Guild Acoustic guitar Supplement
1
Owner’s Manual
& Warranty
Contents
3 Introduction
4 Guild’s Commitment to Craftsmanship
5 Moisture Content and Humidity
5 Protection From Temperature and Humidity
7 Cracks in the Wood
7 Finish Checking
8 General Maintenance
9 Tuning Machines
10 Tuning 6-String Guitars
11 Tuning 12-String Guitars
12 Changing Strings
13 Re-Stringing Guitars
15 Truss Rod Adjustment
17 Adjustment of Action
18 Traveling With Your Guitar
19 Guild Warranty
23 Servicing Your Guitar
2
3
Introduction
Thank you for choosing a Guild. We believe this
new instrument will give you many years of pleasure.
Please take a few moments to read through this
booklet. In it you will nd answers to many of your
questions and other invaluable information about care
and maintenance for your guitar.
For detailed specications of Guild instruments,
please visit our Guild website at:
www.guildguitars.com
4
Guild’s Commitment to Craftsmanship
Guild was established in 1952 by Alfred Dronge.
The rst guitars from his small workshop were
handmade with expensive rare woods, costly
lacquers, hand-wound pickups for the electrics, and
the attention to detail that only an experienced
musician could give. The workshop was located in
New York City, where most of the top jazz, studio
and touring guitarists were frequently seen. Their
suggestions were always listened to carefully.
The Guild name is derived from the master craft
guilds of the Middle Ages. During that period, only
the craftsmen who had achieved the highest skills
were permitted to join these guilds. Our policy today
is much like that of yesteryear. The name “Guild”
expresses the highest standards in the art of wood
craftsmanship and guitar making.
Even today, the woods used in Guild guitars are
selected by hand. Our buyers travel the world
extensively, directly to the sources of the many
different woods we use. There, they carefully select
from opened logs and purchase only the highest grade
woods for creating Guild guitars.
Guild guitars are handmade in Tacoma, Wash.,
in an environment where quality, innovation and
service are the ultimate goals of the entire Guild staff.
Our highly skilled artisans take extreme pride in
every guitar we produce. A pride that restores
meaning to the words “American made”. We are
condent you will share this pride in the ownership
of your new guitar.
5
Moisture Content and Humidity
Wood is a porous, organic material, and is affected
dimensionally by changes in the amounts of moisture
it contains. Fine guitars made from solid woods are
without a doubt more susceptible to the effects of
changes in humidity than laminated instruments, and
therefore require ongoing attention to their condition.
The moisture content of wood is determined by the
relative humidity and temperature of the surrounding
atmosphere.
Relative humidity is expressed as a percentage of
air’s capability to hold moisture. For example, 30%
relative humidity means that the air is holding 30% of
the moisture it could possibly hold at a given
temperature.
The moisture content for wood and the relative
humidity for air are measured quite differently. In
wood, a 6% moisture content is present at 30%
relative humidity and 72 degrees F temperature,
(about 22.2 degrees C).
Protection From Temperature and Humidity
The greatest threats to a ne wood guitar are extremes
of and rapid changes in temperature and humidity.
High humidity can cause softening of the glues
used in the construction of the instrument. Also, as
the woods absorb moisture from the air, high humidity
can cause the top and back, especially on at-top and
classical guitars, to expand and rise—making string
action high.
6
Conversely, if you live in or travel with your guitar
to a drier climate (either hot or cold), there is another
danger—in areas of low humidity, the evaporation of
moisture in the wood can cause shrinkage and
cracking, no matter how long the wood may have
been previously aged. This also can cause the top and
back to shrink, making the string action low.
The collective experience of all major guitar
manufacturers today has demonstrated that the ideal
temperature to preserve the integrity of solid wood
acoustic guitars is room temperature, which is about
70 degrees F (20.5 C). The ideal humidity is about
40% to 50%.
In winter, forced air systems used to heat most
homes can drive temperatures up and humidity levels
dangerously low for guitars. A good measure of protec-
tion against your guitar drying out is to use a room
humidier.
When the instrument is not in use, we recommend
that you keep it in its case and use one of the small
guitar humidiers such as “Dampit,” available from
many instrument dealers. Do not leave the guitar out
for long periods near a heating vent, radiator or in
direct sunlight near a window.
Do not leave your guitar in the trunk of a car for
long periods and keep it away from excessive heat
and cold. Please note: Damage caused to the guitar
as the result of exposure to temperature or
humidity changes will not be covered under the
Guild warranty.
7
Cracks in the Wood
Cracks in the wood are typically caused by changes
in temperature and humidity. While a crack may
initially be alarming, it shouldn’t be a cause for undue
concern if it is taken care of promptly. Cracks may
be repaired easily without compromising structural or
tonal integrity.
