Fender Acoustic Guitar Introduction
If you have opened up this guide, then either you already own a Fender guitar, or you are willing to purchase a Fender guitar in the near future. Either way, we want to congratulate you on making this great decision. An acoustic guitar or electric will serve you well for many years to come, and will offer you an experience that you wont forget. This guide is written specially about Fender guitars, specifically acoustic guitars, so if you already own an acoustic Fender guitar, then you will be delighted to know that you have made a good investment. If you're looking for a general guide on buying an acoustic guitar I recommend that you head over to this post. On the other hand, if you do not have this guitar, this guide will be an introductory read and will offer a wealth of knowledge such as history, technical details and playing techniques.
The History
Many people do not know this, but Fender is partly responsible for introducing a rich and fun culture, which started in the 1960s when acoustic guitars were considered boring and out of fashion. Just when the acoustic guitars were losing their relevance, Fender introduced a new line-up of modified acoustic guitars with new designs, as well as electric guitars and amplifiers, but that’s another story. In the 60s, Fender acoustic guitars entered the scene with a bang, and they were advertised as those fun guitars that you could simply pack in a bag, head over to the beach and relax with. At that time these guitars became an instant hit partly because famous stars like Elvis were seen using them.
Adding fuel to the brand was the Folk movement. Folk music was booming at a very fast pace in the 50s and the 60s and Fender acoustic guitars were right there with them. Moreover, it was not surprising to find Fender acoustic guitars being used in rock n roll concerts or by country artists.
After the 60s, Fender kept introducing new versions of acoustic guitars, and soon it started to get recognized for its innovation. Fender introduced Wildwood guitar and many new colors with variations of wood. In 2000s Fender made yet another breakthrough by releasing Classic and California models, and these guitars gave the users a glimpse of the 60s when Fender guitars fame had just started.
As of now, Fender is a brand for everyone who loves music. It is suitable for both the professionals and the beginners. These guitars can be used in a concert and in a small room. The brands history has shown that Fender has been continuously innovating without compromising quality.
Understanding the Guitar
One important thing that should be mentioned about a guitar is that it is made of wood, and this is a no brainer. While the fact that guitars are made of wood might be common knowledge, not many know that wood is a material that absorbs moisture. How much and the effects that it has on a guitar depends on the temperature of the surrounding and the humidity. You can think of wood as a sponge that absorbs moisture, and as soon as it does, it has the potential of swelling up. On the other hand, like a sponge, wood can also dry out and release the moisture, and this would force the wood to shrink.
This detail is especially important when mentioning acoustic guitars because an acoustic guitar is usually made of thin wood. Since the guitar is made out of thin wood, it is extremely sensitive to changes in the environment related to temperature and humidity. Due to this reason, it is advised to keep an guitar in a condition that is appropriate.
If you want to know the exact conditions in which a Fender guitar can survive with excellence, then you should know that Fender guitar will remain preserved and unchanged in room temperatures, with a humidity of around 50%. If you believe that there is a risk of drying out your guitar due to the surrounding, then it would be safe to invest in a humidifier. It is also possible to place the guitar in a hygrometer, and this instrument would give you the humidity level contained in the wood.
Guitars can survive in certain conditions, and if the conditions go extreme, the guitar will be altered because of the changes in wood. The changing conditions usually cause cracks in the guitar, but one comforting thing here is that such cracks can always be repaired without causing much damage to the guitar. But again, the crack must be repaired as soon as possible, or as soon as it is identified to prevent further damages.
The main reason why it is important to understand the structure of Fender guitar, or any kind of guitar is because guitars come with warranties, but these warranties do not cover damages because of climate, humidity or temperature. In order to avoid any losses it would be best to take some precautions yourself.
Tuning
One good thing about Fender is that its guitars use the best tuning machines, and it is also claimed by the company that the die-cast machines are lubricated beforehand while in the production, and they are sealed after going through the entire process. This makes it unnecessary for the users to get the oiling of the guitar done from time to time.
