PAUL VERNON CHESTER

Manouche Maestro

Acoustic Guitar Maintenance

There are things that ought to be considered in order to maintain its value, condition, and playability. In other words, you have to take care of your instrument if you want it to last, if you want it to sound great for years to come.

Storage: If you’re not going to play for months on end, loosen or remove the strings. This will keep the bridge, nut, neck, and body from warping, bending out of shape, or even snapping - yes, they can snap. I’ve seen bridges snap clean off because the strings were left tight for months at a time. Don’t let this happen to the instrument you paid good money for. 

Also, you might want to consider a humidifer if you’re the proud owner of any acoustic guitar. Humidifiers are generally placed in the sound hole of your guitar so that the wood can maintain a proper humidity level. This keeps the wood in shape - especially in wintertime, when you’ve got space heaters extracting every drop of moisture in the room your guitar calls home.
 
Caution should be taken if you choose to use a humidifier to combat low humidity. Moisture in direct contact with the guitar could cause damage, as can the rubber or vinyl parts of a humidifier.
 

Hard Case - If your guitar is stored in high-traffic areas, you might want to invest in a hard body case, or a rack so that the instrument can be safely stored in the corner or on your wall. The hard body cases are made of a tough plastic which prevents damage to the instrument in the event that someone should step on it, drop it, or spill something. Yes, a good case is a good investment but not as much as your cherished guitar did, As for soft shell cases - the standard, even flimsy cardboard - they’re a whole lot better than having nothing at all. Not only do they make your guitar a lot easier to carry, they also prevent damage done to the instrument through spilled liquids, cats walking all over it, and other such mishaps that occur in our everyday lives. The money you spend now could save you a whole lot of money later.

Racks - either floor stand models or hooks that you screw into your wall - are worth the cash you spend on them. This way you can display your instrument in a fairly safe place as well as save some money storage options. If you decide to hang your guitar on the wall, please select a rack that is padded to prevent damage to the instrument’s neck. Also, be sure to install it so that the screws are through wall studs - if they aren’t, your instrument could very well fall without warning.

Transportation: Don’t forget, hot cars and other extreme climates can mean the death of your instrument! Don’t leave them in your car - or anyplace where they could be stolen. Also, should you decide to use a case, remember to check all the latches before you move it. There have been plenty of times when musicians - new and expert - haven’t done this. Their instruments fell out of the case because it wasn’t latched - the guitars have hit everything from asphalt to grass.

Insurance: Yes, you can insure your guitar. Just think: If something unexpected happens - such as a flood or fire - your prized instrument is covered! Many musicians - serious and casual - have purchased insurance policies for their instruments. It may cost a little now, but think of how much time, money, energy, and care you’ve invested in your guitar. Isn’t it worth at least thinking about?

Instrument care: You have to take care of your instrument if you want it to give you years of pleasure and entertainment. Treat your guitar with care. Don’t drop it, leave it out where it can be abused, neglect it, or fail to replace broken or worn parts (such as bridge pins or strings).  Maintain your guitar. Keep it tuned - unless you’re not going to play it for a long period of time, that is. Keep the strings changed out regularly - not only do the older strings sound bad and go dead quickly, they’re also not great on the machine heads if they’re left on for too long. Keep your guitar clean - make sure dust and other elements can’t get to it, and make sure you’re clean before you even pick it up.  If you’re unsure about something concerning your guitar, don’t be afraid to ask somebody who knows what they’re doing. The man who runs the music store a few streets away, the guitarist in the garage band playing next door to you, or even your cousin if he or she plays - whatever the case, you’ll always be able to find someone to help you if you aren’t afraid to open your mouth.  Take care of your instrument and it’ll take care of your musical needs for a long time to come. Use common sense, ask questions of the right people, and have fun playing your guitar.

Polish For polishing you should use a polish bought from a guitar shop and buff with a dry soft cloth. You should polish at least once a month, probably once a week. If you have a an good guitar, you should buff after use for purely aesthetic reasons; this will get rid of finger grease. For many high quality guitars it is highly advisable to wipe the neck off after each use, as grease builds up on the neck and can slow down the speed that your fingers can move up and down the neck. Finally store your guitar in a somewhat temperate, moderately dark and slightly humid area.  Using a soft cloth is the best way to clean it. Special cloths can be purchased in music stores, or you can simply use an old t-shirt, providing that it is 100% cotton. It is imperative however, that if the t-shirt contains a logo, you firstly remove it, as this can cause damage by scratching the surface of your guitar.

