A guidance and maintenance machine (100) includes a guide roller (102) and an application roller (104), each having a plurality of respective grooves (102a, 104a) defined on a respective circumferential surface (102b, 104b). The guidance and maintenance machine includes at least one preparation comb (200) having a support (202) with an upper surface (202d) from which a plurality of teeth (204) extend. The teeth, with a predetermined uniform height, are aligned in parallel along a length of the support and are positioned at a pitch between them in correspondence with corresponding grooves (102a) of the guide roller (102) so that the comb (200) feeds filaments (50) from a supply creel (304), where the filaments are stored, to the guide roller (102) at a predetermined pitch positioning outside the guide roller.