{"ab":false,"abStatus":null,"abTestId":null,"abVariation":false,"abVariationAutomated":false,"absoluteUrl":"https://www.frontrowinsurance.com/articles/20-effective-ways-to-protect-your-guitar","afterPostBody":null,"aifeatures":null,"allowedSlugConflict":false,"analytics":null,"analyticsPageId":"24404552817","analyticsPageType":"blog-post","approvalStatus":null,"archived":false,"archivedAt":0,"archivedInDashboard":false,"areCommentsAllowed":true,"attachedStylesheets":[],"audienceAccess":"PUBLIC","author":null,"authorName":null,"authorUsername":null,"blogAuthor":{"avatar":"","bio":"Grant Patten - VP, Marketing","cdnPurgeEmbargoTime":null,"cosObjectType":"BLOG_AUTHOR","created":1557244191140,"deletedAt":0,"displayName":"Grant Patten","email":"grant@frontrowinsurance.com","facebook":"","fullName":"Grant Patten","gravatarUrl":"https://app.hubspot.com/settings/avatar/9751f803d54c2340cccdf5025adc9aa4","hasSocialProfiles":false,"id":9474946913,"label":"Grant Patten","language":null,"linkedin":"","name":"Grant Patten","portalId":61352,"slug":"grant-patten","translatedFromId":null,"translations":{},"twitter":"","twitterUsername":"","updated":1557244191140,"userId":null,"username":null,"website":""},"blogAuthorId":9474946913,"blogPostAuthor":{"avatar":"","bio":"Grant Patten - VP, Marketing","cdnPurgeEmbargoTime":null,"cosObjectType":"BLOG_AUTHOR","created":1557244191140,"deletedAt":0,"displayName":"Grant Patten","email":"grant@frontrowinsurance.com","facebook":"","fullName":"Grant Patten","gravatarUrl":"https://app.hubspot.com/settings/avatar/9751f803d54c2340cccdf5025adc9aa4","hasSocialProfiles":false,"id":9474946913,"label":"Grant Patten","language":null,"linkedin":"","name":"Grant Patten","portalId":61352,"slug":"grant-patten","translatedFromId":null,"translations":{},"twitter":"","twitterUsername":"","updated":1557244191140,"userId":null,"username":null,"website":""},"blogPostScheduleTaskUid":null,"blogPublishInstantEmailCampaignId":null,"blogPublishInstantEmailRetryCount":null,"blogPublishInstantEmailTaskUid":"DONE_NOT_SENT","blogPublishToSocialMediaTask":"DONE_NOT_SENT","blueprintTypeId":0,"businessUnitId":null,"campaign":"816ef4f9-d3e3-4b22-a990-d1664954a69f","campaignName":"musicians","campaignUtm":"musicians","category":3,"categoryId":3,"cdnPurgeEmbargoTime":null,"checkPostLevelAudienceAccessFirst":true,"clonedFrom":null,"composeBody":null,"compositionId":0,"contentAccessRuleIds":[],"contentAccessRuleTypes":[],"contentGroup":952267656,"contentGroupId":952267656,"contentTypeCategory":3,"contentTypeCategoryId":3,"contentTypeId":null,"created":1579104578073,"createdByAgent":null,"createdById":7915797,"createdTime":1579104578073,"crmObjectId":null,"css":{},"cssText":"","ctaClicks":null,"ctaViews":null,"currentState":"PUBLISHED","currentlyPublished":true,"deletedAt":0,"deletedBy":null,"deletedByEmail":null,"deletedById":null,"domain":"","dynamicPageDataSourceId":null,"dynamicPageDataSourceType":null,"dynamicPageHubDbTableId":null,"enableDomainStylesheets":null,"enableGoogleAmpOutputOverride":false,"enableLayoutStylesheets":null,"errors":[],"featuredImage":"https://61352.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/61352/blog-image-uploads/music/guitar-forweb.jpg","featuredImageAltText":"Protect Your Guitar","featuredImageHeight":400,"featuredImageLength":0,"featuredImageWidth":600,"flexAreas":{},"folderId":null,"footerHtml":null,"freezeDate":1579110994000,"generateJsonLdEnabledOverride":true,"hasContentAccessRules":false,"hasUserChanges":true,"headHtml":null,"header":null,"htmlTitle":"20 Effective Ways to Protect Your Guitar (Downloadable Checklist!)","id":24404552817,"includeDefaultCustomCss":null,"isCaptchaRequired":true,"isCrawlableByBots":false,"isDraft":false,"isInstanceLayoutPage":false,"isInstantEmailEnabled":true,"isPublished":true,"isSocialPublishingEnabled":false,"keywords":[],"label":"<span id=\"hs_cos_wrapper_name\" class=\"hs_cos_wrapper hs_cos_wrapper_meta_field hs_cos_wrapper_type_text\" style=\"\" data-hs-cos-general-type=\"meta_field\" data-hs-cos-type=\"text\" >20 Effective Ways to Protect Your Guitar (Downloadable Checklist!)</span>","language":"en","lastEditSessionId":null,"lastEditUpdateId":null,"layoutSections":{},"legacyBlogTabid":null,"legacyId":null,"legacyPostGuid":null,"linkRelCanonicalUrl":null,"listTemplate":"prox_frontrow/templates/blog/blog-listing.html","liveDomain":"www.frontrowinsurance.com","mab":false,"mabExperimentId":null,"mabMaster":false,"mabVariant":false,"meta":{"attached_stylesheets":[],"post_summary":"<p class=\"p1\">As an entertainment insurance brokerage with a specialty in creating custom insurance packages for musicians, we have seen enough music gear-related insurance claims to be able to speak with some authority on what musicians can do to protect their gear. As it’s one of the most popular instruments, let’s focus on the guitar in this article:</p>\n","has_user_changes":true,"last_edit_session_id":null,"last_edit_update_id":null,"html_title":"20 Effective Ways to Protect Your Guitar (Downloadable Checklist!)","tag_ids":[949436814,949708814],"topic_ids":[949436814,949708814],"campaign_name":"musicians","campaign_utm":"musicians","enable_google_amp_output_override":false,"featured_image":"https://61352.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/61352/blog-image-uploads/music/guitar-forweb.jpg","featured_image_alt_text":"Protect Your Guitar","link_rel_canonical_url":null,"meta_description":"As an entertainment insurance brokerage with a specialty in creating custom insurance packages for musicians, we have seen enough music gear-related...","post_body":"\n\n\n\n <span id=\"hs_cos_wrapper_post_body\" class=\"hs_cos_wrapper hs_cos_wrapper_meta_field hs_cos_wrapper_type_rich_text\" style=\"\" data-hs-cos-general-type=\"meta_field\" data-hs-cos-type=\"rich_text\" ><p class=\"p1\">As an entertainment insurance brokerage with a specialty in creating custom insurance packages for musicians, we have seen enough music gear-related insurance claims to be able to speak with some authority on what musicians can do to protect their gear. As it’s one of the most popular instruments, let’s focus on the guitar in this article:</p>\n<!--more-->\n<h2>Protecting your Guitar | Guitar Maintenance</h2>\n<ol class=\"ol1\">\n<li class=\"li1\"><strong>Where to keep your guitar?</strong> Store your guitar in a room closer to the center of the building rather than near an outside wall. This helps maintain a constant temperature.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Store the guitar in its case, standing up or on edge – never lying down – to prevent it from being stepped on. Also, loosen its strings one or two half-steps while the guitar is in storage.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Store vibrato-equipped guitars with arms detached.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Get a <a href=\"https://geni.us/jY0P9\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">gig bag</a> [Amazon Affiliate Link] with some good padding and put your guitar in it whenever transporting it. Carrying the bag in your hand is OK, but it’s even safer to strap it to your back while walking with your guitar.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">If you’re touring, always use a high-quality carrying case such as a hard-bodied, foam-lined, locking Pelican case that protects against impact &amp; moisture.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Consider getting a <a href=\"https://amzn.to/2SV4hYe\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">guitar wall hangar</a> [Amazon Affiliate Link] to hang your guitar(s) on. When you hang the guitar on a wall hanger, little-to-no pressure is exerted on the neck of the guitar in a direction that could potentially distort, bend or warp it. This is a much better storage option than leaning the guitar against a wall, which could bend the neck.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Put a digital hygrometer in your guitar case to ensure humidity levels are under control. The ideal humidity range for an acoustic guitar is 45-55%, but 40-60% is generally considered acceptable. A good <a href=\"https://geni.us/LY7SAcy\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">guitar humidifier</a> [Amazon Affiliate Link] will automate the humidity control process to stay within this range, making it easy to maintain proper humidification for your guitar while in its case. A well-reviewed one is the Oasis Guitar Humidifier.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Do NOT transport your guitar in the trunk of a vehicle. The above-mentioned humidity issues are particularly bad in a closed trunk and no guitar humidifier will be able to save your guitar if kept in a trunk for long.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">When playing outside, especially in summer, make sure your guitar is in some shade if possible, as the sun can damage the finish on your guitar. Overheated guitar strings can stretch and may fall out of tune while playing.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">While performing on stage, set your guitar in an area where it is less likely to be knocked into by passers-by, and try to set up your guitar last because, generally speaking, the less time an instrument is onstage, the less risk there is of potential damage.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Even if you sit while playing, having a <a href=\"https://amzn.to/2SToyxc\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">strong strap</a> [Amazon Affiliate Link] is an intelligent precaution that can prevent your guitar from dropping to the ground. But don’t wear a belt buckle while the guitar is strapped on – belt buckles often cause unfortunate scratches and dings on a guitar. Or untuck your shirt to act as a buffer between your belt buckle and the back of the guitar.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Get a <a href=\"https://amzn.to/2VozYLn\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pickguard/scratchplate</a> [Amazon Affiliate Link] for your guitar to protect the guitar's finish from being scratched by guitar picks.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Keeping your strings clean will help protect them; you can make the life of your strings last longer by wiping them down with a cloth or towel after playing. For guitars with steel strings, putting 70-90% isopropyl rubbing alcohol on the towel to help clean the strings is generally considered a best practice.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Use paint-cleaning clay for additional cleaning. This kind of clay removes contaminants, dirt and gunk from your guitar. You can even hear the clay pick up the contaminants. To clean the guitar after you're done with claying, use a microfiber cloth.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">If traveling with your guitar, consider stuffing its case with some extra padding (e.g., socks, towels, other fabrics) to pack it in tightly and prevent slippage. Also, don’t check your guitar as regular excess baggage. Carry it on as hand luggage whenever possible.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">If you MUST check your guitar as excess baggage, invest in a specialized <a href=\"https://amzn.to/2TakEPz\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">flight case</a> [Amazon Affiliate Link] for the guitar. These hard-bodied guitar cases are designed specifically for flying instruments as checked baggage. Look for phrases in the product description such as “ATA” (Air Transport Association), “ATA approved”, “ATA flight case”, etc.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Hiding a <span class=\"s1\"><a href=\"https://amzn.to/2HSKxOx\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Tile</a> [Amazon Affiliate Link]</span> or similar tracker in your cases results in a good recovery rate for stolen guitars. These products are especially valuable for vintage guitars.