Acoustic: Too much humidity

  • Thread starter Thread starter Monkey Allen
  • Start date Start date
Monkey Allen

Monkey Allen

Fork and spoon operator
In Hong Kong at the moment there is 90% humidity....floors wont dry, everything is dank and damp. I have a Martin D28 which is virtually new.

I can find oodles of info about how to humidify your guitar...but not much about whether it is dangerous for a guitar to be exposed to such high humidity.

Is this kind of humidity (temperatures are only about 20 degrees celcius) dangerous?

Or is it way more dangerous for a guitar to dry out? Is it way more dangerous for a guitar to suffere extreme temperates....as opposed to humidity?

What's the go with high humidity but mild temperatures?

I didn't take my guitar out of it's case for a couple of days but when I did it had a bit of a film of not necessarily wet/ water but kind of a film of every so slight grease/ moisture...like a film.

Anyway...Hong Kong...humid right now...in summer humid also...

I heard that dehumidifiers are a bit of a joke...

Should I be overly concerned about high humidity?

thanks
 
I'd also like to hear from the more knowledgeable dudes here about that.

Where I live we can get big swings in humidity within a week. While I *believe* it's more the seasonal temperature changes that affect a guitar, I'd really like to know if humidity plays as great a part.

Mr Muttley?
 
I've had the humidity hit up to 99 percent. I don't think atmospheric humidity should do any damage. It's rapid changes in temperatures you should worry about.
 
Much less of a problem than low humidity.

Things to avoid are very quick changes in humidity. Essentially there are two types of moisture in seasoned timber or green timber for that matter, bound and unbound water. Bound water is contained within the cells of the timber and is lost slowly over time as the wood seasons. This moisture is not replaced. Unbound moisture is water that is trapped between the cells and is gained and lost as humidity changes. It is unbound moisture we are dealing with here. Too little is our enemy as the timber will shrink and possibly crack. To much will usually just effect the setup of the guitar as the moisture content fluctuates. As the level of unbound water increases the rate at which the wood expands does not increase at the sane rate. At the higher end of the scale the change is actually quite small.

Far more of a problem is to avoid mold and fungus growth when the moisture content is high.

There isn't much you can do other than keep a good eye on it and keep it in a cool case as dry as you can when you're not playing it and avoid rapid changes in humidity..
 
I've had the humidity hit up to 99 percent. I don't think atmospheric humidity should do any damage. It's rapid changes in temperatures you should worry about.

Temperature is not the problem. Moisture content is the problem. High temperatures will facilitate the loss of moisture but not if the ambient content is at saturation.
 
One thing I forgot to mention and it isn't likely an issue here but some instruments are put together using hide glue. High humidity can be an issue for them.
 
I think it can be a problem, because a rapid change in temperature causes contraction and expansion, and can make things crack or bend.
 
Thanks for the info. I'll do what I can...
 
Much less of a problem than low humidity.

Things to avoid are very quick changes in humidity. Essentially there are two types of moisture in seasoned timber or green timber for that matter, bound and unbound water. Bound water is contained within the cells of the timber and is lost slowly over time as the wood seasons. This moisture is not replaced. Unbound moisture is water that is trapped between the cells and is gained and lost as humidity changes. It is unbound moisture we are dealing with here. Too little is our enemy as the timber will shrink and possibly crack. To much will usually just effect the setup of the guitar as the moisture content fluctuates. As the level of unbound water increases the rate at which the wood expands does not increase at the sane rate. At the higher end of the scale the change is actually quite small.

Far more of a problem is to avoid mold and fungus growth when the moisture content is high.

There isn't much you can do other than keep a good eye on it and keep it in a cool case as dry as you can when you're not playing it and avoid rapid changes in humidity..
Soooo.... if a guitar is finished, as are most electrics, would this not provide a complete barrier to the unbound humidity? Obviously most acoustics will be unfinished internally...

What's your opinion on those moisture absorbing packs? Bad, good? I've got a few that came from the factory with them in there... perhaps they don't dry out.. as much as equalize the humidity?
 
