Ignorance Is Bliss
 

I've been playing guitar for forty years. I've lived out in the sticks the whole time, with no music stores close by and there are very few other musicians in the area, so I've been out of the loop in a big way.

I'm a little embarrassed to tell you that before coming here, I had no idea of the relationship between acoustic guitars and humidity. I've notice changes in tone, the way sounds travel under different barometric conditions, but I've never thought about swings in humidity possibly damaging my guitars.

I live in the northeastern US and the summers can be very hot and humid and the winters are dry and cold. With our forced air heating system, the humidity levels in the house must be very low at this time of the year.

I've never owned any, well, I won't say good guitars, because if I like the tone and feel of them, I consider them good guitars, regardless of the price.

My question is, with all the big swings in the humidity levels that we have here, how have I not had serious problems in all these years? Have I just been extremely lucky, or are "lower end" guitars by their nature, thicker sound boards etcetera, less affected by humidity?

I have a new Yamaha FGX800C sitting here in it's shipping box, because I foolishly let my case go with a guitar that I recently sold and finances being what they are due to some health issues, I don't see myself buying a new case anytime soon.

After some of the things I've read here, I'm worried, to say the least. I'm running a small humidifier now, so hopefully that will help. Should I keep my guitar in the shipping box, or is it better off out in the open, in the humidified room?

Bob,

I know you said finances aren’t the best right now, but can you swing this (or something similar)?

https://www.amazon.com/Govee-Thermom...07Y36FWTT?th=1

I think it’s better to remove all doubt (and eliminate the risk of damaging your treasured guitar) with real measurements, if at all possible.

:)

I agree. I got hurt pretty bad a few years ago and as a result, we live on a very limited income, but it's important, so I'll definitely order one. Actually, I'm going to check with our son first. He doesn't play, but for some reason I think he may have one. Thank you.

Dr,

I too live where there's wide fluctuations in humidity. When it's too dry, I put my guitars on a stand in a closet. With the small volume and limited air flow in a closet I can maintain 50% humidity with a damp T-shirt on a hanger. Between that and a humidity gauge you should be solid. Easy to take out and play too!

Scott

I never would have thought of that Scott, thank you. Forty years of ignorance on the subject has recently been replaced with fear. Lol

While the changes in seasonal humidity you have described are not ideal, one never knows whether such conditions are doing meaningful damage until/unless you see something.

I owned a Yamaha FG180 (laminate back and sides, sold spruce top) for nearly 40 years. Took it everywhere, had no concerns about subjecting it to temperature changes or humidity changes. Never had problems with it: no cracks, neck was stable all that time, and if there were any damage to finish as the result of my neglect and inattention, it was hidden under the damage that occurred because of my careless strumming, or dings from bumping into objects. However, I always kept in a case when I wasn’t playing…even though it was a cheap chipboard case in its first years.

And someone will probably note that for MANY decades, guitars were not coddled with humidifiers, or good quality cases, and they survived (sometimes with cracks that were readily fixed).

The humidifier you are using has to help some. Keeping it in a box is probably better than having it out. Buying a used, cheap hard case would be good, but that looks like a minimum expenditure of $75.

I don’t think the price of a guitar has that much to do with durability, except that guitars made of laminates are usually both cheaper and more durable. But a cheap solid wood guitar would not usually be any more resistant to damage related to temperature and humidity changes, all other things being equal. And some very expensive guitars have finishes that are much more likely to show some finish cracks if exposed to sudden temperature changes.

Any guitar I have ever owned has gone through freezing temperature changes in the trunks of cars, having beer spilled on them or gotten sand in the pickup plug in.

It builds character and makes the sound unique and interesting. Of course, I've never owned a really valuable guitar so that makes a difference.

It depends on the guitar. My second guitar was a 1970s lawsuit Ventura Gibson jumbo knockoff, which I sold several years back. Quite heavily built. It went from the Pacific NW to the desert SW over a period of several years. Never paid attention to humidity. To be honest, I had no idea at the time that humidity was even something to consider. When I traded it in, the bridge was starting to lift at the back, but it wasn't too bad.

After selling it I started learning more about guitars and buying ones that were lighter builds with more optimized soundboards and bracing. I wasn't controlling humidity at first and noticed string buzz and sharp fret ends when the humidity went low (low 30%) for more than a couple days. It never went into the 20% range, but that was when I started controlling humidity and all the buzzing/sharp fret issues went away.