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">At least once a year, take your guitar to your local guitar technician for a once-over. This annual investment in expert service will no doubt pay for itself over the long run by keeping your guitar in good shape.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Try to get into the habit of washing your hands before playing the guitar. You may not realize it, but your fingers and palms contain moisture and oils that can damage your guitar strings.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">And, of course, PLAY your guitar regularly! Just as a muscle will atrophy from lack of stress, so a guitar will eventually deteriorate from lack of use.</li>\n</ol>\n<h2>Downloadable Checklist – Effective Ways to Protect Your Guitar</h2>\n<p class=\"p1\">Take the tips in this article with you by filling out <a href=\"/checklist-download-20-effective-ways-to-protect-your-guitar\" rel=\" noopener\">this form</a>. We’ll email you a PDF copy of <i>Effective Ways to Protect Your Guitar</i>. Or complete the form below:</p></span>\n","publish_immediately":true,"use_featured_image":true,"published_by_id":7915797,"published_at":1697040434876,"rss_body":"<p class=\"p1\">As an entertainment insurance brokerage with a specialty in creating custom insurance packages for musicians, we have seen enough music gear-related insurance claims to be able to speak with some authority on what musicians can do to protect their gear. As it’s one of the most popular instruments, let’s focus on the guitar in this article:</p>\n<!--more-->\n<h2>Protecting your Guitar | Guitar Maintenance</h2>\n<ol class=\"ol1\">\n<li class=\"li1\"><strong>Where to keep your guitar?</strong> Store your guitar in a room closer to the center of the building rather than near an outside wall. This helps maintain a constant temperature.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Store the guitar in its case, standing up or on edge – never lying down – to prevent it from being stepped on. Also, loosen its strings one or two half-steps while the guitar is in storage.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Store vibrato-equipped guitars with arms detached.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Get a <a href=\"https://geni.us/jY0P9\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">gig bag</a> [Amazon Affiliate Link] with some good padding and put your guitar in it whenever transporting it. Carrying the bag in your hand is OK, but it’s even safer to strap it to your back while walking with your guitar.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">If you’re touring, always use a high-quality carrying case such as a hard-bodied, foam-lined, locking Pelican case that protects against impact &amp; moisture.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Consider getting a <a href=\"https://amzn.to/2SV4hYe\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">guitar wall hangar</a> [Amazon Affiliate Link] to hang your guitar(s) on. When you hang the guitar on a wall hanger, little-to-no pressure is exerted on the neck of the guitar in a direction that could potentially distort, bend or warp it. This is a much better storage option than leaning the guitar against a wall, which could bend the neck.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Put a digital hygrometer in your guitar case to ensure humidity levels are under control. The ideal humidity range for an acoustic guitar is 45-55%, but 40-60% is generally considered acceptable. A good <a href=\"https://geni.us/LY7SAcy\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">guitar humidifier</a> [Amazon Affiliate Link] will automate the humidity control process to stay within this range, making it easy to maintain proper humidification for your guitar while in its case. A well-reviewed one is the Oasis Guitar Humidifier.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Do NOT transport your guitar in the trunk of a vehicle. The above-mentioned humidity issues are particularly bad in a closed trunk and no guitar humidifier will be able to save your guitar if kept in a trunk for long.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">When playing outside, especially in summer, make sure your guitar is in some shade if possible, as the sun can damage the finish on your guitar. Overheated guitar strings can stretch and may fall out of tune while playing.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">While performing on stage, set your guitar in an area where it is less likely to be knocked into by passers-by, and try to set up your guitar last because, generally speaking, the less time an instrument is onstage, the less risk there is of potential damage.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Even if you sit while playing, having a <a href=\"https://amzn.to/2SToyxc\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">strong strap</a> [Amazon Affiliate Link] is an intelligent precaution that can prevent your guitar from dropping to the ground. But don’t wear a belt buckle while the guitar is strapped on – belt buckles often cause unfortunate scratches and dings on a guitar. Or untuck your shirt to act as a buffer between your belt buckle and the back of the guitar.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Get a <a href=\"https://amzn.to/2VozYLn\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pickguard/scratchplate</a> [Amazon Affiliate Link] for your guitar to protect the guitar's finish from being scratched by guitar picks.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Keeping your strings clean will help protect them; you can make the life of your strings last longer by wiping them down with a cloth or towel after playing. For guitars with steel strings, putting 70-90% isopropyl rubbing alcohol on the towel to help clean the strings is generally considered a best practice.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Use paint-cleaning clay for additional cleaning. This kind of clay removes contaminants, dirt and gunk from your guitar. You can even hear the clay pick up the contaminants. To clean the guitar after you're done with claying, use a microfiber cloth.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">If traveling with your guitar, consider stuffing its case with some extra padding (e.g., socks, towels, other fabrics) to pack it in tightly and prevent slippage. Also, don’t check your guitar as regular excess baggage. Carry it on as hand luggage whenever possible.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">If you MUST check your guitar as excess baggage, invest in a specialized <a href=\"https://amzn.to/2TakEPz\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">flight case</a> [Amazon Affiliate Link] for the guitar. These hard-bodied guitar cases are designed specifically for flying instruments as checked baggage. Look for phrases in the product description such as “ATA” (Air Transport Association), “ATA approved”, “ATA flight case”, etc.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Hiding a <span class=\"s1\"><a href=\"https://amzn.to/2HSKxOx\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Tile</a> [Amazon Affiliate Link]</span> or similar tracker in your cases results in a good recovery rate for stolen guitars. These products are especially valuable for vintage guitars.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">At least once a year, take your guitar to your local guitar technician for a once-over. This annual investment in expert service will no doubt pay for itself over the long run by keeping your guitar in good shape.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Try to get into the habit of washing your hands before playing the guitar. You may not realize it, but your fingers and palms contain moisture and oils that can damage your guitar strings.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">And, of course, PLAY your guitar regularly! Just as a muscle will atrophy from lack of stress, so a guitar will eventually deteriorate from lack of use.</li>\n</ol>\n<h2>Downloadable Checklist – Effective Ways to Protect Your Guitar</h2>\n<p class=\"p1\">Take the tips in this article with you by filling out <a href=\"/checklist-download-20-effective-ways-to-protect-your-guitar\" rel=\" noopener\">this form</a>. We’ll email you a PDF copy of <i>Effective Ways to Protect Your Guitar</i>. Or complete the form below:</p>","rss_summary":"<p class=\"p1\">As an entertainment insurance brokerage with a specialty in creating custom insurance packages for musicians, we have seen enough music gear-related insurance claims to be able to speak with some authority on what musicians can do to protect their gear. As it’s one of the most popular instruments, let’s focus on the guitar in this article:</p>\n","blog_publish_to_social_media_task":"DONE_NOT_SENT","head_html":null,"layout_sections":{},"blog_post_schedule_task_uid":null,"scheduled_update_date":0,"blog_publish_instant_email_task_uid":"DONE_NOT_SENT","public_access_rules_enabled":false,"public_access_rules":[],"featured_image_height":400,"featured_image_width":600,"header":null},"metaDescription":"As an entertainment insurance brokerage with a specialty in creating custom insurance packages for musicians, we have seen enough music gear-related...","metaKeywords":null,"name":"<span id=\"hs_cos_wrapper_name\" class=\"hs_cos_wrapper hs_cos_wrapper_meta_field hs_cos_wrapper_type_text\" style=\"\" data-hs-cos-general-type=\"meta_field\" data-hs-cos-type=\"text\" >20 Effective Ways to Protect Your Guitar (Downloadable Checklist!)</span>","nextPostFeaturedImage":"https://61352.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/61352/blog-image-uploads/music/drums-forweb.jpg","nextPostFeaturedImageAltText":"Protect Your Drums","nextPostName":"20 Effective Ways to Protect Your Drums (Downloadable Checklist!)","nextPostSlug":"articles/20-effective-ways-to-protect-your-drums","pageExpiryDate":null,"pageExpiryEnabled":null,"pageExpiryRedirectId":null,"pageExpiryRedirectUrl":null,"pageRedirected":false,"pageTitle":"20 Effective Ways to Protect Your Guitar (Downloadable Checklist!)","parentBlog":{"absoluteUrl":"https://www.frontrowinsurance.com/articles","allowComments":true,"ampBodyColor":"#404040","ampBodyFont":"'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif","ampBodyFontSize":"18","ampCustomCss":"","ampHeaderBackgroundColor":"#ffffff","ampHeaderColor":"#1e1e1e","ampHeaderFont":"'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif","ampHeaderFontSize":"36","ampLinkColor":"#416bb3","ampLogoAlt":"Front Row Insurance logo","ampLogoHeight":63,"ampLogoSrc":"https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/61352/front-row-logo.png","ampLogoWidth":175,"analyticsPageId":137640,"attachedStylesheets":[],"audienceAccess":"PUBLIC","businessUnitId":null,"captchaAfterDays":7,"captchaAlways":false,"categoryId":3,"cdnPurgeEmbargoTime":null,"closeCommentsOlder":0,"commentDateFormat":"medium","commentFormGuid":"7a447743-bbf2-4b55-a759-b405bf392a7d","commentMaxThreadDepth":3,"commentModeration":true,"commentNotificationEmails":["mike@frontrowinsurance.com","grant@frontrowinsurance.com"],"commentShouldCreateContact":true,"commentVerificationText":"","cosObjectType":"BLOG","created":1401900293000,"createdDateTime":1401900293000,"dailyNotificationEmailId":"952268096","dateFormattingLanguage":"en_US","defaultGroupStyleId":"","defaultNotificationFromName":"","defaultNotificationReplyTo":"","deletedAt":0,"description":"The Front Row Insurance Blog where you can learn and converse about all things entertainment insurance related.","domain":"","domainWhenPublished":"www.frontrowinsurance.com","emailApiSubscriptionId":283237,"enableGoogleAmpOutput":true,"enableSocialAutoPublishing":false,"generateJsonLdEnabled":false,"header":null,"htmlFooter":"<!-- DELTA-->","htmlFooterIsShared":false,"htmlHead":"<!