If the crack is in the top near the bridge, loosen all
the strings to reduce tension (which could potentially
exacerbate the problem), and have the crack repaired
as soon as possible. Please note: Cracks in the wood,
which occur as the result of exposure to temperature
or humidity changes, will not be covered under the
Guild warranty.
Finish Checking
Finish checking (very small splits in the nish),
usually occurs in winter and is typically the result of
suddenly exposing a cold instrument to the shock of
warmer temperatures.
All of the materials that make up a guitar expand
and contract with changes in temperature and
humidity. Wood expands as it warms, and does so
faster than its nish. When this happens, the nish
may split and fracture in little lines over the wood.
Although it does not affect the tone of the
instrument, nish checking mars its appearance. By
avoiding sudden temperature and humidity changes,
you should not have any nish checking problems.
8
When an instrument has been brought indoors after
it has been out in the cold, allow plenty of time for it to
become acclimated to the new temperature before you
open the case. Please note: nish checks, which occur
as the result of exposure to temperature or humidity
changes, will not be covered under the Guild
warranty.
General Maintenance
Clean the instrument after each use, making sure to
wipe the ngerboard and strings, as well as any of the
plated parts, i.e., machine heads, pickups, etc., with a
soft dry cloth.
For gloss nishes, use a non-silicone based guitar
polish. For satin nishes, use only a soft, dry
polishing cloth. For hand-rubbed nishes, use a soft,
slightly damp cloth and follow with a dry cloth.
When not playing the instrument, keep it tuned to
pitch and in its case. However, if you plan to store the
instrument for long periods of time, loosen the strings
a bit to relieve the tension, but do not remove them.
The natural oils in rosewood and ebony ngerboards
may dry out over time. Rough, exposed fret edges
are evidence of dry, shrunken wood. It is a good idea
to give your ngerboard a drink of raw linseed oil
periodically to preserve its integrity and natural beauty.
Remove the strings rst; then apply the oil to a clean
lint-free cloth. Rub it into the wood, let it soak in, and
then wipe to dry any excess oil.
9
Be careful when using vinyl, plastic or synthetic
leather guitar straps, guitar stands and wall hangers
using surgical rubber tubing, as these materials may
react with the nish of your instrument. Please note:
Damage caused to the instrument by the use of
non-Guild-approved polishes, cleaning materials
or accessories will not be covered under the Guild
warranty.
Tuning Machines
Guild uses only the nest tuning machines. These
machines are pre-lubricated, die-cast sealed tuners
that do not require periodic oiling for smooth
operation.
A small tension adjustment screw is located at the
end of each tuner’s button that also holds the button
in place. If the tension is too loose, the machine may
slip and go out of tune easily. If it is too tight, the
button may become very difcult to turn. Make sure
that the adjustment is rm, but not too tight.
The chrome and gold plating on Guild tuning
machines may become degraded from the acids and
oils in nger sweat. Wipe the machines off with a
soft dry cloth after each use to preserve their
appearance and function.
Strings that have not been secured properly to the
tuning machine post may easily slip and go out of
tune. This problem is commonly misdiagnosed as an
issue with the tuners. Check your string installation
carefully (see illustrations 1, 2 and 3).
10
Tuning 6-String Guitars
There are a couple of different methods for tuning
a guitar, depending on whether it is acoustic, electric
or an acoustic with a pickup. If you don’t own an
electronic chromatic tuner with a reference tone, you
may want to purchase one. It will dramatically simplify
tuning your acoustic or electric guitar.
Always tune from below pitch up to the correct
pitch instead of down from a higher pitch. This will
help eliminate string slack from the tuning machine
and decrease the possibility of slippage and tuning
changes as you play. The strings should be tuned as
follows, starting from the thickest string to the
thinnest: E A D G B E.
If you have an acoustic guitar, use the A-440
reference tone on your tuner, a guitar pitch pipe, an
A-440 tuning fork or other pitch reference, and tune
the second string (A) to pitch.
Then depress the second (A) string at the 5th
fret to produce a D, and tune the D string to that
same pitch.
Next, depress the D string at the 5th fret, to produce
a G, and tune the G string until the pitches match. Then
depress the G string at the 4th fret to produce a B, and
tune the B string until the two pitches match.
Next, depress the B string at the 5th fret to produce
an E, and tune the thinnest string to a matching E.
Finally, go back and play the thickest E string
and tune it until the pitch at the 5th fret (an A)
matches the A on the adjacent string.
Table of contents
Other Guild Guitar manuals
Guild
Guild Starfire IV Quick start guide
Guild
Guild Starfire Bass II Quick start guide
Guild
Guild Brian May Signature User manual
Guild
Guild Starfire VI Quick start guide
Guild
Guild X-170T Quick start guide
Guild
Guild Blues 90 Quick start guide
Guild
Guild X-175 Quick start guide
Guild
Guild 2014 Acoustic Guitar User manual
Guild
Guild Starfire II Quick start guide
Guild
Guild Starfire III 90 Quick start guide