Each Fender guitar comes with tension adjustment screw, and it is located at the end of the tuner buttons. It is up to the user of the guitar to play with the tension and bring it to an optimum setting that gives the best sound output. If it is very loose, the guitar will go out of tune quickly, and if it is too tight, the user might face difficulties in turning the button at the later stage. Due to this reason the adjustment must be set at the optimum level. There is one tip for all the Fender guitar users regarding the open back tuners. These tuners basically do not have any tension adjustment screw which does not keep them controlled. Due to this reason it is a good practice to use machine oil on the open back tuners from time to time so that they can function efficiently and last longer. Same trick can be used for 3 line tuners. One thing that must be taken care of while operating on a guitar is regarding the strings. There are times when the strings are not secured properly and due to this reason the guitar keeps going out of tune. It is important to check the installation of each string separately to identify any loose ends.
Every guitar owner loves his or her guitar, and one good thing about a guitar is that it makes you look good. Yes, it does bring out your skills and shows others that you can do some great things, but think of a guitar as your extension that adds to your personality. Fender guitars come installed with Chrome, Gold or other form factor plating on the tuning machines, and it is possible for these form factors to go bad as time passes. These plates might be degraded due to humidity or sweat from the hands. If you are one of those people who love their guitar to be perfect all the time, then you should make it a habit to wipe the entire guitar with a dry cloth once you have stopped using it. This practice will ensure that the parts of the guitar do not degrade over time.
6 String Guitars
When you are changing the strings, or adjusting them as per your preference, it is important to get the job done with efficiency because this will decide how stable the tuning and tension are. One good tip for tuning the strings is that you should always stretch your strings while your are adjusting them, and if you do this, you will allow each string to settle well on the tuning post. Moreover, this practice also ensures that the strings remain in tune for a long period of time, and you would not have to face the frustration of adjusting the strings every now and then. When you are adjusting the strings, you can check the tuning of each string by grabbing each string from the middle, pull it upwards lightly and then let go. This will give you hints regarding the tuning, and will allow you to further adjust based on your preference.
Basically there are two different methods of tuning a 6 string guitar, and the method would usually differ based on whether you use the acoustic guitar with a pickup or a tuner. One way to simplify tuning is to get hold of an electronic chromatic tuner. People who own guitars and are serious about the kind of music that they play usually also own an electronic chromatic tuner. The main reason why musicians purchase this device is because they can then simplify the entire tuning process.
Another tip regarding tuning that we would like to offer you is that you should always tune from below the pitch, and slowly move your way towards the correct pitch. Following this process the other way round would usually give incorrect conclusions to the tuning. By following the prescribed method you can ensure that the string slack does not interfere. On the other hand if you get hold of an onboard tuner, you can simply plug the device it, raise the volume and observe the bottom string and then move your way upwards to the top most string, in the formation of E, A, D, G, B and E.
12 String Guitars
Since a 12 string guitar has 12 strings, it is a natural phenomenon for the neck of the guitar to face a lot of pressure and tension. Due to this reason many guitarists often make use of a gauge string set, specifically for the 12 string guitars. If you want to tune a 12 string guitar, do not fear the number of strings. Just be aware of the fact that each second string of this guitar is tuned in the same way each string is tuned in a 6 string guitar. So ideally you should tune every second string by following the pitches in the formation of E, A, D, G, B and E, as stated earlier.
Since there is a lot of tension at the neck of the guitar in this kind of guitars, it is important and a good practice to keep a check on it and identify whether a truss rod adjustment is required to deal with the excessive pressure. If you do not monitor the guitar and eventually this need of adjustment is not identified, but emerges, then the guitar might start getting some irreparable flaws.
Replacing the Guitar Strings
Wear and tear of musical instruments is a natural phenomenon, and as time will pass and as the guitar will age, its performance will eventually start to degrade. But fortunately, most of the blame will go towards the wear and tear of the strings, and one great news here is that the guitar strings can be easily replaced to bring the guitar back to life. Moreover, it is also true that as soon as you replace the strings, the guitar will start performing better than ever, and perhaps this is the main reason why many singers and musicians change the guitar strings before going live on stage.
