LIMITED LIFETIME WARRANTY
 
Each Ehlers Guitar is warranted to be free of defects in either materials or workmanship. This warranty applies to the original purchaser of the instrument for as long as he or she owns the guitar.

All repairs must be performed by Ehlers Guitars or an authorized repair person. This warranty does not cover repairs neccessitated by normal wear and tear, misuse, neglect, accidental damage, modification, or cracking of woods or finish that results from changes in temperature or humidity.

Frets, strings, and tuning machines are not covered by this warranty.

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INSTRUMENT CARE

Humidity & Temperature
Fine guitars are made of thin pieces of solid wood that are glued together. They are directly affected by humidity and temperature. Humidity is the amount of water vapor or moisture in the air. Temperature affects the amount of moisture that air can hold. Both of these factors affect wood. A guitar that absorbs too much moisture, through high humidity, expands and swells. This distorts the geometry of the guitar and, consequently, its tone and playability. Add high temperature, and humidity can weaken glue joints and even cause them to fail. With prolonged exposure, the glue under the bridge will weaken, allowing the bridge to pull off. Telltale signs of a "wet" guitar:

• High action
• Swollen top
• Fret buzzing in the high registers (as fretboard rises with the top)
• Distorted back and sides
• Muffled tone, low volume
• Finish cracks
• Bindings separated

Overly dry conditions, or lack of sufficient humidity, can be equally detrimental to your guitar, causing the wood to shrink and crack. It can also cause poor tone and improper intonation. In dry regions (mountainous or desert areas) or northern climates, where heated air is common in winter, simple guitar humidifiers may not be sufficient. Room or household humidifiers may be necessary to maintain a proper environment. Telltale signs of a "dry" guitar:

• Lowered action
• Fret buzzing and lifting
• Fret ends sticking out from the fingerboard
• Dips in the top or back
• Finish and/or wood cracks

Gradual changes in humidity and temperature will generally not harm a well-made guitar. The biggest danger caused by humidity and temperature is rapid or extreme changes. That’s because different parts of the guitar shrink and expand at different rates. For example, if your local humidity drops very rapidly, the guitar cannot acclimate itself uniformly, causing cracks or failure of glue joints in different portions of the guitar as it tries to "cope" with the drying situation. The same is true, in reverse, with high humidity.

Extreme temperatures can wreak havoc, too. Heat weakens glue. Cold "chills" lacquer causing finishes to crack or craze.

While you can’t control the weather, you can control your guitar’s environment to a great extent. Here are some simple pointers.

• Keep your guitar in its case when you’re not playing it.
• Purchase a home hygrometer/thermometer to keep tabs on the relative humidity and temperature. Adjust your home environment as necessary. Plants and humidifiers add moisture in dry winter months. Air conditioning controls humidity in the hot, muggy summer months.
• Avoid storing your guitar near sources of hot, dry air (such as forced hot air heating ducts), or cold, damp areas (garages, basements, closets with outside walls).
• Never, ever, transport your guitar in a car trunk. Temperatures inside car trunks are extreme in any kind of weather. It’s the quickest way to destroy a guitar. Even in the passenger compartment your guitar can be subjected to extreme temperatures. For example, please allow your instrument to warm up slowly before opening your case in a warm room after being transported in a cold vehicle. That’s a sure way to get finish crazing.
• When traveling cross country, keep in mind changes in local humidity – and protect your guitar accordingly.
• Guitar humidifiers that fit inside the soundhole or extend into the body can be very effective but must be used with great care to avoid water damage. Check with a qualified guitar repair person before using them.

Finish Care
The best way to preserve the finish of your guitar is to keep it clean – wiping off perspiration and fingerprints with a soft, damp (not wet) cloth. Old, soft cotton baby diapers make excellent guitar cleaning cloths. While there are many commercial guitar cleaners available, a rag slightly dampened with plain tap water and thoroughly wrung out will remove most dirt. Then buff with dry clean cloth. If you must use commercial products, avoid those with solvents, silicones or abrasives. Remember: polishing is not cleaning. Polishes remove finish along with dirt. Fingerboards can occasionally dry out, but require only a very small amount of boiled linseed oil (thoroughly buffed) to restore. Less is always best.

Action & Playability
String height can be raised or lowered to suit individual playing preferences by shimming or sanding the bottom of the saddle. But be careful. It only takes a little adjustment at the bridge to greatly affect string height over the fingerboard. Guitar tops rise and fall with age and exposure to humidity. You might even notice a "bellying" or bulging of the top near the bridge when this occurs. This is perfectly normal. Our necks are also adjustable, by Allen wrench, through the sound hole behind the main top brace. This is an extremely sensitive operation, however, and should be undertaken with a great deal of caution. A little adjustment can go a long way. A qualified repairman can adjust your guitar to return it to a comfortable action. This neck adjustment affects the amount of "relief" or bow in the neck. This neck relief is one aspect of a guitar’s action. The other aspects are nut and saddle heights. All three must be taken into consideration when dealing with action.