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How to Care for Acoustic Guitars

If you want to keep your acoustic guitar for many years, you'll want to take care of it and store it properly. Good guitar care will help your guitar keep its quality of sound and provide years of enjoyment. Here are some basics tips on guitar care.

Buy the Right Accessories

The first step to keeping your guitar in good shape is to buy the appropriate accessories. A guitar case, when properly fitted, can be your best friend when it comes to care. The case will protect it from being stepped on, kicked, scratched, etc. when not in use. A case also works great for traveling.

If you play often, find an acoustic guitar stand that's very sturdy and the proper size for your guitar. Also, your guitar strap should fit snugly without risk of coming lose or breaking while playing. This is extremely important because the guitar can become permanently damaged from one accidental fall.

Storage Tips

When not using your guitar, store it in a safe area at room temperature. Avoid extreme heat and sunlight; the wood can become cracked, warped, or brittle when exposed to these elements for very long. When this happens, the bridge may separate from the body and the guitar will be completely useless. High heat can also cause the glue to loosen.

Use a humidifier in the room if you live in a very hot, dry climate. Never expose the guitar to very high humidity if possible, but some humidity is better than none at all. It's great if you can store it in a room where the humidity is stabilized. Use an enclosed guitar case to slowly introduce the instrument to an extreme change in the temperature, such as when going from an air conditioned room to the outdoors on a hot summer day.

Also, never store your guitar by hanging it on a wall or by leaving it lying around on furniture. Don't lean it against a wall, even while in its case. Because of its shape, a guitar can topple easily.

Clean Your Acoustic Guitar Often

Another crucial area of guitar care is regular cleaning. Wipe down the body and neck after use to keep the wood looking shiny and new. Clean and dry drink spills immediately. Also, clean the strings often by wiping them with a soft cloth. This helps eliminate oils from your fingertips that can accumulate on the strings. Wiping the strings can extend their use. There are also guitar maintenance kits to assist with cleaning. You can polish your guitar’s wood areas with solutions such as Martin Guitar Polish. Avoid the polishes made of heavy paste wax though because they can cause wax build-up.

*Hint: Wash your hands thoroughly before playing to reduce the amount of oil and dirt.

Handling Your Guitar

When carrying your guitar or when getting ready to play, always hold it by the neck. If you squeeze the body or top area, this can damage the soundboard bracing. Handle it with care and always look before making sudden turns when holding a guitar in the playing position - remember the long neck is sticking out!

Most acoustic guitars require minimal maintenance, but these small tasks can add many years to your favorite instrument!

~~~ Written by Candice Pardue

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