Recommendations

Thank you for placing your trust in an Alhambra guitar. Below are some recommendations for maintaining your instrument:

Extreme humidity and dryness are dangerous, as is rapid transition from one to the other. Avoid hanging your guitar on an exterior wall (as these tend to capture and transmit moisture) or in an area where plumbing runs. Also, don't expose your guitar to direct sunlight for extended periods of time, as it could reach very high temperatures and cause irreparable damage.

When your guitar has to travel by plane, loosen the strings completely.

It is recommended to keep the instrument between 40 and 60% relative humidity . When the humidity is below 40%, the wood can crack and the string pitch can drop, which can cause lisping. When the humidity is above 70%, the strings can become loose, lose their sound, and the string pitch can rise.

 

Guitar maintenance

Wood

To clean it, simply wipe it with a small, lightly damp cotton cloth. There are other specific products for instruments on the market; just be careful to ensure they don't contain solvents.

On the other hand, when you rub, do it lightly, otherwise the matte finish will gradually turn shiny, although this is inevitable over time.

We must be careful when applying wood care products, as not all guitars use the same varnish, and it can be damaged. Among Alhambra instruments, we can distinguish polyurethane varnish for models 1C through 7P, and nitro-lacquer varnish for models 8P through Professional Guitars (only on the top). Alcohol cannot be applied to this varnish, and its use began in 2002.

Gloss or matte polyurethane varnish is used on all acoustic guitars. Regarding proper use and maintenance, the most important thing is to avoid extreme temperatures and humidity.

Diapason

After wiping off the dust, apply a little petroleum jelly with a clean cloth. You can use a cloth moistened with alcohol to remove dirt accumulated from heavy use.

Frets

Any dirt that accumulates between them and the fingerboard can be removed with the tip of a toothpick. Avoid using anything harder than rosewood or ebony, as this will damage the wood.

Tuning machines

Grease them with a little sewing machine oil.

Strings

We recommend wiping the strings with a clean cloth moistened with alcohol after playing. Cleaning extends their lifespan and also restores their original shine. String wear is often increased due to excessive perspiration. It's a good idea to always keep guitars tuned to the same pitch, and if you need to change strings, don't remove them all at once, but change one, tune it with the others, and so on with the rest of the strings. This way, the bridge and soundboard don't lose the tension they're accustomed to. When traveling by plane, the strings must be completely loosened.

For any other questions, do not hesitate to consult our experts.