How-To

When you want to lower the action of a classical or flamenco guitar, you typically need to file the saddle. It is essential that the bottom of the saddle is a snug fit in its slot in the bridge. Most …

Just thought I’d let you know that I’ve managed to get my guitar setup so I am very happy with it.I changed to some extra high tension strings and sandpapered the saddle to when the …

It is not hard to adjust the action on a nylon strung guitar. The important thing is to know what the pros and cons are before you start. String action is determined by several factors – the …

The traditional method of tying the string off at the bridge is to thread the string through the bridge hole and loop it around itself then insert the string under itself at the rear of the bridge …

Really the title of this article is asking a naive question: electronics are (almost) always fitted after the guitar is finished. So what’s involved? Typically the electronics consists of …

Dear Sir, Will the La Bella 2001 classical guitar strings fit my full size Boozey & Hark "The Hark" jumbo guitar. Grate for your advise. King regards, KS, 11/1/2021 Several things to say about …

Your New Guitar from Classical Guitars PLUS When you receive your guitar put the guitar still in its hard case (or box if there is no case supplied) in the room in which you intend to keep it and use …

Most luthiers would say that French Polish is acoustically the best finish to apply to a quality guitar. It looks good. It sounds great. It can last a long time. But how do you look after it? French …

The 12-hole tie block bridge has advantages More secure attachment of strings Better break angle of string over saddle and so better tone It is a bit harder to attach new strings however. First you …

Dear Richard Yes, a “high tension” string is a likely to be a better choice than a “low tension” for the reason you said. The La Bella 10-String Classical Guitar Set 10BT, …

Armin Hanika is in my opinion one of the world’s leading guitar makers. In a small family firm, a very enthusiastic team of highly skilled luthiers combine modern technology with traditional …

One of the functions of the saddle is to set the height of the strings above the fingerboard (string action). If you look at most classical or flamenco guitars, you will see that the saddle slopes …

The saddle has more than one function it sets the height of the strings above the fingerboard (string action) It sets the scale / vibrating length of the strings, and it transmits the acoustic …

In my experience, classical guitar strings have a life expectancy of between 1 second and 100 years. They can snap for no apparent reason; they can fray at the saddle or nut; they can come unwound. …

The Problem If you are “lucky”, you will know you have a loose jack socket nut because you can feel with your fingers or when plugging in your lead that the socket is loose. If you are …

The saddle should be a nice snug fit in its slot in the bridge. If it is too loose there can be real problems if it tips forward under the tension of the strings and so shortens the actual scale …

Are your strings buzzing against your frets when you play? Do you think you could get more volume out of your guitar if only you didn’t get fret noise when you played forcefully? In either case …

Every Guitarist knows that their instrument sounds great with new strings but quickly loses its sparkle. There are four main factors that influence string life: string quality personal hygiene …

The typical nut on a classical guitar is 52mm wide and has slots cut in it to give string spacing somewhere between 42mm and 44mm. If you find this too wide for comfort you can change to a guitar …

Have you ever had the knot at the bridge come undone under tension? Have you seen the damage that is caused when the tail of the string snaps at very high speed against the soundboard? It is …

The tailpieces on Maccaferri guitars can snap. Why? I cannot pretend I have the definitive answer. Here are some guesses – they are made with weak alloys the metal is stressed when they are …

The Diamond Secure String ties are a highly recommended accessory which not only makes tying a string to the bridge of your classical or flamenco guitar more secure and faster (once you master the …

Typical modern Maccaferri (Django style) guitars include Saga Cigano GJ-10 Oval hole Saga Cigano GJ-15 D hole Acoustic France Gallato Django Saga Gitane D-500 D hole Saga Gitane DG-255 oval hole Saga …

I planned to write an article on basic guitar set up but Charles Tauber has said so much about it already that his article is probably the best place to start. Have a look at Basic Guitar Set-up 101 …

Hi Nick, It’s been over six months since I bought the guitar [Hofner HM 96 Gigue] from you, she continues to develop her voice and is sounding very pleasing. I still have to fettle the action a …

The most important tip for anyone considering buying a smaller-sized guitar is to talk to other players / a teacher / a shop like Classical Guitars PLUS before deciding what size suits you best. A …

If you have a guitar teacher, please take their advice over anything you read here. They know you best!! The makers of the La Mancha brand of smaller-sized guitars suggest 2 methods. Their first is …

I planned to write an article on string buzzing but Paul McGill has said so much about it already that his article is probably the best place to start. Have a look at The Buzz on the Buzz By Paul …

Get the most out of your electronic tuner. Here are some basic tips gained from experience. Make sure the tuner is set to the standard you want – normally A=440Hz Tune just one string at a time …