My Martin D-15Mahogany pickguard shrinked while inside the case

Peel off slowly or use a heated hair dryer to blow as you peel.
Then use 'GooGone' to clean up. Available in most DIY stores.
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Lighter fluid works too , but sometimes they may leave some white residue or tarnish the surface if left too long to dry.
 
I reckon that this peeling is the result of humidity.
This prompt me to ask the owners of martin guitars of the standard series ie D18 and D28 whether you need to take special efforts to care for the guitar in Singapore humid climate.


How do I peel off the pickguard safely and can I use Zippo fluid on the body
thanks
 
Every guitar needs tons of maintenance here lol. I moved here from desert southwest us, all ya needed is a little fretboard conditioner once and a while.
But here, it’s crazy, maintaining a collection is like a full time job.
 
I own 2 Martin guitars and 1 Guild. One of them is a Martin DRS1, the cheaper, Mexican-made version of your D15. Although it is not the same wood, I believe it shares the same porosity and density properties as the D15. My DRS1 is a lot more sensitive to humidity than the 2 other guitars. I had to install a de-humidifier with continuous drainage in my music room to make sure the guitars don't suffer from humidity.

Also, if your guitar is in a "safe" room but your guitar case is not, you might need to dehumidify the case before using it otherwise the guitar will absorb the case moisture. This is only true for the cheaper Martin cases though because the are made of some kind of wood or cardboard covered in vinyl. I'm not sure whether the D15 comes with the higher end ABS case.
 
I'm a martin om-21 owner. I think the best way to store your guitar will be to leave it on a stand in your room some where away from direct sunlight. If possible, dehumidify your room once weekly. that should do the trick to keep your guitars relatively "dry" and flat. play them often! don't keep them in the case because the case is not a guitar's natural home.
 
Hey Hairball, no disrespect but I think dehumidifying the room once a week is not good advice. A guitar doesn't like humidity changes, it will stay safer in an environment at a constant 60% humidity than in a room that is at 70% most of the time and dries up at 50% every week. Shrinking and swelling each week is not good for the wood.
 
Hey Jean-Marc, fair point you have there. I guess the dehumidifying will only come in when you observe drastic swelling in the guitar belly. I agree with you that the guitar would much rather prefer to stay in a place with stable humidity - which is why I don't always understand why people will want to keep their guitar in cases especially if they still use it regularly.
 
That's it, stable and close to average (50%). Obviously stable at 80% humidity is not going to do any good either :)

I think anyone owning one or several nice guitars in Singapore should buy a hygrometer (very inexpensive on Lazada for instance) just to actually monitor the humidity in the guitar room and how it changes through time. In a room that is not well insulated things can become pretty scary when it rains, especially if you're on ground level or basement.

My home studio is in the basement and the humidity was ranging from 75% to 90%+ before I installed a dehumidifier with continuous drainage. Now it is kept between 48% and 60% at all times.
 
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