izzyhara wrote:
This is a good topic. Because of my recent G.A.S. (guitar acquisition syndrome for those of you who are new), I have thought a little more about this issue. Where I live it is very dry, and also very high in altitude (8500 feet above sea level). So the sun is brutal. But I have always understood that guitars do acclimate to their environment. You need to protect them from abrupt adjustments. So if I bring home a new guitar that has been sitting in a guitar humidor, I work very hard to acclimate it. This means humidifying it when I am not playing it. I certainly prefer to leave my guitars out on their stands (did I read that I should have neck hanging stands - cuz I don't and am freaking out a little) because it is so easy to walk by, pick it up and play away. My older guitar is aged, according to my guitar friends. It lives in its case when not in use, but no humidity. My new Taylor sleeps in a humidified case, and I liked learning that I should just leave the humidifier in the case to keep the levels high. During the day when I am working (I work from home), it sits near me on a stand so that I can grab and play throughout the day. So I figure I am getting it adjusted. My brother has a 40 or 50 year old Martin. He took it into a luthier the other day to get some info about some repairs that need to be made. They worked out the repairs, but the luthier told him to store it in a humid environment for a month or so, saying that the repairs would be better or easier or something if the wood was humidified. The luthier recommended the humidifiers that cover the sound hole and told my brother that would be enough to humidify the guitar. Doesn't even have to be in the case, which I found interesting. So I have purchased one of those to give it a try. Possible to keep the guitar in the stand where it is handy, but still offer it some humidity? As always, I am learning lots from you guys.
The sound hole humidification method is fine, so long as no actual water gets into the guitar.
The tech wanted the guitar well humidified, for several reasons... repairs on a guitar that might be stored in a dry room may be very short lived, over humidified, the repairs won't stick.
There are tons of horror stories of Asian made instruments that were shipped over water to here, the guitars are shipped via truck or airplane to a very dry climate, and all are surprised when the neck snaps. Happens all the time, but it really comes down to basic science and common sense, take the moisture out of a stressed piece of wood, what's going to happen, it'll break.
The ideal range for Humidity is about 45%. The general rule of thumb with respect to temperature, is If your comfy, so is the guitar.
Some of you newbies, here's a tip, if you have to re-tune your guitar a lot, the temperature is fluctuating too much. Keep your baby out of the sunlight, away from the air vents, and as much as possible, keep the temp somewhat stable.