Troubleshooting Guide for Guitar Problems

3 of 10 in Series:
The Essentials of Maintaining a Bass Guitar

Guitars are surprisingly hardy creatures. You can subject them to a rigorous performing schedule, keep them up all night, bang on them relentlessly, and they don’t mind a bit. Generally speaking, guitars never wear out, although you may need to replace some parts and perform some tweaks along the way.

However, no matter how careful you are with your guitar, preventing a guitar from sustaining some injury or needing a few repairs along the way is virtually impossible. Fortunately, you can perform most simple repairs yourself. If you’re at all in doubt about your technical abilities, however — or if you’re just a plain klutz — consult a qualified repairperson.

Comsult this quick guide for some of the most common guitar repair and maintenance tasks you may be able to take care of on your own.

Guitar Problem	Solution
Strings have lost luster, are difficult to play, or fret sharp	Replace strings and wipe down new strings after every use to prolong their life
Dull or dirty wood	Wipe with cotton or chamois cloth, apply guitar polish
Dull or greasy-looking	Wipe with cloth, apply jewelers’ polish
Guitar swells and cracks due to moisture absorption; or guitar dries and cracks due to insufficient moisture	Keep in a humidity-controlled environment of 45–55 percent at room temperature (65–75° F)
Rattling or buzzing from hardware as you play	Tighten loose hardware connection with screwdriver or wrench
Difficulty fretting because strings are sitting too high; or buzzing because strings sit too low	Lower or raise the string saddles at the bridge
Neck bows outward (away from strings) between seventh and twelfth frets, causing strings to be too high and difficult to fret	Tighten truss rod to make neck arch upward slightly
Neck bows inward (into strings) between seventh and twelfth frets, causing strings to be too low and making strings buzz	Loosen truss rod to make neck sag slightly
Strings fret sharp; or strings fret flat	Adjust intonation by moving saddles toward bridge or toward nut
Tuning machine breaks or gears strip	Purchase and install replacement, making sure that mounting holes align exactly with holes already in headstock
Strap pin screw comes loose and doesn’t hold tight in hole	Apply plastic wood or white glue and replace, allowing substance to dry completely
Movable bridge has too much play or feels too loose; or bridge feels stiff and doesn’t respond well to whammy bar manipulations	Replace, tighten, or add springs to the tailpiece in the rear cavity; or remove springs or loosen plate
Crackling volume or tone knob or pickup selector switch	Vigorously turn the knob or switch back and forth to work out the dirt or corrosion
Crackling pickup jack	Solder loose or broken wire back to appropriate lug
Pickups break, wear out, or no longer give you desired sound	Purchase compatible replacement set, follow included directions, neatly solder all connections

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Source:http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/troubleshooting-guide-for-guitar-problems.html