Members baldbloke Posted September 29, 2009 Members Share Posted September 29, 2009 Hi, I recently treated myself to an all solid guitar. Stonebridge Cedar/Rosewood combination. Too good for my clumsy fingers but, what the heck, you only live once. Being concerned about humidity, I also purchased a digital hygrometer. Pleased to say, so far, humidity ranges from 41% to 61% in the room where I keep the guitar. So I don't think I need worry about problems in that respect Correct me if I'm wrong there, please. So what's my point? I have noticed that this guitar sounds so much nicer, to my ears, at a low humidity. Circa 41% - 47%. It seems to project more. Still sounds nice above that but seems so much nicer at lower humidity. Anyone else notice this effect? Or could other subjective factors come in to play? Or am I wrong and a liar? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members knockwood Posted September 29, 2009 Members Share Posted September 29, 2009 You are wrong and a liar, but I have noticed the same thing. Maybe I'm nuts, but I think my guitars sound crisper and louder at somewhat lower humidity. Congrats on your new git! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Sangemon Posted September 29, 2009 Members Share Posted September 29, 2009 You've got a good ear. It's well known. Wet guitars sound muddier. No doubt. But... You still need to STFU, n00b!:poke: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BLUtunes Posted September 30, 2009 Members Share Posted September 30, 2009 I can definitely hear the effect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Florida_Gator Posted September 30, 2009 Members Share Posted September 30, 2009 Where I live, I struggle with it everyday. In fact, I'm seriously considering getting a dehumidifier to add to my A/C's ability (or lack thereof) to remove moisture. For a couple months of the year, my guitars sound quite a bit better (we have ultra-high humidity where I live, almost year-round). Oh and Knockwood, you are nuts, but what does that have to do with this discussion? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rjoxyz Posted September 30, 2009 Members Share Posted September 30, 2009 For the most part, I think my guitars sound best on the lower end of "safe" humidity levels (40-45%). Michigan was fairly cool this summer, so not much air conditioner dehumidification. RH has been right around 60% for weeks. Most of the guitars sound pretty "soggy". Not intolerantly so by any means, but they sure don't sound the way I like them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Melodeous Posted September 30, 2009 Members Share Posted September 30, 2009 Better at lower RH. For this I keep a dehumidifier set to 45%. Here in Florida the humaditty stays pretty high year round. If you think about it, water is an attenuator. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Samilyn Posted September 30, 2009 Members Share Posted September 30, 2009 Absolutely. My gits sound much, much better at cooler temps and lower humidity. When I lived in Louisiana, the high humidity always made 'em sound like they were stuffed full of socks and swamp mud. On the rare cool, crisp day they were a joy to play. Still have somewhat high RH here in the PNW, but it's sure not as bad as the semi-tropical Gulf South, so the gits are happier and so am I. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Opa John Posted September 30, 2009 Members Share Posted September 30, 2009 Yep, I've noticed it too. I've got two dreadnoughts. One is all solid and the other is all laminated. Both of them sound like dynamite at lower RH levels. If I humidify them both, the laminated one seems to suffer the most. I quit humidifying the laminated altogether, and the all solid one I try to keep it just above 40%. I've noticed the same thing with my violin......but, it doesn't seem to matter to my mando. It sounds good all the time. We never stop learning, do we? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Florida_Gator Posted September 30, 2009 Members Share Posted September 30, 2009 Absolutely. My gits sound much, much better at cooler temps and lower humidity. When I lived in Louisiana, the high humidity always made 'em sound like they were stuffed full of socks and swamp mud. On the rare cool, crisp day they were a joy to play. Still have somewhat high RH here in the PNW, but it's sure not as bad as the semi-tropical Gulf South, so the gits are happier and so am I. Exactly. And playing outside makes it worse. I live on the water in SW Florida, so you can just imagine how humid it is here. In fact, even with the A/C on, with 95% humidity outside, the inside air never gets below 60% humidity. So I REALLY look forward to those (rare) "crisp" days we get between November and March. In fact, this thread has inspired me... I'm