-- Blog Schema by Front Row Insurance // https://www.frontrowinsurance.com/ -->\n\n<script type=\"application/ld+json\">\n {\n \"@context\": \"http://schema.org\",\n \"@type\": \"BlogPosting\",\n \"mainEntityOfPage\":{\n \"@type\":\"WebPage\",\n \"@id\":\"https://www.frontrowinsurance.com/articles/20-effective-ways-to-protect-your-guitar\"\n },\n \"headline\": \"20 Effective Ways to Protect Your Guitar (Downloadable Checklist!)\",\n \"image\": {\n \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n \"url\": \"https://61352.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/61352/blog-image-uploads/music/guitar-forweb.jpg\"\n },\n \"datePublished\": \"2020-01-15 17:56:34\",\n \"dateModified\": \"\",\n \"author\": {\n \"@type\": \"Person\",\n \"name\": \"') }}\"\n },\n \"publisher\": {\n \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n \"name\": \"FRONT ROW INSURANCE BROKERS\",\n \"logo\": {\n \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n \"url\": \"https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/61352/images/Logos/FR_logo_%5BConverted,-Inverted%5D.png\"\n }\n },\n \"description\": \"As an entertainment insurance brokerage with a specialty in creating custom insurance packages for musicians, we have seen enough music gear-related...\"\n }\n </script>\n <!-- End Schema --> \n<script type=\"text/javascript\">\n window._mNHandle = window._mNHandle || {};\n window._mNHandle.queue = window._mNHandle.queue || [];\n medianet_versionId = \"3121199\";\n</script>\n<script src=\"https://contextual.media.net/dmedianet.js?cid=8CU76IWTZ\" async=\"async\"></script>","htmlHeadIsShared":true,"htmlKeywords":["Front Row Insurance Blog"," entertainment blog"," film blog"," film insurance"," event insurance"," film festival blog"," production blog"," musicians blog"," "],"htmlTitle":"The Front Row View (entertainment insurance blog)","id":952267656,"ilsSubscriptionListsByType":{"daily":443,"instant":442,"monthly":441,"weekly":444},"instantNotificationEmailId":"952268061","itemLayoutId":null,"itemTemplateIsShared":false,"itemTemplatePath":"prox_frontrow/templates/blog/blog-post.html","label":"The Front Row View (entertainment insurance blog)","language":"en","legacyGuid":"469ce2ec-4dd9-442d-984a-3bab2557a02f","legacyModuleId":"164112","legacyTabId":137640,"listingLayoutId":null,"listingPageId":70026589976,"listingTemplatePath":"prox_frontrow/templates/blog/blog-listing.html","liveDomain":"www.frontrowinsurance.com","monthFilterFormat":"MMMM yyyy","monthlyNotificationEmailId":"952267981","name":"The Front Row View (entertainment insurance blog)","parentBlogUpdateTaskId":null,"portalId":61352,"postHtmlFooter":"<!-- OMEGA-->","postHtmlHead":"<!-- Blog Schema by Front Row Insurance // https://www.frontrowinsurance.com/ -->\n\n<script type=\"application/ld+json\">\n {\n \"@context\": \"http://schema.org\",\n \"@type\": \"BlogPosting\",\n \"mainEntityOfPage\":{\n \"@type\":\"WebPage\",\n \"@id\":\"https://www.frontrowinsurance.com/articles/20-effective-ways-to-protect-your-guitar\"\n },\n \"headline\": \"20 Effective Ways to Protect Your Guitar (Downloadable Checklist!)\",\n \"image\": {\n \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n \"url\": \"https://61352.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/61352/blog-image-uploads/music/guitar-forweb.jpg\"\n },\n \"datePublished\": \"2020-01-15 17:56:34\",\n \"dateModified\": \"\",\n \"author\": {\n \"@type\": \"Person\",\n \"name\": \"') }}\"\n },\n \"publisher\": {\n \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n \"name\": \"FRONT ROW INSURANCE BROKERS\",\n \"logo\": {\n \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n \"url\": \"https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/61352/images/Logos/FR_logo_%5BConverted,-Inverted%5D.png\"\n }\n },\n \"description\": \"As an entertainment insurance brokerage with a specialty in creating custom insurance packages for musicians, we have seen enough music gear-related...\"\n }\n </script>\n <!-- End Schema --> \n<script type=\"text/javascript\">\n window._mNHandle = window._mNHandle || {};\n window._mNHandle.queue = window._mNHandle.queue || [];\n medianet_versionId = \"3121199\";\n</script>\n<script src=\"https://contextual.media.net/dmedianet.js?cid=8CU76IWTZ\" async=\"async\"></script>","postsPerListingPage":10,"postsPerRssFeed":10,"publicAccessRules":[],"publicAccessRulesEnabled":false,"publicTitle":"The Front Row View (entertainment insurance blog)","publishDateFormat":"medium","resolvedDomain":"www.frontrowinsurance.com","rootUrl":"https://www.frontrowinsurance.com/articles","rssCustomFeed":"","rssDescription":"RSS feeds for ","rssItemFooter":"<IMG style=\"WIDTH: 144px; HEIGHT: 78px\" title=\"\" border=0 alt=\"\" align=center src=\"http://focusinsurance.web6.hubspot.com/Portals/61352/images//logo_final.jpg\" width=138 height=78 mce_src=\"/Portals/61352/images//logo_final.jpg\">","rssItemHeader":"","settingsOverrides":{"itemLayoutId":false,"itemTemplatePath":false,"itemTemplateIsShared":false,"listingLayoutId":false,"listingTemplatePath":false,"postsPerListingPage":false,"showSummaryInListing":false,"useFeaturedImageInSummary":false,"htmlHead":false,"postHtmlHead":false,"htmlHeadIsShared":false,"htmlFooter":false,"listingPageHtmlFooter":false,"postHtmlFooter":false,"htmlFooterIsShared":false,"attachedStylesheets":false,"postsPerRssFeed":false,"showSummaryInRss":false,"showSummaryInEmails":false,"showSummariesInEmails":false,"allowComments":false,"commentShouldCreateContact":false,"commentModeration":false,"closeCommentsOlder":false,"commentNotificationEmails":false,"commentMaxThreadDepth":false,"commentVerificationText":false,"socialAccountTwitter":false,"showSocialLinkTwitter":false,"showSocialLinkLinkedin":false,"showSocialLinkFacebook":false,"enableGoogleAmpOutput":false,"ampLogoSrc":false,"ampLogoHeight":false,"ampLogoWidth":false,"ampLogoAlt":false,"ampHeaderFont":false,"ampHeaderFontSize":false,"ampHeaderColor":false,"ampHeaderBackgroundColor":false,"ampBodyFont":false,"ampBodyFontSize":false,"ampBodyColor":false,"ampLinkColor":false,"generateJsonLdEnabled":false},"showSocialLinkFacebook":true,"showSocialLinkLinkedin":true,"showSocialLinkTwitter":true,"showSummaryInEmails":true,"showSummaryInListing":false,"showSummaryInRss":true,"siteId":0,"slug":"articles","socialAccountTwitter":"","state":null,"subscriptionContactsProperty":"blog_blog_the_front_row_view_subscription","subscriptionEmailType":null,"subscriptionFormGuid":"a2c254df-2214-4c54-bd51-46da1e3029fb","subscriptionListsByType":{"daily":12,"instant":11,"monthly":10,"weekly":13},"title":null,"translatedFromId":null,"translations":{"fr":{"absoluteUrl":"https://www.frontrowinsurance.com/fr/blogue","id":2471031463,"language":"fr","masterId":952267656,"name":"The Front Row View (entertainment insurance blog)","publicAccessRules":[],"publicAccessRulesEnabled":false,"slug":"fr/blogue"}},"updated":1693318083281,"updatedDateTime":1693318083281,"urlBase":"www.frontrowinsurance.com/articles","urlSegments":{},"useFeaturedImageInSummary":true,"usesDefaultTemplate":false,"weeklyNotificationEmailId":"952268106"},"password":null,"pastMabExperimentIds":[],"performableGuid":null,"performableVariationLetter":null,"personas":[],"placementGuids":[],"portableKey":null,"portalId":61352,"position":null,"postBody":"\n\n\n\n <span id=\"hs_cos_wrapper_post_body\" class=\"hs_cos_wrapper hs_cos_wrapper_meta_field hs_cos_wrapper_type_rich_text\" style=\"\" data-hs-cos-general-type=\"meta_field\" data-hs-cos-type=\"rich_text\" ><p class=\"p1\">As an entertainment insurance brokerage with a specialty in creating custom insurance packages for musicians, we have seen enough music gear-related insurance claims to be able to speak with some authority on what musicians can do to protect their gear. As it’s one of the most popular instruments, let’s focus on the guitar in this article:</p>\n<!--more-->\n<h2>Protecting your Guitar | Guitar Maintenance</h2>\n<ol class=\"ol1\">\n<li class=\"li1\"><strong>Where to keep your guitar?</strong> Store your guitar in a room closer to the center of the building rather than near an outside wall. This helps maintain a constant temperature.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Store the guitar in its case, standing up or on edge – never lying down – to prevent it from being stepped on. Also, loosen its strings one or two half-steps while the guitar is in storage.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Store vibrato-equipped guitars with arms detached.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Get a <a href=\"https://geni.us/jY0P9\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">gig bag</a> [Amazon Affiliate Link] with some good padding and put your guitar in it whenever transporting it. Carrying the bag in your hand is OK, but it’s even safer to strap it to your back while walking with your guitar.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">If you’re touring, always use a high-quality carrying case such as a hard-bodied, foam-lined, locking Pelican case that protects against impact &amp; moisture.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Consider getting a <a href=\"https://amzn.to/2SV4hYe\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">guitar wall hangar</a> [Amazon Affiliate Link] to hang your guitar(s) on. When you hang the guitar on a wall hanger, little-to-no pressure is exerted on the neck of the guitar in a direction that could potentially distort, bend or warp it. This is a much better storage option than leaning the guitar against a wall, which could bend the neck.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Put a digital hygrometer in your guitar case to ensure humidity levels are under control. The ideal humidity range for an acoustic guitar is 45-55%, but 40-60% is generally considered acceptable. A good <a href=\"https://geni.us/LY7SAcy\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">guitar humidifier</a> [Amazon Affiliate Link] will automate the humidity control process to stay within this range, making it easy to maintain proper humidification for your guitar while in its case. A well-reviewed one is the Oasis Guitar Humidifier.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Do NOT transport your guitar in the trunk of a vehicle. The above-mentioned humidity issues are particularly bad in a closed trunk and no guitar humidifier will be able to save your guitar if kept in a trunk for long.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">When playing outside, especially in summer, make sure your guitar is in some shade if possible, as the sun can damage the finish on your guitar. Overheated guitar strings can stretch and may fall out of tune while playing.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">While performing on stage, set your guitar in an area where it is less likely to be knocked into by passers-by, and try to set up your guitar last because, generally speaking, the less time an instrument is onstage, the less risk there is of potential damage.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Even if you sit while playing, having a <a href=\"https://amzn.to/2SToyxc\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">strong strap</a> [Amazon Affiliate Link] is an intelligent precaution that can prevent your guitar from dropping to the ground. But don’t wear a belt buckle while the guitar is strapped on – belt buckles often cause unfortunate scratches and dings on a guitar. Or untuck your shirt to act as a buffer between your belt buckle and the back of the guitar.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Get a <a href=\"https://amzn.to/2VozYLn\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pickguard/scratchplate</a> [Amazon Affiliate Link] for your guitar to protect the guitar's finish from being scratched by guitar picks.