MAINTENANCE

Here are some basics about maintaining your guitar to help you avoid disaster. This information is in no way definitive but just gathered observations from over the years that we’ve been working on guitars. Please check out the links at the bottom of the page for more through (and hopefully not conflicting) explanations.

O.K. Humidity….
Your guitar is made of wood and wood is hydroscopic which means it gains and releases moisture according to the level of humidity in its environment. For the most part, wood will react predictably but… every piece of wood is different from the next, even if cut from the same log or board. Guitars are manufactured in a controlled environment of 40 to 55% humidity and 60 to 75 degree temp. Those are the conditions your guitar wants to be in.
In the Midwest, the climate has some pretty extreme swings. From –20 degrees and 10% humidity in the winter to 100 degrees and 95% humidity in the summer. Although your guitar can become over humidified it is far easier for it to dry out. During the cold and dry winter months the outdoor atmosphere has a tendency to draw humidity out of your home. Forced air heating systems also tend to dry the air to uncomfortable levels for guitars. Even with whole-house and stand-alone humidifiers the thin wood of an acoustic guitar is fighting with flooring, drywall and furniture for that moisture and the thin wood always looses. Your guitar is also under a great deal of tension from the strings as well as tension from the truss rod in the neck, which is working against string pull to keep the neck straight.
As your guitar dries out symptoms can include:
The top caves in front of the bridge and bellies behind it.
The fingerboard over the body humps up causing fret buzz.
Fret ends poke from the side if the fingerboard.
The neck moves, up or down depending on the guitar.
Cracks appear in the top, back, sides.
Braces come unglued allowing further movement/damage.

All of these symptoms will effect playability and tone with cracks and loose bracing seriously compromising the structural integrity of the guitar. All this can be avoided. As an owner, your goal is to keep your guitar in an environment as close to the conditions it was created in as possible.
Avoid extremes:
Store your guitar in a hardshell case.
Invest in a hygrometer either for the case or the room or both. This will help you gauge when the guitar is happy.
Avoid storing near heat registers or direct sunlight.
Never leave in a hot car, bus or trailer.
Use a soundhole and in-case humidifier.

There are several humidification products available for your guitar. For acoustics we recommend the Kyser Lifeguard for the soundhole and a Herco humidifier for inside the case. The soundhole humidifiers trap moisture inside the guitar body while the in case ones help maintain humidity for the neck and fingerboard.
As for when to use them, we recommend Labor Day to Memorial Day. This way you’ll be ahead of major seasonal changes which makes maintain humidity much easier.

NOTE: Letting your guitar dry out voids the warranty. No manufacturer will cover the cost any repairs that are due to the effects of lack of humidity.

CLEANING AND GENERAL CARE
Now that you have a grasp on the most important aspect of guitar maintenance, humidity, keeping it clean is next.
We are not big proponents of polishing products no matter whose name is on the bottle. Our advice is to wipe the guitar down after playing with a microfiber cloth. These are available at any bigbox store or automotive supply store. They will pull up any oils, sweat and dirt off the finish without the need for a polishing product. Much less often you can use a mild detergent solution on a damp microfiber cloth (just damp, not dripping) to remove more stubborn gunk.

DO NOT use any oily polishes or waxes or anything that contains silicone as they can impair any future repairs.

The fingerboard is where there tends to be the most accumulation of gunk from body oils and dirt. With the strings off, you can scrub the fingerboard and frets with 0000 steel wool. This is the finest grit steel wool available and has a cleaning/polishing effect. DO NOT use steel wool on finished fingerboards, as it will scratch the glossy surface, use a microfiber cloth to clean those boards.
Use caution when using steel wool as it will scratch finish and particles can accumulate on pickups. Blow any residue from the steel wool away with compressed air.
There fingerboard products available such as lemon oil and various conditioners for “dry” fingerboards. Most of these products are mineral oil with scent additives. Applying oil to a fingerboard does not add moisture. The oil will slightly penetrate the surface and provide a small degree of protection from shrinkage. Basically, it makes it look nice. We’ve found that the amount of oil in 0000 steel wool is about the perfect amount of oil for most fingerboards. In the case of very dry looking boards we will apply a sparing amount of straight mineral oil, rub in and wipe off excess immediately.

For further information on humidity, watch these videos from Taylor Guitars.

Visit Frets.com for a wealth of information for players and luthiers alike.