If you want your guitar to serve you faithfully for a long time, you need to take care of it like you would your pet. Let's see how to do it right guitar care and how to deal with it.

For a guitar, a more suitable air temperature is - about 20 degrees. Do not place an acoustic guitar near heaters, drafts.

In no case do not let water get on the guitar, she does not like it.

Also, sudden changes in temperature are not desirable. Therefore, if you carry a guitar in a case on the street (for example, for lessons with a guitar teacher), then you should not immediately take it out of the case when you come home. Let the guitar rest in its case for a while.

It is necessary to wipe the strings every time you finish playing the guitar. soft dry cloth to remove grease and sweat stains formed during the game. You can also wipe the strings with a cotton swab soaked in alcohol.

Periodically, you need to remove the strings from the guitar and clean them with a special string solution, which can be found in any music store, or, if you want to save money, you can use a dish or window cleaner.

Acoustic guitar strings wear out very quickly, especially cheap ones. Therefore, no matter how you take care of them, you still have to periodically, because the old strings will sound worse over time, so even a non-specialist can notice this. That's why I advise you to buy good strings, more expensive, if, of course, the budget allows.

Note: I once read this on the Internet: "The old worn out strings must be removed and immersed in boiling water for 5 minutes. Then put back. They will sound like new for some time."

To be honest, I have not tried this case and do not know how the strings will behave. If you wish, you can conduct such an experiment and see if this is so.

Also, do not forget to wash your hands thoroughly before playing the guitar, preferably with soap, so that the strings are less dirty.

VERY IMPORTANT: Never place iron strings on a classical guitar, otherwise the neck may warp. I checked))

The neck also needs special care, because dirt also accumulates on it. To get rid of it, you need to remove the strings, after which wipe each fret with a dry cloth. You should not wipe the neck with alcohol, as it dries the wood, as a result of which microcracks can go along the neck.

The frets (pieces of iron that separate the frets) also need to be wiped when dirty.

Caring for the body of the guitar is that it must be periodically cleaned of dust with an ordinary soft cloth. If there is heavy dirt, you can use a damp cloth, but at the end be sure to wipe dry.

guitar body- this is a very important part of it, so try to avoid getting dents and scratches on it, because in the end this may affect the sound quality of the guitar. Do not throw the guitar anywhere!

1. The tool must not be wet, kept in the cold. When bringing home in a case from frost, do not take it out of the case immediately, wait a bit.

2. Wash your hands before playing.

3. It often happens that the same string is constantly frayed on an acoustic guitar - especially the fourth (especially if the strings are nylon). I can advise you on how to avoid a broken fourth string:

If you see that the string is starting to fray, unscrew the peg and move the string down a little (towards the body of the guitar) from the fret nut where the string is actually rubbing. When there is nowhere to move, turn it over.

4. It happens that after you put new strings on acoustics, they start to "lie" and play what they want. This is normal because the new strings are not yet stretched and will begin to stretch in place. To avoid this, pre-stretch new strings.

How to draw a new string: Wind the string in the upper part of the neck (where the pegs are) and start pulling it towards the body of the guitar with the effort of the hand. And then put the string on.

5. If you are away on vacation for a long time and leave the guitar at home, it would be better if you put it in a case, after lowering the strings so that they become free. And when you come back from vacation, tune your guitar again.

6. To make the guitar less "injured", you do not need to put it in a corner or just throw it in an incomprehensible place. It is better to purchase a simple guitar stand, or make it yourself. I made this one:

True, I made this stand for an electric guitar, but the technology is the same. So the guitar will be less exposed to external influences and will last longer. By the way, I'll make a lesson on DIY guitar stand with detailed descriptions and photos. In order not to miss the lesson, subscribe to

Although the guitar is made of wood, it should not be treated like furniture. No wonder we hug the guitar when we play it. She is the spokesman for our feelings and thoughts. She is our vest, our sedative. Therefore, if you are the owner of a good acoustic guitar, you must follow the rules for caring for the instrument. Proper storage, maintenance, and regular minor repairs will keep your six-string friend not only looking good, but her pure, alluring tone as well.