I think it can be a problem, because a rapid change in temperature causes contraction and expansion, and can make things crack or bend.

No, temperature is not a problem in this case. As I have said wood shrinks and expands with changes in moisture content not temperature. High temp can speed up moisture loss but not when the ambient humidity is that high.

Please. if you don't know please don't repeatedly post the same thing.
 
Last edited:
Soooo.... if a guitar is finished, as are most electrics, would this not provide a complete barrier to the unbound humidity? Obviously most acoustics will be unfinished internally...

What's your opinion on those moisture absorbing packs? Bad, good? I've got a few that came from the factory with them in there... perhaps they don't dry out.. as much as equalize the humidity?

No finish is 100% impermeable to moisture. However yes a good finish will slow things down enough to protect the instrument. Thats one of the main jobs of a finish.

I have never used a dehumidifier so I can't comment on them. I would say that here the humidity can hang around 75% all winter and I never have a problem. As I say it is rapid changes that are the problem and levels that are consistently too low. The ideal sits between 55% - 65%. I worry when it drops below 50%. Above 75% I just keep a careful eye on it.
 
Soooo.... if a guitar is finished, as are most electrics, would this not provide a complete barrier to the unbound humidity? Obviously most acoustics will be unfinished internally...

What's your opinion on those moisture absorbing packs? Bad, good? I've got a few that came from the factory with them in there... perhaps they don't dry out.. as much as equalize the humidity?

Just re read your post. Do you mean humidifier packs? I don't know of any oisture absorbing packs other than silica gel bags?
 
Please. if you don't know please don't repeatedly post the same thing.

My friend left his guitar in the backseat of my car a while back. It was pretty hot those days, and over the weekend the neck of his guitar got bent. It was wooden, and i think it would be safe to assume it happened because of the temperature. You don't need to be so anal.
 
My friend left his guitar in the backseat of my car a while back. It was pretty hot those days, and over the weekend the neck of his guitar got bent. It was wooden, and i think it would be safe to assume it happened because of the temperature. You don't need to be so anal.

Read what has been posted dipshit.

I will stop being so "anal" right after you stop being so fucking ignorant.
 
Read what has been posted dipshit.

I will stop being so "anal" right after you stop being so fucking ignorant.

:laughings: What are you getting so worked up about man? I just told him atmospheric humidity might not be a problem, but he should watch out for changes in temperature.
 
:laughings: What are you getting so worked up about man? I just told him atmospheric humidity might not be a problem, but he should watch out for changes in temperature.

and I told you were wrong, you insisted you are not... We try to keep factual information in this board just.

All you are doing now is reinforcing to everyone that you are an idiot..your choice.:rolleyes:
 
and I told you were wrong, you insisted you are not... We try to keep factual information in this board just.

All you are doing now is reinforcing to everyone that you are an idiot..your choice.:rolleyes:

I said i "think" temperature would be a problem. Then i gave an example why i "think" it's a problem. I never said 'no i'm right, you're wrong'. I thought you could tell me how i was wrong but all you seem to want to do is fight.
 
I said i "think" temperature would be a problem. Then i gave an example why i "think" it's a problem. I never said 'no i'm right, you're wrong'. I thought you could tell me how i was wrong but all you seem to want to do is fight.

First two replies to your "suggestion" that tempreture is an issue,...

Temperature is not the problem. Moisture content is the problem. High temperatures will facilitate the loss of moisture but not if the ambient content is at saturation.

No, temperature is not a problem in this case. As I have said wood shrinks and expands with changes in moisture content not temperature. High temp can speed up moisture loss but not when the ambient humidity is that high.

Please. if you don't know please don't repeatedly post the same thing.

You then decided to introducing the fight by telling me I was being "anal for correcting you. Seriosly dude. STFU or go google it.
 
I was just posting what i thought was right because of what i had experienced and you told me to stop posting. Chill out.
 
Back
Top