cheaper acoustics and humidity

[naboutboul]

So, a year or so ago I bought a Ibanez Artwood AW58ENT. It has a solid sitka spruce top and rosewood back and sides. For $250, it is an excellent acoustic. I like rosewood and for this price, it was hard to pass up. It plays and sounds really nice and I'm really happy with it. My question is: I live in a very an dry NYC apartment. Is there anything I need to be doing to keep the guitar from drying out or am I good to do since it's not all solid wood? I shaved down the saddle and adjusted the truss rod once but I'm afraid over the {censored}ty northeast winter the wood may dry out. Any advice on maintenance? Should I keep it out on a stand or is it better off inside the gig bag? Thanks so much!

[FretFiend.]

Go to Wallyworld and buy yourself a cheap humidity meter... about ten bucks or so. Hang it in the room where the guitar lives. If the humidity in the room gets much below 30 - 35 % put the guitar in the gig bag with a guitar humidifier of some kind. There are several available from music suppliers, look up Oasis, or Dampit... Lots of choices... or you can roll your own with a ziplock bag with some holes punched in it and a damp sponge.

[Freeman Keller]

Every wooden guitar is affected by humidity. It costs almost nothing to humidify it (I do the sponge/baggie trick in everything I own) - it costs a lot to deal with cracks, frets, action, finish and everything else that can be affected by low humidity (I know, I get to repair the guitars that get neglected). Also, unless you are humidifying the air in your room, do not leave it on a stand - put it in the case with the humidifier where it belongs.

 

FWIW - humidity will affect your strats too, altho not as dramatically. And seeing your 310, Taylor considers a dry guitar "abused" and does not cover damage under warranty.

[Grant Harding]

We have to dehumidify and case ours due to over-humidification. They get a bit dull sounding and the "bellying" process is accelerated if you leave them out in winter.

[DeepEnd]

I have an AW120 with an aftermarket pickup, from back when they were still made in Korea. Mine is solid sitka top/laminated mahogany back and sides. I agree that they're very nice and very under-appreciated guitars. It doesn't matter whether it's solid or laminated, acoustic or electric, wood is wood and it dries out. I have a hygrometer sitting on a bookshelf in the same room where my guitars are. When it hits 40% I make sure to humidify. I use a Dampit snake stuck in the soundhole. Unless you can insure that the whole room will be properly humidified, which I can't, it's best to leave the guitar in the case/gig bag when you're not playing it.

[tbry]

I have the same question though I live in Northern Cal...all wood Taylor and never do anything. Leave it hanging on the wall all the time. ...Outside air today is 87%...I can't detect anything wrong . Sometimes I will need to retune it because it will get flat or sharp...Leave well enough alone?

[naboutboul]

And seeing your 310' date=' Taylor considers a dry guitar "abused" and does not cover damage under warranty.[/quote']

 

I have a humicase for the 310 so I'm set as far as that goes. I bought the cheaper guitar knowing it isn't all solid wood hoping I wouldn't have to deal with all the humidity issues. I'm thinking of getting one of these - http://www.amazon.com/MN305-HumiReader-Hygrometer-Humidity-Temperature/dp/B00VVMLH9E/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1450826511&sr=8-3&keywords=music+nomad+humidifier

[FretFiend.]

That's just a temperature and humidity monitor, not a humidifier. It's a bit pricey too.

 

This one: http://www.walmart.com/ip/AcuRite-Digital-Humidity-and-Temperature-Monitor/16888914 will do just as well for a lot less cash.

 

 

 

[DeepEnd]

. . . I'm thinking of getting one of these - http://www.amazon.com/MN305-HumiRead...mad+humidifier

Search for "hygrometer." You'll find several for $10 or so: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_no...rds=hygrometer. A search for "guitar humidifier" also turns up several under $10: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=guitar+humidifier&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Aguitar+humidifier. Or, as previously noted, you could simply make one yourself.

[Freeman Keller]

Then google "calibrating a hygrometer" using a saturated salt water solution - most of them have a calibrate screw or function.

[Freeman Keller]

The rule of thumb is to try to keep your guitar at the same relative humidity that it was built and the wood was stored - 45% is ideal, a good range is between 40 and 50. Too dry is definitely bad - the wood shrinks and cracks, fret ends stick out and cut your fingers, the top caves in and action gets all wonky, sometimes the finish gets kind of wavy lines in it. Too humid is not as bad (it is pretty hard to overly humidify a guitar in a case) but extremely humid climates aren't good.

 

For most of us the problem is our central heat which dries out the air as hit warms it (also the reason skin gets dry and itchy during the winter).

 

Here is one of the best articles about the effects of humidity, both high and low. Decide for yourself

 

http://www.larrivee.com/pdfs/Larrivee%20Care%20%20Maintenance.pdf

[naboutboul]

Thanks guys. Aren't I better off trying to measure the humidity in the guitar and not of the room itself? I'd be using one of those soundhole humidifiers so would the music nomad item I linked to be better because it measures the humidity in the guitar and not the humidity in the room?

[Grant Harding]

If you're keeping them out of the case then the room humidity is important. You definitely want to measure the case humidity for guitars stored in them.

[FretFiend.]

Knowing and controlling the humidity in the confined space inside a wooden or plastic guitar case is really easy. You can pretty much judge the humidity inside a guitar case by how often you have to moisten the Dampit or sponge. Just the presence of the sponge will keep the humidity right if you keep it damp.

 

Knowing and/or controlling the humidity in a fabric gig bag or an open room may not be so easy tho.

