Acoustic Guitar Care and Transportation

Taking your acoustic guitar from place to place can be tricky and dangerous. You need to make sure that your guitar is always safe and secure, you need an acoustic guitar case. Its not theft you need to worry about, its damage from something falling into it or it hitting into something. There are a few things that guitar owners should know.

Guitars Are Sensitive To Cold

Only a few days ago I had to explain to a friend who just started playing guitar how dangerous the cold could be to their guitar. Unless you live in a very cold climate you don’t need to worry about this. If you do, you want to get your guitar out of the garage in the warmth of your house, or upfront with you while you drive your car, not in the cold trunk. And don’t leave it in the car for any long periods without the heating on. I have seen the day when I would take my guitar to lunch with me, so that I don’t have to leave it in my cold car. The strings can contract in cold weather effecting the tuning and potentially doing damage to the guitar, as well as the cold effecting the wood.

Guitars Are Sensitive To Heat Too

If you managed to avoid the cold and live somewhere warm then you have to worry too. As with the cold, don’t leave your guitar in your car on a hot day. As a simple rule, never leave your guitar in the car no matter what the weather is doing outside. This way your guitar is always safe.

Public Transport

Gig bags and soft guitar cases are super handy, they are light and cheap. On your way to a friends house, practice or a gig they will keep rain and dust off your guitar. Personally I keep a soft case as a back up bag. Normally I would opt for a hard case when travelling around on public transport. They might be more expensive but the extra protection is worth the money. If you are serious about protecting your guitar then go for a hard case.

When it comes to baggage handlers be picky, make sure they handle with care and whenever possible take your guitar as hand luggage. If you do have to put the guitar in the hold, make sure the handlers bring it out by hand and not on the luggage chute. As another precaution you can buy insurance for your guitar in case the worst does happen.

Now you will be a little bit wiser when taking your acoustic guitar around with you. If its well looked after your guitar can last many many years.