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Keeping your strings clean will help protect them; you can make the life of your strings last longer by wiping them down with a cloth or towel after playing. For guitars with steel strings, putting 70-90% isopropyl rubbing alcohol on the towel to help clean the strings is generally considered a best practice.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Use paint-cleaning clay for additional cleaning. This kind of clay removes contaminants, dirt and gunk from your guitar. You can even hear the clay pick up the contaminants. To clean the guitar after you're done with claying, use a microfiber cloth.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">If traveling with your guitar, consider stuffing its case with some extra padding (e.g., socks, towels, other fabrics) to pack it in tightly and prevent slippage. Also, don’t check your guitar as regular excess baggage. Carry it on as hand luggage whenever possible.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">If you MUST check your guitar as excess baggage, invest in a specialized <a href=\"https://amzn.to/2TakEPz\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">flight case</a> [Amazon Affiliate Link] for the guitar. These hard-bodied guitar cases are designed specifically for flying instruments as checked baggage. Look for phrases in the product description such as “ATA” (Air Transport Association), “ATA approved”, “ATA flight case”, etc.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Hiding a <span class=\"s1\"><a href=\"https://amzn.to/2HSKxOx\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Tile</a> [Amazon Affiliate Link]</span> or similar tracker in your cases results in a good recovery rate for stolen guitars. These products are especially valuable for vintage guitars.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">At least once a year, take your guitar to your local guitar technician for a once-over. This annual investment in expert service will no doubt pay for itself over the long run by keeping your guitar in good shape.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Try to get into the habit of washing your hands before playing the guitar. You may not realize it, but your fingers and palms contain moisture and oils that can damage your guitar strings.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">And, of course, PLAY your guitar regularly! Just as a muscle will atrophy from lack of stress, so a guitar will eventually deteriorate from lack of use.</li>\n</ol>\n<h2>Downloadable Checklist – Effective Ways to Protect Your Guitar</h2>\n<p class=\"p1\">Take the tips in this article with you by filling out <a href=\"/checklist-download-20-effective-ways-to-protect-your-guitar\" rel=\" noopener\">this form</a>. We’ll email you a PDF copy of <i>Effective Ways to Protect Your Guitar</i>. Or complete the form below:</p></span>\n","postBodyRss":"<p class=\"p1\">As an entertainment insurance brokerage with a specialty in creating custom insurance packages for musicians, we have seen enough music gear-related insurance claims to be able to speak with some authority on what musicians can do to protect their gear. As it’s one of the most popular instruments, let’s focus on the guitar in this article:</p>\n<!--more-->\n<h2>Protecting your Guitar | Guitar Maintenance</h2>\n<ol class=\"ol1\">\n<li class=\"li1\"><strong>Where to keep your guitar?</strong> Store your guitar in a room closer to the center of the building rather than near an outside wall. This helps maintain a constant temperature.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Store the guitar in its case, standing up or on edge – never lying down – to prevent it from being stepped on. Also, loosen its strings one or two half-steps while the guitar is in storage.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Store vibrato-equipped guitars with arms detached.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Get a <a href=\"https://geni.us/jY0P9\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">gig bag</a> [Amazon Affiliate Link] with some good padding and put your guitar in it whenever transporting it. Carrying the bag in your hand is OK, but it’s even safer to strap it to your back while walking with your guitar.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">If you’re touring, always use a high-quality carrying case such as a hard-bodied, foam-lined, locking Pelican case that protects against impact &amp; moisture.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Consider getting a <a href=\"https://amzn.to/2SV4hYe\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">guitar wall hangar</a> [Amazon Affiliate Link] to hang your guitar(s) on. When you hang the guitar on a wall hanger, little-to-no pressure is exerted on the neck of the guitar in a direction that could potentially distort, bend or warp it. This is a much better storage option than leaning the guitar against a wall, which could bend the neck.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Put a digital hygrometer in your guitar case to ensure humidity levels are under control. The ideal humidity range for an acoustic guitar is 45-55%, but 40-60% is generally considered acceptable. A good <a href=\"https://geni.us/LY7SAcy\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">guitar humidifier</a> [Amazon Affiliate Link] will automate the humidity control process to stay within this range, making it easy to maintain proper humidification for your guitar while in its case. A well-reviewed one is the Oasis Guitar Humidifier.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Do NOT transport your guitar in the trunk of a vehicle. The above-mentioned humidity issues are particularly bad in a closed trunk and no guitar humidifier will be able to save your guitar if kept in a trunk for long.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">When playing outside, especially in summer, make sure your guitar is in some shade if possible, as the sun can damage the finish on your guitar. Overheated guitar strings can stretch and may fall out of tune while playing.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">While performing on stage, set your guitar in an area where it is less likely to be knocked into by passers-by, and try to set up your guitar last because, generally speaking, the less time an instrument is onstage, the less risk there is of potential damage.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Even if you sit while playing, having a <a href=\"https://amzn.to/2SToyxc\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">strong strap</a> [Amazon Affiliate Link] is an intelligent precaution that can prevent your guitar from dropping to the ground. But don’t wear a belt buckle while the guitar is strapped on – belt buckles often cause unfortunate scratches and dings on a guitar. Or untuck your shirt to act as a buffer between your belt buckle and the back of the guitar.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Get a <a href=\"https://amzn.to/2VozYLn\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pickguard/scratchplate</a> [Amazon Affiliate Link] for your guitar to protect the guitar's finish from being scratched by guitar picks.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Keeping your strings clean will help protect them; you can make the life of your strings last longer by wiping them down with a cloth or towel after playing. For guitars with steel strings, putting 70-90% isopropyl rubbing alcohol on the towel to help clean the strings is generally considered a best practice.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Use paint-cleaning clay for additional cleaning. This kind of clay removes contaminants, dirt and gunk from your guitar. You can even hear the clay pick up the contaminants. To clean the guitar after you're done with claying, use a microfiber cloth.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">If traveling with your guitar, consider stuffing its case with some extra padding (e.g., socks, towels, other fabrics) to pack it in tightly and prevent slippage. Also, don’t check your guitar as regular excess baggage. Carry it on as hand luggage whenever possible.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">If you MUST check your guitar as excess baggage, invest in a specialized <a href=\"https://amzn.to/2TakEPz\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">flight case</a> [Amazon Affiliate Link] for the guitar. These hard-bodied guitar cases are designed specifically for flying instruments as checked baggage. Look for phrases in the product description such as “ATA” (Air Transport Association), “ATA approved”, “ATA flight case”, etc.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Hiding a <span class=\"s1\"><a href=\"https://amzn.to/2HSKxOx\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Tile</a> [Amazon Affiliate Link]</span> or similar tracker in your cases results in a good recovery rate for stolen guitars. These products are especially valuable for vintage guitars.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">At least once a year, take your guitar to your local guitar technician for a once-over. This annual investment in expert service will no doubt pay for itself over the long run by keeping your guitar in good shape.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Try to get into the habit of washing your hands before playing the guitar. You may not realize it, but your fingers and palms contain moisture and oils that can damage your guitar strings.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">And, of course, PLAY your guitar regularly! Just as a muscle will atrophy from lack of stress, so a guitar will eventually deteriorate from lack of use.</li>\n</ol>\n<h2>Downloadable Checklist – Effective Ways to Protect Your Guitar</h2>\n<p class=\"p1\">Take the tips in this article with you by filling out <a href=\"/checklist-download-20-effective-ways-to-protect-your-guitar\" rel=\" noopener\">this form</a>. We’ll email you a PDF copy of <i>Effective Ways to Protect Your Guitar</i>. Or complete the form below:</p>","postEmailContent":"<p class=\"p1\">As an entertainment insurance brokerage with a specialty in creating custom insurance packages for musicians, we have seen enough music gear-related insurance claims to be able to speak with some authority on what musicians can do to protect their gear. As it’s one of the most popular instruments, let’s focus on the guitar in this article:</p>","postFeaturedImageIfEnabled":"https://61352.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/61352/blog-image-uploads/music/guitar-forweb.jpg","postListContent":"\n\n\n\n <span id=\"hs_cos_wrapper_post_body\" class=\"hs_cos_wrapper hs_cos_wrapper_meta_field hs_cos_wrapper_type_rich_text\" style=\"\" data-hs-cos-general-type=\"meta_field\" data-hs-cos-type=\"rich_text\" ><p class=\"p1\">As an entertainment insurance brokerage with a specialty in creating custom insurance packages for musicians, we have seen enough music gear-related insurance claims to be able to speak with some authority on what musicians can do to protect their gear. As it’s one of the most popular instruments, let’s focus on the guitar in this article:</p>\n<!--more-->\n<h2>Protecting your Guitar | Guitar Maintenance</h2>\n<ol class=\"ol1\">\n<li class=\"li1\"><strong>Where to keep your guitar?</strong> Store your guitar in a room closer to the center of the building rather than near an outside wall. This helps maintain a constant temperature.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Store the guitar in its case, standing up or on edge – never lying down – to prevent it from being stepped on. Also, loosen its strings one or two half-steps while the guitar is in storage.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Store vibrato-equipped guitars with arms detached.