Maintenance Manual

Quality
Musical Instruments
Since 1986
Maintenance
Manual
www.MitchellGuitars.com
Thank you for joining the
Mitchell family of musicians!
We want you to enjoy your instrument for many years to
come, so here is some helpful information regarding the
care, cleaning and maintenance of your new
instrument, along with a description
of the controls on select models.
Quality construction equals
incredible sound.
Mitchell guitars feature true dovetail neckjoint construction. This is a traditional building
technique designed to offer the strongest joint,
since more surface area is used to join the
neck and body block together.
Other appointments include high-gloss
polyurethane finish, real Abalone rosette,
thick Indian Rosewood fretboard,
die-cast tuners for great tuning
stability, and a limited
lifetime warranty.
Maintenance Manual
Bracing patterns
The tops of most acoustic guitars use an
X-brace system, although there are variations
in type and style. This bracing pattern was
developed many years ago, and is the
standard for acoustic guitars.
Shifted X-Bracing System
A shifted bracing pattern moves
the bracing upward from the bridge
toward the headstock, a pattern used
in our MX400 exotic wood instruments.
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Scalloped Shifted X-Bracing System
Mitchell guitars utilize standard X-brace
on most models; some include scalloped
bracing. Scalloping — the carving out of
excess wood in the center of the brace —
allows the top to vibrate easier, providing
additional volume as well as improved
bass response.
Maintenance Manual
Tonewoods
Mitchell uses a wide variety of guitar
tonewoods, from select Spruce to exotic
Koa, Bubinga and Ovangkol. Read on
to learn more about the unique tonal
characteristics of the woods we use.
Rosewood
Traditionally used for its more
pronounced bass response,
rosewood is very popular in
acoustic guitar design due
to its tight grain and superb
density.
Mahogany
Light weight and low density,
Mahogany is often used
in acoustic instruments. It
brings bright treble and a
balanced bass response to
the sound.
Cedar
One of the softest woods, it
provides a mellower, darker
sound and is used almost
exclusively for classical and
acoustic instruments.
Spruce
Spruce is most popular
for guitar tops as it offers
the best strength-to-weight
ratio. It provides outstanding
clarity, perfect for picking
or strumming on acoustic
instruments.
Koa
The distinctive striping of Koa
makes it a beautiful tonewood to look at. Its sound
characteristics include a
round bottom end, with a bit
more “sparkle” on the high
end similar to Mahogany.
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Ovangkol
One of a variety of exotic
tonewoods, Ovangkol is
also known as amazoue or
amazakoue. Ovangkol’s tone
resembles the warmth of
rosewood with the midrange
of mahogany.
Bubinga
A sought-after tropical exotic
wood with an interlocking
grain, it provides a great
low end, gorgeous mids,
and a bright, ringing treble.
Quilted Ash
Prized for its cosmetic beauty
as well as its bright, snappy
tone, Quilted Ash is becoming
more popular in acoustic
instrument design.
Maintenance Manual
Controls for acoustic/electric models
All Mitchell acoustic/electric
guitars feature premium
preamp electronics, designed
to give you complete control
over your sound.
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AT3000 Mitchell
Preamp
CE304T Mitchell
Preamp with Tuner
Fishman Prefix Plus-T
Preamp with Tuner
MD100CE, MD100SCE,
and MD100S12E
• Master volume slider
• Hi & Lo EQ sliders
• Low Battery indicator
MX400
• Master volume knob
• 3 band EQ (Bass,
Contour, Treble)
• On-Board digital tuner
MD200SCE, MD300SCE
• Master volume knob
• 3 band EQ (Bass,
Contour, Treble)
• Phase in/out switch
• On-board digital tuner
More info available at fishman.com
Maintenance Manual
How to change your preamp battery
Your Mitchell acoustic-electric instrument may utilize an active
preamp system, including a 9V battery as the active power source.
When the Low Battery or “batt” indicator light comes on, it is time
to change the battery.
Fishman
Replace the battery by flipping open the preamp body using
the latch located above the Fishman logo. Be sure to observe
the correct polarity during this installation. More information is
available at www.fishman.com.
AT3000/CE304T
Replace the battery by loosening your bass-side strings. Reach
inside the guitar body (through the soundhole) to the back of
the preamp. The 9V battery will be located in a small metal clip.
Remove the battery from the clip, remove the lead wires, and
replace with a fresh alkaline battery.
To conserve power,
unplug the instrument
and turn off the tuner
when not in use.
Loosen baseside strings
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Reach inside
soundhole
Replace
old battery
Flip open latch
batt
#
volume
tuner
bass
middle
treble
notch
brilliance
phase
Maintenance Manual
How to put a strap on your Mitchell guitar
Tie one end of the supplied strap onto the neck of the guitar under
the strings, above the nut and below the tuning machines so
that it does not touch the strings. Make certain it is tied securely.
Slip the buttonhole of the other end over the strap button at the
bottom of your guitar until it is securely attached. Once secure,
adjust strap length for playing comfort.
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Maintenance Manual
Strings
If your strings appear dirty or produce a dull sound, replace them
with new ones. It is recommended that you change them one at a
time to keep string tension on the neck.
Be sure to replace with similar gauge strings (see chart below).