Tool storage

Having bought a guitar, be prepared for new expenses. You have to purchase a case (or case). At worst, buy a cover, just keep in mind that it should be tight, with good insulation. Please note: some guitar manufacturers produce cases specifically for their acoustics.
If you are going to use the instrument often, and handling the case is inconvenient for you, purchase a special stand for acoustics with a neck holder. The stand holder will not let the tool fall if your child or pet is interested in it.
Remember that the guitar does not tolerate temperature changes! Therefore, do not place it next to the radiator or at the balcony door. If you have to walk with acoustics in the cold, do not take it out and do not play on it as soon as you enter the room. Let the tool stand in the case for a while and warm up.
One more nuance: any musical instrument does not tolerate too low humidity. If the air is too dry, cracks can appear in the case, as a result of which the sound will no longer be the same. Keep the humidity in the room where the guitar is stored at around 50%. This rule is especially true during the heating season. The easiest solution to the problem is to buy a humidifier, but if you can't afford it, then place cans of water around the tool or spread a damp cloth near the battery.

String and body care

If you care about the sound quality of your acoustics, get ready for the fact that you will have to change the strings about 2-3 times a year. To avoid doing this too often, try the following tips:
Loosen the strings after each play by 1-2 tones;
Wipe the strings regularly with a dry, soft, lint-free cloth;
Remember that dirt and grease from our fingers will clog the windings of the strings, resulting in a less bright sound, so always wash your hands before playing the instrument;
If you are inclined to save, do not rush to throw out the strings that have become unusable! Put them in boiling water for 3-5 minutes. The dirt will be washed away, the grease will dissolve, and the strings will sound like new!
The tool must be cleaned regularly to remove dust. For example, the bodies of Yamaxa guitars differ from others in their exceptional reflective surface properties, and greasy stains from hands are quite noticeable on them. To care for the body, get yourself a cloth with a soft pile. In no case do not wipe the guitar with a damp cloth, it is better to apply a special tool for the care of musical instruments on the cloth.
Don't forget to inquire about the specifics of guitar care and storage from the sales assistant of the guitar store where you are going to purchase the instrument. He will give you detailed instructions on how to care for each specific model.

How to care.

The guitar, like any other device, is subject to wear and aging:
- the strings are deformed and even sometimes torn;
- wooden parts can warp from sudden changes in climatic conditions; moving parts wear out, etc.
All these unpleasant changes can prevent you from expressing yourself through your instrument and increase your chances of expressing yourself through other, not very suitable for printing, ways. Therefore, if you want your guitar to always be in good working order and ready to play, you need to learn the rules for caring for it and the simplest repair.

As your playing level increases, you will begin to get a better feel for the instrument, so if there are subtle changes in the response of the strings or action, you will immediately notice them. In the same way, your ear will also develop: in some cases, the response of the guitar and its appearance will not change, but its sound may become a little different from what you are used to. This will already be a signal to devote time to the tool and find out what the problem is. The more you get to know your guitar, the less afraid you will be of experimenting with it. Gaining experience and knowledge as you master the instrument is a natural process. But, on the other hand, unforeseen situations can always happen (for example, a guitar breaks down on the road), so you should be prepared to do minor repairs on your own. In doing so, you will not only save money and time, but also better understand how the guitar works. So put your plectrum aside and grab your repair tools! Next, you will learn exactly what tools, materials and fixtures you will need, as well as how to use them correctly.

Guitar care
You may not like it, but the most destructive forces that can damage your guitar are yours. Your hands sweat, transfer moisture, grease, corrosive liquids and dirt to strings, wood and metal parts. Add to this "natural phenomena: dust, beer, cigarette smoke (even if you are a healthy lifestyle advocate, performing in clubs, you can hardly avoid this) and sweat from the bass player's hair. Fortunately, cleaning a guitar is A fairly simple and quick procedure, in most cases your guitar will be as shiny as new in a matter of minutes.
To minimize the chance of your guitar becoming contaminated by dust or drips of any kind, try to place it in a case or case as soon as possible.

strings
After each performance or each rehearsal, clean the strings with a piece of soft cloth. At the same time, pay attention to the cleanliness of the nut and stand. Wipe the strings one at a time - this will lengthen their life.
Body, headstock and guitar mechanics
With the strings on the guitar, pour a guitar polish onto a piece of cloth and wipe the body, back, and front of the neck (for better contact with the wood surface, you can pass the cloth under the slightly loosened strings). Then rub the guitar to a shine with a dry rag. Similarly, with a soft cloth, you can wipe down all the metal parts. To get to hard-to-reach places, such as string sockets and the area under the tails of the strings, you can use a cleaning stick. Be careful not to get any cleaning fluid on the strings - they can become slippery, like the handshake of a burnt politician.