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Get a <a href=\"https://geni.us/jY0P9\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">gig bag</a> [Amazon Affiliate Link] with some good padding and put your guitar in it whenever transporting it. Carrying the bag in your hand is OK, but it’s even safer to strap it to your back while walking with your guitar.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">If you’re touring, always use a high-quality carrying case such as a hard-bodied, foam-lined, locking Pelican case that protects against impact &amp; moisture.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Consider getting a <a href=\"https://amzn.to/2SV4hYe\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">guitar wall hangar</a> [Amazon Affiliate Link] to hang your guitar(s) on. When you hang the guitar on a wall hanger, little-to-no pressure is exerted on the neck of the guitar in a direction that could potentially distort, bend or warp it. This is a much better storage option than leaning the guitar against a wall, which could bend the neck.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Put a digital hygrometer in your guitar case to ensure humidity levels are under control. The ideal humidity range for an acoustic guitar is 45-55%, but 40-60% is generally considered acceptable. A good <a href=\"https://geni.us/LY7SAcy\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">guitar humidifier</a> [Amazon Affiliate Link] will automate the humidity control process to stay within this range, making it easy to maintain proper humidification for your guitar while in its case. A well-reviewed one is the Oasis Guitar Humidifier.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Do NOT transport your guitar in the trunk of a vehicle. The above-mentioned humidity issues are particularly bad in a closed trunk and no guitar humidifier will be able to save your guitar if kept in a trunk for long.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">When playing outside, especially in summer, make sure your guitar is in some shade if possible, as the sun can damage the finish on your guitar. Overheated guitar strings can stretch and may fall out of tune while playing.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">While performing on stage, set your guitar in an area where it is less likely to be knocked into by passers-by, and try to set up your guitar last because, generally speaking, the less time an instrument is onstage, the less risk there is of potential damage.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Even if you sit while playing, having a <a href=\"https://amzn.to/2SToyxc\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">strong strap</a> [Amazon Affiliate Link] is an intelligent precaution that can prevent your guitar from dropping to the ground. But don’t wear a belt buckle while the guitar is strapped on – belt buckles often cause unfortunate scratches and dings on a guitar. Or untuck your shirt to act as a buffer between your belt buckle and the back of the guitar.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Get a <a href=\"https://amzn.to/2VozYLn\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pickguard/scratchplate</a> [Amazon Affiliate Link] for your guitar to protect the guitar's finish from being scratched by guitar picks.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Keeping your strings clean will help protect them; you can make the life of your strings last longer by wiping them down with a cloth or towel after playing. For guitars with steel strings, putting 70-90% isopropyl rubbing alcohol on the towel to help clean the strings is generally considered a best practice.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Use paint-cleaning clay for additional cleaning. This kind of clay removes contaminants, dirt and gunk from your guitar. You can even hear the clay pick up the contaminants. To clean the guitar after you're done with claying, use a microfiber cloth.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">If traveling with your guitar, consider stuffing its case with some extra padding (e.g., socks, towels, other fabrics) to pack it in tightly and prevent slippage. Also, don’t check your guitar as regular excess baggage. Carry it on as hand luggage whenever possible.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">If you MUST check your guitar as excess baggage, invest in a specialized <a href=\"https://amzn.to/2TakEPz\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">flight case</a> [Amazon Affiliate Link] for the guitar. These hard-bodied guitar cases are designed specifically for flying instruments as checked baggage. Look for phrases in the product description such as “ATA” (Air Transport Association), “ATA approved”, “ATA flight case”, etc.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Hiding a <span class=\"s1\"><a href=\"https://amzn.to/2HSKxOx\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Tile</a> [Amazon Affiliate Link]</span> or similar tracker in your cases results in a good recovery rate for stolen guitars. These products are especially valuable for vintage guitars.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">At least once a year, take your guitar to your local guitar technician for a once-over. This annual investment in expert service will no doubt pay for itself over the long run by keeping your guitar in good shape.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Try to get into the habit of washing your hands before playing the guitar. You may not realize it, but your fingers and palms contain moisture and oils that can damage your guitar strings.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">And, of course, PLAY your guitar regularly! Just as a muscle will atrophy from lack of stress, so a guitar will eventually deteriorate from lack of use.</li>\n</ol>\n<h2>Downloadable Checklist – Effective Ways to Protect Your Guitar</h2>\n<p class=\"p1\">Take the tips in this article with you by filling out <a href=\"/checklist-download-20-effective-ways-to-protect-your-guitar\" rel=\" noopener\">this form</a>. We’ll email you a PDF copy of <i>Effective Ways to Protect Your Guitar</i>. Or complete the form below:</p></span>\n","postListSummaryFeaturedImage":"","postRssContent":"<p class=\"p1\">As an entertainment insurance brokerage with a specialty in creating custom insurance packages for musicians, we have seen enough music gear-related insurance claims to be able to speak with some authority on what musicians can do to protect their gear. As it’s one of the most popular instruments, let’s focus on the guitar in this article:</p>","postRssSummaryFeaturedImage":"https://61352.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/61352/blog-image-uploads/music/guitar-forweb.jpg","postSummary":"<p class=\"p1\">As an entertainment insurance brokerage with a specialty in creating custom insurance packages for musicians, we have seen enough music gear-related insurance claims to be able to speak with some authority on what musicians can do to protect their gear. As it’s one of the most popular instruments, let’s focus on the guitar in this article:</p>\n","postSummaryRss":"<p class=\"p1\">As an entertainment insurance brokerage with a specialty in creating custom insurance packages for musicians, we have seen enough music gear-related insurance claims to be able to speak with some authority on what musicians can do to protect their gear. As it’s one of the most popular instruments, let’s focus on the guitar in this article:</p>","postTemplate":"prox_frontrow/templates/blog/blog-post.html","previewImageSrc":null,"previewKey":"cfQVVwUY","previousPostFeaturedImage":"https://61352.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/61352/images/eando/EandO-certain-qs-forweb600.jpg","previousPostFeaturedImageAltText":"Why are certain questions asked on an E&O application?","previousPostName":"Why are certain questions asked on an E&O application?","previousPostSlug":"articles/why-are-certain-questions-asked-on-an-eo-application","processingStatus":"PUBLISHED","propertyForDynamicPageCanonicalUrl":null,"propertyForDynamicPageFeaturedImage":null,"propertyForDynamicPageMetaDescription":null,"propertyForDynamicPageSlug":null,"propertyForDynamicPageTitle":null,"publicAccessRules":[],"publicAccessRulesEnabled":false,"publishDate":1579110994000,"publishDateLocalTime":1579110994000,"publishDateLocalized":{"date":1579110994000,"format":"medium","language":"en_US"},"publishImmediately":true,"publishTimezoneOffset":null,"publishedAt":1697040434876,"publishedByEmail":null,"publishedById":7915797,"publishedByName":null,"publishedUrl":"https://www.frontrowinsurance.com/articles/20-effective-ways-to-protect-your-guitar","resolvedDomain":"www.frontrowinsurance.com","resolvedLanguage":null,"rssBody":"<p class=\"p1\">As an entertainment insurance brokerage with a specialty in creating custom insurance packages for musicians, we have seen enough music gear-related insurance claims to be able to speak with some authority on what musicians can do to protect their gear. As it’s one of the most popular instruments, let’s focus on the guitar in this article:</p>\n<!--more-->\n<h2>Protecting your Guitar | Guitar Maintenance</h2>\n<ol class=\"ol1\">\n<li class=\"li1\"><strong>Where to keep your guitar?</strong> Store your guitar in a room closer to the center of the building rather than near an outside wall. This helps maintain a constant temperature.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Store the guitar in its case, standing up or on edge – never lying down – to prevent it from being stepped on. Also, loosen its strings one or two half-steps while the guitar is in storage.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Store vibrato-equipped guitars with arms detached.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Get a <a href=\"https://geni.us/jY0P9\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">gig bag</a> [Amazon Affiliate Link] with some good padding and put your guitar in it whenever transporting it. Carrying the bag in your hand is OK, but it’s even safer to strap it to your back while walking with your guitar.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">If you’re touring, always use a high-quality carrying case such as a hard-bodied, foam-lined, locking Pelican case that protects against impact &amp; moisture.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Consider getting a <a href=\"https://amzn.to/2SV4hYe\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">guitar wall hangar</a> [Amazon Affiliate Link] to hang your guitar(s) on. When you hang the guitar on a wall hanger, little-to-no pressure is exerted on the neck of the guitar in a direction that could potentially distort, bend or warp it. This is a much better storage option than leaning the guitar against a wall, which could bend the neck.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Put a digital hygrometer in your guitar case to ensure humidity levels are under control. The ideal humidity range for an acoustic guitar is 45-55%, but 40-60% is generally considered acceptable. A good <a href=\"https://geni.us/LY7SAcy\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">guitar humidifier</a> [Amazon Affiliate Link] will automate the humidity control process to stay within this range, making it easy to maintain proper humidification for your guitar while in its case. A well-reviewed one is the Oasis Guitar Humidifier.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Do NOT transport your guitar in the trunk of a vehicle. The above-mentioned humidity issues are particularly bad in a closed trunk and no guitar humidifier will be able to save your guitar if kept in a trunk for long.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">When playing outside, especially in summer, make sure your guitar is in some shade if possible, as the sun can damage the finish on your guitar. Overheated guitar strings can stretch and may fall out of tune while playing.