Humidity / Temperature
Your guitar is constructed from various thin pieces of wood from around the world that range in density and as with all woods, they can be affected by humidity and temperature.

The Avalon factory is kept at a relative humidity of 45% – 50% all year round, all construction work takes place in this controlled environment so how you store your guitar is a very important matter for the long term health of your prized instrument.

When general humidity levels change, the moisture levels in the wood will also change and whilst small variations might not be noticeable, if levels drop below 40% or rise above 60% your guitar is in danger of adverse affects if not stored correctly when not being played.
Too wet and the wood will swell as it absorbs moisture affecting the action, playability and tone. Prolonged exposure to high temperature and humidity can also weaken glue joints. The tone can become ‘muddy’, ‘under par’ volume and bass response with a distinct lack of sparkle in the treble department.

Too dry and the wood will shrink as it looses moisture, also affecting action, playability and tone. This is more destructive because if not caught quickly the wood can crack as it shrinks. In this case the guitar will loose bass response and sound ‘thin’. 

You might also notice the fret ends protruding past the fingerboard edge making it very uncomfortable to play. The soundboard and back can distort and flatten.

In both scenarios the lacquer can crack or craze as the wood swells or shrinks, even if no cracking in the wood has occured.

Rapid changes in humidity and temperature are the biggest danger, not giving the wood time to slowly adjust to its environment and remember, your guitar is built from different woods so they will move at different rates.

Fingerboard
It’s good practice to oil the fingerboard as needed.A good quality fingerboard oil should be a mixture of natural oils, designed to clean and nourish the ebony or rosewood. 

It will remove any build up of dirt and grease from continued playing, absorb into the wood and help protect it from drying out. 

Our own ‘Avalon Fingerboard Oil’ is available from the online shop, it’s our own secret recipe of natural oils, mixed and bottled in our workshops.

General Cleaning
If you need to clean the lacquered finish, use a damp cloth for a rub down and buff dry with a soft cloth. You can also use a non–abrasive (silicon free) polish if needed but it’s best to spray the polish onto the cloth and not directly unto the lacquer.

Storage
The safest place to store your guitar when not being played is in its hardshell case, not only to protect it from being accidently knocked but it also serves as a great barrier against rapid temperature & humidity changes which can affect the wood and/or lacquer depending on the level of severity.

If you store the guitar on a wall hanger it’s important to make sure the room has the correct humidity & temperature levels and that there is no direct sunlight on the guitar.

Never leave your guitar in direct sunlight even if it is inside the hardshell case. 

Never leave your guitar in a car unattended, extreme high and low temperature levels can happen very quickly.

Shipping
Your guitar will be very well protected in the Hiscox Hardshell case but it’s best to take extra precautions when possible.  

Slacken off the strings by a few turns to ease the string pressure on the neck and soundboard.  

If there is a pickup system fitted it’s best to remove or secure the battery incase it comes loose in transit, you don’t want a PP3 battery rattling around playing tag with the struts!