Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Harpeau]

During Winter

Here are some tips for guitar maintenance. Please add to this if you can think of other tips.

The lack of humidity in this country is causing many guitars to "bend like Beckham". I've been getting many phone calls about fretbuzzing, warped necks, corkscrew necks, etc. Thought that I would throw in a few tips to help prevent the destruction of the acoustic guitar.

First, the natural humidity indoors with ondol and all for this time of year is maybe 15-30%. If you dry your laundr on the ondol floor~ add another %5 more. An acoustic guitar needs at least 45% humidity to keep it in good shape. If you have solid-tops with solid wood~ then optimum would be 50~ preferably 60% humidity. If you have cello's and contra basses, then 60% is pretty good.

You might want to pick-up a frog humidifier, or a Morning Glory. (BTW, leave the O3 green light button off as that apparently can be harmful to your lungs.) In addition, a hygrometer. It measures the humidity levels.

BTW, many luthiers seem to poo poo the soundhole lifesavers by Kyser. They can appear to be good, but it's not helpful if the body of the guitar is humid and the neck is dry. They can be at times helpful~ but they may not really be the solution that you're looking for.

Finally, be careful to keep your instrument off of the ondol floor and away from direct sunlight or a cold outer wall.

Wipe down your strings with a deer skin shammy after you finish playing.
Hoping that others might want to add other tips to this.
Keep on strumming!

Harp

Harpo Used Guitar Emporium

[scarneck]

A while ago, I bought my kid a Cort SFX-10, nice little electric/acoustic. I told him to be sure to keep it clean, and maybe put some furniture polish on it occasionally and use string cleaner.

Is your standard 'pledge' furniture polish okay? He's doing a good job, because he wants another guitar with a 'deeper tone'.

[Harpeau]

Not sure about Pledge. I prefer Dunlop and Kyser cleaning agents myself~ especially for cleaning the strings. They're available in most guitar shops. It's the humidity that makes a big difference, though.

Cheers!

[SHANE02]

Good post Harp. Is it better to keep the guitar (non solid top) in or out of the hardcase?

[Harpeau]

[Harpeau]

During Summer

Putting guitars in cases is not a very good idea. The best thing is on a good guitar stand (careful what material is touching the guitar), or hang it on a wall.

With the weather changes, people need to prepare and combat the summer's high humidity. A de-humidifyer or air-conditioner would be helpful. 55-60% humidity is quite high enough. 45-60% is fairly ideal. Also, keep it out of direct sunlight and wipe of the strings with a shamie cloth immediately after playing.

Have fun strumming!

Harp

[uberscheisse]

good post harp. very important as some of the cheaper korean brand guitars i've seen turn into noodles with the weather here - but they probably would be just fine in vancouver...

in fact i'd bet that almost every sejong guitar i've seen is a little wobbly.

[Harpeau]

I hear ya, but weather & humidity isn't only affecting Korea~ it's a universal problem. One has to be familiar with the local climate. A hygrometer is a nice intrument to own. Our present house humidity is 44% in N. Seoul. That is fairly ideal for an acoustic guitar.

BTW, some of the new Sejongs that have been recently coming out are fairly decent solid tops. The old one's are crap. But the old Seungeum Hokaido cedar models are the bomb!!

[Harpeau]

For sore throats a Morning Glory works beautifully. We have ours on all nigh. It helps filter the air.

Good luck.

[Harpeau]

One other point is with the dry winters, the bridge tends to sink down a wee bit. With the humid summers, the bridge lifts a lttle bit. You might need to place a small shimmy or two underneath the saddle and pick-up due to heat and humidity. That will help keep the action consistent. Put it in around the spring and take it out in the fall.

[kimchi-teacher]

Good post.
The lovely folks at Taylor guitars did a whole bunch of tech sheets about this sort of stuff.

http://www.taylorguitars.com/contact/customerservice/

[methdxman]

[Cedar]

Wow, now i'm concerned about my husband's TWO wooden instruments (both stringed, not guitars). I assume the warning operate for any stringed thing? But if they've made it this far through the Korean year, shouldn't they be okay? Should I still run out for a humidifier? It's less dry than it's been in months...

[Harpeau]

The dry season is ending about now. I haven't been using a humidifier for many months. The result being that my favorite guitar got a huge horizontal crack in it from the bridge to the ass. I spent 100 k repairing it. Dry weather can crack wood. Live and learn.

Morning Glories are hard to find. You can get certain machines that you can put ice inside and they create a lovely mist and cool things down. Good luck in finding them.

[Oreovictim]

You're giving me flashbacks, O.P. I went to guitar building school about, I don't know, 12 or so years ago.

Another tip, people. If you have a 12-string guitar, consider tuning down a full step and putting a capo on the second fret. You'll relieve a lot of pressure and won't have to worry about replacing the bridge plate.