Guitar Care
Though our guitars have a natural drying process of almost 20 years –without
any artificial forced or mechanical process- we recommend to follow these
directions:
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. We keep our workshop at a constant 45-55
% humidity and 22-25 degrees C. If either humidity or temperature get
far away from these conditions, your guitar could be damaged.
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.
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. If the moisture
content 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.
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.
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.
We recommend storing your guitar in its case when not in use. Humidity
is easier to control in a smaller space.
A 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.
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