Another Humidity Thread - Muddy Tone?

[JD1]

I've been humidifying my new acoustic with a make shift sponge in a soapbox near the headstock and a kyser in the sound hole for the past couple of weeks. The humidity in case reads 52%. But now the tone seems muddy and not as clear as it once did, before humidifying the guitar.

What's up? Could it be that the guitar is 'over saturated'?

[mrmoe]

I suggest that your strings are a "couple of weeks" older.....

[Queequeg]

 

I suggest that your strings are a "couple of weeks" older.....

 

+1 and I think that perhaps the humidity can play an adverse role in prematurely corroding the strings, too.

hey- choose your poison.

but @ 52% RH which is ideal, your guitar is not saturated.

[RKW]

 

I've been humidifying my new acoustic with a make shift sponge in a soapbox near the headstock and a kyser in the sound hole for the past couple of weeks. The humidity in case reads 52%. But now the tone seems muddy and not as clear as it once did, before humidifying the guitar. What's up? Could it be that the guitar is 'over saturated'?

 

 

The muddy tone is the classic characteristic for a saturated guitar (and old strings) . 52% seems a little too low to make a guitar soggy, but then again maybe it's even higher yet if your hygrometer is not that accurate.

[d28andm1911a1]

Dry and your guitars sound great, wet and your guitars sound like they are stuffed with socks. Try living somewhere where the humidity averages over 90% and running the AC 24/7 brings it down in the 80% range. You get used to the sock sound.

[guit30]

I have been rehydrating my guiutar for a month now and still have some buzzes and sharp frets, however, it has just been the last couple of weeks that I have an accurate hydro, and I'm keeping it between 45 and 50% relative humidity. Hopefully, it will be playable soon

Jim

[mikesr1963]

One year I worked hard at making sure my acoustics had the little water spong thing with the correct amount of water etc. They sounded like crap. At the same time I had a gauge in the room and without a humidifier remained in the comfort range year round. That's where my guitars stay now and they sound great.

[solitaire]

May I remind you that was the humidity in the case, not in the guitar. I have over humidified my instruments - that was before I started to place pots of water above the radiators in the windows. Both me and my guitars feel and play so much better now.

[Cripes]

Too much humidity indeed makes the sound of my guitars - no pun intended - dampened. I now dehumidify the room they remain in and that has made all the difference in their sound.