A family business since 1970 we stock everything a musician needs from strings to drum kits. We stock electric, acoustic, classical and bass guitars, amps, P.A.s, Keyboards, Hardware, Accessories, Books and we also teach a wide range of instruments for all ages and styles.

LOOKING AFTER YOUR GUITAR IN WINTER

Outside Musicians Centre Bradford at the moment it has been teasingly snowing lightly on and off all morning. Looks like we’re not going to get snowed in just yet but it’s that time of year where the temperatures drop and we want to talk to you about acoustic guitars and their hatred of the cold, or more accurately their hatred of going from cold to hot quickly.No-one knows more about this or explains it better than Martin & Co. in their Care and Feeding manualTHE CARE AND FEEDING OF YOUR MARTIN GUITARYour guitar is made of thin wood which is easily affectedby temperature and humidity. This combination is the mostimportant single part of your guitar’s surroundings. Martinkeeps the factory at a constant 45-55 percent humidity and72-77 degrees Fahrenheit. If either humidity or temperatureget far away from these factory conditions, your guitar is indanger. A rapid change in temperature or exposure to coldcan cause small cracks in the finish. These are lacquerchecks. We recommend the use of a hygrometer/thermometerto measure the relative humidity and temperature surroundingyour guitar.As humidity increases, moisture content of wood goes uprapidly, causing it to expand and swell. A gradual increasein humidity won’t generally do permanent damage to yourinstrument. When very high humidity is combined with hightemperature, glue joints could possibly become weakenedand may even open slightly. If your guitar is exposed to hightemperature or humidity for any length of time, the glueunder the bridge could weaken causing the bridge to pull off.Rapid changes in local humidity are what you want to guardagainst. If, for instance, you place your guitar near a sourceof dry heat, the humidity around it will drop much faster thanit would naturally, although a sudden dry spell can have thesame effect. If the moisture content of wood is forced downin a hurry, portions of it shrink faster than others, causingcracks and open joints. Don’t set your instrument next to asource of heat or hang it on a wall where it will dry out. Atall costs, avoid hanging your guitar on an outside wall duringwinter months. The wall will be cooler than the inside air.The result is a conflict between the temperature of the topand back, with potential damage as a result.Should the guitar be exposed to freezing temperatures, let itwarm to room temperature while still in its case. This allowsthe guitar to acclimate to room temperature more slowly,decreasing the possibility of wood and finish cracksSo there you go. If you are receiving an acoustic guitar through the post in these Winter months we also highly recommend letting it sit at room temperatures for 24 hours before opening it up. This will let it slowly adjust in temperature from the freezing conditions in the couriers van to your normal room temperature. We know it’s the hardest thing in the world not to immediately rip at the packaging but the quick increase in temperature from very cold to warm can cause lacquer cracks and glue becoming unstuck. Trust us, it’s worth this wait!

MUSICIANS CENTRE ARE TAKE IT AWAY RETAILERS OF THE YEAR!

The Music Industry Association Awards were held last night and we are chuffed to bits at being announced as Take It Away Retailer of the Year.Marie from Musicians Centre said: “We’re so pleased at being chosen as Take It Aways Retailer of the Year. We have seen first hand what a difference offering the Take It Away buying scheme to people has done. We strongly believe it has significantly improved the quality of musicianship both locally and nationally. A huge thanks to the kind folks at Take It Away and respect where it’s due to the other nominees who seem to value customer service and fairness towards their customers like we do.”Thanks to all the kind people who voted for us!

Specialist Services

Advice is always a pleasure. Guitars repaired and restrung.

Trading Since

1969