How to Care for Your New Guitar

Between Taylor Swift and Keith Urban, most people dream about learning how to play the guitar.  There are peaceful melodies worth learning for the new beginning guitarist, or there are hardcore jams that heavy metal devotees love to rock out to.  Either way, caring for a guitar is essential to have any kind of future playing it.

Storage

One of the most important things about guitar care is the storage.  Make sure that you keep it on a stand, on the wall or in a case, not just lying around your room where it can fall over or be stepped on.  Improper storage can also lead to dings and scratches, and even broken guitar necks.  You can easily find stands at guitar stores, both freestanding and wall-mounted.

Cleaning

Cleaning the guitar on a regular basis is also important.  You can use a cotton cloth and a commercial cleaner that you can find at most music shops.  You can use the cleaner on the body of the guitar, as well as on the neck.  Never use any type of bleach-based cleaner on your guitar.

Inspect the Parts

Check all of the hardware on the guitar once every few months, and make sure that all of the pegs are tight and unrusted.  You can make this a part of your cleaning routine so you do not forget, and when new parts are needed visit a music store.

Replace Old Strings

Another piece of guitar care that you can’t forget involves your strings.  If you want your strings to last, you will want to buy one of the commercial string cleaners on the market and run a dust-free cloth over them once a month.  Of course, even with cleaning, you will need to make sure that you change the strings when needed.  Don’t keep old strings on your guitar for too long or you will wind up with a dull, out-of tune sound. 

Simple maintenance and repair can help you keep your guitar remain in good shape and sounding great when it’s time to play!