I have a 10+ year old fender (that my parents bought brand new for me when I was a teen)It always had pretty high action, and as I got nicer guitars I stopped playing itI recently decided to pick it up again and the action is VERY VERY high, plus the machine heads on the back of the head are all loose (especially the low E, high E, D G ones), some have even gotten so loose that the screws just fell out! Is this because the truss rod needs to be tightened or loosened? It has never been serviced since I bought it, so I'm assuming it needs to be tightenedI've never tried self-repair before, but I'd like to try with this guitarThanks for any help!
I wish this was easier to answerSee the sources below for an informative siteFirst the actionThe action works between the bridge and the truss rodThe truss rod is mainly used to restore bow effect of the neckYou want the neck to be slightly concave (slight bend in the center)This also adjusts the angle at which your strings connect to the saddleThe main action adjustment is your bridge saddles (the metal 'squares' your strings come out of)They should have screws on them that when screwed in, either lift or lower the saddleDepending on how hard/soft you fret you will want this tailoredMore info is in the source belowIf you have sealed tuners and the screws keep falling out then they may need replacingif there is a screw on the top of the peg, tighten itIf not, then they need replacedIf you're talking about the mounting screws holding it to the headstock, then you may need wood hole repair from a hardware store, or you could use a slightly bigger threaded screw (bigger thickness).
Rayon is a crapshootSome will shrink and look like a limp dishrag once washedSome holds up wellWhat are the care recommendations on the tag? If dry clean only, better to have it properly tailored.
How ever much a garment will shrink - it will happen the first time you wash itAfter that - its just smaller cause your getting biggerHand washing your clothes is nutty - your washing machine no doubt has a gentle cycle and you can use tepid water and wash for 5 or 10 or more minutes, all machines have those controlsThe only way a washing machine can damage your clothes is if you throwing rocks in thereOh yes, you can use just the spin dry if you want to get more moisture out of your clothesI think standing by your machine and putting it through its paces is a lot easier on your hands and back then hand washing, but to each his/her own.
i recommend you DONT put it in the dryerbut if you do maybe a couple sizes down for shrinkage.
