After picking up one of our rental guitars from one of the most popular Key West resorts on my way home from our family music store, Island Guitar (home of the Bone Island Music Crew), I decided to give this baby a little attention and some periodic love and affection.

So I headed to my work bench and took the old strings off. I cleaned then conditioned the fretboard before putting on the new strings — it's much easier and you'll do a much better job while the strings are off! Then I gave the entire guitar a good cleaning and polish front and back.

Now it sounds so much better with the new strings it's unbelievable.

Dead strings can really kill a guitar's tone, sustain, and intonation. Dead strings sound BAD. Not only playing hours count towards a string's death — but also time alone makes them die. Strings have a shelf life once strung. Period.

After the new strings went on I made a small neck adjustment to lower the action and now it plays and sounds great!