Instrument Care
A unique aspect about all Fenech Guitars across our range is that they are made from all solid timbers! As such, care and attention needs to be given to each and every guitar throughout its life to ensure stability and longevity of the instrument.
We build all our guitars in a controlled environment from well-seasoned hand selected and graded tone woods that have a stable moisture content around 8% at 50% humidity. We go to great lengths to ensure this is maintained right through the build process and have specially modified our workshop to ensure the optimal 50% relative humidity is maintained.
Issues with High Humidity:
High humidity, 65% and above, causes the top to rise, making the action high or unplayable. It can cause lacquer to check, impressions of the braces may appear on the top and creases may appear where the top is glued to the internal structure of the guitar, such as at bridges, braces, head blocks, and tail blocks. It also restricts movement of the top resulting in a guitar that may sound tight or restricted. If your problem is high humidity, there are aftermarket humidity controlling devices (such as silicone gel packs) available that will ensure your instrument is cared for in these conditions. Please see our shop section for these devices
Issues with Low Humidity:
Low Humidity, below about 40%, can cause cracking in both the timber and lacquer. The top can drop, lowering action to the degree that the strings will buzz, sometimes to the degree that it becomes unplayable. If you generally keep your guitar inside your house and prefer to keep it out of the case, you should have a room humidified to 50%, and a hygrometer monitoring the RH of the room. If you don’t have a humidified room, or are traveling or gigging a lot, you will need to humidify and monitor the RH of the guitar in the case. The case insulates a guitar from rapid changes in humidity and temperature and from physical damage anyway, so even in a humidified room, it is best to have the guitar in the case whenever possible.
Avoid Rapid Changes:
Rapidly changing humidity is the most damaging condition you can expose your guitar to. Having a guitar go from an environment of 85% humidity to 35% immediately could easily cause severe damage to an instrument. Your guitar’s case is your best tool for insulating your guitar from extreme conditions and rapid changes in conditions. Keep it in its case whenever possible. Humidity Cracks
Heat Damage:
Excessively temperatures will most likely kill your guitar! It’s that simple. Never, never, never leave your guitar in a car where it can be exposed to excessive temperature changes.
Warranty and Humidity:
At Fenech Guitars, we warrant our guitars against defects in workmanship and materials. Our warranty does not cover damage caused by temperature or humidity changes.