The Fingerboard of a guitar, along with the strings and the fret wire are subject to acidity in the player’s hands. Therefore it is advised to completely remove the strings and rub up and down the fingerboard with a piece of extra fine grade steel wool. When rubbing the frets, it is essential that you take care not to catch the ends of them with the steel wool. The steel wool does not need to be wet before undertaking this process. It is after a few motions that the frets should be shiny. Obviously this depends on how dirty the fingerboard initially is. If the surface of the fingerboard is not cracked or damaged, then you can apply a little lemon oil to prevent the wood from cracking, which is caused by temperature and humidity.

The Woods used to build acoustic guitars are often delicate especially the finer woods used on the more expensive models. They are often covered in a lacquer finish and with regular cleaning it's possible to keep your guitar bright and shining. Be careful to avoid drastic changes in temperature and prolonged periods of direct sunlight as both these external elements can crack the wood on acoustic guitars without warning.

THE GUITAR & HUMIDITY

The guitar is made of different kinds of wood: spruce or cedar for the sound board Indian or Brazilian rosewood , cypress or mahogany for the back and sides, ebony for the fret board, and Spanish cedar or mahogany for the neck. These woods are sensitive to changes in humidity and will expand or contract according to how much humidity is in the air around them.

The ideal humidity for wood instruments is between 40 and 70 percent. Above 70 percent the instrument usually begins to lose its brilliance of tone. Below 35 percent a guitar runs the risk of the body cracking and the neck warping. This is the more serious menace and occurs mostly during the cold winter months in temperate climates and in arid regions.  A good indicator of whether or not your guitar is in need of additional humidity is the fret board. If the ends of the frets stick out it means the ebony has become too dry and has contracted You can assume that the other woods have also shrunk and could crack under the stress.

There are a number of effective humidifying devices available to counteract this danger: The Dampit, the Kyser system, and the D'Addario system all provide a humid atmosphere inside the guitar body. When using them it is important that you leave them inside the closed case when you take out the guitar to play it otherwise the case will become too dry.

A method of providing humidity to the neck and fret board is with a plastic travelling soap dish with a damp sponge inside and holes punched in the lid. If humidity is properly maintained your guitar should never suffer cracking or warping.

Humidity

Your guitar is made of thin wood which is easily affected by temperature and humidity. This combination is the most important single part of your guitar's surroundings. Martin keeps its factory at a constant 45-55 percent humidity and 72-77 degrees Fahrenheit. If either humidity or temperature get far away from these factory conditions, your guitar is in danger. A rapid change in temperature or exposure to cold can cause small cracks in the finish. These are lacquer checks. We recommend the use of a hygrometer/thermometer to measure the relative humidity and temperature surrounding your guitar.

As humidity increases, moisture content of wood goes up rapidly, causing it to expand and swell. A gradual increase in humidity won't generally do permanent damage to your instrument. When very high humidity is combined with high temperature, glue joints could possibly become weakened and may even open slightly. If your guitar is exposed to high temperature or humidity for any length of time, the glue under the bridge could weaken causing the bridge to pull off.

Rapid changes in local humidity are what you want to guard against. If, for instance, you place your guitar near a source of dry heat, the humidity around it will drop much faster than it would naturally, although a sudden dry spell can have the same effect. If the moisture tent of wood is forced down in a hurry, portions of it shrink faster than others, causing cracks and open joints. Don't set your instrument next to a source of heat or hang it on a wall where it will dry out. At all costs, avoid hanging your guitar on an outside wall during winter months. The wall will be cooler than the inside air. The result is a conflict between the temperature of the top and back, with potential damage as a result.

Should the guitar be exposed to freezing temperatures, let it warm to room temperature while still in its case. This lets it come up to room temperature more slowly, decreasing the possibility of wood and finish cracks.

We recommend storing your guitar in its case when not in use. Humidity is easier to control in a smaller space. Don't bother loosening the strings when putting your guitar away unless it won't be used again for several months. Constantly tightening and loosening strings quickly ruins their sound.

The hard case supports the neck and body of your guitar as evenly as possible. It's important that you don't let anything lie under the head (the tuning machine end), as this could damage the neck and body.

Repairs to your instrument should be performed by an authorized repair person.

Tuners  Tuning machines normally need very little care other than periodic lubrication. Enclosed machines, the type with a cover over the gears, are lubricated by the manufacturer, but the open type should be lubricated once or twice a year. Just put a little household petroleum jelly on the end of a toothpick and place the jelly in the gears. Be careful not to use too much because it catches dust which can wear out the machines.

Some types of machines are adjustable for ease of tuning. The open type can be made harder to turn by tightening the screw in the middle of the gear. Check this screw every time you replace the strings because it can work loose. Most enclosed machines have a screw in the end of the tuning knob that will make the machines harder to turn when the screw is tightened. Not much tension is needed, so don't over-tighten the adjusting screws.

Acoustic Guitar Setup

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Last modified: 25/08/2010