Basic Guitar Tips/Advice

"I've Just Seen a Guitar" by Thomas Stoneking

Treat your guitar as you would your girlfriend/boyfriend or pet....

 *Nothing worse than sweaty hands on a date! No one likes sweaty hands, neither does your guitar, keep a soft rag in your case, wipe off the strings and body after every use to prolong the life of the strings and keep your guitar polished and conditioned to prevent cracks and warping.

*Do not leave them in a hot car...(guitars are made of wood, extreme temperatures wreck havoc on them, plus they could get stolen! In the winter, keep them away from direct heat.

Never leave them in a car overnight!

*Do not let them get wet. Keep them in air conditioning as much as possible and away from high humidity and sun light.  

*Do not leave them unattended, It is always best to keep them close by at all times. This way you never have to sit your guitar to the side or on the ground. When loading or unloading equipment, keep them in a safe place until you are able to watch them yourself.  If you leave them on or by a stage while unloading equipment they can get knocked over or stolen. 

*Do not leave them at someone's house.....no telling what could happen, they get jealous or you may owe them money? Friends may come and go, but your guitar will always stay as long as you want it to!

*Do not leave guitars on a stand in your room unattended. The proper place for a guitar is in its case or on a wall hanger. Pets, friends or family members can knock them over when your gone.

*When traveling or camping, it is not a bad idea to have a "camper" guitar to keep your fingers loose.
It could be your first or your worse, but if anythng happens it's no great loss. 

*Never have instruments in plain sight even in a locked vehicle.  Be watchful of anyone standing around looking while loading and unloading equipment at your home, club or friends house. Have your instruments' serial #'s and even pictures on file somewhere safe.  Law enforcement will do nothing with out serial #'s.
If you have a vintage amp, it is not a bad idea to take off the back and take photo's of the inside.

* Unless you are a trained guitar/amp repair technician you should not even attempt to make repairs on your own. Get recommendations and always take it to a trained professional who has proper training in fixing and repairing guitars/amps.  If you attempt to fix or repair your guitar/amp on your own, you may actually cause more damage or you could make your warranty null and void.

*Buying vintage amps/equipment on EBay?  Don't.  Most likely the tubes/resistor's are NOT going to be original, along with other various parts, which affect the price dramatically, especially if you're a purist or a collector.  Plus you might want to know how something sounds before you purchase it. 
NO leaps of faith here! Caveat Emptor!

 More great tips;

 http://www.guitartips.addr.com/guitar_care_preservation_tips.html