For the aspiring guitarist, nothing could be worse than a poor instrument - it`s bad enough trying to get those fingers into a totally alien position but to end up with a dischordant blopppp instead of a ringing chord does not do much for motivation or enthusiasm to continue the chosen path.

Just as a carpenter would be expected to be able to sharpen his own plane,  as a musician, the instrument is the tool of your trade so it is important to be able to fine tune it to your requirements and keep it in good order.

Here is where Almuse can help with a unique service of one on one tuition to get the best from your instrument based on a "kitchen table" approach that requires no dedicated workspace.

A lot of information exists in book form and on the internet and much of it can seem daunting - truss rod adjustment, neck relief, intonation but with guidance, the relationship of these aspects can be far easier to understand and act upon.

Two courses are available, the first devoted to the care and maintenance of the instrument. Various care products such as polish and fretboard oil will be discussed, choice and fitting of strings considered and a basic hands-on "tweaking" session will take place. This primary lesson applies to all instruments of the guitar & mandolin families.

The second part is devoted to the many and varied parameters that can affect the playability of electric guitars including string height (action), pickup height, intonation (whether the guitar is in tune with itself all the way along the fingerboard) and if fitted, vibrato (tremolo) adjustment.

For more information, availability and pricing, please e-mail tuition@almuse.co.uk and include the type of instrument that you would like to know more about and how you would rate your current knowledge.