Congratulations on your new Babicz Guitar purchase! The award winning and patented Babicz acoustic/electric guitar has been designed and crafted for optimum life, durability, and playing enjoyment. Please take a few moments to read our "Care & Adjustment" section below to maximize your guitars appearance and performance for many years to come.
Humidity
For maximum guitar stability we recommend maintaining an average environment humidity level between 45-50%. If your climate is too dry then wood can split and fret ends can protrude from the fretboard, feeling sharp while playing. A room or case humidifier can be used to correct overly dry conditions. If your climate is too moist then a dehumidifier should be used to remove moisture from the air. This will prevent wood from swelling up, which could also be detrimental to your guitars construction integrity.
Heat & Cold
At all costs, you should not leave your guitar exposed to direct sunlight or extreme heat. Leaving your guitar in a sealed, hot car may compromise glue joints within the guitar's construction. Very cold and below freezing conditions should be avoided as well. Finishes can craze and glue joints may become brittle, again compromising the guitars construction and stability. The Babicz guitar case not only protects it from physical damage but it also acts as an insulator from extreme climate changes. It is recommended that you store your guitar in its case when not in use.
Cleaning

• Gloss finish: Surfaces can be cleaned with most standard guitar polishes available through your local music dealer, or through most online musical instrument e-tail stores. Stay away from solvent based cleaners, which may be damage or cloud the finish. Recommended: once a month or more.
• Satin finish: Surfaces, such as soundboards and necks, should only be cleaned with mild soap and water. Recommended: once a month or more. 
• Fretboard: With the strings removed, a fretboard that is extra grimy can be cleaned up with fine "0000" steel wool, then treated and wiped down with a coat of linseed oil. This will give life back to your fretboard and prevent it from drying out and potentially cracking over time. Remember that steel wool is abrasive, and extreme caution should be used around finished areas of the guitar. Recommended: every few months or more. 

Strings
The Babicz guitar is designed to accept standard strings from any string manufacturer. Do not be concerned if the string outer wrapping does not reach your tuners at the headstock. Only the string core is needed to engage with the tuning post for reliable tuning stability. We recommend genuine D'Addario brand strings; 12-54 acoustic, and 10-46 electric strings. *Always used "double wrapped" or "soldered tremolo" electric strings for extra tuning stability. Never use heavy gauge strings as inadvertent damage may occur to your instrument (see warrantee details). Depending on how often you play your guitar, the strings do wear out and loose their acoustical brilliance. Strings should be changed fairly often to maintain good acoustical tone and balance. Recommended: every 2-4 weeks or more. 
String Height (action)
Your Babicz guitar (or under license by Babicz) is equipped with the patented Continually Adjustable Neck system- designed for instant action adjustments. (See it in action.) At any time, feel free to insert the provided 3/16" allen key into the Trap Plate, located on the back of the guitar, near the neck heel, and turn. The neck moves up or down instantly, adjusting the action height with ease. De-tuning is not necessary and in most cases you can continue to play without re-tuning. Turning the allen key clockwise raises the string action. Turning the allen key counter clockwise lowers the action. Set your action low for fast and delicate finger style playing. Medium action is great for rhythm and lead playing. High action works well for an aggressive string attack or for bottleneck, slide playing. Recommended: all the time! 
Intonation
Your Babicz guitar (or under license by Babicz) is also equipped with the patented Torque Reducing Split Bridge, which is adjustable for intonation correction. (See it in action.) Intonation means, how well in tune the guitar plays, while fretting notes or chords up the neck, or toward the body. This is all determined by the scale length, or the distance from the edge of the nut to the edge of the saddle -at the bridge. With your Babicz guitar, the intonation can be improved when changing string gauges or changing string brands by adjusting the whole bridge unit itself. If you feel you want to do a little intonation tweaking then follow these steps; using an electronic tuner, tune your guitar to pitch. Pluck an open string, and then fret it at the 12 fret (2nd Octave). The fretted note should be exactly the same as the open note (except an octave higher). If the fretted note is sharp, then the scale is too short and the bridge/saddle unit must be moved backward to increase the overall scale length. The same principle applies if the fretted note is flat and the scale it too long, then the bridge must be moved forward, towards the neck, shortening the scale length. To adjust the bridge, simply loosen the three hex head fasteners using a 2.5mm. (not supplied) allen key, and slide the bridge forward or backward slightly. Tighten the bridge fasteners and re-tune and check your adjustment. Please remember that intonation adjustments can be very tricky and is usually best left for the trained technician. Recommended: as needed.
Truss Rod
Our Truss Rods run the entire length of the neck, and it is embedded just below the fret board. The Truss Rod is adjustable, and is designed to create a slight forward neck "bow" or "relief" for optimum note clarity and evenness of play. Some wrongly believe that a Truss Rod is for adjusting string action height, which in some ways may work but the guitars playability will always be compromised with this approach. To adjust your truss rod, remove the truss rod cover found on the headstock near the nut. Insert a proper allen key (not provided) and turn clockwise to remove relief to the neck or turn counter clockwise to add relief to the neck. Only make quarter turn (or less) adjustments at a time, then retune to check the results. Please remember that Truss Rod adjustments can be very tricky and is usually best left for the trained technician. Recommended: as needed.
Electronics
If your Babicz acoustic guitar is equipped with factory installed, onboard electronics then it uses a 9V battery as a power source. For L.R. Baggs battery replacement, simply press on the face of the electronic panel and the battery compartment will spring open. For Fishman electronics, the entire preamp unfolds, exposing the battery. Replace the battery and snap the preamp back into position. Some specialty acoustic guitar models make use of a battery "bag", attached inside the guitar via Velcro. For Octane electric guitars equipped with the optional L.R. Baggs peizo acoustic output; battery replacement is accessible through the control panel located on the back of the guitar. The first sign of a weak battery is having difficulties getting a clean sound, and your output signal through your amplifier becomes distorted and breaks up. It is always a good idea to have a spare 9V battery handy for emergency replacements. *Note: never leave your patch cord plugged into your guitar while not in use. This may drastically shorten battery life. Recommended; every 500-1000 hrs. 
Storing
If you plan on not playing your Babicz guitar for a long period of time (over 2 months) it is best to de-dune the tension on all six strings and keep your guitar in its case -away from extreme heat or cold conditions. Never store your guitar in an attic or a damp basement. 

Thank you for your purchase!

Sincerely, 
Jeff Babicz