going to do some online shopping for a dehumidifier today (any suggestions welcome ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members baldbloke Posted September 30, 2009 Author Members Share Posted September 30, 2009 Thanks for that folks. I thought it may have been my imagination at first. Nice to know I'm no more nuts than the rest of the forumites on here. Sangemon You've got a good ear. It's well known. Wet guitars sound muddier. No doubt. But... You still need to STFU, n00b! So... No need for me to change the bridge pins then? [Lights touch paper, runs, hides] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Gary Palmer Posted September 30, 2009 Members Share Posted September 30, 2009 There's no hiding in Yorkshire with a Scottish accent. Here's some info that may help. http://www.taylorguitars.com/guitars/reference/techsheets.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members recordingtrack1 Posted October 1, 2009 Members Share Posted October 1, 2009 I totally agree with the contention of this thread. One thing I notice, when the humidity is a little high, is a certain "dullness" to the tone, initially. Once I start playing my guitar it begins to liven up a bit. The longer I play, it improves even more, to a point, of course. It's kind of like a car that once it warms up it runs better. It's kind of like me, it gets stiff in the joints. Just my $.02. RT1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members revive Posted October 1, 2009 Members Share Posted October 1, 2009 I had an interesting experience with Humidity... Gits at a GC in Chicago sounded so much better than gits in a GC here in Houston. Why? Because, the Chicago GC shut their git room and used humidity control (even for the less expensive guitars). So their gits were at the optimal humidity level. Whereas the Houston GC opens their git room and lets the highly humid air enter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Hudman Posted October 1, 2009 Members Share Posted October 1, 2009 Low humidity produces the best tone - unfortunately, extended exposure to low humidity can damage your guitar. High humidity makes your guitar sound like it is stuffed full of cotton. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members knockwood Posted October 1, 2009 Members Share Posted October 1, 2009 Knockwood, you are nuts, but what does that have to do with this discussion? You are wrong and RT1 is a liar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Florida_Gator Posted October 1, 2009 Members Share Posted October 1, 2009 You are wrong and RT1 is a liar. Well at least I'm not a coward! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members LaurentB Posted October 1, 2009 Members Share Posted October 1, 2009 Yes, it definitely makes a difference. Especially my cedar topped classical Hopf sounds dull and muddy with high humidity, and crisp and clean when it's low. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members boxorox Posted October 5, 2009 Members Share Posted October 5, 2009 Absolutely. But I am wrong and a liar. Two thoughts- 1- The wood is wet and heavy, and so the sound is leaden, and 2- Sound travels better in dry air, and so it seems livlier. Combo of both, probably. On the other hand, banjoes seem to sound better in high humidity. Modern mylar heads are impervious to moisture, and the tone is dependant on a tight fit between the componant parts, so when it's damp the rim swells tight, when it's dry, sounds a little dull. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members LaurentB Posted October 5, 2009 Members Share Posted October 5, 2009 Absolutely. But I am wrong and a liar. Two thoughts- 1- The wood is wet and heavy, and so the sound is leaden, and 2- Sound travels better in dry air, and so it seems livlier. Point 1 might be plausible, although I'd like to have some calculations of the accumulated extra weight because of absorbed damp with that, but is point 2 a fact?Why would sounds travel better in dry air? I mean this in an informative way, not critical. I'm just curious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members boxorox Posted October 6, 2009 Members Share Posted October 6, 2009 Can't say. Not a... whatever kind of scientist would know these things. The effect has been noticable though. It could just be that the extra moisture causes the action to rise a bit, and the deadness comes from the guitar being slightly harder to play. Maybe your strings die faster. Dunno, but it happens to mandos, fiddles, basses too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Pagey Posted October 6, 2009 Members Share Posted October 6, 2009 Melodeous - can you hum the humaditty - I'd like to see if I can play it :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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