Guitar Maintenance

Classical (nylon strings) /Acoustic (steel strings)

Storing your Guitar

Bag

• Pros: Bags start from $25the bag reigns supreme in terms of pricing, simplicity, and versatility. Its biggest advantage is its mobility; many bags have straps so that you can wear it like a backpack, and all are light in weight so that they are easy to move around.
• Cons: not necessarily the safest way of transporting a guitar, and high end guitars — those priced at $700 and up — should be seen sparingly if at all in bags.

Guitar Stand

• Pros: Stands start from $26 -for those interested in making the guitar serve a secondary purpose as a home decoration, the stand is generally regarded as the most fashionable method of publicly displaying your guitar. Placing the guitar on a stand can also be more convenient, as the other alternatives — bags and cases — require guitarists to open zippers and locks to access the instrument.
• Cons: the stand leaves your guitar unprotected from the natural environment, so it is more susceptible to any dust and dirt that may be in the open area. Moreover, many high end guitars are extremely sensitive to temperature and humidity, and hence cannot be stored publicly.

Case

• Pros: the case is by far the most protective means of storing your guitar. As a result, if you spent a fair amount of money on your guitar or if your guitar has a substantial amount of sentimental value, it would be wise to store your guitar in a case.
• Cons: Cases start from $109 in-store. Cases are by far the priciest option for storing your guitar; many cases are several hundred dollars, making them more expensive than a wide range of guitars. The cost barrier may make it a questionable purchase for many students — especially if the guitar itself is a low end or beginner guitar.

How often should you replace your strings?

Approximately every 3 – 4 months if you are only playing a few times a week.

How often strings should be changed depends on how often you play, and how important quality of sound is to you when you play. Assuming an hour a day everyday, you would probably want to change your strings every 4-6 weeks. Professional guitarists who perform daily often change their strings several times a week, or even on a daily basis. This ensures that their strings have the freshest possible sound — which is especially important for them, since they are performing in front of a live audience or recording in a studio. The types of strings you buy can also substantially affect the longevity of your strings.

Nanoweb coated strings, while priced substantially higher than the rest of the strings, are capable of lasting an exceptionally long time.

Amateur guitarists using nanoweb coated strings may find that they last 12 weeks or more.

Taking Care of your Fretboard

As the part of your guitar likely to accumulate the most sweat and dirt, the fretboard requires special care. A fretboard that is maintained well, will prove to be noticeably easier to play, will feel more comfortable, and will look sharper from a visual perspective.

Polishing your fretboard

The best way to take care of your fretboard is to periodically polish it. Many guitarists find it convenient to polish their fretboard when they replace strings.

To polish your fretboard, you will need two items: (1) guitar polish and (2) a cloth.

Once you have your polish and cloth, you just need to follow these simple instructions:

1. Polish the guitar thoroughly up and down the fretboard.
2. Allow the polish to rest on the guitar for about 15-20 seconds.
3. Taking your cloth, thoroughly massage the polish into the fretboard by wiping it up and down.
4. You are now ready to use your newly polished guitar.

You will notice that it is easier to play and that it looks nicer as well.

Guitar Polish can be purchased in-store – we use and recommend Dunlop Fingerboard Deep Conditioner 02