sills
To properly clean the frets, the strings must be removed. First, wipe the sills with a clean cloth. To remove dirt, you can lightly go over the surface of the nut with fine-grained sandpaper (the so-called "zero"), moving the paper parallel to the fingerboard. At the same time, the effort should be very light so that the emery, along with the dirt, does not remove the metal of the nut. Be especially careful not to damage the face of the neck with the emery. Always move the emery in one direction in a very slow motion so that your hand does not come off and hit the wood surface of the fret.

Check the surface of the sills for burrs and nicks. Small burrs can be removed on their own using the same “zero”, and it is better to entrust the removal of deeper burrs to a qualified specialist. Due to the fact that the strings are constantly pressed against the nut, small indentations form on the nut after prolonged use of the guitar. While the surface of the nut is even, the string is pressed against it in different places (albeit in a rather narrow band), thereby evenly distributing the "damage". However, as soon as a recess begins to form on the threshold, the string will more and more often be pressed against the threshold in this very place, thereby “breaking” the threshold, like heavy trucks on a country road. Therefore, timely grinding of recesses (until they become "grooves") can significantly lengthen the life of the thresholds.

Electronics
Contamination of the contact surfaces of switches, connectors and potentiometers can cause any music you play to be accompanied by crackles, clicks and acoustic shocks. But getting rid of such undesirable phenomena is quite simple - you just need to perform a "general cleaning of the electronic economy."
Cleaning potentiometers (sound volume controls, guitar tone)

By performing the simple operations described below, you will protect yourself from the troubles associated with the ingress of dirt on the contact surfaces of the potentiometers or with the occurrence of corrosion on them.

1. Remove the potentiometer knob. Plastic handles are usually held onto the shanks by friction alone. Insert the tip of a screwdriver under the handle and lightly press on the handle of the screwdriver to remove the handle from the shank. However, be careful - metal handles are often attached to the shank with a small screw. In this case, first unscrew this screw, and then remove the handle.

2. Apply contact cleaner to the contact surfaces of the potentiometer that are visible through the hole.

3. Rotate the shank of the potentiometer several times in different directions to evenly wet the contact surfaces with the cleaning liquid.

Cleaning switches and connectors
The contact surfaces of switches and connectors are generally more difficult to reach than the contact surfaces of potentiometers. On some guitars, to gain access to the switches, you need to remove either the protective cap or the switch bar. However, if you managed to get access to the elements of interest to you in one way or another, the cleaning technique remains the same: pour as much liquid as possible on the contact surfaces and operate the switch or plug until you get rid of the dirt.

Guitar storage
You can be very careful with the guitar while it is near you, but all your efforts will be in vain if you do not take care of proper storage in time. As noted in this chapter, wood is a very sensitive material when it comes to environmental factors, and some of these factors can cause serious problems for your guitar. Here are some simple guitar storage tips that will save you headaches and your wallet from guitar repair costs. Always store your guitar in a case. Soft cases are only good for short-term storage - nothing protects the wood, mechanics and guitar strings like a good, durable case. If the guitar is stored in such a case, you don't have to worry about the fretboard moving. The case will reliably protect the tool from dust, moisture.
And a few more tips:
Try to avoid sudden changes in temperature;
Store the instrument in constant humidity conditions;
Inspect the instrument regularly for any damage.

The acoustic guitar is a rather fragile instrument. And even though the materials and build quality are reliable, improper care can lead to cracking or delamination of the neck on the body. Long-term operation causes wear of pegs, strings, which ultimately affects the sound quality and can even cause injury to the musician during the game.

Care of the instrument begins with simple rules, the observance of which will be the key to a long service life and high-quality sound.

Compliance with temperature and humidity

• The guitar should not be subjected to sudden changes in temperature. The optimum storage temperature is 20 C. At the same time, the instrument must be kept away from drafts, heaters and direct sunlight;
• For carrying it is necessary to use a special case;
• Arriving into the room from the street, the instrument cannot be immediately removed from the case, and even more so to play it;
• Humidity indicators for the place where the guitar is stored should not be less than 40-60%. Otherwise, the guitar may dry out. To avoid this, it is necessary to store it in a case, away from heating devices. You can also purchase a portable humidifier from a specialized store.

