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There's probably been a few threads on the subject of humidity and guitars (particularly acoustics) already but I thought I would share this as I've been investigating a bit recently and it's by far the best one-stop, easy to digest, education I've found on t'web.
http://www.larrivee.com/features/humidity.php
Yes, good stuff there. A little thermometer/hygrometer is a good investment, just to have an idea what's going in your own home (some of these article are quite USA-biased where the summers are dry and they heat their homes a lot more in winter). I found that the humidity tends to be quite high (60-70%) here year-round, so I have a couple of silica gel sachets in the case.
Agreed. After reading up on the perils of winter and hentral heating I was all set to buy a humifdifier, I purchased a hygrometer and discovered that the house usually floats around 60%, a little less with the heating on, so I'm probably lookign at dehumidifying rather than the going the other way.Quote:
Originally Posted by thermionic
as will 99% of households in this country. Even with CH on, there's not many places over here suffer the kind of 'dry air' as they do in the statesQuote:
Originally Posted by dindude
60% relative humidity? You must have the heating on regularly morning and night. I still haven't switched on the heating and it's 67% / 70% indoors and 13 degrees in the morning, which is quite dry actually compared to the usual 75% and 11 degrees, I think it is a legacy from yesterday as it was quite sunny. The UK is a joke trying to get indoor humidity down to 40-50%.
Rarely will it get down the maximum reccomended for health = 50% unless you have your radiators on full bore, or it is a mediterranean summer, although I can't remember one of those to be honest. Good for youe skin, bad for your joints and your lungs.
The only problem I have with guitars is unlaquered necks swelling and popping laquer around the body neck rout although IMO the corner of the side joints were too tightly assembled anyway, the other thing is birdseye necks love to twist. All my humidity meters are telling me it's unhealthy..:p.
What is the humidity at the Fender factory? 40-50%?
The only thing you can do, if you are a tight bastard like me and don't use your central heating, is to fit an extractor fan in the bathroom. Don't hang wet towels or kept wet boots in the room where your guitar are. Put an extractor on your tumbledryer. Stay out of the house, or don't breathe or as a compromise sleep for 3 hours an work away from home for the rest. Cut down any sun blocking trees on the southern aspect of your place and make sure yor ventilation is OK. BUt when it is 86%-100% outside everyday, there really ain't much you can do about it.
In the US, the maritime and high summer humidity climates air con all summer, which dessicates the place out. In winter with the northern maritime climates, often it is so cold the humidity gets down to 10% and below. In winter and summer in the arid places the humidity gets very low.
UK is 55-100% all year, averaging around high 70's or mid 80's - more relative humidity day on day than the tropical Amazon Basin....I kid you not! I would be more worried about extremes of temperature. Quality guitars are usually OK.
I've had my lowden since I was 21. In that time it's been in Madrid 5 years, London, Malaysia , most of Europe, the states etc. As long as you have a truss rod adjuster there does not seem to be much problem.
Wouldn'd really be too worried about it unless youre gigging between Arizona and Florida:D
I've also heard it said that if you're careful and can protect a guitar from extremes of humidity for the first five years of its life, then it becomes pretty stable.
Quote:
Originally Posted by thermionic
I suspect that depends on how the wood was cured prior to use. Top luthiers keep their wood supply drying for years.