User Manual

Commitment to
Craftsmanship
Musician and instrument
retailer Alfred Dronge
founded Guild in New York
in the early 1950s. The
first guitars from his small
workshop were handmade
with expensive rare woods,
costly lacquers, and the
thorough attention to detail
that could only come from
an experienced musician.
Today, Guild guitars are
still handmade, using
properly aged, carefully
selected tonewoods. Quality,
innovation and service are
still the paramount goals of
the entire Guild staff. Our
builders and craftsmen take
extreme pride in every guitar
which bears the storied
Guild logo on its headstock.
moisture Content & humidity
Because wood is organic and
porous, it is affected by changes
in the amount of moisture it
contains. Every guitar owner
should pay constant attention to
the conditions and environment
in which the guitar is kept in
order to avoid issues; this is
especially true if you own an
acoustic instrument!
Protection from
temperature & humidity
The greatest natural threat
to a guitar is rapid changes in
environmental temperature and/
or humidity. A guitar’s woods are
susceptible to these changes,
regardless of how long the wood
has been aged or seasoned. High
humidity can soften the glues
used in building an instrument
and can cause the top and back
to expand and rise, raising string
action too high. Flat-top acoustic
guitars are especially at risk with
this phenomenon. On the other
hand, a dry, low-humidity climate
(whether hot or cold) can cause
evaporation of moisture from
the wood, leading to shrinking
and cracking. String action can
become too low and intonation
can be compromised if the top
and back shrink enough.
The ideal temperature for solid-
wood acoustic guitars is normal
room temperature, which is
about 70ºF (21.1ºC), and the ideal
humidity level is between 40-
50% RH. In winter, the heating
systems used in many homes
can drive temperatures up and
humidity levels dangerously
low for guitars. Similarly, in the
summer time, air conditioning
units have the same effect as a
dehumidifier, and can potentially
damage an acoustic instrument.
It is important to remember
that just because the room
temperature is comfortable
(and safe for your guitar) the
relative humidity may NOT fall
within the desired 40-50%
range. As such, it is important to
accurately monitor the relative
humidity of the environment in
which the guitar is usually kept.
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