Humidity Time !!!!!Important!!!!!!

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Light

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Well, we had our first snow this weekend, and our heaters our on full time. Up here in the great white north, when the heat is on, our houses can get as dry as Death Valley, which is very bad for your guitars. I just thought I would take this opportunity to remind every one that, if you haven't already, it is time to start humidifying your guitars for the winter.

Our recommendation is always to use ONE OF THESE , and to keep it in the case. For a little bit of added protection, I suggest going to a drug store and getting on of those traveling soap dishes, drilling a few holes in it, and putting a damp sponge in it. Keep this in the case with the guitar along with the Lifeguard, and you should be in good shape.


Light

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

I use a dampit and a soap box...:cool:

Light is Right!
 
Great reminder Light.

I might add that it's not a bad idea to buy a room humidifier too. I keep my babies in one room and can control the humidity. I keep it around 42%. A little more hunidity in your home is also good for your health.
 
The "optimal" humidity Range

What would be considered the "optimal" humidity range for guitars to be in through the winter heating months? Would it be in the same range as high-quality cigars; 55-75% humidity? :)

Thanks!

-Mr. Moon
 
Greetings from Death Valley,

In 20 years of living in the desert I've done little to protect my guitars and there have been no problems. What bothers is change, rapid change.

The only time I've had any difficulties with instruments was in extreme low humidity and cold over 8000'.
 
where?

Where in the case would you put the sponge in the soap box trick?

My Gibson J-100 fits pretty damn snug in there. About the only place I would think it could fit is inside or by the headstock... I also have one of those dampit things I guess I'll start using.

Also, if you leave your guitar out with humidifier going, doesn't it deaden the strings much faster? I just noticed that phenomenon when I worked at GC...
 
A sponge in the plastic envelope strings come in works well too.
 
Unfortunately, I keep my computer and my guitars in the same room. Don't computer fuction better under cool dry conditions?

So is it as I read before, the sudden change of conditions that affects the wood, or is it just the dryness itself regardless of past conditions?
 
cellardweller said:
So is it as I read before, the sudden change of conditions that affects the wood, or is it just the dryness itself regardless of past conditions?
Click to expand...

If a guitar is exposed to low humidity for any length of time, the wood will dry out, causing string buzzing, protruding fret ends, cracking, top-sinking, and other damage. Thankfully, most problems can be prevented simply by leaving your guitar in its case when you're not playing it. But in areas prone to severe, prolonged dryness and/or cold, proper preventive care includes the use of a guitar-humidifying device, varieties of which include the clay-filled type (about the size of a film canister), the vinyl soundhole-cover type, and the long, rubber-tube type, which we recommend. Regular use of a single humidifier should suffice, but in areas where the humidity is consistently 20 percent or lower, a soundhole humidifier and a canister type, used in conjunction, might be necessary.

http://www.taylorguitars.com/guitars/reference/faqs_answers.html#faq28
 
Re: The "optimal" humidity Range

Mr. Moon said:
What would be considered the "optimal" humidity range for guitars to be in through the winter heating months? Would it be in the same range as high-quality cigars; 55-75% humidity? :)

Thanks!

-Mr. Moon
Click to expand...


Different manufacturers recommend different levels for their instruments, but usually around 45-50%. You should generally be ok with guitars between about 35% and 60%, but anything beyond that range for prolonged periods can severely damage any solid wood instrument, especially at the 75% cigar level. If the wood absorbs that kind of moisture for long enough, it can literally burst at the seams, causing glued pieces to become unglued.
 
Treeline said:
I use a dampit and a soap box...:cool:

Light is Right!
Click to expand...


I really dislike Dampits for guitars with a standard round soundhole. They do not hold adequate moisture for my tastes. The only one I recommend is the Kyser Lifeguard, because they concentrate the humidity inside the body of the guitar, which is the place which most needs it. Low humidity inside the body leads to cracking, which is great for us (we run a repair shop) but really sucks for our customers. It is has a bigger impact on the sound of the guitar than other problems which can occur. Lack of humidity on other parts of the guitar, however, does have negative effects (such as shrinking fingerboards leading to protruding fret ends, which hurt). This is why I recommend the use of another humidifier in the case, and yes, up by the headstock is exactly where it should go.