About the same time, I bought a used Martin 00-18V that was showing some bridge lift and bellying behind the bridge. I had the lift repaired. And after some time in my now humidity-controlled guitar room/den, the bellying has all but disappeared.

So, at least in my experience, controlling humidity is important for guitars that are lightly built, where the luthier/manufacturer has gone to some effort to optimize the responsiveness of the guitar, but not so important for guitars that are more heavily built/braced, or certainly those made from laminates. Just depends on the guitar.

If your guitars have plywood in their back and sides or, horrors, top, one of the benefits is stability, for if there are forces trying to crack the wood, other forces are holding it together. Living out in the boonies has it's advantages in that you are less prone to the constant bombardment of the materialistic society we live in, that is, if you don't spend too much time on forums.

There is just so much discussion about the wonders of ultra expensive guitars. I've played an awful lot of boutique guitars, non of which made an appreciable difference in how I sounded. It's like somehow you are not worthy without that special something, when in fact any number of pros could sound great on anything. Play the best you can afford and be happy. It's the process that is important.

The reason I came to forums like this was because my cheap guitars were succumbing to heat stress and those dry winters you spoke off. Even though it was a laminated, my old Takamine suffered from pointy feet ends, bridge lift and separating back binding from a degrading neck angle. GAS was just a by product.

The reason your Yamaha is not coming apart is because they are well put together guitars. How are the frets though? Every winter my guitar would let my hands know it was at least time to oil the fretboard.

Hi Bob,

I think most of us acoustic guitar players lived in ignorance about humidity for decades. I certainly did. My 1967 Martin D-35 has no cracks in it, but I think that's simply because I was lucky. And I spent a winter out in the Idaho desert with that guitar where I know the humidity was ultra low. And I grew up in Northeastern Ohio and went to college in Indiana, and both places get very cold in the winter just like upstate NY.

So, I was just lucky with my D-35. Now I have hygrometers around my house and in my studio and when it gets cold and the humidity in the heated house drops, I start adding moisture to the air to bring the humidity up. Fortunately, where I now live in the Pacific Northwest, the humidity is between 40-60% RH pretty much year round except for unusual cold spells.

Why take chances?

- Glenn

I suspect that leaving the guitar out in a humidified room is fine.

A hygrometer is fairly inexpensive, and that could go far toward relieving your concerns.

We pay attention to humidity as the law of averages dictates risk goes up with value - but that doesn't mean you will necessarily have any trouble. Just more chance of it. Plenty of guitars get terribly neglected and come out OK.

To preserve humidity while in the cardboard box, why not just put a large garbage bag over the box when it's just sitting and you aren't playing? Simple, cheap, and fairly effective. The box itself will be little or no barrier to humidity, but the bag will.

I use a sponge in a zip bag with holes in it and distilled water. I don't know what that costs but its close to zero. I live in Colorado where the humidy in general ranges from 0-40%. Right now its 25% in my guitar room which is normal. And I've never had a problem.

My main rules are as follows.
1) store the guitar in its case
2) keep the guitar away from heated/ac vents (and away from open windows when its cold)
3) keep guitars away from direct sun and stored in the closet or under the bed etc.
4) any new to me guitar gets "overhumidified" at first and then is gradually allowed to acclimate to the normal schedule over months.

I used to be a lot more paranoid thanks to this forum. I think its better to start off paranoid than be disappointed by a cracked guitar. Anyway, I've become much more lax with the sponges. On my martin you can physically see and feel the ripples in the grain as it dries. My biggest scare was one time during a wet spell. We get a good 2 week soak every 5 years or so and my guitars were starting to bulge due to natural humidy + sponge and I hadn't realized it. Now when its going to be rainy for more than 2 days I pull the sponges ahead of the storm.

I forgot to add I have the heating vent blocked off in the guitar room and when I'm in there the window is always at least a little cracked unless its below 0. You can look up the sponge/baggy humidifier on youtube just remember to use distilled water. If you run a wood stove you can put an old junky pot on with water to humidify too.

Everybody beyond the age of reason has a cell phone in the world today.

Though there is not a barometer in the cell phone you can ask it the RH for your zip code.

It will respond with RH from wherever your local temp is read from.

Of course your house may be a bit lower, as you may have a furnace burning.

But will get you in the ball park.

When I lived in central CA. I never needed any extra humidity. I do keep in cases though.

But when I moved to the Midwest. That changed real quick. Like within a month.