobs regularly. You can use a hard piece of cardboard or plastic to do this, but make sure you don’t scratch the paintwork underneath. The knobs for tone and volume control, on the other hand, will not be used as much, so you won’t need as much maintenance. Dust and grime can still build up under these knobs, so you’ll have to clean them at least once a year.
  6. Pickups are low maintenance. You won’t have to worry that much about your pickups, because they are designed to be rugged. Just make sure the pickup height is set to one that you’re comfortable with. A piece of cloth will usually be enough for an initial cleaning before you send it off to the repairman.

Like any proud parent, you should be careful and responsible with your electric guitar. A lot of damage can be avoided by regular and conscientious care from you. Try to have a regimen of cleaning to follow after every gig, and make sure you attend to it personally instead of leaving it to the roadies.