How do I take care of my guitars?

The appearance of a guitar may change over time, but if properly cared for, it will retain its original sound longer. In this article, you will learn how not to start its condition, protect it from dust and dirt, physical damage.

We will also analyze in detail how to clean the strings and neck at home, when to polish the body, what sprays to wipe it with. Proper regular maintenance will ensure the durability of your musical instrument and will allow it to sound as melodic as it did in the beginning. So, about all the care and storage measures in order.

As much as it sounds, personal hygiene is of great importance to a guitarist. To prevent sweat, particles of fat and skin, and other substances from getting on the strings and the deck while playing, hands should be handled each time before sitting down to play.

And it doesn't matter where it happens: at home or elsewhere - in any case, hands need to be degreased.

But even observing all these measures of personal hygiene, the guitar periodically still needs a "general cleaning". The body must be wiped from dust with a special cleaner, the unvarnished surface can be greased - linseed oil or wax is suitable for this. It is better to have the whole set for "cleaning" the guitar at home, then the instrument will always be in order.

Wipe the lacquered housing with a clean, lint-free cloth to avoid excess particles on the surface. These special wipes are sold at specialized retail outlets.Musicians prefer microfiber: it is moistened in a non-concentrated solution of detergent and the guitar is wiped.

It is advisable to wipe the body of a stringed instrument after each session of playing it, and you need to be more careful with polishing. This procedure is carried out once every 2-3 months. If the guitar is new - and even less so, so as not to damage the coating.

Taking care of the guitar is the business of every musician, be it a professional or an amateur. At home, caring for an acoustic guitar, a classical guitar, and an electric guitar is slightly different. A separate approach to matte coatings (from solid wood), it is necessary to correctly approach cleaning from dirt and polishing the lacquered surface.

Let's take a closer look at how to clean the hotel parts of the guitar.

Strings are cleaned in the following order:

• the guitar is placed with the deck down, while the neck is given a height;
• a small amount of cleaning solution is applied to a cotton napkin (or microfiber);
• wrap the strings with a napkin and wipe them;
• when cleaning the strings, pay special attention to the place where your fingers touch the strings - this area is especially carefully wiped.

Nylon strings are cleaned with a napkin dipped in plain water, this is enough for prophylaxis. But to clean the rest, you will need special tools, especially to clean the iron from rust.

The guitar neck is cleaned of contamination at least once every 3 months. To do this, stock up with a clean cloth, soapy water (aggressive cleaning agents are not recommended for use in this case to preserve the structure of a wooden surface), you will also need an alcohol base and, for example, lemon oil.

The procedure for cleaning the neck is as follows:

• the guitar is placed exclusively horizontally with the neck on a hill;
• strings remove or weaken them;
• moisten a cloth napkin in soapy water and pass it along each fret;
• after this procedure, take a dry rag and remove excess moisture, wipe off the accumulated dirt;
• let the guitar dry.

There are special napkins for caring for your guitar body. If these are not at hand, you can take a regular cloth, wet it (microfiber will do) and wipe the guitar. The main thing that the rag has not left scratches or other marks on the instrument.

This will be the primary cleaning of dust. And then you need a body polish... But this issue is approached very carefully.

To clean the case, you can use polish PW-PL-01, which also produces restorative actions, which is important for the deck surface. The product is recommended to be mixed with wax. If the instrument has cracks or scratches, Cream Of Carnauba will help you clean up.

Polishing the body also removes fingerprints, but when choosing a product, consider whether your instrument has a lacquered body or not. The unvarnished surface of the case is only wiped with a soft cloth, polishing is contraindicated in this case.

If the contamination is large, it can be treated with a special liquid for non-varnished surfaces. But do not specifically wet and polish, otherwise ugly stains will appear on the case. Improper care will ultimately lead to damage to the musical instrument.

Consider the following circumstance: the bodies of modern guitars are coated with polyurethane - this varnish reacts well to polishes. But vintage guitars are finished with nitrocellulose varnish, which polishes cannot tolerate.

When caring for your guitar, you need to pay attention to the fittings, especially the metal parts, in order to avoid corrosion. So, metal parts must be thoroughly cleaned. To do this, use special napkins, oils that prevent erasure of such parts, as well as other means (such as Dunlop) for degreasing and removing stubborn dirt.

General recommendations for the care of the guitar boil down to the fact that the instrument must be properly used and stored, cleaned regularly. It is important to protect the guitar from moisture, otherwise corrosion will appear on the metal part and cracks on the wooden surface.

All this will render the instrument unusable. Here are some guidelines for caring for and storing guitars:

• so that the guitar is not dusty and not exposed to external influences, it is better to always store it in a special case at a temperature of 20-27 degrees (humidity indicator - from 40 to 60%);
• when carrying the instrument, also use the case;
• you should not play the guitar when it was just brought in from the cold - you need to let it lie down for a quarter of an hour before picking it up;
• protect the guitar from temperature extremes, direct sunlight, do not keep in a draft or near heating systems.

You get used to a good instrument quickly, therefore true musicians and amateurs value and cherish their graceful string "companions". As in life, finding a replacement for a friend you get used to is not easy. It is easier in this situation to take care of what you have, especially since taking care of your guitar is quite simple.