Guitar care
Look after your guitar and it'll look after you
A well-kept guitar stays in tune, feels better to play, and lasts a lifetime. Here's the simple routine we teach every 6 Strings student.
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Every time you play
- Wash your hands before playing — skin oils are what kill strings fastest.
- Wipe the strings down with a dry microfibre cloth after playing. Ten seconds of wiping can add weeks of life to a set of strings.
- Put the guitar back on its stand or in its case — never flat on the floor, leaning on a wall, or on the couch.
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Strings: when to change them
- Change strings when they sound dull, feel rough or discoloured, or won't hold their tuning — for a student playing regularly, every school term is a good rhythm.
- Keep a spare set in your case — strings always break at the worst moment.
- Not sure which strings or gauge to buy? Ask at your lesson — it depends on your guitar and playing style, and advice is free.
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Heat, cold & humidity
- Never leave a guitar in a hot car — heat can lift the bridge, warp the neck and melt glue joints. This is the #1 guitar killer in Australia.
- Keep it out of direct sunlight and away from heaters and air-con vents.
- Wooden acoustics like moderate, stable humidity — big swings make timber shrink and swell. Living near the beach, a case is your guitar's best protection from salty, changeable air.
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Cleaning the body & fretboard
- A soft, dry (or barely damp) microfibre cloth is all the body usually needs.
- Avoid household sprays and furniture polish — they can damage the finish. Use guitar-specific polish sparingly, if at all.
- Unfinished fretboards (rosewood/ebony) enjoy a light clean and conditioning at string changes, a couple of times a year — a little oil goes a long way.
Once or twice a year
Give it a professional once-over
Guitars drift over time — the neck moves with the seasons, frets wear, and the action creeps up until playing feels harder than it should. A periodic setup by a good tech keeps your guitar easy to play, which matters most for beginners: a poorly set-up guitar is the hidden reason many kids think they "can't do it".
If your guitar buzzes, feels hard to press, or won't stay in tune, mention it at your lesson — Cesar will take a look and point you in the right direction.
Ask about your guitarBass players: the same rules apply — wipe your strings, watch the heat. Bass strings last longer but cost more, so the wiping habit really pays off.
Ukulele players: nylon strings don't rust, but they stretch — new strings need a few days of retuning before they settle. That's normal!
Student tip: restringing is a skill we can cover in a lesson. Learn it once and you'll never pay a shop to do it again.
Bring your guitar in — we'll check it together
Every trial lesson includes a quick health check of your instrument, free.
Book your free trial