Changes

==New Materials/Types== ==Changing Strings==You should be '''changing your strings at least every 2-3 months''', more often if you play them a lot. Generally, it's a good idea to '''change them once a month'''. Many popular artists with dedicated guitar techs will put a new set of strings on after every show! New strings will ''stay in tune'' better, have ''longer sustain'', produce a ''richer and brighter tone'', and be ''easier to play''. If you want to get more life from your strings, '''wash your hands before playing''' and wipe the strings down with some rubbing alcohol every now and then. You don’t want them to get covered in dirt and corrosive materials. I like to remove two adjacent old strings at a time. It doesn't matter if you start with the thick or thin ones. I loosen the tension using the tuner until they are are completely flappy and loose. If there are still a fair number of winds around the tuning peg, I use the slack in the string to simply unwind the string around the peg, rather than keep turning the tuning peg. Once completely unwound, you should be able to pull the string through the tuning peg hole. If the string is tied onto the tuning peg hole, you will have to untie it or cut it to get it off. I don't recommend that you tie the strings onto the pegs - it's not necessary to prevent slippage. Once the strings are removed from the tuners, it's time to remove them from the bridge. If you have a floating Floyd Rose style locking bridge, you will need to use an allen wrench to loosen the string clamps. Most other electric bridges use the ball end of the string to hold the string firmly in the bridge. For a Stratocaster type bridge, you simply push the strings near the bridge saddles, pushing the ball ends of the string out the rear cavity of the guitar. Most such guitars will have a cavity cover with holes for each string, and you should see the ball end protrude through. Once you can grab the ball end, use it to pull the rest of the string through the bridge and out the guitar. With the strings off the guitar, you can really see and reach the areas that the string normally hovers over, including the pickups and the fretboard. This is a good time to clean these things off - mainly for cosmetic reasons. If you don't care about the look of the guitar or any fretboard funk, you can skip this step. I like to use tissue or rags with some rubbing alcohol on them - just enough to dampen the tissue or rags. If you're leaving large droplets or puddles of rubbing alcohol, that's way too much. Once you've cleaned the fretboard, you may want to use some oil on it to keep it from getting too dry and giving it a rich, lively look. My recommendation is ''Fret Doctor''. One bottle will last a lifetime. Now for restringing...