Maintaining a guitar is an extremely important thing that one should know who owns the guitar. It’s often overlooked because the guitarists just want to get straight to playing it. But you would need a functional working guitar every time to perform in the first place. Taking maintenance seriously would let you play your instrument very well. This will save you time and money in the long run. Through proper guitar care, you can keep your guitar maintained for the long run in both the appearance and sound of your guitar will also be on the rocks. Though guitars need fairly low maintenance as compared to other Musical Equipment, the player should know how to keep their instrument in the best possible shape.
8 important tips for guitar care
Replace the strings regularly – Well, it’s obvious that changing the strings of your guitar will keep it sounding full and crisp. Strings lose their sound quality over time and the more you play your guitar, the faster its quality will deteriorate. The frequency with which you should change your strings will depend on how often you play. For instance, if you play it for an hour daily, you’ll probably need to change your strings once every 4-6 weeks.
Clean the Fretboard –
Oil, dust, and dirt build-up on any guitar over a certain period. That’s because it is suggested to clean your fretboard every time you change the strings. For this, start by removing all the strings and scraping the fretboard gently with any card. Clear the dirt that comes loose and go smoothly over the fretboard again with a soft bristle toothbrush.
Wipe off the fretboard after use –
As mentioned in the above tip, the fretboard catches dirt, oils, and grime very fast. Wiping down the fretboard after each time you play will reduce the build-ups of all unwanted elements, making cleaning your fretboard less of a hassle. Take a small piece of paper towel, fold it in a half-length wise and wrap it under and over the strings.
Avoid extreme temperatures –
Various temperatures can expand and contract the wood of your guitar, resulting in unpleasant outcomes. If the guitar is overexposed to sunlight can cause the finish on your guitar to fade, making it look less cosmetically appealing. Once the temperature dips, it can cause some adverse effects on the alignments of the neck side.
Properly clean and polish your guitar –
To keep your guitar looking superb in its updated condition, it’s quite important to regularly use a cleaning solution and polisher which will make your guitar shine and enhance the look of the wood. The best rule of thumb is to clean and polish your guitar every week. This will boost the resale value of the guitar if you want to sell it.
Keep guitars humidified –
Humidifiers are a great way to protect the guitar while it’s stored away in a case. Dry weather can create dips, bends, and even cracks in your guitar. Keeping humidity in check will ensure that the wood in your guitar receives the right amount of moisture and stays healthy. Take a wet sponge every 3-4 days and insert the humidifier between the strings in the sound hole.
Don’t scratch or ding your guitar –
When playing guitar, be aware of what you’re wearing, so that you don’t accidentally scratch or ding your guitar. Belts, zipper jackets, necklaces, and rings are all examples of things that you should take off before you take your guitar in your hands. You might not notice it, but when you are performing your favorite song and these hard surfaces rub together when you could end up with some nasty scratches on the guitar.
Timely bring your guitar to the technician –
Taking your guitar to a professional technician would likely bring your musical instrument perfect grace. An expert guitar technician will check the alignment of your guitar neck and adjust the actions as per your liking. Bringing your guitar to a technically trained person will be an important part of your guitar care routine.
Wrapping up –
So now that you know the basic care tips for guitar, it’s time to put these into practice. Be sure to keep these tips in mind every time you play the guitar which will make it sound great for years to come.
