Taking Care of Your Guitar
Ed Bridge
I thought I would say a little about the care of guitar finishes because the finish can affect the sound. I will try not to say too much about how the finish of a guitar affects the sound though. Long and boring books could be written on the subject!
Cracked and damaged finishes require a labor of love and lots of ($) to repair. Therefore prevention is the key. There is a lot to be said about using dampit sponges and humidifiers (I hate the damn things, kids always break them) and a bucket of water in the room. My favorite ‘humidifier,’ until kids put their toys in it, was a 60-gallon fish tank with real plant life. You can also put a couple of inches of water in the bathtub if you live in a small New York City apartment .The thing is, don’t go crazy over how much humidity there is. Just be prepared for times when there isn’t any humidity and treat the problem as if you never know when that’s gong to be. Use dampits 24/7. I like to keep my humidity at 30 to 40%, but here in New York last year it went down to 20 percent out of nowhere and my repairman was busy! (I had to wait to get a new saddle made) .I know some dealers/ repairmen who like 60 percent humidity (like the tropics) so the guitar comes back with a crack and then they can make money on repairs. If your guitar goes on a gig at the local library (where mine goes all the time) or some hot little halls (so no one will be cold) trust me, it’s not 60 percent I know a dealer named Steve who bought a guitar from me (a Kohno) and left it in an apartment over the holidays in New York while he went on a trip to England. The place where he was staying had forced hot air on the 20th floor in cold December. So three weeks later the guitar had a crack down the backside larger than the crack on my backside. I asked him why he didn’t just put a bucket of water in the closet where he stored the guitar and his reply was
“I don’t think of these type of things. You see, I’m from San Francisco.” The next thing I know both he and my wife are telling me about my vulgar mouth. The point is: Just think about the wood and open the windows. Don’t practice near the wood stove/ fireplace or large radiators and always use dampits. You can make a dampit by putting a sponge (damp but wrung out) inside a plastic baggy with holes in it. Just toss the thing inside the guitar - it’s easy. Just remember to tell the inspection officers at the airport that it’s not a bag of dope…I haven’t had a guitar crack in my place in 10 years, probably because I’m cheap with the heat. I just use dampits and I open the windows. Use buckets of water, fish tank and water in the tub (not too deep - only an inch.) If it’s very dry, use a humidifier.
I have played great guitars with lacquer (both Hauser III and Robert Ruck), oil-base (M.Valquez) and French polish (A. Marin for starters and now most guitarmakers.) Each maker has his own style with finishes and they’re all closet chemists. I admire the great guitar makers the most for their ability to create a perfect finish. How should you take care of your finish? The first step is to always wash your hands before playing. Wear a shirt. Cover your forearm that touches the guitar. (If it’s hot and you’re wearing a short sleeved shirt or tank top, you can make a cover for your arm by cutting the foot off of an old sock and putting it on your arm.) Forget all those polishes and little dampo cloths. Elbow grease is all I ever use. All food and drink will kill the finish. Here’s one for you: Make a cover for your guitar to use while playing if you’re a little messy like me. I put a cover on my guitar when I practice in the morning while I drink coffee and my wife does yoga and the kids are coming after me with jelly/jam fingers. I once had baby barf on my left leg and I didn’t know. Somewhere there is a 1992 F. Diaz which may still float around with a big part of the varnish gone where the guitar sat on the left leg.
Always use hard shell cases and an arch top if you have little ones because at some time they or some little rugrat will walk on your guitar. When they do, don’t yell at them because if they jump off the case, that’s when the guitar will crack. Just lift the kids up and toss them on the couch. Make it a habit to always put the guitar in the case and use the case like a guitar stand. A great guy, Michael, always lays his guitar on the couch and I have heart attack, but I don’t think it got cracked. But there is a Smallman running around with a crack I think because the player didn’t use the case as a guitar stand as I always do. I do this because a babysitter sat on one of my guitars once.
Necks. Keep the gears oiled and watch out for your wedding ring. Don’t use them as a cane when your left leg is stiff . I guess some oil the fret board, but I seem to be always cleaning oil off the fretboard along with grime. I use 0000 steel wool.