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">While performing on stage, set your guitar in an area where it is less likely to be knocked into by passers-by, and try to set up your guitar last because, generally speaking, the less time an instrument is onstage, the less risk there is of potential damage.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Even if you sit while playing, having a <a href=\"https://amzn.to/2SToyxc\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">strong strap</a> [Amazon Affiliate Link] is an intelligent precaution that can prevent your guitar from dropping to the ground. But don’t wear a belt buckle while the guitar is strapped on – belt buckles often cause unfortunate scratches and dings on a guitar. Or untuck your shirt to act as a buffer between your belt buckle and the back of the guitar.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Get a <a href=\"https://amzn.to/2VozYLn\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pickguard/scratchplate</a> [Amazon Affiliate Link] for your guitar to protect the guitar's finish from being scratched by guitar picks.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Keeping your strings clean will help protect them; you can make the life of your strings last longer by wiping them down with a cloth or towel after playing. For guitars with steel strings, putting 70-90% isopropyl rubbing alcohol on the towel to help clean the strings is generally considered a best practice.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Use paint-cleaning clay for additional cleaning. This kind of clay removes contaminants, dirt and gunk from your guitar. You can even hear the clay pick up the contaminants. To clean the guitar after you're done with claying, use a microfiber cloth.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">If traveling with your guitar, consider stuffing its case with some extra padding (e.g., socks, towels, other fabrics) to pack it in tightly and prevent slippage. Also, don’t check your guitar as regular excess baggage. Carry it on as hand luggage whenever possible.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">If you MUST check your guitar as excess baggage, invest in a specialized <a href=\"https://amzn.to/2TakEPz\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">flight case</a> [Amazon Affiliate Link] for the guitar. These hard-bodied guitar cases are designed specifically for flying instruments as checked baggage. Look for phrases in the product description such as “ATA” (Air Transport Association), “ATA approved”, “ATA flight case”, etc.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Hiding a <span class=\"s1\"><a href=\"https://amzn.to/2HSKxOx\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Tile</a> [Amazon Affiliate Link]</span> or similar tracker in your cases results in a good recovery rate for stolen guitars. These products are especially valuable for vintage guitars.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">At least once a year, take your guitar to your local guitar technician for a once-over. This annual investment in expert service will no doubt pay for itself over the long run by keeping your guitar in good shape.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Try to get into the habit of washing your hands before playing the guitar. You may not realize it, but your fingers and palms contain moisture and oils that can damage your guitar strings.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">And, of course, PLAY your guitar regularly! Just as a muscle will atrophy from lack of stress, so a guitar will eventually deteriorate from lack of use.</li>\n</ol>\n<h2>Downloadable Checklist – Effective Ways to Protect Your Guitar</h2>\n<p class=\"p1\">Take the tips in this article with you by filling out <a href=\"/checklist-download-20-effective-ways-to-protect-your-guitar\" rel=\" noopener\">this form</a>. We’ll email you a PDF copy of <i>Effective Ways to Protect Your Guitar</i>. Or complete the form below:</p>","rssSummary":"<p class=\"p1\">As an entertainment insurance brokerage with a specialty in creating custom insurance packages for musicians, we have seen enough music gear-related insurance claims to be able to speak with some authority on what musicians can do to protect their gear. As it’s one of the most popular instruments, let’s focus on the guitar in this article:</p>\n","rssSummaryFeaturedImage":"https://61352.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/61352/blog-image-uploads/music/guitar-forweb.jpg","scheduledUpdateDate":0,"screenshotPreviewTakenAt":1725725234363,"screenshotPreviewUrl":"https://cdn1.hubspot.net/hubshotv3/prod/e/0/75a668d8-3ee8-4f44-94d0-7775de947179.png","sections":{},"securityState":"NONE","siteId":null,"slug":"articles/20-effective-ways-to-protect-your-guitar","stagedFrom":null,"state":"PUBLISHED","stateWhenDeleted":null,"structuredContentPageType":null,"structuredContentType":null,"styleOverrideId":null,"subcategory":"normal_blog_post","syncedWithBlogRoot":true,"tagIds":[949436814,949708814],"tagList":[{"categoryId":0,"cdnPurgeEmbargoTime":null,"contentIds":[],"cosObjectType":"TAG","created":1401900445000,"deletedAt":0,"description":"","id":949436814,"label":"Musical instrument insurance","language":"en","name":"Musical instrument insurance","portalId":61352,"slug":"musical-instrument-insurance","translatedFromId":null,"translations":{},"updated":1649857146996},{"categoryId":0,"cdnPurgeEmbargoTime":null,"contentIds":[],"cosObjectType":"TAG","created":1401901719000,"deletedAt":0,"description":"","id":949708814,"label":"Film insurance broker","language":"en","name":"Film insurance broker","portalId":61352,"slug":"film-insurance-broker","translatedFromId":null,"translations":{},"updated":1649863451156}],"tagNames":["Musical instrument insurance","Film insurance broker"],"teamPerms":[],"templatePath":"","templatePathForRender":"prox_frontrow/templates/blog/blog-post.html","textToAudioFileId":null,"textToAudioGenerationRequestId":null,"themePath":null,"themeSettingsValues":null,"title":"20 Effective Ways to Protect Your Guitar (Downloadable Checklist!)","tmsId":null,"topicIds":[949436814,949708814],"topicList":[{"categoryId":0,"cdnPurgeEmbargoTime":null,"contentIds":[],"cosObjectType":"TAG","created":1401900445000,"deletedAt":0,"description":"","id":949436814,"label":"Musical instrument insurance","language":"en","name":"Musical instrument insurance","portalId":61352,"slug":"musical-instrument-insurance","translatedFromId":null,"translations":{},"updated":1649857146996},{"categoryId":0,"cdnPurgeEmbargoTime":null,"contentIds":[],"cosObjectType":"TAG","created":1401901719000,"deletedAt":0,"description":"","id":949708814,"label":"Film insurance broker","language":"en","name":"Film insurance broker","portalId":61352,"slug":"film-insurance-broker","translatedFromId":null,"translations":{},"updated":1649863451156}],"topicNames":["Musical instrument insurance","Film insurance broker"],"topics":[949436814,949708814],"translatedContent":{},"translatedFromId":null,"translations":{},"tweet":null,"tweetAt":null,"tweetImmediately":false,"unpublishedAt":0,"updated":1697040434884,"updatedById":7915797,"upsizeFeaturedImage":false,"url":"https://www.frontrowinsurance.com/articles/20-effective-ways-to-protect-your-guitar","useFeaturedImage":true,"userPerms":[],"views":0,"visibleToAll":null,"widgetContainers":{},"widgetcontainers":{},"widgets":{"module_156398965931111":{"body":{"definition_id":null,"module_id":8696351,"path":"/Marketplace/HubSpot/Team_Member/Team Member","per_widget_wrapper_html":"","smart_objects":null,"smart_type":"NOT_SMART","tag":"module","type":"module","widget_name":"Team Member","wrapping_html":""},"child_css":{},"css":{},"deleted_at":1650482477563,"id":"module_156398965931111","label":"Team Member","module_id":8696351,"name":"module_156398965931111","order":11,"smart_type":null,"styles":{},"type":"module"},"module_15960847531069":{"body":{"add_form":{"form_id":"7789fbca-b4b7-4d15-a9a0-6ea0e5c0c7c0","form_type":"HUBSPOT","gotowebinar_webinar_key":null,"message":"<p>Thanks for submitting the form. The checklist will be emailed to you shortly.</p>","response_type":"inline"},"add_form_title":"Get the guitar checklist:","enable_form":true,"module_id":33051772119},"child_css":{},"css":{},"id":"module_15960847531069","label":"Blog Subscribe New Module 2020","module_id":33051772119,"name":"module_15960847531069","order":6,"smart_type":null,"styles":{},"type":"module"},"module_15965216980304":{"body":{"add_content":"<h2>Front Row for Guitar Insurance</h2>\n<p class=\"p1\">Front Row Insurance is a brokerage specializing in entertainment-related risks. We have a simple online instrument insurance program available 24/7. Insurance protection can be purchased in 5 minutes. Custom packages for musicians include tour liability and coverage for recording studios. We have offices in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Halifax, LA, NYC &amp; Nashville and our staff of 50+ have a combined 510 years insurance experience.</p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Front Row provides fast, affordable musical instrument insurance for Canada’s music professionals who are Canadian resident members of SOCAN (and other music associations). Get a quote and buy online here: <span class=\"s1\"><a href=\"https://musicians.frontrowinsurance.com/\">https://musicians.frontrowinsurance.com/</a><br><a href=\"https://musicians.frontrowinsurance.com/\"></a></span></p>\n<h2>Refer a Friend to Front Row</h2>\n<p>Based on customer demand, we’ve setup our <a href=\"https://www.frontrowinsurance.com/referral\" rel=\" noopener\" style=\"text-decoration: none;\">referral marketing program</a> and if you refer a friend to Front Row, you could win a $15 Amazon eGift Card OR be entered into a random draw to win a $99 Amazon eGift Card! <em>(depending on your province)</em></p>\n<p style=\"font-size: 13px;\"><strong><em>DISCLAIMER</em></strong><em>: Informational statements regarding insurance coverage are for general description purposes only. These statements do not amend, modify or supplement any insurance policy. Consult the actual policy or your broker for details regarding terms, conditions, coverage, exclusions, products, services and programs which may be available to you. Your eligibility for particular products and services is subject to the final determination of underwriting qualifications and acceptance by the insurance underwriting company providing such products or services. This website does not make any representations that coverage does or does not exist for any particular claim or loss, or type of claim or loss, under any policy. Whether coverage exists or does not exist for any particular claim or loss under any policy depends on the facts and circumstances involved in the claim or loss and all applicable policy wording.</em></p>\n<p style=\"font-size: 13px;\"><strong><em>Amazon Associates Disclosure</em></strong><em>: Front Row Insurance is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon. This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Front Row Insurance earns from qualifying purchases. There is no additional cost to you.