Guitars on the Prairies.

[ShanPeyton]

Hey all.

I see there is a sticky about humidity and what not but i think i need to get some advice from people in the same climate as myself.

Is there anyone here that can give me a few tips on keeping my guitars in top notch shape in the Canadian Prairies (-or american obviously-)?? I am in the Grande Prairie area of Alberta and it is just dry. Winter summer spring and fall. Dry. I do have small humidifiers in all my guitar / bass cases, some home made, some store bought. But I am wondering if there is anything else i can be doing. I have they haven't been doing to however as of late i am still finding small little issues. Notably my intonation always seems to be different. A little sharp some days a little flat other days. Not entirely sure how much impact the humidity is on my intonation but any more tips are welcome.

 

[muttley600]

Being very dry can be as much of a problem as being too humid. If you've read through he humidity sticky you'll understand that the key thing wood doesn't like is quick changes in humidity. If you are at the very high or very low limit then small changes can make a rapid difference. It is unlikely that you will have any serious issues that can present in very humid areas but the first thing to do is monitor the degree of change in your region. You say you have humidifiers in you guitars and they might just be part of the problem. Not saying they are but if the ambient is very dry and you are humidifying every time you put them away you are introducing or extracting moisture that wouldn't normally be present. The point of a humidifier is to maintain a constant humidity or as close as is practical.

First try and establish what the ambient is and what the humidity is where you are storing your guitars and report back.

 

[ShanPeyton]

Being very dry can be as much of a problem as being too humid. If you've read through he humidity sticky you'll understand that the key thing wood doesn't like is quick changes in humidity. If you are at the very high or very low limit then small changes can make a rapid difference. It is unlikely that you will have any serious issues that can present in very humid areas but the first thing to do is monitor the degree of change in your region. You say you have humidifiers in you guitars and they might just be part of the problem. Not saying they are but if the ambient is very dry and you are humidifying every time you put them away you are introducing or extracting moisture that wouldn't normally be present. The point of a humidifier is to maintain a constant humidity or as close as is practical.

First try and establish what the ambient is and what the humidity is where you are storing your guitars and report back.

Cool That was helpful thanks Muttley. I guess the next question is how do i establish the ambient? Do i get one of those humidity measurer-er thingys from home depot and monitor it that way ???

 

[MG Eddie]

I like to store dessiccants in my guitar cases because here in seattle it can get pretty moist. not as in constant downpour but constant drizzle and overcast. sept 1st - may 31st the great seattle rain festival!

 

[muttley600]

Cool That was helpful thanks Muttley. I guess the next question is how do i establish the ambient? Do i get one of those humidity measurer-er thingys from home depot and monitor it that way ???

To get an idea of changes in humidity yes. To measure moisture content you need some form of moisture metre.

 

[ShanPeyton]

I like to store dessiccants in my guitar cases because here in seattle it can get pretty moist. not as in constant downpour but constant drizzle and overcast. sept 1st - may 31st the great seattle rain festival!

Nice. I actually just got home from vacation in Seattle!!! I loved it there! I think it rained on us once though. The guy who did our walking tour said it was the first rain they had in like 51 or 52 days or something? None the less i had a blast there.

I also proposed to my girlfriend on Mount Saint Helens on 9-11! IS that bad karma? Or does it count because I am Canadian?? HA! Kidding Kidding.

In any case i loved Seattle, i plan on visiting again for sure.

To get an idea of changes in humidity yes. To measure moisture content you need some form of moisture metre.

After reading that response I feel like a dummy. Thanks again Muttley. I have to go to HD tomorrow so i will scout out what the have in stock.

 

[ido1957]

I live in Edmonton. Never had an issue with humidity with either of my Strats or my Kramer. That includes touring in the 80's Alberta winters/summers - except for checking on the finish of my Strat. For the past 20 years keeping same guitars in my basement year round with no affect. The humidity here is relatively low year round.

 

[Slowrider]

I live in Edmonton. Never had an issue with humidity with either of my Strats or my Kramer. That includes touring in the 80's Alberta winters/summers - except for checking on the finish of my Strat. For the past 20 years keeping same guitars in my basement year round with no affect. The humidity here is relatively low year round.

Yep, that's about it. It's a good thing that bands never do a tour without highly expensive humidity trucks to keep their guitars fresh. You know what humidity does to a guitar. I've had them literally fly to pieces just going out on the porch to play on a hot afternoon.

It gets quite expensive having all my guitars fly apart like that. That's why I learned to do guitar repairs at an early age. Sometimes, people would bring me all the pieces to reassemble. I kept warning them about taking their guitars out of a perfect, controlled, environment. Those creeps kept saying that it was too expensive to do that.

Damn good money from dummies who take their guitars out of one location/situation to another.

See, if you keep them permanently in an airtight, plastic enclosed bubble; you'll never have such problems.

My guits have never been out of the case, ever.

 

[domvac]

I also live in Edmonton and have a variety of guitars, electric and acoustic. I have never had an issue with this. I do, however, let my guitar warm in the case, if it's been out in the winter cold for a while, before opening and removeing. Most times, my guitars are out and in stands in my basement studio where the temperature and reasonably dry air is pretty consistent. If you use them regularly, then you catch any trouble before it becomes an issue.