General Maintenance
Clean the instrument after each use with a soft dry cloth.To keep your Griffintone Thumper in great condition, occasionally wipe it down with a non-silicone based furniture polish, guitar polish, or wood floor cleaner. Any of these will help clean the unit, add extra protection and keep it looking great. As a side bonus, depending on what polish/cleaner you use, it will also keep the unit from smelling like a bar floor.
Keep the unit away from excessive moisture. Don't drop it in the toilet, dump a beer into the jack, or throw it in a swimming pool (though it may be funny at the time, this WILL void your Griffintone Warranty). If water, beer, or other liquids get accidentally spilled on or in the unit, dry it off as soon as possible.
When not playing the Griffintone Thumper, keep it in your guitar case.
Things to Watch Out For
**The following applies more to caring for electric guitars than the Griffintone Thumper, but it's handy info to keep in mind when taking care of your acoustic stompbox.The greatest threats to any fine wood instrument are extremes of, and rapid changes in, temperature and humidity. The ideal temperature to preserve the integrity of any fine instrument is room temperature, which is about 70˚ F (20.5˚ C). The ideal humidity is about 40% to 50%.
When the instrument is not in use, we recommend that you keep it in your guitar case and use one of the small guitar humidifiers available from many instrument dealers. Do not leave it out for long periods near a heating vent, radiator or in direct sunlight near a window. Do not leave it in the trunk of a car for long periods and keep it away from excessive heat and cold.
Cracks in the wood are typically caused by changes in temperature and humidity. While a crack may initially be alarming, if it is taken care of promptly it shouldn’t be a cause for undue concern. Cracks may easily be repaired without compromising structural or tonal integrity. If the crack is in the top, have the crack repaired as soon as you can.
Finish checking, (very small splits in the finish), usually occurs in winter and is typically the result of suddenly exposing a cold instrument to the shock of warmer temperatures. All of the materials that make up a wooden musical instrument expand and contract with changes in temperature and humidity, and they do this at different rates. Wood expands as it warms, and it does so faster than the finish placed over it. When this expansion occurs, the finish does stretch somewhat, but when it cannot stretch anymore, it will split and fracture in little lines over the wood.
Although it does not affect the tone of the instrument, this finish checking mars its appearance. By avoiding sudden temperature and humidity changes, you should not have any finish checking problems.
When an instrument has been brought into a building after it has been out in the cold, allow plenty of time for it to become acclimated to the new temperature before you remove it from your guitar case.
