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Why care for your guitar?
Your instrument will look, feel, play and sound better longer with the proper care.
Once you realize what an improvement even an occasional set of new strings, a thorough cleaning and a polishing can make you will certainly be eager to keep up with these few, simple, habitual chores.
A guitar can be an investment that will grow in value.
A good sounding guitar now could be a great sounding guitar 15 years from now with proper care. A guitar’s sound is produced by the resonance of the wood. As the wood ages the quality of this resonance should improve, increasing the guitar’s value. If in addition to this the make, model or particular styling of your guitar go out of production and become rare, your instrument could be worth many times your original purchase price in anywhere from 10-50 years. The closer to mint condition it is then, the happier you will certainly be and you will owe yourself all the credit.
How to care for your guitar.
How to store your guitar when not in use.
You should keep your guitar hanging on a proper rack or in its case. The strings should be loosened so as not to bow the guitar neck or wear the strings too soon. It should be kept in a dry place at room temperature not near any heating or cooling vents. It should not be exposed to direct light for long periods.
How to properly clean your guitar.
To clean your guitar correctly this should be done when you are replacing all of the guitar strings. With the strings off and out of the way you can polish the entire guitar thoroughly. Use polish made for guitars specifically and follow the instructions exactly. If there is a polish or cleaning method recommended by your manufacturer, use this. In the absence of this, very small amounts of Murphy’s Oil Soap and water can be used with a non-abrasive cloth to clean your “axe” or guitar.
To polish it you can get away with a good, old fashioned, non-aerosol furniture polish. Use it sparingly with a different cloth than used to clean your instrument with. Don’t use enough to create residue. This last rule should be followed as well with the cleaning.
How to play and handle your guitar safely.
Don’t ever play or handle your instrument wearing jewelry, belt buckles or jeans or other clothes with metal parts that could scratch or mar the finish. Don’t ever play or handle the guitar near objects or furniture that could disfigure its surface. Don’t ever loan out your instrument without realizing that like your car, you wouldn’t really have any guarantees what condition it would come back in, if it came back at all. Again, the pricier the piece the more you’ll want to consider these precautions.
How to insure your guitar.
Guitars can be covered by homeowners insurance for a rider of a few dollars a month. The more costly the guitar the more you should consider this investment.
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