Ownership

Acoustic Guitar Care & Maintenance

A handbuilt guitar is a lifelong instrument. These are the practices I recommend to every owner, and they apply to any solid-wood acoustic — the habits that keep an instrument playing and sounding its best for decades.

Humidity & Climate Control

Protecting your investment from the elements

Ideal Humidity

Maintain 45–55% relative humidity. Acoustic guitars are built from thin, hygroscopic tonewoods that expand and contract with moisture changes.

Use a Hygrometer

Keep a digital hygrometer in your case or room. Passive monitoring lets you catch problems before damage occurs.

Humidify in Winter

Central heating strips moisture from the air. Use a soundhole humidifier or room humidifier during dry months to prevent top cracks and fret sprout.

Why It Matters More in Colorado

Colorado's dry, semi-arid climate keeps indoor humidity well below the ideal range much of the year — and winter heating pushes it lower still. Solid-wood acoustic guitars, especially handmade instruments built from thin, responsive tonewoods, feel those swings quickly, so a hygrometer in the case and a soundhole humidifier are simply part of owning one here.

Avoid Extremes

Never leave your guitar in a hot car, near a heating vent, or in direct sunlight. Heat can loosen braces and soften finish. Temperature swings are as damaging as sustained extremes.

Store in the Case

A closed case moderates temperature and humidity changes. Even a wall hanger in a climate-controlled room is more exposed than a case.

String Changes & Daily Care

Fresh strings, fresh voice

How Often to Change

For regular players, every 1–3 months. Strings oxidize, lose elasticity, and go false — a fresh set reveals how good your guitar actually sounds.

Change One at a Time

Remove and replace strings one by one to maintain tension on the top and keep the saddle and nut seated properly.

Stretch New Strings

After installation, gently stretch each string by pulling it away from the body at the 12th fret. Repeat until the string holds pitch. Skipping this step means a frustrating first hour of playing.

Choosing Gauge

Lighter gauges (10–47, 11–52) are easier on the hands and produce less tension on the top. Heavier gauges (13–56) offer more volume and bass but require a setup check if you change significantly.

Clean After Playing

Wipe strings down with a dry cloth after every session. Sweat and oils accelerate corrosion and dramatically shorten string life.

Finish & Fretboard Care

Keeping the wood beautiful

UV Cured Finish

Some Alis Guitars have a UV cured finish — hard, thin, and protective. It resists scratches and checking better than traditional lacquer but should still be treated with care.

Cleaning

Use a soft, lint-free cloth slightly dampened with water or a guitar-specific cleaner. Avoid household furniture polish, silicone sprays, or alcohol-based products — they can cloud or soften the finish.

Buffing Light Scratches

Very light surface scratches in gloss finish can often be polished out with a fine guitar polish and a microfiber cloth. Work in small circles and finish with a clean buff.

Fretboard Care

Unfinished rosewood fretboards benefit from a light application of fretboard oil (lemon oil or dedicated conditioner) once or twice a year. Do not oil maple fretboards — they are finished.

French Polish

Some Alis Guitars are finished in traditional french polish — a shellac-based finish applied by hand with a pad. It is the most acoustically transparent finish available but requires more careful handling. Keep it away from water, alcohol, and excessive heat, and never use commercial guitar polish on it. Because shellac builds in thin layers, a worn French polish can usually be refreshed by hand rather than stripped and refinished.

Hardware

Wipe tuning machines and bridge saddles with a dry cloth. For tarnished metal, a tiny amount of metal polish on a cloth works well — keep it off the wood and finish.

Questions?