7 Guitar Care Tips
When you buy a guitar, here are a few simple tips to keep it in excellent condition. Guitars are made from living wood and can be damaged if they are exposed to too much heat or dryness. There are also a few easy things you can do to keep the strings sounding good, for example just washing your hands before you play.
After you have a guitar of your own it is important to take care of it. The first thing to do for your guitar is to buy a case for it. This seems like such a silly piece of advice but your guitar is more fragile than you think and is easily dented. A decent guitar case can help to protect it.
The softest part of a guitar is the wood is on the top of the instrument. Investing in a good case is a good step towards protecting your investment. If it’s an expensive instrument, hard shell cases provide the best protection. Hard shell cases usually cost over $100. If you have an inexpensive guitar, you should still at least get a guitar gig bag. This will make it easy to carry your guitar and protect it from dust and some dings.
As already mentioned, don’t leave your guitar in a hot car.It can cause the neck of your guitar to warp, which will never play in tune. There is also the risk of the wood cracking.
If you are in a very dry climate, invest in a humidifier that can fit inside the sound hole of the guitar or in the guitar case. Otherwise, the wood can get too dry and crack. I’ve even seen bridges pop off guitars. They can be quite expensive to repair.
Simple habits can help extend the life of both your guitar and strings. Washing you hands before playing washes away the sweat and dirt that could have clogged your strings. Your strings will sound better when they are ‘clean’. Then, getting in the habit of wiping down your instrument after playing will also pick up excess dirt and grease on the instrument. The new microfibers is an excellent choice for cleaning the guitar.
Periodically, it’s a good idea to remove all of your strings and use a fine steel wool pad to removes any grease or dirt that has accumulated around the frets. Wipe around each fret with the steel wool, then wipe it down once more with a soft cloth. Then, you can apply fretboard oil to help keep the wood in great condition.
Guitar wax is another step to insure that the wood on your guitar is protected. You may want to wax the instrument a few times a year. There are several waxes made specifically for guitars.
With a little care, you guitar will look and sound great for a very long time. Hope these tips are helpful and that you enjoy playing your guitar for many years.
I thought you remove strings changes the sound of the guitar
You can’t clean the fretboard without loosening or removing the strings. It’s something you can do once a year or so.
Hi Ms. Lisa, I signed up before but I can’t get to it. My name is Sofia Patterson.
I do see you in the database. Have just added you to the Free Guitar Tips videos and newsletter. I did recently move to a new platform so maybe that’s why three were problems.
Blessings,
Jean
Thank you Madam.