How to Clean a Guitar

The Guitar is a sensitive instrument which needs to be cleaned regularly. The accumulation of dirt and dust not only spoils its appearance but also affects its sound and playability. A well maintained guitar not only lasts longer but is more playable and sounds beautiful too. Most people think that cleaning a guitar is a cumbersome job and should be left to experts only; however in actual practice cleaning a guitar is very easy and anyone who owns and plays the instrument should know how to clean a guitar.

Cleaning a guitar is simple and can be done at home. You do not need to purchase an expensive kit to keep your guitar nice and shiny. Many household items for instance olive oil, lemon oil and glass cleaners serve the same purpose and with equal efficiency as the expensive guitar cleaning stuff you can purchase from shops or online. If you are using guitar polish make sure that you do not use the one which contains silicone as it can damage the body. Most luthiers suggest that a guitar should be wiped with a soft flannel cloth every time it is played. Besides flannel old soft cotton cloth can also be used to wipe the surface of the guitar. These materials bring back the shine without putting any scratches on the surface. Buffing removes any stains or smudges on the surface making it smooth and shiny. The tiny cervices can be reached with a soft toothbrush; just remember to use few drops of glass cleaner to get rid of the dirt and grime trapped in them. Any stuff being used for cleaning should not be applied directly to the guitar surface rather it should be placed on the piece of cloth and then applied to the surface.

Cleaning the Strings

It is best recommended to wash your hands first before playing the guitar especially if you have eaten something greasy. The strings of the guitars are extremely sensitive; often the secretions from the fingers (sweat, body oils) get transferred on the strings while playing. Even dry skin can get deposited on the strings; to remove these residues, the strings must be wiped clean too. With a soft piece of cloth, start cleaning the strings from the bridge and go gently down to the nut. You should also pay some attention to the bridge and the nut when cleaning the strings.

Cleaning the Fret Board

The best time to clean the fret board is when the strings are being replaced. Before attaching the strings, you wipe the fret board with a dry piece of cloth. It takes care of most of the dirt while the stubborn dirt deposits can be removed with very fine grade steel wool. Again you will have to be very careful when using the steel wool as scrubbing hard can damage the fret board. Often luthiers suggest a coat of lemon oil as a protective layer especially if the fret board is made rosewood or ebony. Products containing silicone and waxes should never be applied on the fret boards.

Conclusion

Guitar is an expensive instrument and needs to be taken care of from time to time. Often the best time to clean guitars is said to be when the strings are being changed as it gives an easy access to the fret board. In order to keep the guitar clean, a regular wipe down with a soft piece of cloth is recommended. By following the above mentioned steps on how to clean a guitar one can easily take care of their guitar with minimal costs.

How to write resume reference

Now day references are playing a very important part of a candidates profile and also play a vital role in the hiring procedure. A reference is a person who you know professionally and who can vouch for your integrity and professionalism. A growing number of recruiters have started carrying out reference checks or background checks on new hires as well as candidates for the job by calling and speaking with people who have been professionally involved with the candidate in the past. Carrying out a reference check on a candidate or speaking with a person who either worked with the candidate or was the candidates supervisor or employer helps the recruiter ascertain whether the candidate has mentioned facts on his or her resume, and whether the candidate is worthy of being employed.

When drafting an administrative assistant resume, special care and attention should be given to your reference section, as your references can either make or break your chances of getting the job. You need to pay close attention your references, ensuring that you have the right person mentioned on your reference section of the resume, who can voice for your conduct and professionalism. Here we take a close look at how to write resume references for your administrative assistant resume, that will help you land a great job.

When drafting your resume references the you should:

Create a list of references: Start by listing down the names of people who you think would make for good references, both professionally and personally. Ideal candidates who should be used as a reference on your administrative assistant resume would include your supervisors, employers or colleagues with whom you have worked closely and who can vouch for your professionalism, character and work qualities or skills.

Contact the references: Once you have listed the references, you should contact these individuals, letting them know about your decision of applying for a job and ask them if they would be willing to be a reference for you. If the person agrees, take down their address, phone numbers and the best time that they could be contacted.

Go through your background: Ensure that you go through your profile along with them, review your background and go through information like the type of work relationship you shared with them. You cam want to recap the projects that you have worked on with the person and also recap your performance on the project. This would ensure that the person recollects your performance and will not miss out on an important point. You may also want to send your references a copy of your resume to ensure that they are aware about your profile.

Once you have your list of references ready for your administrative assistant resume, select 3-4 of references both on a professional and personal front.

On your resume, create a heading (at the end of the resume) titled Resume Reference. Ensure that this heading is in bold. Categorise your references in two sub categories, professional and personal references.

Now list the names of the professional references, their contact information and their official designation along with information on how long you know the person, how long you worked together and mode and preferred time of contact.

In the personal reference section, list the names of the persons, contact information and nature of relationship with the person.

Following these simple tips with help you choose the right references for your administrative assistant resume and will also help you write a great reference section for your resume.

How to Build Super Strength

Legendary strongman George F. Jowett had a very specific understanding of what it took to build strength. He understood that muscular strength alone did not make someone super strong. He knew that not only do you have to build the muscles, but you have to strengthen the ligaments and tendons that connect and support those muscles. He said that without building "the sinews" a man was only half trained.

He wrote a correspondence course titled How to Achieve Nerves of Steel, Muscles Like Iron. In it, he said that with proper training, the ligaments- "those tremendously powerful cables which support your muscles in giant contraction"- when required in demonstrations of physical resistance would "become powerfully anchored to bone and muscle like the steel cable of a giant derrick".

He knew that there were thousands of weight lifters out there with strong looking muscles who were not as strong as they looked and could not equal others of the same or lesser size in strength tests.

He asked a simple question. "What is strength"? To answer this he stated, "Strength is not so much the size of the muscle as it is the quality of the muscle. The strength of your muscles depends as much upon the power of the muscular cables as upon the quality of the muscular tissue." He added, "Strong muscles must have strong attachments."

He said that stronger tendons led to stronger muscles. You had to strengthen and thicken the ligaments which would lead to thicker and stronger muscles. The best way to build tendon and ligament strength was through heavy support work in basic exercises like squats, presses, and dead lifts. All you need is a power rack and a barbell.

An example of a program using heavy support work is as follows. This is a three day a week program consisting of dead lifts, bench press lock outs, and heavy partial curls on day one, quarter squats, standing press lock outs, and power holds (where you stand in the top position of the dead lift) on day two. The simple process of holding a heavy barbell for 10 seconds will build incredible strength. On day three you repeat day one. The following week you start with your day two workout and continue to alternate. A word of caution, only do bench press lockouts or any other exercise where you are under a very heavy barbell in a power rack.

Follow this program for two or three months and then go back to your regular routine, but always include some support work. If you continue to use heavy support your tendons and ligaments will thicken and strengthen and you WILL develop power and strength that will make you more efficient in any physical activity you undertake.