How to Do Basic Maintenance on Your Guitar

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By eHow Contributing Writer

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Guitars are hardy creatures. If you don't abuse or accidentally destroy your guitar, it may well stay with you for the rest of your life. Even so, you should perform some maintenance to keep it in excellent health.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Acoustic Guitars
Guitar Cases
Guitar Polish
Guitar Stands
Cloth Diapers
Camel-hair Paintbrushes
Cotton Cloth
Dust Cloths
Feather Dusters
Furniture Polishes
Polishing Cloths

Cleaning the Strings

Step 1

Dust under the strings and under the bridge with a feather duster, soft cotton cloth or a clean, cotton diaper.
Step 2

Wipe the strings after playing to prevent the buildup of grime. Otherwise, the natural oil and sweat on your fingers will cause the strings to become dull over time.
Step 3

Use a small, camel-hair paintbrush to dust the bridge and pickup areas.

Cleaning and Polishing the Wood

Step 1

Blow excess dust off the wood.
Step 2

Gently rub the guitar with a dust cloth.
Step 3

If dullness persists, use a soft cloth to rub furniture or guitar polish on the body of the guitar.

General Maintenance

Step 1

Store your guitar in its case whenever you are not playing.
Step 2

Keep your guitar out of direct sunlight.
Step 3

Keep your guitar in a room with 45 percent to 55 percent humidity, a level that is also comfortable for humans.
Step 4

Avoid exposing your guitar to extremes of temperature.

Comments

Anonymous said

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on 3/2/2006 A good way to clean an electric guitar is by wiping it down with Spray 'n' Wipe and using a lint-free cloth. Also, scrubbing your frets and pickups with steel wool helps them sound clearer, but be careful not to scratch the wood on the board itself.
After you've scrubbed the metal parts of your guitar with steel wool, rubbing them with a small amount of fresh Coca-Cola helps them stay nice and shiny, just try not to leave any on there.