Taking care of your guitar is an essential part of being a guitarist. It is crucial to keep your instrument in the best shape possible in order to preserve its quality, sound and longevity. Despite what some musicians think, taking really good care of your guitar is not as hard as it seems. It basically boils down to how much you care and how much time you put into keeping your guitar in good condition. Some of the most important aspects of guitar maintenance are cleaning, changing strings and getting setups.

CHANGING STRINGS:

Changing the strings of your guitar is absolutely necessary in order to keep your guitar maintained and sounding good. According to a variety of sources, a good rule of thumb is to change your guitar strings every three months, or every 100 hours of play/practice. This way, you will continue to have clean strings as you play your instrument. Keeping dirty strings on your guitar for too long can lead to a drop in sound quality and will cause them to break easier.

CLEANING YOUR GUITAR:

Cleaning your guitar may seem like a pointless task to some, but it is actually really important for prolonging the life of your guitar. Regularly cleaning your instrument can actually keep your strings lasting longer and maintain the hardware on your guitar. This will keep things such as volume knobs working perfectly for years to come. While there are a variety of guitar cleaning products out there, one household product that works for cleaning guitars without damaging their finish is white distilled vinegar.

GETTING SETUPS:

Although it is important to get any new guitar setup by a professional, it is equally as important to continuously get your guitar setup after frequent use. Getting a setup one to two times a year will keep minor issues in your instrument from getting increasingly worse. This may feel like overkill at some points, but your guitar will thank you. Overall, maintaining your guitar will keep it playing well and in good condition for years to come. It will just take a little work and care.