[Freeman Keller]

Thanks guys. Aren't I better off trying to measure the humidity in the guitar and not of the room itself? I'd be using one of those soundhole humidifiers so would the music nomad item I linked to be better because it measures the humidity in the guitar and not the humidity in the room?

 

I used to have a hygrometer in my music room but I've moved it to my shop where its more important to know the building conditions. I know it is dry in the house so I just keep every guitar in its case with the sponge/baggie. As I said before, it is pretty hard to over humidify in this manner and none of the guitars show any signs of being too dry.

 

I try to rotate thru them at least every couple of weeks and dampen the sponge when I do.

 

This was my lesson in humidity (and humility) - I had just finished this guitar for my daughter and brought it from my shop (RH 45%) to my centrally heated living room (probably 25) and left it out on a stand to show it off.

 

 

I learned a lot about repairing cracks...

[DeepEnd]

Thanks guys. Aren't I better off trying to measure the humidity in the guitar and not of the room itself? I'd be using one of those soundhole humidifiers so would the music nomad item I linked to be better because it measures the humidity in the guitar and not the humidity in the room?

Well, yes and no. I know that if the room is dry the guitar is probably dry. And if the guitar is dry I need to humidify it. Unless you have a fancy hermetically sealed case, which I don't, the humidity inside is pretty close to ambient. If the humidity is 35% three feet from the guitar case, it's probably about 35% in the case unless I'm using a humidifier. Plus, I can monitor multiple acoustics, an electric, and a bass with one hygrometer. You can certainly monitor each guitar separately but personally I don't see the advantage unless you have the case near, say, a heating vent, which will dry it out more than the rest of the room. We have radiators and none of my guitars are anywhere near one because I know better.

[naboutboul]

Thanks for the advice. Here's what I've come up with. It turns out I had a digital panel thermometer laying around. I installed it in a little plastic container. I'm reading 72 F and 45% humidity right now. Mind you, it's been raining all day but I have all the windows closed. I'm assuming 45 is a safe humidity to keep the guitar out on a stand or in a gig bag. What is the range I should be looking for? 40%-55%? Under 40 is when I should start using a soundhole humidifier? How would I then know if the guitar is becoming too humid?

 

Thanks!

 

[DeepEnd]

US made guitars are typically made in conditions of 45-55% relative humidity. Ideally, you should keep it in that range. If you expose a guitar to 40% or below for an extended period it will eventually dry out so break out the humidifier if the humidity in your music room or guitar case dips below 45%.

[Tony Burns]

allot of these inexspensive humidifiers you find at dept stores have a built in meter -

 

I own two in my house -( one is a back up ) the other my main humidifier is an older Bemis large two tank model ,

which I've owned for practically ever ( over 20 years old ) humidity is necessary for your wood furniture and your own health

as well - putting personal humidifiers in each case ( if you own several instruments ) can be a big PITA -

where just getting a home model is easier - and a good investment .

If you do any serious travel where you take the instrument out of your house a case model isnt a bad idea- but not a sound hole model

their are numerous posts on many forums about inside the guitar stains concerning these.

Which can hurt your guitar

 

 

 

...

[naboutboul]

The humidity in my apt hovers around 45%. I've been following it the last few days it's been as high as 50% but dropped to 37% at one point BUT the weather has been rainy and humid the last few days so I'm not sure how the humidity will hold up during the cold months when the heat is on. I'm researching and considering my options. The soundhole models seem like the easiest way to go. I like the music nomad product I posted which measures the humidity inside the guitar as opposed to measuring the room humidity. It seems like a better idea and coupled with a soundhole humidifier would help me monitor the humidity more accurately.

[FretFiend.]

FWIW, I monitor the humidity in the basement where my beloved D-28 normally lives outside its case. In the winter here, the humidity in the basement can fall to 20-25%, even with a humidifier at work. When that happens, the guitar goes in its case, where a sponge and sandwich bag easily keeps the humidity at 45% or better.

 

Watch that room humidity, and have a plan-B if that room humidity should fall too low. You might be surprised that your apartment doesn't get as dry as you think it is.

[Grant Harding]

One thing I'll add in the inexpensive guitar camp is I've noticed some really lightly built inexpensive acoustics from companies like Walden. They're really light and resonant in the shop, but after a year of NZ humidity they really belly after a year or two.

[DeepEnd]

One thing I'll add in the inexpensive guitar camp is I've noticed some really lightly built inexpensive acoustics from companies like Walden. They're really light and resonant in the shop' date=' but after a year of NZ humidity they really belly after a year or two.[/quote']

As a matter of fact, Waldens ship (or, at least, used to ship) with two saddles that you could swap depending on the season.

[naboutboul]

Okay guys. So, the humidity in the room now that the heat is on is around 30%. I guess I have to humidify. I've done some research and found 2 methods that I can use. One is the damp sponge in a bag in the soundhole and the other is the damp sponge in soapdish method. I'm wondering what I should be doing to keep this working best. As of right now, I have the guitar on a stand with a bag with a damn sponge in the soundhole. I'm wondering: can I leave it on the stand like this or should I be leaving it inside the case? Here are some pics of what I've come up with.

 

 

Another method I've seen is to keep the these soap dish trays which have holes on top in the case and keep the guitar in there. Is this better than the soundhole method? What is preferable. I can do either or but I know not to do both together as that may over humidify the guitar.

 

[DeepEnd]

I'm at work and can't see your pics but you're much better off humidifying it in the case. Otherwise, the humidifier is trying to humidify the whole room instead of the air around the guitar. One humidifier in the soundhole and another elsewhere in the case along the neck is probably your best bet. BTW, I'm going to assume "a damn sponge in the soundhole" is a typo.