String Instrument Care
With proper care you can have many years of trouble free enjoyment from your instrument. You should perform maintenance on your instrument on a daily, monthly, and yearly basis. Some maintenance can be done by you and some left only to trained professionals. If you have any questions not covered here you can contact one of our locations or repair shops. We hope the following tips will help you keep your instrument in top condition.
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Guitar Care - Acoustic Guitar - Electric Guitar / Bass
Orchestra Care - Violin/Viola - Cello/Bass - Bow Care
To Band Instrument Care Page
GUITAR CARE
Acoustic Guitar Care
1. Always keep your guitar in its case when not in use .
2. Avoid rapid temperature changes. If you bring your guitar from a cold area into a warm area leave it in its case, to change temperature slowly, because cracking of the finish or wood can occur. A good rule-of-thumb is not to leave your guitar any place that you would not like to be. So don't leave it in extreme hot or cold environments.
3. Be sure your hands are clean before playing your guitar. Also keep your finger nails trimmed on your left hand (right hand for left handed players) to minimize fingerboard wear.
4. After you are finished playing wipe the strings and the finish of the instrument with a soft cloth to remove dirt and oils
5. When you change your strings you should clean the fingerboard to remove any accumulated dirt and oils. Also check your tuning gears for proper operation and loose parts. If you have open gear tuners a drop of light machine oil should be applied to all bearing surfaces about every 6 months.
6. Acoustic guitars will change dimensionally when the humidity changes. Under dry conditions the top will move inward and the neck will move forward. Under humid conditions the opposite will occur. This will have an effect on your instrument's string height. You may want to adjust the truss rod to help keep your string action more uniform under these conditions. If you are not comfortable doing this yourself have a guitar tech perform this for you. Also the use of a guitar humidifier in the dry months is recommended.
Electric Guitar / Bass Care
1. Always keep your guitar in its case when not in use
2. Avoid rapid temperature changes. If you bring your guitar from a cold area into a warm area leave it in its case, to change temperature slowly, because cracking of the finish or wood can occur. A good rule-of-thumb is not to leave your guitar any place that you would not like to be. So don't leave it in extreme hot or cold environments.
3. Be sure your hands are clean before playing your guitar. Also keep your finger nails trimmed on your left hand (right hand for left handed players) to minimize fingerboard wear.
4. After you are finished playing wipe the strings and the finish of the instrument with a soft cloth to remove dirt and oils.
5. When you change your strings you should clean the fingerboard to remove any accumulated dirt and oils. Also check your tuning gears for proper operation and loose parts. If you have open gear tuners a drop of light machine oil should be applied to all bearing surfaces about every 6 months.
6. Occasionally check all switches, controls, and the output jack to see if they are becoming loose. If they are loose tighten them. To avoid breaking any wire connections, you may want to remove the access panel and hold the control or jack from the back, when tightening, to keep the part from rotating.
ORCHESTRA CARE
Violin/Viola Care
1. Always keep your instrument in its case when not in use .
2. Avoid rapid temperature changes. If you bring your violin from a cold area into a warm area leave it in its case, to change temperature slowly, because cracking of the finish or wood can occur. A good rule-of-thumb is not to leave your violin any place that you would not like to be. So don't leave it in extreme hot or cold environments.
3. After you are finished playing remove any rosin and hand oils from the instrument with a soft cloth. Don't let rosin buildup on your violin. Remove it after each time you play. It is very difficult to remove if left on your instrument for any length of time.
4. Keep an eye on the bridge. As you tune the instrument the strings tend to pull the top of the bridge toward the fingerboard. If the bridge tips too much it will fall over. This can break the bridge or even crack the top. If the bridge falls the soundpost inside the violin may also fall over. The back side of the bridge (side toward the tailpiece) should be at a right angle to the top and the feet of the bridge should touch the top uniformly. If your bridge tilts take your violin to a shop and have them show you how to straighten it. Its not hard to do but unless it is done correctly you could break it.
5. Be sure that your pegs turn freely with minimum pressure toward the peg box. Over time the pegs will go out of round and start to slip. If this happens they will need to be refitted for proper operation. During dry conditions they may shrink, causing slipping. In humid conditions they may swell causing them to stick. Never force a peg into the peg box if it slips and if it is stuck don't force it either. You could break the peg or the peg box under these conditions. Take your instrument to a repair shop and have them correct the problem.
Cello/Bass Care
1. Always keep your instrument in its case or bag when not in use .
2. It is always best to set your cello or bass on its side when you are not playing. If your instrument falls over it may break the bridge or the neck. Be Careful !
3. Avoid rapid temperature changes. If you bring your cello or bass from a cold area into a warm area leave it in its case, to change temperature slowly, because cracking of the finish or wood can occur. A good rule-of-thumb is not to leave your instrument any place that you would not like to be. So don't leave it in extreme hot or cold environments.
4. After you are finished playing remove any rosin and hand oils from the instrument with a soft cloth. Don't let rosin buildup on your instrument. Remove it after each time you play. It is very difficult to remove if left on your instrument for any length of time.
5. Keep an eye on the bridge. As you tune the instrument the strings tend to pull the top of the bridge toward the fingerboard. If the bridge tips too much it may fall over. This can break the bridge or even crack the top. If the bridge falls the soundpost inside the instrument may also fall over. The back side of the bridge (side toward the tailpiece) should be at a right angle to the top and the feet of the bridge should touch the top uniformly. If your bridge tilts take your cello or bass to a shop and have them straighten it. Unless it is done correctly you could break the bridge.
6. Be sure that your pegs turn freely with minimum pressure toward the peg box. Over time the pegs will go out of round and start to slip. If this happens they will need to be refitted for proper operation. During dry conditions they may shrink, causing slipping. In humid conditions they may swell causing them to stick. Never force a peg into the peg box if it slips and if it is stuck don't force it either. You could break the peg or the peg box under these conditions. Take your instrument to a repair shop and have them correct the problem. Basses and some cellos have mechanical tuners and a drop of light machine oil should be applied to all bearing surfaces about every 6 months.
Bow Care
- Be careful not to bang the head or drop the bow as this can break the head.
- Keep the bow away from extreme heat. This can warp the bow.
- Always loosen the hair when you are not using the bow. Over time this can warp the bow and stretch the hair.
- Keep the bow stick clean by wiping off excess rosin and any perspiration after each use.