</em></p>\n<p class=\"p1\">&nbsp;</p>\n<h3>Related:</h3>\n<p><a href=\"/musical-instrument-insurance-101\" rel=\" noopener\">Musical Instrument Insurance 101: How to Protect Your Instruments</a><br><a href=\"/articles/musical-instrument-theft-prevention-what-you-need-to-know\" rel=\" noopener\">Tips &amp; tricks to guard your gear </a><br><a href=\"/instrument-insurance-blog/bid/205377/protecting-musical-instruments-at-home-insurance-and-more\" rel=\" noopener\">Protecting instruments at home</a><br><a href=\"/instrument-insurance-blog/bid/205279/6-ways-to-protect-your-instruments-at-airports-and-on-planes\" rel=\" noopener\">Protecting instruments at airports </a><br><a href=\"/instrument-insurance-blog/bid/118477/musical-gear-insurance-and-protection-while-on-tour\" rel=\" noopener\">Protecting instruments on tour</a><br><a href=\"/articles/summer-and-tours-what-you-need-to-know-about-musical-tour-insurance\" rel=\" noopener\">Musical tour insurance </a><br><a href=\"/articles/band-on-the-run-touring-insurance-tips-for-taking-your-show-on-the-road\" rel=\" noopener\">Band on the run </a><br><a href=\"/articles/articles/bid/81594/why-even-your-band-should-carry-liability-insurance\" rel=\" noopener\">Tribute bands and liability </a><br>Protecting your guitar<br><a href=\"/instrument-insurance-blog/20-effective-ways-to-protect-your-drums\" rel=\" noopener\">Protecting your drums</a><br><a href=\"/instrument-insurance-blog/20-effective-ways-to-protect-your-keyboard\" rel=\" noopener\">Protecting your keyboard</a><br><a href=\"/instrument-insurance-blog/20-effective-ways-to-protect-your-violin\" rel=\" noopener\">Protecting your violin</a><br><a href=\"/instrument-insurance-blog/20-effective-ways-to-protect-your-saxophone\" rel=\" noopener\">Protecting your saxophone</a><br><a href=\"/instrument-insurance-blog/bid/118532/stolen-musical-instruments-how-to-make-a-claim\" rel=\" noopener\">How to make a claim</a><br><a href=\"/instrument-insurance-blog/bid/191494/instrument-insurance-what-is-my-gear-worth-in-an-claim\" rel=\" noopener\">What is my gear worth in event of claim?</a><br><a href=\"/articles/musical-instrument-insurance-you-may-not-be-covered\" rel=\" noopener\">You may not be covered under homeowners</a><br><a href=\"/instrument-insurance-blog/bid/118744/front-row-instrument-policy-launches-on-line\" rel=\" noopener\">Front Row’s musical instrument policy </a><br><a href=\"/instrument-insurance-blog/bid/117160/instrument-insurance-for-socan-members\" rel=\" noopener\">Insurance for SOCAN members </a><br><a href=\"/instrument-insurance-blog/bid/146779/musical-instrument-insurance-companies-how-to-compare\" rel=\" noopener\">How to compare musical instrument insurance cos.</a><br><a href=\"/articles/blurring-the-lines-of-music-infringement-law-three-perspectives-in-one\" rel=\" noopener\">Blurring the lines of music infringement law</a></p>\n<h3 style=\"font-size: 14px;\"><br>Citations:</h3>\n<p class=\"p8\" style=\"font-size: 14px;\"><span class=\"s2\"><a href=\"https://www.fender.com/articles/tech-talk/case-closed-storage-tips-to-save-your-guitars\">https://www.fender.com/articles/tech-talk/case-closed-storage-tips-to-save-your-guitars</a></span></p>\n<p class=\"p8\" style=\"font-size: 14px;\"><span class=\"s2\"><a href=\"https://blog.taylorguitars.com/using-a-guitar-humidi\">https://blog.taylorguitars.com/using-a-guitar-humidifier-and-other-guitar-humidity-tips</a></span></p>\n<p class=\"p8\" style=\"font-size: 14px;\"><span class=\"s2\"><a href=\"https://www.guitarnick.com/how-to-protect-your-guitar-strings-from-rusting.html\">https://www.guitarnick.com/how-to-protect-your-guitar-strings-from-rusting.html</a></span></p>\n<p class=\"p8\" style=\"font-size: 14px;\"><span class=\"s2\"><a href=\"https://www.guitarworld.com/blogs/four-steps-keep-your-guitar-looking-amazing\">https://www.guitarworld.com/blogs/four-steps-keep-your-guitar-looking-amazing</a></span></p>\n<p class=\"p8\" style=\"font-size: 14px;\"><span class=\"s2\"><a href=\"https://www.guitaranswerguy.com/flying-with-a-guitar-as-checked-baggage/\">https://www.guitaranswerguy.com/flying-with-a-guitar-as-checked-baggage/</a></span><span class=\"s2\"></span><span class=\"s5\"></span></p>","enable_rich_text_module":true,"module_id":33156769794},"child_css":{},"css":{},"id":"module_15965216980304","label":"Basic Rich Text Box for Blog","module_id":33156769794,"name":"module_15965216980304","order":8,"smart_type":null,"styles":{},"type":"module"},"name":{"body":{"title":"20 Effective Ways to Protect Your Guitar (Downloadable Checklist!)"},"id":"name","label":"Title","name":"name","type":"text"},"post_body":{"body":{"html":"<h1>20 EFFECTIVE WAYS TO PROTECT YOUR GUITAR (DOWNLOADABLE CHECKLIST!)</h1>\n<p class=\"p1\"><img src=\"https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/61352/blog-image-uploads/music/guitar-forweb.jpg\" alt=\"20 EFFECTIVE WAYS TO PROTECT YOUR GUITAR\" style=\"width: 600px; display: block; margin: 0px auto;\" width=\"600\"></p>\n<p class=\"p1\">As an entertainment insurance brokerage with a specialty in creating custom insurance packages for musicians, we have seen enough music gear-related insurance claims to be able to speak with some authority on what musicians can do to protect their gear. As it’s one of the most popular instruments, let’s focus on the guitar in this article:</p>\n<!--more-->\n<h2>Protecting your Guitar | GUITAR MAINTENANCE</h2>\n<ol class=\"ol1\">\n<li class=\"li1\"><strong>Where to keep your guitar?</strong> Store your guitar in a room closer to the center of the building rather than near an outside wall. This helps maintain a constant temperature.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Store the guitar in its case, standing up or on edge – never lying down – to prevent it from being stepped on. Also, loosen its strings one or two half-steps while the guitar is in storage.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Store vibrato-equipped guitars with arms detached.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Get a <a href=\"https://geni.us/jY0P9\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">gig bag</a> [Amazon Affiliate Link] with some good padding and put your guitar in it whenever transporting it. Carrying the bag in your hand is OK, but it’s even safer to strap it to your back while walking with your guitar.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">If you’re touring, always use a high-quality carrying case such as a hard-bodied, foam-lined, locking Pelican case that protects against impact &amp; moisture.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\"><img src=\"https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/61352/blog-image-uploads/music/guitar-wall-hangar-forweb.jpg\" alt=\"Guitar wall hangar (Flickr)\" style=\"width: 267px; float: right; margin: 8px 0px 10px 12px;\" width=\"267\">Consider getting a <a href=\"https://amzn.to/2SV4hYe\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">guitar wall hangar</a> [Amazon Affiliate Link] to hang your guitar(s) on. When you hang the guitar on a wall hanger, little-to-no pressure is exerted on the neck of the guitar in a direction that could potentially distort, bend or warp it. This is a much better storage option than leaning the guitar against a wall, which could bend the neck.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Put a digital hygrometer in your guitar case to ensure humidity levels are under control. The ideal humidity range for an acoustic guitar is 45-55%, but 40-60% is generally considered acceptable. A good <a href=\"https://amzn.to/2TbJqPh\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">guitar humidifier</a> [Amazon Affiliate Link] will automate the humidity control process to stay within this range, making it easy to maintain proper humidification for your guitar while in its case. A well-reviewed one is the Oasis Guitar Humidifier.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Do NOT transport your guitar in the trunk of a vehicle. The above-mentioned humidity issues are particularly bad in a closed trunk and no guitar humidifier will be able to save your guitar if kept in a trunk for long.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">When playing outside, especially in summer, make sure your guitar is in some shade if possible, as the sun can damage the finish on your guitar. Overheated guitar strings can stretch and may fall out of tune while playing.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">While performing on stage, set your guitar in an area where it is less likely to be knocked into by passers-by, and try to set up your guitar last because, generally speaking, the less time an instrument is onstage, the less risk there is of potential damage.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Even if you sit while playing, having a <a href=\"https://amzn.to/2SToyxc\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">strong strap</a> [Amazon Affiliate Link] is an intelligent precaution that can prevent your guitar from dropping to the ground. But don’t wear a belt buckle while the guitar is strapped on – belt buckles often cause unfortunate scratches and dings on a guitar. Or untuck your shirt to act as a buffer between your belt buckle and the back of the guitar.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Get a <a href=\"https://amzn.to/2VozYLn\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">pickguard/scratchplate</a> [Amazon Affiliate Link] for your guitar to protect the guitar's finish from being scratched by guitar picks.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Keeping your strings clean will help protect them; you can make the life of your strings last longer by wiping them down with a cloth or towel after playing. For guitars with steel strings, putting 70-90% isopropyl rubbing alcohol on the towel to help clean the strings is generally considered a best practice.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Use paint-cleaning clay for additional cleaning. This kind of clay removes contaminants, dirt and gunk from your guitar. You can even hear the clay pick up the contaminants. To clean the guitar after you're done with claying, use a microfiber cloth.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">If traveling with your guitar, consider stuffing its case with some extra padding (e.g., socks, towels, other fabrics) to pack it in tightly and prevent slippage. Also, don’t check your guitar as regular excess baggage. Carry it on as hand luggage whenever possible.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">If you MUST check your guitar as excess baggage, invest in a specialized <a href=\"https://amzn.to/2TakEPz\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">flight case</a> [Amazon Affiliate Link] for the guitar. These hard-bodied guitar cases are designed specifically for flying instruments as checked baggage. Look for phrases in the product description such as “ATA” (Air Transport Association), “ATA approved”, “ATA flight case”, etc.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Hiding a <span class=\"s1\"><a href=\"https://amzn.to/2HSKxOx\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Tile</a> [Amazon Affiliate Link]</span> or similar tracker in your cases results in a good recovery rate for stolen guitars. These products are especially valuable for vintage guitars.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">At least once a year, take your guitar to your local guitar technician for a once-over. This annual investment in expert service will no doubt pay for itself over the long run by keeping your guitar in good shape.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">Try to get into the habit of washing your hands before playing the guitar. You may not realize it, but your fingers and palms contain moisture and oils that can damage your guitar strings.</li>\n<li class=\"li1\">And, of course, PLAY your guitar regularly! Just as a muscle will atrophy from lack of stress, so a guitar will eventually deteriorate from lack of use.</li>\n</ol>\n<h2>Downloadable Checklist – Effective Ways to Protect Your Guitar</h2>\n<p class=\"p1\">Take the tips in this article with you by filling out <a href=\"/checklist-download-20-effective-ways-to-protect-your-guitar\" rel=\" noopener\">this form</a>. We’ll email you a PDF copy of <i>Effective Ways to Protect Your Guitar</i>. Or complete the form below:</p>"},"deleted_at":1643049849194,"id":"post_body","label":"Blog Content","name":"post_body","type":"rich_text"}}}

