When you buy or commission a brand new guitar, or even buy a second hand guitar, it can be a daunting thing to actually play it for fear of scratching it, damaging it, knocking it over etc. A new guitar in particular is so shiny and flawless that every tiny scratch really stands out! And on the other hand, once we get used to a new guitar, it can be easy to go too far the other way and not take as much care of it as it needs.
Therefore, I have compiled some tips here to help players look after their quality musical instruments, and form good habits to ensure their instruments remain in the best shape. At the end of this article, I have compiled everything into a do and don’t list for guitarists which I hope will help. Of course, players needn’t become too neurotic in the care of their guitars, but the tips here should really help with the health and lifespan of an instrument.
Daily playing habits and guitar scratches
Different guitarists will have different attitudes and tolerances towards scratches on their guitar. Some consider their guitar to be a mere tool to be used hard in the service of music. Others are more careful.
It helps to be aware of what finish you have on your guitar, as some finishes are more delicate and may require greater care than others. French polish, for example, can begin to wear with constant skin-to-guitar contact and can even wear in reaction to sweat; it’s therefore advisable to have some cloth/clothing between yourself and the guitar. After playing, it’s always good practice to wipe down your guitar with an ever so slightly damp cloth, preventing any build up of grime and dust. This is a good habit, whatever the finish.
While playing, if you want your guitar to play in the best shape, it would help if your right hand fingers don’t touch the soundboard. Some players rest their thumbs or pinky fingers on the soundboard, or their fingers scrape the soundboard in particular motions. Of course, over time the scratches build up. It is possible to adjust your playing so that your right hand doesn’t touch or create scratches on the soundboard. With classical guitars, there is a great demand for the thinnest possible finish. Be it lacquer, french polish, or varnish, on a high quality classical guitar, these various finishes will be applied as thinly as possible, so as to not impede the vibration of the soundboard. Spruce and cedar themselves - the woods used for classical guitar soundboards - are quite soft and easy to dent. Therefore, it’s always quite easy to scratch a classical guitar.
If the back and sides of your guitar are french polished, you should be wary of attaching any affixings or anything that uses suction cups, as these can easily mar the finish. This is especially true on a new guitar when the finish may still be quite fresh. Lacquer back and sides are more hard wearing, when it comes to affixing things to the guitar, with suction cups etc.
When changing strings it really is easy to scratch the soundboard or the head of the guitar. During string changes, most people use a piece of card pushed up against the underside of the bridge, so that the strings will scrape against the card instead of the soundboard. Another danger of changing strings on a classical guitar is “string-dings”. They are so common; people see them and often think “that looks bad but it will never happen to me”. It happens when a string, usually one of the treble strings, hasn’t been tied securely enough at the bridge; then, as the string is being tuned up to full tension, it suddenly comes undone, and it does so with enough force to gauge a small hole in the soundboard! That’s a string ding. It really does happen and only needs to happen once to leave a mark forever. I have found that carbon strings in particular have more of a tendency to slip like this. Therefore, when tying my strings I use a soundboard protector, which is a thin layer of plastic covering the soundboard; it stays on until all the strings are tuned up to tension.
https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/1545087219/soundboard-protector-protect-your
Some people use products such as kling-on guitar protectors; a thin plastic covering you leave on the soundboard as you play. However, it’s possible that some finishes react poorly to having such a covering left on for long periods of time. I think a better solution is to adjust one’s technique so as to not touch the soundboard when playing.
When scratches happen, what are our options?
Despite our best efforts and care, accidents will inevitably happen and guitars will pick up scratches and dings over time. This is particularly true for classical guitars because we prefer the thinnest finish possible, and the woods we use - spruce and especially cedar - are soft and easy to scratch/dent. What to do about scratches depends on the finish. All options would involve either taking the guitar to a skilled luthier, or just accepting the scratch as a battle scar.
French polish’s delicateness is more than made up for by its beauty, thinness, and reparability. With just a few precautions, guitarists should have no problem with French polished instruments.
Of all the finishes, French polish can be most easily touched up; it is possible to “refresh” a french polish finish, or French polish over the existing finish, minimising the appearance of the scratches there. Lacquer, at least the type I use, is more difficult to repair without redoing/reworking the whole surface in question. Many classical guitar luthiers will be able to touch up a French polished guitar; you don't necessarily need to send them back to the original maker. With lacquer finishes, guitar repairers from the steel string world will also be able to help and might be more experienced.
Completely refinishing a guitar means removing the old varnish/finish, and then finishing it anew. Luthiers/repairers will always seek for a way to repair and keep the original varnish, because removing the varnish and then redoing it always entails removing some wood as well, which is dangerous for the structure of the guitar and can alter the sound. This is particularly true with lattice and double top guitars. They can have soundboards made from only 0.6-1mm thick pieces of wood. It is always slightly risky to remove the finish, especially as one never knows how deep any inlays such as the rosette or purfling go, or how the sound might be affected by the removal of material. There is not much room to do repairs there, so certainly worth taking very good care of the guitar in the first place. I have written about the construction of both lattice and double top guitars here:
https://www.michaeledgeworthguitars.com/en/blog/what-are-double-top-guitars-what-are-lattice-guitars
Regarding repairs, it is worth bearing in mind that classical guitar repair is an art in itself. It is possible for someone to be a master guitar maker and not be brilliant at repairs. So when taking a guitar to be repaired, it’s best to try and find someone experienced and confident at doing classical guitar repairs.
Of course, I would say the best solution to scratches is prevention rather than repair.
