Taking Care of Your Guitar

What happens to your guitar when you are not playing it? In a recent interview, legendary guitarist Keith Richards claims to sleep with his guitar beside him to “breathe it in” when he was not playing. Well, I’m not suggesting that we have to go to such extreme measures to care for our instruments and I’m not too sure that your partner would appreciate it either. However, when visiting my musician friends I’m constantly amazed to find their instruments lying around, vulnerable to accidental damage.

Here are a few ideas to think about:

Use a guitar stand: Musicians often lean their guitars against their amplifiers or even against the wall. This is a bad idea as they can easily fall over and get seriously damaged. Top of the accessory list should be a good quality guitar stand, such as those manufactured by Hercules or XCG. A good quality guitar stand will keep your guitar secure when not in use.

Take out the guitar cable: Once your practice session is over, remember to remove the guitar cable from your guitar. Your guitar can be easily damaged by somebody tripping over the guitar cable, so it is best to store it away when not in use. Make sure you store the guitar cable neatly, as a tangled cable can get distorted.

Regularly change guitar strings: To maintain the tone and quality of your guitar, it is recommended that you change your guitar strings on a regular basis. Ernie Ball, DR Strings and Dunlop Strings are all good quality brands, used by many players worldwide. Many retailers, especially online will give discounted prices if you buy more than one set at a time.

Keep your guitar clean: Over time, dust and grime can form around the bridge, nut and frets of your guitar. On a regular basis, clean your guitar, paying special attention to the neck and frets. There are many guitar polishes and guitar cleaners on the market – Dunlop have a wide range, often available in kits.

Keep your guitar picks tidy: It’s very easy to lose guitar picks, and whilst they’re not exactly expensive it’s always worth buying a nice holder for them so you can keep them all in one place, this saves you from hunting around on the floor every time you want to pick up the guitar.

If you follow the guide above not only will it save you money on having to take your instrument to be repaired, but it could also bring a better quality sound from your guitar.

Graham Burton has played bass for 30 years and recommends Bandshop, a leading retailer of music accessories ranging from guitar stands, to acoustic and electric guitar strings.