Caring for Acoustic Guitar Parts

Case polishing

If the guitar is new, there is no need for frequent polishing. If you need to get rid of fingerprints, you can wipe the guitar with a special cloth to remove grease stains. Suitable for this purpose and ordinary cotton fabric.

If the case has lost its appearance a little, you can use a polish designed to care for lacquered and wooden products. However, do not polish the frets.

Fretboard Care

As a rule, fingerboards are made of rosewood, the wood of which is several times stronger than oak. But, nevertheless, the main problem of any neck is drying and pollution.

The neck, unlike the body, needs more cleaning, because after a long game, dirt begins to accumulate around the frets, which the strings prevent you from reaching. You can use an abrasive sponge for cleaning. But the fret cleaning procedure should be carried out with the utmost care to prevent contact of the abrasive material with the fingerboard.

After cleaning, you can polish the fingerboard and polish it (including the areas near the frets). To prevent drying out, clean up traces of fat and give the lining its original gloss, you should apply a little lemon oil and leave it for a while. Then you need to wipe the pad with a clean cotton cloth.

String care

Strings wear out very quickly, and the longer they are used, the worse they start to sound. The maximum service life varies around 2-3 months, depending on the intensity of the game. To clean the strings of dirt, use chemical cleaners or a device in the form of a wide clothespin.

Before you start playing, you must thoroughly wash and dry your hands, and after practice, wipe the strings with a dry cloth. To protect the strings from corrosion, it is necessary to use special compounds.

How to store a guitar?

Like any wooden stringed instrument, the guitar requires not only careful handling, but also the optimum temperature (+20…+25°C) and humidity (40-60%) of the air. Prolonged violation of these boundaries can warp or dry out, even crack the instrument. But even more dangerous are sharp jumps in temperature and humidity. That's why…

Keep the instrument away from water and direct sunlight.
Maintain the required temperature and humidity in the room - use air conditioners, humidifiers.
Keep your guitar three meters away from fireplaces, radiators, and other heating appliances. And also from windows, powerful fans, air conditioners and drafts.
Use reliable stands and hangers.
Under adverse conditions, store the guitar in a special case or case.

See also "How to transport a guitar?
How to transport a guitar?

The main enemies of a guitar on the road are not only shaking and mechanical damage, but also sudden changes in temperature and humidity (see "How to store a guitar?"). That's why…

Be sure to transport guitars in special cases, or better - hard cases. For the latter, there are even special devices for adjusting air humidity - “humidifiers”.
Store tuning forks, picks and other small items securely in a separate compartment.
If possible, transport the instrument in warm cabins and not in luggage compartments. Never leave your guitar in the trunk of a car in hot or cold weather!
Cool/warm up a guitar brought from heat/frost for at least half an hour indoors, slightly opening the case, and only then take it out.

See also "How to store a guitar?"
How to care for a guitar at home?

Keep your guitar properly tuned. Too little string tension will break the tuning, and too much tension can bend the neck.
Always play with clean and dry hands, and then gently wipe the strings with a dry cloth.
Wipe the case gently with a soft, dry cloth to remove dust.
The fretboards can also be cleaned with a cloth or a soft toothbrush.
Do not use artisanal products to care for elite instruments. Use special cosmetics from serious companies (D'addario, Dunlop, etc.).
For shine, polish the body and, especially, the top deck with special compounds. (Don't polish the frets with them!) Each lacquer has its own remedy, consult the luthier or guitar documents. It is better to clean a rosewood fingerboard with a special lemon cleaner (can be found in salons, not to be confused with lemon oil from a pharmacy), unvarnished maple - with it or any polish.
Clean the strings with special products. Metal - protect against corrosion with special compounds.
If you use it frequently, change the strings about once a month.
Once every few months, lubricate the string passage channels of the nut, if it is not graphite, with liquid graphite.
Lubricate the pegs every six months. To do this, remove the strings, put some oil into the small holes on the gears, and spin each peg a few times.
If possible, do not give the guitar to strangers, especially amateurs. The exception is professionals who value and protect their own and other people's tools.