1. If you keep losing your plectrums learn to play with your fingers!

2.When fitting new strings please don't keep poking them through the hole in the machine-head, once is plenty, it's only to get it started. Once you've got three turns on there the friction is plenty strong enough to do the job. In fact if you check you should see that the end is actually not under tension. If you don't believe me I can show you. Pop down to the workshop with me.....

3. When pulling out frets for a refret heat them with a soldering iron as you go. This softens the wood at the edges of the fret-slot and prevents chips of wood being lifted. This can save you a lot of time since gluing down the tiny chips is very tedious.

4. More use for your soldering iron (or your wife's (oops! Sexist!) steam iron). Small dents in wood can be repaired with a damp cloth and some heat. Just lay the cloth over the dent and apply heat. The steam created will enter the crushed vessels in the wood and Hey Preston! the dent pops out! Magic! Be quick though if you don't want to mark the varnish/lacquer/paint.

5. How I tune my guitar in accordance with the principles of Equal Temper. (See "View From the Bench" for more on Equal Temper.)

firstly:- tune 1st to E using reference tone or electronic tuner.                  

secondly:- tune 6th to first using harmonic at 5th fret of 6th string. (this is an octave harmonic and is in tune.)                                                          .                                                   

thirdly:- instead of sounding the harmonic on the 7th fret of the 5th string, fret it there and tune it by ear to the open  1st. (If you can, fret the string with the index finger of your right hand while sounding it with the thumb allowing both notes to sound together which makes things easier).                                                                                                                                          

fourthly:- fret the 4th string at the 2nd fret and tune by ear to the open 1st string.              

fifthly:- Fret the 3rd string at the 9th and tune by ear to the open 1st.                               

sixthly:- fret the second string at the fifth fret and tune it by ear to the open 1st.                        

In this way all the strings are tuned to fretted notes and thus contain the amounts of "out-of-tuneness" specified by the equal temper system. If you successfully follow this method of tuning you will be pleasantly surprised to notice one day that you don't seem to have had that tuning problem with the 2nd and 3rd strings that used to drive you nuts. The major third interval (which is what G to B is) is the one carrying the largest adjustment and should be flat enough that it "beats" 8 times a second. If you listen carefully in a quiet room you should hear it.

In fact listening carefully to your guitar in a quiet room is a really useful thing to do from time to time. Try to sound some really short harmonics on the bass strings and identify what notes they are for example. It certainly surprised me!

Any tips you have will be welcome. Just email them to me and I'll post them on the site with a credit.