Humidity and temperature are probably the most important factors when caring for your handcrafted instrument. You need to keep the environment as stable as possible with any significant fluctuations happening as gradually as possible. We keep our workshop environment between 45% and 55% relative humidity and the temperature around 20 degrees Celsius and you should aim to keep your guitar environment as close to this as possible. Approximate safe levels are between 45% and about 65%. Once the guitar goes over these limits movement can start to occur, but can usually be reversed by returning it to the recommended conditions.
With a reasonably good digital hygrometer for around £15 you can measure the humidity of the room you keep your guitars in. If you find the humidity to be outside of these tolerances try using a humidifier/dehumidifier in the room you keep your guitars. This is especially important if your house is particularly damp, dry or subject to widely changing humidity. Bear in mind humidity changes over the seasons, winter can be very dry due to central heating and summer can get very humid.
Keeping your guitars in their cases is an extra safe measure when you know the humidity levels aren’t ideal. It also stops dust collecting on the instrument and avoids unexpected knocks. However, when humidity levels are suitable, bring it out to air.
It's best to keep your guitars as far from underfloor heating and radiators as possible. These are the enemy of guitars and will do no end of damage.
To clean the guitar wipe the body down every so often with a clean damp (not wet) cloth and then a go over with another clean dry cloth.
Keep the fretboard oiled with Lemon oil. It will feel nicer to play and keeps the wood of the fretboard nourished and looking great. It’s also a great way to ensure it stays clean. A lot of dirt and oils are transferred from your fingers onto the fretboard when you play. We use Lemon Oil which can be bought at most musical instrument suppliers.
It's good to change the strings regularly, not just when they snap. It’s remarkable how much a guitars tone can change when new strings are used. There are no hard and fast rules on this but, if you play regularly this can be as often as every two weeks. You can also keep an eye out for when some of the strings start to fray a bit, look rusty or generally start to acquire a bit of a dull tone. You may also start to experience tuning issues so if this happens the first thing to test is new strings.
Be careful using a stand with foam on the supporting bars. This can react with some finishes. It’s best to check the advice on the stand or with the stand supplier to see if there are any known issues with the foam, or avoid to be on the safe side.
Note: Please remember this advice could vary depending on your exact guitar and circumstances so please check with your guitar maker, supplier or luthier for specific guidance.