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  • My First Guitar. Ibanez AEL 40

So, this is the guitar I talked about in my first thread: http://www.guitarforum.co.za/general-discussion/should-i-buy/

(Obviously I did buy it)

So, after a few days of owning and fixing I am happy to post some details.

1. The guitar was built in China late-ish, 2003.
2. The condition is superb except for some dust and it appears that the wood in the fretboard is a little dry? (Is that possible, and if so, how can I fix it?)
3. At first the action was very hard, but after adjusting the truss-rod it improved, and after replacing the bridge it is brilliant.
4. I Cannot comment on the sound, except that it might be a tad bright for my liking. That's all I can say until I get the chance to compare it directly to another guitar.

5. I Think it is a good looking guitar... But I am no expert so... here are some pics: (Taken with my phone)














    That's a good looking guitar ?
    The fretboard does look dry - get yourself some lemon oil from your local guitar shop and that should sort it out. Be careful using your truss rod to adjust action though - that could end badly. Should be adjusted by sanding the bridge and/or nut.

    EDIT: The saddle, not the bridge (as his X-Ratedness pointed out in a related thread and Chocklit_Thunda mentioned here)
      Yeah what Sean said! Don't adjust your action with your truss rod... Your truss should have an ever so slight back bow and should only be used to correct bowing of the neck itself. If the action is bad I suggest getting a new saddle and adjusting it to your taste

      Also that's a beautiful guitar! The flaming on the back! Nice catch dude
        The Guitar tech adjusted it. (Truss-rod) Because the neck is a bit bowed (bowl shaped)
          PMRazr wrote: The Guitar tech adjusted it. (Truss-rod) Because the neck is a bit bowed (bowl shaped)
          Ah, cool. Sounds right.

          And +1 to the flame ?
            PMRazr wrote: The Guitar tech adjusted it. (Truss-rod) Because the neck is a bit bowed (bowl shaped)
            Didn't your guitar tech oil the fret board while working on your guitar?!? I always get mine back oiled and cleaned from my tech.
              The AEL 40 is a really good guitar for the money, you're getting a lot of kit there.

              Nice buy. I picked up a AE 15 this weekend as my first acoustic.
                Good Stuff

                I must say I like the look of this guitar. Love the inlay on the neck.
                A great first guitar
                  www.frets.com is quite a useful reference. Can be more than you want to know, but they do categorise articles into "for players" and "for luthiers" so you can avoid the technical stuff if you wish.

                  For their thoughts on caring for a guitar see http://www.frets.com/FretsPages/Musician/GenMaint/Cleaning/cleaning01.html. They deal with fingerboards and oiling on the 2nd page of that article, but it's all good stuff.

                  There is a very useful book "The Acoustic Guitar Owner's Manual". Drop hints about that being a good birthday or Christmas (which ever comes first) present.
                    The Guitar WAS the Birthday present. How much does that Lemon oil cost?
                      PMRazr wrote: The Guitar WAS the Birthday present. How much does that Lemon oil cost?
                      It's somewhere around R60-80 - I can't remember and the price has rubbed off mine. You only use a little bit at a time though, so it lasts for ages.
                        Now I need to find a guitar case. The only problem is, they are R1200 here where I live, that's as much as I paid for the guitar itself. Any advice? A Guitar bag is only about R300-500, should I get one of those instead?
                          The guy at the Guitar shop said that I can use Normal Store-bought Lemon juice mixed with water in the same way as Lemon-Oil.
                            PMRazr wrote: The guy at the Guitar shop said that I can use Normal Store-bought Lemon juice mixed with water in the same way as Lemon-Oil.
                            The guy at the guitar shop is a complete idiot (and you can tell him that from me). Water can damage wood. Amongst other things, oil protects wood from water, preventing it from getting too wet or too dry.
                              I Was thinking the exact same thing, that's why I checked here first.
                                Alan Ratcliffe wrote:
                                PMRazr wrote: The guy at the Guitar shop said that I can use Normal Store-bought Lemon juice mixed with water in the same way as Lemon-Oil.
                                The guy at the guitar shop is a complete idiot (and you can tell him that from me). Water can damage wood. Amongst other things, oil protects wood from water, preventing it from getting too wet or too dry.
                                Nice guitar !

                                Be glad you've joined this forum. ? and maybe you should invite the guy at the shop to dial in here sometimes.

                                Where do you live PMRazr ? (if I may ask)
                                  Alan Ratcliffe wrote:
                                  PMRazr wrote: The guy at the Guitar shop said that I can use Normal Store-bought Lemon juice mixed with water in the same way as Lemon-Oil.
                                  The guy at the guitar shop is a complete idiot (and you can tell him that from me). Water can damage wood. Amongst other things, oil protects wood from water, preventing it from getting too wet or too dry.
                                  Far canal.... ??? If I was you I'd steer clear of that store in future.... or at least ask for somebody else to help you.


                                  Congrats on the new guitar btw! She's beautiful.
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