Should I keep my guitar in or out of its case?
Humidity, humidity, humidity. The answer to this question mostly relates to humidity. Wood expands and contracts with changes in humidity and temperature, and keeping a guitar in its case protects the instrument to some extent from these changes. It protects the guitar from changes when you turn on the central heating, open a window, have a shower etc. Keeping a guitar in its case also makes sense if you don’t have a dedicated music room, and your guitar is in danger of being knocked.
Humidity relating to musical instruments is an interesting subject. I’ve written a separate blog post on the subject here: https://www.michaeledgeworthguitars.com/en/blog/humidity-humidity-humidity . I recommend that at a minimum, all guitarists own a hydrometer and keep it near their handmade classical/flamenco guitar. Wood swells and expands at high humidity, and shrinks at low humidity. You must at least be aware of the humidity around your instrument. If the air is too dry, your guitar can crack; too wet and the wood can swell and distort. You may also find that the sound of your guitar changes along with swings in humidity.
? Different construction types are more affected by changes in humidity. For example, a spruce soundboard will expand and shrink more than a cedar soundboard. Double top guitars are less likely to crack than traditionally made instruments; they expand and contract less due to the construction design. Certain traditional designs will behave differently than others. Guitars are usually made at 45% relative humidity; this gives the most leeway for expansion and shrinkage without damage. Most guitars will perform best in the same humidity it was built, so I would recommend keeping a handmade guitar between 45-55% relative humidity.
There are a few good ways to control the humidity around your guitar. I love to use two-way humidity packs made by D’addario and Bodeva. You put two or three in the guitar case, along with the guitar, and this controls the humidity within the guitar case. If you have a dedicated music room where you keep all your instruments, it would be worthwhile to consider controlling the humidity of the whole room. I’ve been controlling the humidity of my workshop for many years so I know a few things about it. Because I live in the UK, where the humidity is high, I’ve always had to use a dehumidifier to bring down the high humidity. In other, fryer climates, the opposite machine, a humidifier, would be necessary instead.
The importance of a good hardcase:
You and your guitar can travel with confidence! If you have found a classical guitar you love, now you need to find a good case for it. With a really fantastic case you can walk in rain, snow, travel on a plane, stay in hotels etc, and the temperature and - combined with a humidity pack inside the case - humidity within the case should stay relatively stable and safe for your guitar.
Many cheaper cases aren’t completely sealed, and while these are fine for storing your guitar at home, if you want to actually take your guitar places without the worry of being caught in the rain or bad weather, a better, higher quality case is in order. I have been caught in the rain before, with a less than ideal hardcase, and when I got home and inspected the guitar, I found the rain had got inside the case. As high quality guitars are expensive and fragile, a high quality hardcase case is more than worth it.
I would advise never even considering a soft case for a high quality classical guitar, not for any circumstances. They simply won't protect a classical guitar.
As I am designing and getting ready to launch my signature guitar model, I am thinking about which hardcase will be best to provide along with the guitar. Here in the UK, the most standard hard case is the British made Hiscox Pro ii Classical which costs around £180. The most expensive cases made by companies such as Visesnut, Pegasus, BAM etc can cost around £800. I will write a blog post detailing the various guitar case options available.
How do I travel on a plane with a classical guitar?
I will make a few points regarding travelling on a plane with your high quality classical guitar, even though this question probably deserves a blog post of its own. When travelling on a plane with a guitar, the guitarist will likely need to buy an extra seat for the guitar.
On some airlines, with longer distance flights for example, it can be possible to just turn up with the guitar, and the cabin crew will find a suitable place in the cabin to keep it. This is obviously quite risky, because you don’t want your guitar to end up in the hold with the other large items of luggage.
You don’t want your guitar to go in the hold of the plane, because airport/plane staff are notoriously rough with baggage, and your high quality instrument, even in a hardcase, could easily end up broken. If I were to transport a guitar in the hold of a plane, I would pack it up as if I were shipping it internationally, in its case, with lots of bubble wrap, in a cardboard box.
When travelling with my guitars, I have always bought an extra seat. One thing I’ve noticed is that humidity in the cabin gets extraordinarily low. So it’s important to have a well sealed hardcase, with some humidity packs inside.
How long is a guitar supposed to last anyway?
Guitars are quite delicate instruments. Though with some care, there's no real reason a high quality guitar wouldn't outlast you! Professional players tend to consider a 10 - 15 year old guitar as starting to get on a bit. By that time, the finish may be showing signs of wear, and the sound may have changed over time.
Do and Don’t List for classical guitarists. How to care for your guitar
DO be aware of how your guitar is polished. French polish, lacquer, varnish and oil finishes require different levels of care.
DO adjust your right hand technique, so that you don’t touch the soundboard with your right hand’s nails.
DO be careful when changing strings. Use a string protector so you don’t get scratches and string dings around the bridge:
https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/1545087219/soundboard-protector-protect-your
DO keep your guitar in its case when not in use and use humidity packs within the case. Alternatively, keep your guitars in a devoted music room, and carefully control the humidity of the whole room.
DO wipe down your guitar with a slightly damp cloth from time to time, to keep it from getting grubby.
DO buy a quality hardcase for your guitar.
DON’T keep your high quality guitar in a softcase.
DON’T scratch the soundboard of your guitar with your right hand.
DON’T leave your guitar for long periods in direct daylight, by a radiator, next to a draft or fan, or in a too hot or cold car.
DON’T let just anyone try your guitar. Inexperienced guitarists may accidentally scratch it.