If you replace with a different string gauge, a truss rod adjustment
may be required. We recommend a qualified guitar technician
to handle this. Consult the Support page of the website http://
mitchellcusthelp.com/ for more information on factory string
gauges and more.
Models
String Gauges
Acoustic
Dreadnought
.012 – .053
Junior Acoustic
Dreadnought
.011 – .052
Mandolin
.010 – .034
Banjo
.010 – .010
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how To change strings
Loosen the tension on your current strings. Then, using a string
puller/peg winder, pull the bridge pins from the bridge and remove
the strings.
Place the new string in the bridge pin hole. Re-insert the bridge
pin while pulling the string to remove any slack. Pull the string up
across the fretboard and thread through the tuning machine. Hold
the bridge pins in
place for each string
while tuning to pitch;
this will eliminate
the bridge pins being
pulled out of place
by string tension.
Maintenance Manual
Neck
All Mitchell guitar models feature dual-action adjustable truss rods.
The truss rod allows you to adjust the neck to counter the tension
caused by the strings. The truss rod may need to be adjusted if you
change string gauges, or if you lower or raise your standard tuning
pitch below A440. String tension changes may also cause fret buzz.
how To Adjust the Truss rod
Remove the truss rod cover and locate the truss rod nut.
Place a 4mm hex wrench and adjust as follows:
Clockwise tightens the truss rod, causing an convex bow.
Too much may result in fret buzz and dead frets.
Counterclockwise loosens the truss rod, causing a concave
bow. Too much may result in high-action and poor intonation.
Truss rod tension can be measured by using a capo at the first
fret and holding the strings down where the neck joins the body
(14th fret). There should be .3 mm to .5 mm of clearance at the
8th fret.
Truss Rod Adjustment
CONVEX
(Too Tight)
CONCAVE
(Too Loose)
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Truss Rod TENSION
(.3 - .5 mm)
String Action
Maintenance Manual
Action
Cleaning
Action on all Mitchell guitars is set at the factory to our
specifications, however some players may prefer higher or lower
action, depending on playing style. Also, temperature changes
and moisture can affect string height. Below is an action guide for
Mitchell guitars.
action chart
FRET
LOCATION Treble Side
models
Bass Side
Acoustic
Dreadnought
3.25 mm
(@ 17th fret)
2.5 mm
Mandolin
1.9 mm
(@ 17th fret)
1.65 mm
Banjo
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2.28 mm (@ 12th fret)
Regular cleaning of your guitar is an
important way to maintain the finish and
extend string life. Always wipe down your
instrument after playing to remove sweat,
which may contain acids that will corrode
strings and metal parts/hardware of the
guitar. Gloss finishes should be polished
with products designed specifically for music
instruments, along with a soft, treated cloth
or cotton rag (an old T-shirt will work fine).
Non-gloss finish instruments should be
wiped with a dry cotton rag only.
Warranty
Mitchell® Lifetime Limited Warranty
Your new Mitchell® guitar is warranted to the original retail
purchaser to be free from defects in materials and workmanship
under normal use for as long as the instrument is owned by
the original purchaser, subject to limitations contained in this
limited warranty. The obligations of Mitchell® hereunder are
limited to repair or replacement of parts of the instrument found
to be defective under this Limited Warranty. In no event shall
Mitchell®, retailer and/or manufacturer be liable for any damages
based upon inconvenience, loss of use of product, loss of time,
interrupted operation or commercial loss or any other incidental
or consequential damages of any nature or kind, including but not
limited to, lost profits, downtime, goodwill, and/or damage to or
replacement of equipment and property.
If at any time this Mitchell® guitar malfunctions as a result of
faulty materials or workmanship, Mitchell® will repair or replace
the non-conforming parts, components or the guitar, as it deems
appropriate and at its sole discretion, and as your sole and
exclusive remedy for any such malfunction. The purchaser shall
assume and pay the cost of all shipping and postage charges
involved in repairing or replacing the guitar or the applicable nonconforming part(s) or component(s). A copy of your original receipt,
demonstrating proof of purchase must accompany all requests for
warranty coverage.
This Warranty is subject to the following additional limitations
and conditions:
Warranty does not cover damage due to misuse, negligence,
accident or improper operation, alterations or modifications,
shipping damages, exposure to extremes of humidity and
temperature, cracking, discoloration or damage of any sort to
the finish or plating, normal wear and tear (i.e. worn frets, worn
machine heads, worn plating, string replacement, scratched pick
guard, and/or damage to or discoloration of the guitars finish)
or subjective issue of tonal characteristics. Factory installed
electronics are warranted for to be free from defects in materials
and workmanship, including implied warranties of merchantability
or fitness for a particular purpose, subject to normal use and
service, to the original owner, for a period of one year from the
original date of purchase. Some states do not allow the foregoing
limitation of implied warranties, in which case the duration of any
implied warranties will be consistent with applicable law. Warranty
does not cover maintenance or adjustment. Warranty service
must be pre-authorized by Mitchell®, and performed by Mitchell®
or an authorized Mitchell® service facility.
This limited warranty gives you specific legal rights. You may have
other rights, which vary from state to state.
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Mitchell • P.O. Box 5111 • Thousand Oaks, CA 91359-5111
All trademarks and registered trademarks mentioned herein are recognized as the property of their respective holders.