How do you store your guitar, and why????

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Music Junkie
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Fri Apr 30, 2010 4:03 pm

sws626 wrote:
I keep my Martin in its hardshell case with an Oasis humidifier and a hydrometer and keep the case closed when the guitar is out. The Oasis is okay, but needs to be refilled every few days. Where I live, I'm more concered about low humidity in winter than about high humidity. From what I've read on the subject, I don't think the levels you are talking about are a problem unless combined with high heat.
No, heat is not really an issue here where I live. We have about as mild a climate as you can find on the planet. We tend to range from about 62-75 degrees year round with a few higher and lower days thrown in for good measure. I would probably be safe in my location, but I have a tendency to err on the side of caution (especially when my money is involved....lol).

Thanks,

J


dennisg
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Fri Apr 30, 2010 7:07 pm

songman52 wrote:
Hey, if any of you guys are worried about the low humidity, send the guitars to me for a few months. Here in southeast Texas the humidity usually hovers between 80 and 100 percent. So, even with the A/C or heat on there's still plenty of humidity in the inside air. I'll take good care of them and play them regularly for you!

I leave my Ovation (1986 Custom Balladeer) on a stand next to the computer unless I'm taking it to practice or a gig, so it's easy to pick up when I'm at the TG website. I have a Martin (circa 1998?) that stays on a stand in the living room. Should I not be doing this? I've never given a lot of thought to humidity issues except when I'm reading forums like this one. I definitely don't need a humidifier, but should I be doing something to combat the high humidity (outside)?
What do you think? Any experts?

Jerry
I've seen damage from both too little and too much humidity. I keep a cheap guitar on a stand; the others go in their cases with humidity systems.


tovo
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Fri Apr 30, 2010 7:57 pm

I keep all of mine in my cases and the case sits fairly well on my guitar stand, so it's all fairly convenient. I it more for the reason MJ gave of protecting them from my lads rather than from humidity. Last thing I want is a cricket ball (similar in hardness to a baseball) smashing into the face of one of my instruments.


johnrfeeney
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Fri Apr 30, 2010 9:45 pm

i leave em out - for years and years, have lived in New Jersey, Missouri, Florida and now S. California - I really don't think the guitars are like sensitive scientific instruments

please don't get me wrong I know they can be abused but


think about some of the instruments (string) that are worth a fortune and except for "of late" haven't had the climate control etc that many propose


smips65
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Sat May 01, 2010 6:35 am

songman52 wrote:
Hey, if any of you guys are worried about the low humidity, send the guitars to me for a few months. Here in southeast Texas the humidity usually hovers between 80 and 100 percent. So, even with the A/C or heat on there's still plenty of humidity in the inside air. I'll take good care of them and play them regularly for you!

I leave my Ovation (1986 Custom Balladeer) on a stand next to the computer unless I'm taking it to practice or a gig, so it's easy to pick up when I'm at the TG website. I have a Martin (circa 1998?) that stays on a stand in the living room. Should I not be doing this? I've never given a lot of thought to humidity issues except when I'm reading forums like this one. I definitely don't need a humidifier, but should I be doing something to combat the high humidity (outside)?
What do you think? Any experts?

Jerry

With respect to the Ovation, with its' plastic back, higher humidity shouldn't be as big a concern.

Keep the Martin out of the direct sunlight. If you don't play it everyday, it should go in the case. I'll assume the stand is the neck holding type, and not the base bottem holding type, those aren't recommended. Also, keep it away from the air vents, so the air conditioning doesn't super cool the bottem, and leave the neck warm.

Just to state the obvious, cool air sinks, so those of you that keep your guitars down low, be warned.


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Wed May 05, 2010 4:51 pm

Hey guys:

Found these clips on the Taylor site and thought they were worth passing on.....

http://www.taylorguitars.com/see-hear/d ... px?id=1004

http://www.taylorguitars.com/see-hear/d ... px?id=1004


izzyhara
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Wed May 05, 2010 5:17 pm

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.


smips65
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Wed May 05, 2010 7:16 pm

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.


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Wed May 05, 2010 7:57 pm

smips65 wrote:
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.
Smips:

Thanks for that bit of info, the current humidity here in Ventura (at least in my house) is 42%. Since posting this, I found a better relative humidity history for my area. It ranges from about 40% to about 70% (I live about 6 miles from the beach). My temps range from about the mid 40's to low 50's at night to about the mid 70's during the day (we do get some stretches where we can get down to about 34 or so and get as hot as 90-100, but not very often). By my calcs, that ought to be darn good conditions for my guitars. I think I'll keep them in the case just to play it safe, but if I left them out for a day or two, I would not worry too much.... B)

Jason


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