Keeping your Guitar in Good Shape
Guitars aren’t indestructible, and unless you have the sort of money rock stars do you shouldn’t be smashing one into the floor after playing a song. You don’t have to keep checking your guitar for problems after each time you play it, but carrying out occasional maintenance will help to keep it playing good, sounding good, and looking good.
Where To Store Your Guitar
“Different climates can have an adverse effect on the wood guitars are made out of”
First of all we’re going to look at the best way of storing your guitar, which isn’t just throwing it in the cupboard if you’re not going to use it for a while. How you store your guitar can have a huge effect on how long it lasts and how likely it will succumb to damage. Different climates can have an adverse effect on the wood guitars are made out of.
Air humidity is the biggest threat, and wherever you store your guitar should be keep at around 40-50 per cent humidity. This is because in high humidity the wood the guitar is made out of becomes wet, and results in it being much easier to bend. At the other end, if humidity is significantly lower than 40-50% the structure of the wood will become weaker and it’s likely that cracks will appear on your guitar.
Avoid Changes In Temperature
“The best way to think about how to treat your guitar is how you would like to be treated. Nobody likes being too hot or too cold”
Changes in temperature are not as serious as humidity, and the optimal temperature to keep your guitar in is around 25 degrees Celsius. So avoid leaving it in a car on a hot summer’s day, or outside in the cold all night. This is a sure fire way of ruining your guitar. Direct sunlight will make the wood of the guitar brittle, fade the color, and could damage any joins of the guitar that are glued together. The best way to think about how to treat your guitar is how you would like to be treated. Nobody likes being too hot or too cold.
Guitar Stands Are Okay
A stand is fine for storing your guitar at home, but when you take it outside a case is the best way to keep it safe. A soft gig bag will do, but a hard case is the way to go it your guitar is expensive. A hard case will protect your guitar from temperature changes, humidity and any knocks or drops. Whichever you decide to use, the main thing is to make sure if fits perfectly. You should not be able to notice the guitar moving inside the case while you carry it. If you do the case is too big. For extra protection against humidity, place a sachet of silica gel into the case with your guitar.
Keeping The Guitar Clean
“Avoid detergents if possible, and never use any type of chemical furniture spray”
I’m not talking about washing you guitar with a sponge and bucket of soapy water, but removing dirt and protecting the woods finish goes a long way in keeping your guitar looking as good as the day you bought it. Each time you finishing using your guitar it’s a good idea to quickly wipe it down with a soft cloth, to minimize any build-up of dirt.
Every month or so, try to find the time to properly clean and polish the front, back, and sides of your guitar. Always use a soft cloth, and a little warm water if needed, but be very careful if using detergent and only use a drop. Avoid detergents if possible, and never use any type of chemical furniture spray. Special sprays for cleaning guitars can be bought at almost all guitar stores. Guitar polish can also be bought at guitar stores, but remember to only polish your guitar if it has a stained or lacquered finish.
Keep The Guitar Strings Clean
“Once your strings are in bad shape they can even begin to damage the guitar’s frets, because the strings become coarser”
Your guitar’s strings also need to be maintained to get the most life out of them. Cleaning off the sweat and oil your fingers release is essential to stop the guitar strings from becoming dull and starting to rust. Once your strings are in bad shape they can even begin to damage the guitar’s frets, because the strings become coarser. You can buy special string cleaner to use after each time you play, or using a soft cloth with window cleaner is another option. Spray window cleaner onto the cloth and place it behind the string, so it’s in-between the string and neck, then rub each string until it’s clean. Using window cleaner should not be done too regularly because the residue form the chemical it contains can damage the strings. Use it once in a while, and make sure you clean off all of the cleaner with a damp cloth when finished.
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