I was cleaning my new Les Paul and re-stringing it two days ago when I realized that, in a matter of a few weeks, I had damaged the finish on the bridge pick-up and the bridge itself.

I had had the same issue w/ my LP Junior last year, but I just hadn't noticed how quickly it happened.

I already knew that I probably had pH issues - I literally ruin pale clothes in a matter of a few hours (not that I actually wear white that often, but anyway...)

Now, ruining clothes and sheets isn't a cause for worries - but guitars?!! Oh yeah, and, eventually, there's health problems, bla bla, bla. ;)

After a bit of research, I realized that my usual diet probably really doesn't help. 

In fact, among the worst offenders were coffee (I usually drink 6 or 8 every day), soda pop (2 or 3 a day), sweeteners (both in soda pop and my daily pint of Gatorade), tuna (one of the 2 animal protein I eat regularly) and beef (my occasional guilty pleasure). Oh, and beer. :(

So here I am, trying to re-balance my pH. 

I decreased my daily coffee intake to 2 cups. 
I cut Cola. That's the toughest one.
Gatorade - no more.
Orange juice and milk have to be monitored (tough one, I drink a approximately a pint of each every day).
Even bread has to be monitored.

Not that I can't have any of those things, but I really have to put the priority on my intake of alkaline food (mostly greens and soya). Oh and green tea. :) So I guess I'm back on the oriental diet. Rice, Bock Choy, Brocoli and Tofu, here I come.

The good news is - my Les Paul is an Epiphone - so it's not like I've damaged an (overpriced) $4000-$5000 guitar. 


Plus, after only two days of that regimen, I feel strangely relaxed. Go figure....

All I can think to say is good luck on the fewer cups of coffee...

mmmmm...mebee that is why my wristwatch bands keep falling apart....

Wow, now that's interesting. I have always blackened guitar strings very quickly indeed, to the point where my friends would complain if I borrowed their guitars for a jam session. I always just presumed it was because I played so hard 


Coincidentally I've also been looking into alkalizing my diet recently. What I did find out, is that lemon juice, although acidic to begin with, actually has a strong alkalizing effect once it's in your body. This may apply to all citrus juices but you'd have to check that. What I do is, every morning, I make a protein shake that includes a nice big splash of organic lemon juice (freshly squeezed is best but you can also get the organic bottled stuff that has no preservatives in it). Be sure to rinse with water after drinking as citric acid erodes tooth enamel. I also include:

• Whey protein. Now this one is controversial. The conventional wisdom is that whey protein is acidic and soy protein is alkaline, but this guy - who seems to know what he's talking about - says the opposite, that whey protein is mildly alkalizing and non-fermented soy is acidic: http://www.naturalnews.com/023694_food_foods_health.html (great interview if you're interested in alkalizing your diet btw)
• Green Vibrance powder. Don't know if you've come across this. There are other brands like Greens+ but I've always considered GV to be the best. It contains hundreds of green, alkaline forming ingredients and is extremely healthy. Bit of an acquired taste (very green and a little seaweedy) but easily masked in a shake. You can also get the Greens+ in a peanut butter/whey protein bar, I eat them every day after the gym. 
• Rainbow Vibrance powder. As above, but concentrating on red and yellow fruits and vegetables. Again good for alkalinity. 
• Ionic Zinc. It's very important in an alkaline diet and most people are deficient. If you work out and/or sweat a lot, you're losing zinc. Trace Minerals Research do a great liquid zinc and you can find great deals for it on Amazon. 

You can also add other things to taste. Another thing I've been taking recently is magnesium citrate. Like zinc, most people are deficient and it's a very important nutrient for alkaline rich diets. It also helps the body relax and protects your hearing. I take a product called "Natural Calm" twice a day which provides a very usable form of magnesium that's easily absorbed. 


But yeah ditch the soda. It screws your health in so many ways. 

I had this problem when I was young. I destroyed the bridges, pickups, and tuners on several guitars. No matter how often I cleaned them. I went so far as to wax them heavily but it didn't help.

It eventually stopped happening even though I didn't change my diet.