One alarming thing that we have realized is that there are a lot of guitar owners who do not replace the guitar strings at the right time. The strings are destined to expire at some time because of the humidity and the sweat that affects the metal, and this results in corrosion that does not allow the strings to perform at an optimum level. It is best not to wait until the strings break, and replace them as soon as you identify that they are not performing well and need to be replaced.
One tip regarding replacement of strings is that you should handle one string at a time. Do not rush into this process because of excitement and handle one string at a time. This is an important tip because if you handle all the strings at one, you create a risk of damaging the tensions on the neck of the guitar. Moreover, it is also a good practice to tune each tied string at the right tune before moving onto the next one.
Adjusting the Truss Rod
Since the strings of the guitar are attached to the neck, it is natural for the pressure to build up at the neck. This pressure might eventually bend the guitar with the help of environmental conditions, and if this actually happens, it would not be a good news. Fortunately, Fender guitars come with truss rods that can be adjusted to prevent such issues.
If the truss rod is loose, a hollow neck bow would be created as a result. On the other hand, if it is too tight, an arched neck bow will be seen as a result. Both illustrations are provided in the image on the right.
One thing to remember while adjusting the truss rod of the guitar is that the guitar does not actually go out of tune while you are following this process. Moreover, it also needs to be addressed that a lot of people do not know how to adjust the truss rods, and they do not have expert judgments to conclude whether the truss rod is too tight or too loose. In such scenarios it is best to take help from someone who knows about guitar, or you could simply walk in a Fender Service Center for further assistance.
Trip with the Guitar
If you intend to travel in the near future, it is understandable that you would never dare to take a trip without your guitar. It must be reinforced here again that Fender guitars are made with a very good quality material and with the help of great designers, and when it comes to protection of the guitars, you should try your level best to preserve them.
When people travel with things, it is a possibility that their things might get damaged during transportation, or because of some compromises in the quality of packing. This can also happen with your guitar, and due to this reason it is advised to get a case for the guitar. Fender also offers guitar case to the customers to purchase, and you can always opt for it if you want a well-designed case that can fit your guitar in perfectly. You should not only put the guitar in case when you are traveling, but it is a good habit to place the guitar in the case when you are simply not using it. By keeping the guitar in the case you can ensure that the guitar does not get damaged because of external forces, and while in the case, the guitar can also remain safe from environmental damages.
If you are planning to travel for a long period of time, then it is also advised to have a humidifier with you so that you can control the humidity.
Maintenance tips for the Guitars
Just like any other instrument, a guitar also requires regular maintenance so that it remains in proper shape for a long time. One tip for maintaining the guitar is that you should always clean it after you have used it. Take a dry cloth and run it through the strings, the finger board, and also the plates on the neck of the guitar, as advised earlier.
Another maintenance tip that was subtly conveyed in the previous section is that you should keep the guitar in a guitar case when you are not using it so that it remains protected from unusual accidents. Moreover, you should keep a hygrometer with it too so that you can check the humidity level of the surrounding. A Fender guitar can withstand humidity levels of around 50%.
The fingerboard of the guitar is also required to be maintained so that it looks like it is alive and roaring. In order to keep the fingerboard shining and efficient, you can use conditioning oil on it. In order to maintain the fingerboard, the first thing that you need to do is take of the strings individually. Once the strings are taken off, take a dry clean cloth and pour some conditioning oil on it. Use the cloth to clean the finger board, and if there is leftover oil shining on the fingerboard, use a dry cloth to wipe off the oils. There are some people who have tried to service the finger board, but they are not able to bring it back to its original shape. This does happen to some people, and it this is the case with you, then do not be afraid because it can be fixed easily by visiting any professional.
There are some people who like to use guitar straps or other accessories. We would not like to discourage the use of these accessories because these accessories do help in playing the guitar conveniently, but care must be taken while using them because these items may end up disturbing the finish of the guitar.
