TIP OF THE MONTH

Guitar: If you play regularly, keep your guitar tuned correctly. Playing a guitar with the proper tuning will enhance it’s sound over the years, much like a fine violin. The wood will resonate better and age properly. Also, change your strings regularly (once a month) to keep your guitar sounding good. Strings get dirty and do not resonate as well. In theory, you could clean them and they will “renew” their sound, but they are very inexpensive so it is much easier to just change them. If you don’t have one, buy a peg winder. It cost about $2.00 and saves you lots of time when changing strings.

If you do not play your guitar, either loosen the strings or take them off. Letting the guitar just sit with the tension may cause adjustment problems.

Band Instruments: If you play a woodwind instrument, make sure you swab it out and remove the moisture after playing. It’s the moisture on the pads that cause them to wear out more quickly. This small amount of effort can save you money in repairs.

For brass players, make sure you wipe your fingerprints off after playing. Each individual has different amounts of acid in their skin but your instruments finish will last much longer if you keep that acid from sitting on your instrument in the case.