quality musical instruments since 1986...

Maintenance Manual

www.MitchellGuitars.com

Quality Musical Instruments

Since 1986

Quality construction equals incredible sound.

Mitchell guitars feature true dovetail neck-joint 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.

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.

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.

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.

Bracing patternsThe 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.

Maintenance Manual


Koa The distinctive striping of Koa makes it a beautiful tone-wood to look at. Its sound characteristics include a round bottom end, with a bit more “sparkle” on the high end similar to Mahogany.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Cedar One of the softest woods, it provides a mellower, darker sound and is used almost exclusively for classical and acoustic instruments.

Tonewoods

Maintenance Manual


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.

Fishman Prefix Plus-T Preamp with Tuner MD200SCE, MD300SCE • Master volume knob • 3 band EQ (Bass, Contour, Treble) • Phase in/out switch • On-board digital tunerMore info available at fishman.com

AT3000 Mitchell Preamp MD100CE, MD100SCE, and MD100S12E • Master volume slider • Hi & Lo EQ sliders • Low Battery indicator

CE304T Mitchell Preamp with Tuner MX400 • Master volume knob • 3 band EQ (Bass, Contour, Treble) • On-Board digital tuner

All Mitchell acoustic/electric guitars feature premium preamp electronics, designed to give you complete control over your sound.

Controls for acoustic/electric models

Maintenance Manual


batt

volume#

bass

notch brilliance phase

middle treble

tuner

How to change your preamp battery

Loosen base-side strings

Reach inside soundhole

Replace old 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.

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.

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.

To conserve power, unplug the instrument and turn off the tuner when not in use.

Flip open latch

Maintenance Manual


How to put a strap on your Mitchell guitar

Maintenance Manual


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.

Strings

Models strinG GauGes

Acoustic Dreadnought

Junior Acoustic Dreadnought

Mandolin

Banjo

.012 – .053

.011 – .052

.010 – .034

.010 – .010

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.

hOw TO ChAngE STRingSLoosen 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


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.

Neck

(.3 - .5 mm)

String Action

CONCAVE(Too Loose)

CONVEX(Too Tight)

truss rod adjustMent truss rod tension

Maintenance Manual


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.

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.

action chart

Acoustic Dreadnought

Mandolin

Banjo

Bass side

3.25 mm

1.9 mm

treBle side

(@ 17th fret)

(@ 17th fret)

2.5 mm

1.65 mm

Models Fretlocation

Action Cleaning

Maintenance Manual


2.28 mm (@ 12th fret)

Mitchell® Lifetime Limited WarrantyYour 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 non-conforming 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.

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.


Warranty

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