Bloomingdale School of Music
A trusted name in music education
Guitar Repair
Set-up and Maintenance
Routine maintenance is essential for keeping your instrument in proper playing condition and preventing damage that can occur from environmental changes and wear and tear. We recommend having your guitar “set-up” once every 3-6 months or as issues with playability occur.
Fretwork
Before
After
A guitar’s frets are one of the most important parts of the instrument. Many issues can arise from a fingerboard that is not maintained properly. Fret sprout occurs as your fingerboard dries out and the wood shrinks revealing sharp, jagged fret edges. Frets will also start to loosen from their slots causing buzzing and dead notes. Some woods like ebony are prone to cracking in dry environments so it is important to condition your fretboard. Be careful to not over condition your fingerboard. Over-conditioning the fingerboard can also result in frets popping out of their slots.
Nuts & Saddles
Upgrading your guitars nut and saddle can improve the tone and playability of the instrument a good deal. The nut and saddle of inexpensive guitars are usually plastic, mass-made, and inferior in quality. A bone or “Tusq” nut will enhance the tone of the instrument. Having the slots cut to the optimal depth will allow your instrument to sing much more freely.
Hardware
If your guitar is having trouble staying in tune, consider upgrading your tuning machines. Good quality tuning machines will help tremendously with the tuning stability of most instruments. If you really want to stay in tune, we recommend locking tuners.
Electronics
If you are having any issues with electronics, we are here to help. Noisy volume and tone knobs? No problem, we can replace or upgrade volume or tone knobs, output jacks, pickups, or any electronic components to help you achieve your desired tone.