GUITAR
6 THINGS YOU SHOULD NEVER DO WITH YOUR GUITAR | David Harsh
My Dad has always taught me to buy good gear , and to take good care of it . In my opinion , our guitars fall into this category . Even if you ’ re just starting out , I ’ m hoping you ’ ll play the “ long game ” with your instrument , especially as you ’ re developing your skills in anticipation of your next guitar .
So here are 6 things you should never do with your guitar .
I ’ m providing a dynamic video to accompany this article , and I encourage you to watch it ( while it ’ s available ). You can find it at :
www . GuitarSuccess4U . com / 6GuitarNo-nos . because a guitar is temperature-sensitive . In the warmer seasons of the year , a car can heat up faster than you might think . Even in a case , a guitar can eventually overheat , to where the glue holding it together can melt … and then you ’ re left with expensive scrap wood instead of your instrument .
And of course , cars can get broken into . I personally know musicians whose instruments have been borrowed out of their cars … for the rest of their lives . So even if you ’ re going to run into the grocery store or something , take your guitar with you . Put it in the cart . Carry it beside you . But don ’ t leave it in the car … windows open or not . Keep it where you can see it , and where it can remain at a comfortable temperature .
waiting to play your set . That could be a recipe for a damaged instrument .
A few years ago , I did an outdoor show on a flatbed trailer in southern Texas , in 108-degree weather . I watched in disbelief as my pick holder , which was held on by an adhesive pad , drifted along the top of my guitar like a pat of butter on a stack of hotcakes . This was my first clue that I was in a less hospitable temperature environment .
So , if you ’ re at an outdoor show on a sunny day , or even just hanging out with your guitar with some friends on their patio , consider putting your guitar in the shade , or at least wrap it with a white sheet , so that the light and heat are reflected .
# 2 . DON ’ T LEAVE IT IN DIRECT SUNLIGHT . # 3 . DON ’ T HAND IT OVER TO A NON-GUITARIST .
# 1 . DON ’ T LEAVE IT IN A CAR UNATTENDED .
Unless it ’ s in motion on the way to a gig , a car is not a great place for a guitar , first and foremost ,
This is a similar tip to # 1 – if a guitar is in the sun , it can get overheated as well . Imagine if you were in an artist lineup for a summer concert series ( and I ’ ve been there ,) and your guitar was just offstage ( or even onstage ) with the sun beating down on it while you were
A non-guitarist ( or perhaps we might call this person a pre-guitarist ) won ’ t have the same level of appreciation for your guitar , and maybe not the same level of respect either . They won ’ t know how to care for it properly , and although they may hold it carefully , if they don ’ t know