Know the maintenance of the guitar

We remind you that extreme humidity and dryness are dangerous. As well as the rapid transition from one to the other. They should never be hung on the walls. Since these tend to capture and transmit moisture. And they should not be placed in the trunks of cars. When exposed to the sun they can reach very high temperatures and the guitar would suffer irreparable damage. So it is important to know the maintenance of the guitar.

When the guitar must travel by plane, the strings must be completely loosened. It is recommended to keep the instrument between 40 and 60% relative air humidity. When the humidity is less than 40%, the wood could crack and the height of the strings would drop, which could cause lisps. When the humidity is greater than 70%, detachment can occur, loss of sound, and the height of the strings would rise.

Next, we detail the maintenance of parts of the guitar:

Wood

When cleaning it, it is enough to rub with a small, slightly damp cotton cloth. There are also other specific products for instruments on the market, you just have to be careful that they do not contain solvents.

On the other hand when you rub do it lightly as otherwise, the matte finish will gradually become shiny, although this is inevitable over time.

We must be careful if we apply wood maintenance products because not all guitars use the same varnish and it can be damaged. Among the Alhambra Instruments, we can distinguish the polyurethane varnish for the models from 1C to 7P and the nitro-lacquer type varnish for the 8P model up to the Professional Guitars (only on the top), to which alcohol cannot be applied, and which began to be used in the year 2002

Glossy polyurethane varnish or matte varnish is used on all acoustic guitars. Regarding its correct use and maintenance, the most important thing is to avoid extreme temperatures and humidity.

Diapason

After wiping off the dust, apply some petroleum jelly with a clean rag. A cloth moistened with alcohol can be used to remove the dirt accumulated from heavy use.

Frets

Dirt that accumulates between them and the fretboard can be removed with the tip of a toothpick. Do not use other things that may be harder than rosewood or ebony as it will damage the wood.

Machine Heads

Grease them with a little sewing machine oil.

Strings

We recommend that they be wiped down after playing with a clean cloth dampened with alcohol, under and across the length of the strings. Cleaning them extends their useful life and also restores their original shine. It is common that, for reasons of high perspiration, the wear of the strings is greater. It is convenient to always keep the guitars tuned to the same pitch and, if you want to change the strings, do not remove them all at once, but change one, tune it with the others, and so on with the rest of the strings. In this way, the bridge and top do not lose the tension to which they are accustomed. When the guitar must travel by plane, the strings must be completely loosened.

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