Pyle PBJ60 Maintenance Manual - Page 2

Now that you own a Pyle banjo, you will find that banjo maintenance will become a big part of you being able to enjoy your banjo. Just as a car needs maintenance, gas, and the engine tuned up, so your banjo needs to be tightened up and adjusted. If you were to play your banjo without doing anything to maintain it, you would find that soon it would be losing its quality of sound, rattling, and becoming harder to play. Realize that your banjo is an instrument. It can't be left out in the sun, or in a hot car, or taken out in freezing weather without it being damaged. If you want your banjo to keep its value, you must maintain it. If you take good care of your banjo, it will last you a lifetime and a be a treasure that you can pass on to future generations. It isn't difficult to maintain your banjo, if you understand what needs to be done. There are things that you need to do after each playing and things that only need doing every few months, depending on how much you play. This maintenance manual will provide a thorough outline of what you can do to keep your banjo as nice as it was the day you bought it. DAILY MAINTENANCE 1. The continued quality of your banjo is dependent on your daily efforts to maintain it. It is best to develop a routine to do every time you put your banjo away. For example: 2. Wipe the fingerprints and smudges off the metal parts with a clean cotton rag; then run the cloth up and down the strings and fingerboard. If you don't wipe the metal parts off, the acid from your skin will react with the metal and tarnish or eat it away as time goes by. Keep a clean cloth in the case. (If you want a banjo that won't tarnish, have your banjo Chrome plated, the Chrome is resistant to the affects of the acid from your skin.) 3. Set your banjo in the case carefully so that you don't bump the fifth peg. After several bumps the fifth peg might suddenly fall out. The most important daily maintenance is to store your banjo in a hard-shell case. This will protect it from being knocked around and insulate it against changes in humidity and temperature. CLEANING Both wood and metal parts should be cleaned and polished every three to six months or more often if needed to keep your banjo looking it's best.