Caring For Your Guitar / Bass /
Mandolin

Temperature, Humidity and Environment
Lack of knowledge (or concern) for an instruments environment
certainly keeps me knee deep in repairs and should be
taken seriously if you would like to preserve your instrument
cosmetically and structurally.
Damage done to an instrument as a result of too little, or too
much, humidity is not covered by
the manufacturers warranty.
Cracks resulting from a lack of humidity are not due to a
manufacturing defect but are considered neglect and educating
yourself could save you some heartaches...and pocket change.
TEMPERATURES
Hot
Temperatures Do not leave your
instrument in a hot car, direct sunlight, anywhere near a
woodstove, heater, an attic or other area where
temperatures are high.
Excessive heat can
soften glue joints and allow things to slide around.
One of the most common predicaments I
see on flattop guitars as a result of excessive heat is a
sliding bridge. Once heated the bridge can lift or actually
begin to slide towards the soundhole, scrunching the paint as
it slides and twisting the bridge pins into a crooked shape.
And while this is easily spotted there are other areas of the
instrument that can be adversely affected as well. Frets, neck
joints, braces and literally anywhere glue is used can be
affected in a way that is difficult to reverse.
Heat allowed the bridge on this guitar to slide forward and
damage the finish.
Cold
Temperatures Finish checking and
cracks
can form as a result of
temperature shock. Taking a cold instrument and
introducing it to a warm environment suddenly
can cause the finish to craze or check.
When instruments are shipped or transported during the winter
it is highly advisable to let the instrument slowly warm up to
room temperature before removing it from the shipping carton
or case.
Generally, finish checking is a result of sudden severe
changes in temperature.

HUMIDITY
Low
Humidity
Whether it's due to a lack of knowledge or a lack of concern
many have ignored the advice and comments made by
luthiers to
humidify their instrument in the dry season. (45-50% is
usually the target.)
Flat top guitars have a slight radius or
"arch" to them, when they begin to dry out they flatten. In this
picture the instrument had dried out to the point of becoming
concave, it also developed a nice top crack as a result.

More on
top cracks caused by dryness

HOW DRY I AM.........♪
Symptoms of dryness:
These
are the
symptoms I think a consumer is most likely to observe...
* Top grain prominent
-
This resembles a washboard in my mind. These
are raised lines in the top which are noticeable to the
touch.
The soft wood
between the darker grain lines has lost it's moisture and the grain now
stands prominent. Warning: once this becomes severe cracks are
usually imminent. Take heed, this may be your last chance to
avoid cracks.
*
Sharp fret ends
-The fingerboard has shrunk due to
the
loss of moisture but obviously the metal fret wire does not. The
frets are now wider than the fingerboard and the sharp ends
can become apparent. yow! This is particularly noticeable on
unbound fingerboards.
* Action has dropped
-
The top has begun to flatten out as it looses moisture and
the action is lowered as a result. The fingerboard extension
(portion of the fingerboard which is glued directly to the
top) may also sink a bit causing a bend in the area where the
neck and body join.
* Top is concave
- Yes, after dead flat comes concave. If you've gotten to this
point without a crack you are very lucky.
* Top cracks
- After a fair amount of moisture loss the top begins to
flatten, the soft grain begins to shrink and eventually the
pull is so great that a crack forms in line with the grain.

If left unattended these cracks can spread open and create
even more costly and highly visible repairs.
Continued on Page 2....
