Another thread re: air humidity/guitar intonation

[Capt. Snazzy]

Alright wise collective of HR intelligence, here we go...
I live in eastern Oklahoma, and rent space in town for my studio.
During the winter, I don't heat the studio, as it collects enough sunlight and the computers keep me warm, so humidity changes are not much of an issue. I have three basses, a yairi acoustic and 7 guitars (my babies) and I am usually able to have them adjusted a little bit at the beginning of winter and they stay intonated the whole season. Anyway, summer is here now, and it is hot.
I have a small window a/c unit I run only when I'm at the studio, not while I'm gone. I have to run the unit because I will die if I do not. It is stupid hot inside that room without it running. Anyway, today was the last straw. I worked for several hours and started putting a baritone track down with a fender jaguar baritone HH that just arrived last friday. I played the guitar as soon as it arrived and it had beautiful action and the intonation was flawless.
It sounds lovely and thick by the way. Anyway, I started playing it today, and realized that with one cycle of the a/c, the neck had already adjusted...
This happens to my guitars all summer and I am sick of it. Short of purchasing a strobe tuner (I've done tech work previously, but don't really have time for it now) and adjusting before every session, can you guys offer any suggestions to weaken the shock of having a/c running about 6 hours every day (this isn't my full time...yet) while letting the room get hot the rest of the day? Is it just constant acclimation I'm encountering? Or am I in danger of neck warpage?
Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated, by myself and the countless other part-timers who can't keep guitar temp regulated.

Thank You HR crew.

Aaron

 

[Light]

The problems are two fold; first, the frequent and drastic changes are AWFUL for your guitars, and second, depending on HOW hot it gets in there, there is a very real danger of high heat causing the glue to soften and creep.

The truth is, guitars can handle a pretty wide range of conditions. What they can't handle is drastic changes. When you humidify, the air gets colder without removing moisture, so the humidity goes up. The wood expands. If you have done any setup work, you have seen what that can do.

The aphetic resin glue most common in guitar building (woodworkers glues, such as Tightbond) start to soften at relatively low temperatures - around 115-120. That is not catastrophic failure, but it can move at that temperature. The inside of a car parked in the sun on a temperate to hot day can get that hot in 15-20 minutes. If your studio is getting that hot, you could be causing major damage to your guitars. This temperature sensitivity is, by the way, a good thing in many ways, as it allows a great deal of reparability. And if you don't think that is important, talk to the guy with the guitar in our shop right now that had a previous neck reset with epoxy (not by us, though I think I might know who did it). If we can't figure out a way to get the neck out, his guitar is garbage. No joke.

The best thing for your guitars would be to run some kind of A/C all day, even if it is run very low. I know that sounds expensive in terms of electricity, and my liberal heart cringes to suggest something like that, but it really is the best thing for your guitars, and it is cheep compared to having to get your guitars all rebuilt due to glue creep, not to mention your recordings will actually be in tune.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi

 

[Capt. Snazzy]

Thanks...

If I could keep it a moderately humid low eighties, would that be enough?
I mean, it doesn't get above 90 up there as a/c from other rooms and downstairs keeps the building's ambient temerature lower than outside.
So, I probably could afford to leave the a/c on auto if it wasn't working like crazy all day...
I'm really starting to think I might just look for a building where I can get climate control included in the price for space.
Well, thanks again for your comments, I hadn't even thought about the possible effects the temperature might have on the glue, I was just thinking about the wood expanding...
Also, Light specifically, what are your thoughts on guitars living on stands vs. hanging on the wall vs. staying in their cases?

Thanks again.

Aaron

 

[Light]

If I could keep it a moderately humid low eighties, would that be enough?

That would probably help.

Also, Light specifically, what are your thoughts on guitars living on stands vs. hanging on the wall vs. staying in their cases?

Thanks again.

Aaron

Guitars are always safer in the case.



Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi

 

[ahuimanu]

Light,

I appreciate your reply regarding the improved safety of keeping an instrument in it's case, but a guitar on the wall seems fairly safe from collision. Do you mean safety with respect to environmental threats?

J

 

[Light]

Light,

I appreciate your reply regarding the improved safety of keeping an instrument in it's case, but a guitar on the wall seems fairly safe from collision.

As safe as being in a hard case designed to protect it? It's not even close. Also, the guitar case gives you a smaller space to humidify, making it much easier to deal with.

A guitar is never as safe as it is in the case.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi

 

[Dani Pace]

I live in the North Carolina mountains, summers are generally hot and humid here. Keeping guitars in tune was a real pain untill i started leaving the ac on. I keep it on it's lowest setting when I'm not using my practice room/studio then turn it up a little to cool things down a little before turning everything else on. It's amazing how much heat amps, lights and human bodies generate. Constant temperature and humidity would be perfect but almost impossible, slight changes are rarely a problem, sudden large changes in either is a set up for very real and serious problems.