I want to share a quick tip with guitar players that will make things easier in your search for the perfect guitar sound when recording.

Most of you will probably agree that you often start with an amp setting, tweak as you go through a few other options and then tell yourself that some of the initial settings sounded the best. However, you realize you have a hard time pinpointing exact previous locations of the control knobs. You can get it close, but not exact. Once you start adding pedals and studio gear, things can run away from you pretty quickly.

Here’s what you do.

You use a small digital camera or an iPhone to take pics and document your favorite settings or useful sounds on amps, pre-amps or whatever you choose to recall in the studio. Taking a look at a pic of your prior settings makes recalling things super easy.

I keep a small camera handy and scroll through it if I’m looking for a particular sound I might’ve gotten in the past or if I want a solid starting point to build on. You can focus in on your pics and get the exact location of your previous moves.

This becomes especially helpful if I try to recall settings I’ve used to record different instruments such as bass, guitars or vocals through a single-channel pre-amp that I love to use. Instead of starting from scratch to set up a sound, I can quickly get into the ballpark and build from that point.

Of course, this doesn’t have to stop at the recording studio. Live amp settings, pedal board setup all the way to a correct way to pack an equipment trailer can be easily be recalled with a digital camera.

So, there you go! It’s a simple solution to a big problem. I must give credit to Judas Priest producer and my Halford bandmate Roy Z, from whom I picked up this idea.

Ok, here’s a nice quick guitar tip that will help you keep your guitar in tune. When changing strings on a guitar that has no locking pieces at the nut, right before I put the string into the grove at the top of the neck – I sprinkle some graphite from a pencil. I take the pencil, move it up and down the groove in the nut and enough of the graphite will quickly fall in. I get the big pencils that are used for construction at Home Depot. Then, I put the string in.

Why does it work? Graphite is very slippery and slick and having some of it in the nut helps the string move or adjust as you bend or tune your guitar. If the above doesn’t make sense, keep re-reading it until it does. I have been using this trick for years and have found it very helpful.

OK, I admit I’m a bit compulsive when it comes to keeping my guitars clean. And I don’t mean that in the “Look, but don’t touch” way, since many of my guitars have dings and small cracks. I mean it in terms of keeping my guitars CLEAN.

So I’ve been known to drive my techs a bit nuts. But let my pain be your gain! I’m going to share some secrets on how to keep your guitar’s finish spot-free.

Did you know your guitar’s paint job is similar to a car’s? It’s true. Your guitar’s finish consists of paint (or color), then you have a thin layer of clear coat that covers the paint. Since I have detailed a car or two in my day (another one of my interests), I’ve been using my car-detailing knowledge to my advantage. As a matter of fact, Meguiars (a company that makes consumer-and professional-grade car-detailing products) also makes polishes for guitar companies, including Fender and Jackson.

If you’ve ever used guitar polishes from music stores and still think your guitar doesn’t have that store-bought, sparkling gloss, this is because you are missing several steps needed to bring back and maintain that look. So, here are steps you can take to make your axe shiner than the next guy’s.

Step 1: Paint-Cleaning Clay Paint-cleaning clay, which you can buy in any auto parts store, looks like a child’s modeling clay. I know this sounds weird, but it works. Use some “quick detailing spray” (also from an auto parts store) to serve as a lubricant as you gently slide the paint-cleaning clay back and forth. This removes contaminants, dirt and gunk from your guitar. You can actually hear the clay pick up the contaminants. Your guitar’s finish also will be very smooth when you’re done, and you’ll get back some of its lost gloss. To clean your ax after you’re done with claying, use a microfiber cloth. Microfiber is made from thousands of tiny loops that trap dirt (and everything else) in its fibers. It cleans well and will not scratch your paint. Stay away from socks, T-shirts and the like, because they will only scratch your guitar more!

Step 2: Polish Many people get confused by this. When we think of “polishing” something, we think of shining something to a glossy finish. However, in professional talk, polish is something you use to remove light scratches embedded in the clear coat. Several guitar-detailing companies such as Planet Waves make guitar polish that do exactly that. Some guitar companies call this a paint restorer. You also can get one from a car store. Ask for car paint polish, and make sure you get something designed to remove light scratches. There are different ones available, depending on how aggressive you want to get. Most guitars have very light scratches caused by clothes, guitar picks, gig bags, etc. The best results will be obtained if you use a small polish pad (which is usually orange or red) that also can be bought at an auto parts store or car-detailing website. Buff off your guitar with a clean microfiber cloth after you get a light haze from the polish on the paint. A good job should leave your guitar fairly scratch-free, and your paint will have no oxidation. Your guitar’s rich, deep color should be back at this step. Remember to use the polish sparingly.

Step 3: Wax OK, now you can wax your guitar. Wax will protect your clean, polished paint from oxidation, light scratches, etc. The best wax is made from 100 percent Carnauba, but other variations will also work. Wax hardens on your guitar, making a great protective barrier. You can use microfiber cloth to put the wax on your guitar and after a light haze to buff it out. Remember not to use too much, as it will make the job messy and make the wax hard to remove. If you have a hard time removing the wax, use a little car-detailing spray. If you want to make your guitar look awesome, put on a light coat of wax, let it dry, put on another coat, let it dry and buff off everything with a microfiber cloth. You’ll be amazed!

Step 4: Here’s what you have most likely been buying at your music store in an attempt to keep your guitar clean. Some of these products are labeled “guitar polish.” Since we know what a polish is now, let’s just call them “detailers.” As you can see, you have been adding some minor gloss onto a guitar that needed some TLC. After you have clayed, polished and waxed the finish, you can use your detailer on a daily basis to keep off your fingerprints and just to generally keep the finish looking glossy. Again, use a microfiber cloth to do this. Every so often, you will need to revisit steps 1 or 2 to keep your guitar looking its best. To save money, buy a bottle of car paint detailer for about $6. It will last forever and will do just as good of a job.

To recap, here’s a list of materials. You will need paint cleaning clay, microfiber cloths, car or guitar polish, a polish pad, car or guitar wax, car or guitar detailer. Most of these products can be purchased from car detailing Internet outlets, big box stores such as Walmart, car-care stores such as Autozone, or guitar-cleaning-product manufacturers such as Planet Waves. Feel free to find car paint detail tips from the internet and simply apply them to a guitar! Good luck, and keep those axes gleaming!

I want to share another quick tip with you and this one has to do with extending the life of your guitar strings.

Ok, I must admit that sometimes I’m not a fan of changing guitar strings. Not that it takes too long, but I’d rather be playing them then changing them. I’m sure you might agree.

What I found out is that after I finish playing the guitar – I lightly spray some guitar cleaning polish or something like Pledge on the strings and wipe of the sweat from playing. Do this also underneath the string as well. What kills the strings quickly is the toxins and rust that forms on them from being wet after you are done playing. This trick keeps the strings lightly worn in, which gives them a nice warm tone while extending their life. So, spray and wipe after you are done and it’s a simple as that.

I know many (most?) players don’t wipe their strings down. Now, you can use this info in your metal guitar ninja tool-box. Check it out for yourself.

Interesting Note: Years back guitarists used to boil their strings. Yep, you got that right … they would take the strings off, boil them in hot water for a while and put them back on. The strings would sound bright and like new again, but would break easily!