Ideal humidity for a guitar is right around 45-50%. A little lower is okay on very cold days, but you don't want it down there all the time. You need a bit of cushion so that we the temperature crashes on the really cold days, when the humidity is also going to fall rapidly. This is when many of the cracks we see happen, and they can happen very quickly.

I do not recommend relying on room humidifiers, as it is difficult for most people to keep on top of them. That being said, I have about 15 guitars hanging on my walls, and I rely on an in room humidifier. The one I use, however, puts more than 10 gallons a day into my room, as well as the one we have hooked up to our houses forced air HVAC. Between the two, I can barley keep up with the winters up here.




Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
Re: Re: The "optimal" humidity Range

The Bard said:
Different manufacturers recommend different levels for their instruments, but usually around 45-50%. You should generally be ok with guitars between about 35% and 60%, but anything beyond that range for prolonged periods can severely damage any solid wood instrument, especially at the 75% cigar level. If the wood absorbs that kind of moisture for long enough, it can literally burst at the seams, causing glued pieces to become unglued.
Click to expand...

That makes me feel better, as my "studio" (AKA: spare bedroom) is in my basement, which tends to be damp year-round. I have a de-humidifier running set at 50%, so the humidity level fluctuates between 45% to 55% year-round.

...My cigars have their own little space that is kept between 55-75% humidity. ;)

Thanks!

-Mr. Moon
 
I am bumping this up because of the post by ahuimanu about his guitar.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
I bought a cool mist type humidifier, have maintained the room between 40-50% (As light said, on extreme cold days it drops), and haven't had a spot of new problems with my necks.
 
cellardweller said:
Unfortunately, I keep my computer and my guitars in the same room. Don't computer fuction better under cool dry conditions?
Click to expand...

I would err on the side of protecting your guitars. Your computer will be worth nothing in 2 years.


A
www.aaroncheney.com
 
As long as we're close to this topic, I have a few questoins of my own:

My studio often gets pretty cold in the winter... it just doesn't stay as warm as the rest of the house. If the main living areas of the house are a comfortable 70 degrees, the studio is probably more like 64. Is that going to hurt my axes? I use my electrics daily, and normally keep them on a guitar stand for easy access. I always case my acoustics.
When I'm teaching or working in there sometimes I'll throw in a space heater the make it more comfy. The change in temp is sometimes enough to make the guitars go a little flat. Am I damaging them?
Will they be OK as long as the temp is consistantly cold and I avoid rapid temp changes? LIving in Seattle, I don't think humidity is too much a factor, but I always have the thought in the back of my mind that my guitars are sitting in the studio freezin' their butts off....


A
www.aaroncheney.com
 
Aarons' situation reflects mine exactly. My room is a bit colder at times, down to 57degrees, but usually 58-63.

I also turn a space heater on, it usually tops out around 68degrees, with a range from 65-70 I would estimate. Seldom does it actually reach 70 though....

Humidity is pretty consistent in the immediate area where guitars are kept/humidifier is. As i said, usually 45-50%. Extreme cold outside will cause it to fluctuate a bit more.

So how 'bout it Light?
 
Well, I would not recommend playing when it is that cold, just because you will cause damage to your hands. As for the guitar, while I don't particularly like having a guitar get that cold, as long as the temperature changes are gradual, you should be O.K. The problem which cold can cause is weather checking, which is where the wood expands faster than the finish, so you get a lot of fine cracks in the finish. This looks ugly, but is not a structural problem. You are unlikely to get even this problem if the temperature is only getting down to around 60. So, I guess I wouldn't worry too much.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
What about electronics?? I sometimes keep my mixer, amp and fourtrack in my car overnight if I am really beat. Will the cold winter temps hurt them??( of course I live in a good area) I always have enough energy to grab my guitar though.
 
Any way to avoid damaging your hands due to cold? How do you know when cold is too cold? I have been maintaining my room @ around 66.0 degrees of late. Very little fluctuation as this space heaters thermostat seems to actually work!

I have also been trying to get into the habit of practicing 5-10 minutes, rest 5, repeat, as my hands are prone to soreness in the winter...
 
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