How to Maintain your Guitar
There is nothing more distressing than spending hundreds to thousands of dollars on a fine musical instrument like a nice guitar, only to find it malfunctioning in a few months. You see, even the most expensive of guitars won’t last without proper care and maintenance. You need to improve the longevity of your guitar to make sure that you're getting your money's worth. With proper care, even a bargain model can serve you for many years.
Polish-Perfect
Your guitar is constructed from wooden material. Common wood types that are used for quality guitar models include spruce, rosewood and mahogany. For this reason, you can use furniture polish to clean your instrument. Make sure to wipe down the front, the sides and the back of your instrument. Wood can preserve its natural color and sheen as long as it is cared for regularly. With the proper polishing, your guitar can look as good as new.
Clean the Fret
Since your hand and fingers are regularly in contact with the fretboard, dirt and sweat can easily accumulate between the strings. When left uncleaned, this accumulated grime will cause your strings to wear out and can even affect the sound. So instead of spending money on new strings and embarrassing yourself with out-of-tune playing, you can simply make it a habit to wipe and dry the fretboard and neck regularly.
Protection from the Elements
Temperature and humidity can also threaten your guitar. Extreme heat or extreme cold can damage the wood, the binding, and other parts. Humidity is another problem for guitars – and it start to become a problem once you store the instrument in its case. The good news is, there are capsules available in guitar stores that you can use to address this problem. Simply put the capsule into the case to stabilize and maintain proper humidity.
Scratches and Falls
Scratches are clear signs of uncared-for guitars. These scratches can be caused by accidental falling, sharp belt buckles and other accessories that can ruin the wood finish. To avoid these unsightly scrapes, avoid wearing a buckled belt when you're going to strap on your guitar. You should also buy a guitar stand instead of propping up your guitar against the wall.
© Copyright 2008 -
|