20 Effective Ways to Protect Your Guitar (Downloadable Checklist!)

Protect Your Guitar

As an entertainment insurance brokerage with a specialty in creating custom insurance packages for musicians, we have seen enough music gear-related insurance claims to be able to speak with some authority on what musicians can do to protect their gear. As it’s one of the most popular instruments, let’s focus on the guitar in this article:

Protecting your Guitar | Guitar Maintenance

  1. Where to keep your guitar? Store your guitar in a room closer to the center of the building rather than near an outside wall. This helps maintain a constant temperature.
  2. Store the guitar in its case, standing up or on edge – never lying down – to prevent it from being stepped on. Also, loosen its strings one or two half-steps while the guitar is in storage.
  3. Store vibrato-equipped guitars with arms detached.
  4. Get a gig bag [Amazon Affiliate Link] with some good padding and put your guitar in it whenever transporting it. Carrying the bag in your hand is OK, but it’s even safer to strap it to your back while walking with your guitar.
  5. If you’re touring, always use a high-quality carrying case such as a hard-bodied, foam-lined, locking Pelican case that protects against impact & moisture.
  6. Consider getting a guitar wall hangar [Amazon Affiliate Link] to hang your guitar(s) on. When you hang the guitar on a wall hanger, little-to-no pressure is exerted on the neck of the guitar in a direction that could potentially distort, bend or warp it. This is a much better storage option than leaning the guitar against a wall, which could bend the neck.
  7. Put a digital hygrometer in your guitar case to ensure humidity levels are under control. The ideal humidity range for an acoustic guitar is 45-55%, but 40-60% is generally considered acceptable. A good guitar humidifier [Amazon Affiliate Link] will automate the humidity control process to stay within this range, making it easy to maintain proper humidification for your guitar while in its case. A well-reviewed one is the Oasis Guitar Humidifier.
  8. Do NOT transport your guitar in the trunk of a vehicle. The above-mentioned humidity issues are particularly bad in a closed trunk and no guitar humidifier will be able to save your guitar if kept in a trunk for long.
  9. When playing outside, especially in summer, make sure your guitar is in some shade if possible, as the sun can damage the finish on your guitar. Overheated guitar strings can stretch and may fall out of tune while playing.
  10. While performing on stage, set your guitar in an area where it is less likely to be knocked into by passers-by, and try to set up your guitar last because, generally speaking, the less time an instrument is onstage, the less risk there is of potential damage.
  11. Even if you sit while playing, having a strong strap [Amazon Affiliate Link] is an intelligent precaution that can prevent your guitar from dropping to the ground. But don’t wear a belt buckle while the guitar is strapped on – belt buckles often cause unfortunate scratches and dings on a guitar. Or untuck your shirt to act as a buffer between your belt buckle and the back of the guitar.
  12. Get a pickguard/scratchplate [Amazon Affiliate Link] for your guitar to protect the guitar's finish from being scratched by guitar picks.
  13. Keeping your strings clean will help protect them; you can make the life of your strings last longer by wiping them down with a cloth or towel after playing. For guitars with steel strings, putting 70-90% isopropyl rubbing alcohol on the towel to help clean the strings is generally considered a best practice.
  14. Use paint-cleaning clay for additional cleaning. This kind of clay removes contaminants, dirt and gunk from your guitar. You can even hear the clay pick up the contaminants. To clean the guitar after you're done with claying, use a microfiber cloth.
  15. If traveling with your guitar, consider stuffing its case with some extra padding (e.g., socks, towels, other fabrics) to pack it in tightly and prevent slippage. Also, don’t check your guitar as regular excess baggage. Carry it on as hand luggage whenever possible.
  16. If you MUST check your guitar as excess baggage, invest in a specialized flight case [Amazon Affiliate Link] for the guitar. These hard-bodied guitar cases are designed specifically for flying instruments as checked baggage. Look for phrases in the product description such as “ATA” (Air Transport Association), “ATA approved”, “ATA flight case”, etc.
  17. Hiding a Tile [Amazon Affiliate Link] or similar tracker in your cases results in a good recovery rate for stolen guitars. These products are especially valuable for vintage guitars.
  18. At least once a year, take your guitar to your local guitar technician for a once-over. This annual investment in expert service will no doubt pay for itself over the long run by keeping your guitar in good shape.
  19. Try to get into the habit of washing your hands before playing the guitar. You may not realize it, but your fingers and palms contain moisture and oils that can damage your guitar strings.
  20. And, of course, PLAY your guitar regularly! Just as a muscle will atrophy from lack of stress, so a guitar will eventually deteriorate from lack of use.

Downloadable Checklist – Effective Ways to Protect Your Guitar

Take the tips in this article with you by filling out this form. We’ll email you a PDF copy of Effective Ways to Protect Your Guitar. Or complete the form below:

Get the guitar checklist:

Front Row for Guitar Insurance

Front Row Insurance is a brokerage specializing in entertainment-related risks. We have a simple online instrument insurance program available 24/7. Insurance protection can be purchased in 5 minutes. Custom packages for musicians include tour liability and coverage for recording studios. We have offices in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Halifax, LA, NYC & Nashville and our staff of 50+ have a combined 510 years insurance experience.

Front Row provides fast, affordable musical instrument insurance for Canada’s music professionals who are Canadian resident members of SOCAN (and other music associations). Get a quote and buy online here: https://musicians.frontrowinsurance.com/

Refer a Friend to Front Row

Based on customer demand, we’ve setup our referral marketing program and if you refer a friend to Front Row, you could win a $15 Amazon eGift Card OR be entered into a random draw to win a $99 Amazon eGift Card! (depending on your province)

DISCLAIMER: Informational statements regarding insurance coverage are for general description purposes only. These statements do not amend, modify or supplement any insurance policy. Consult the actual policy or your broker for details regarding terms, conditions, coverage, exclusions, products, services and programs which may be available to you. Your eligibility for particular products and services is subject to the final determination of underwriting qualifications and acceptance by the insurance underwriting company providing such products or services. This website does not make any representations that coverage does or does not exist for any particular claim or loss, or type of claim or loss, under any policy. Whether coverage exists or does not exist for any particular claim or loss under any policy depends on the facts and circumstances involved in the claim or loss and all applicable policy wording.

Amazon Associates Disclosure: Front Row Insurance is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon. This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Front Row Insurance earns from qualifying purchases. There is no additional cost to you.

 

Related:

Musical Instrument Insurance 101: How to Protect Your Instruments
Tips & tricks to guard your gear
Protecting instruments at home
Protecting instruments at airports
Protecting instruments on tour
Musical tour insurance
Band on the run
Tribute bands and liability
Protecting your guitar
Protecting your drums
Protecting your keyboard
Protecting your violin
Protecting your saxophone
How to make a claim
What is my gear worth in event of claim?
You may not be covered under homeowners
Front Row’s musical instrument policy
Insurance for SOCAN members
How to compare musical instrument insurance cos.
Blurring the lines of music infringement law


Citations:

https://www.fender.com/articles/tech-talk/case-closed-storage-tips-to-save-your-guitars

https://blog.taylorguitars.com/using-a-guitar-humidifier-and-other-guitar-humidity-tips

https://www.guitarnick.com/how-to-protect-your-guitar-strings-from-rusting.html

https://www.guitarworld.com/blogs/four-steps-keep-your-guitar-looking-amazing

https://www.guitaranswerguy.com/flying-with-a-guitar-as-checked-baggage/

Comments (3)