Speaking of cola, I'm completely, 100%, without a doubt, addicted to diet soda. When it's hot out like it has been lately, I can easily guzzle down a few of those 2 liter bottles. Oh I remember the days of the 3 liter bottles. Whatever happened to those? :)

Funny thing that I just started noticing the last couple years, when I drink diet anything with aspartame in it, I have to piss within 10 minutes of drinking it. It scared me enough to the point that I really try to avoid it now ... but man, I am so hooked on diet soda.

I used to service the copier in a kidney dialysis center in Des Moines. They told me the #1 reason people end up needing dialysis is because they had an allergic reaction to medication or a food. I started putting two and two together with the aspartame reaction I was having and it really freaked me out.

Smoking doesn't help either, thank God I never picked that habit up.

As for the Epi-Paul ... I've played a few of those recently ... they felt better, and sounded better than my Gibson LP Custom.

And my Epi Sheraton II, you couldn't pry it from my cold dead hands. :)

Epi Sheraton II

Bub


As for the Epi-Paul ... I've played a few of those recently ... they felt better, and sounded better than my Gibson LP Custom.

And my Epi Sheraton II, you couldn't pry it from my cold dead hands. :)

Back home in Britain I have one of these babies,  the rare Epiphone Spotlight aka "PRS lawsuit guitar." It's 25 years old and needs some work on it, but it's one of the best Epiphone's I've ever played. 

Yeah, some people try the lemon cure. I'm not a "cure" type of person (except for the band The Cure, which is one of my all time favorites ;) I'm more likely to integrate it in my recipes. People go nuts on ingredients and particles, but they're just ingredients, imho. 

Whey powder I dig.  Since I'm not too inclined to animal protein but still need proteins, I've been relying on Whey shakes when training. Pretty clean fuel. I'll have to read that article and the other links.

Guitars stings usually get change before they get corroded, but I'm sure it wouldn't take long.

This is what my Les Paul  Junior's bridge looked like that after 2 or 3 months. 

Interesting stuff.  I've probably killed a few shirts that way and blamed it on the bleach.  

Bub


I had this problem when I was young. I destroyed the bridges, pickups, and tuners on several guitars. No matter how often I cleaned them. I went so far as to wax them heavily but it didn't help.

It eventually stopped happening even though I didn't change my diet.

Speaking of cola, I'm completely, 100%, without a doubt, addicted to diet soda. When it's hot out like it has been lately, I can easily guzzle down a few of those 2 liter bottles. Oh I remember the days of the 3 liter bottles. Whatever happened to those? :)

Funny thing that I just started noticing the last couple years, when I drink diet anything with aspartame in it, I have to piss within 10 minutes of drinking it. It scared me enough to the point that I really try to avoid it now ... but man, I am so hooked on diet soda.

I used to service the copier in a kidney dialysis center in Des Moines. They told me the #1 reason people end up needing dialysis is because they had an allergic reaction to medication or a food. I started putting two and two together with the aspartame reaction I was having and it really freaked me out.

Smoking doesn't help either, thank God I never picked that habit up.

Yaeh, I think our body's chemistry constantly change. My first guitar was a Les Paul model - I played that guitar more than any other I've owned besides my black strat and I never damaged the finish on the bridge or pick-ups.


I've been addicted to Cola since I was 12 (that's when I first noticed). I eventually changed to diet cola and cut down a bit but still needed a few daily. I've tried replacing it w/ sparkling water - but it never really worked. And now I read that sparkling water, though not as bad, is pretty acidic too.


I realize the quantities of liquid I ingest daily. And that's not counting all the water I drink. But I guess the diversity is a thing of the past.

I've indulged for years - I can't really complain. 

I think a large part of the Cola addiction people have is the caffeine. It's a drug. I recently quite caffeine after coming to terms with the fact that it was just giving me this constant feeling of anxiety and edginess throughout the day. 

It's probably also the sugar. Sweetness is very addictive and it's hard to replace it with a plain taste like water. 

But persevere. One major improvement you can make is to increase the ratio of raw food that you eat. Cooking kills vital enzymes found in raw foods, and those enzymes are vital for health. You can buy full spectrum enzymes as a supplement - not only do they help with digestion but they also reduce cravings for sweet and starchy foods. I always make a point of including raw food with every meal. Even if it's just an apple or carrot or two eaten before a cooked meal, it makes all the difference.