Weather Effects Guitars
- Thread starter Sniper1
- Start date
Jeff_H
Dean Hardtail Fanologist
Re: Weather Effects Guitars
I read somewhere that 70 degres, plus or minus a few, and 50% humidity is about the perfect range for guitars. Usually in an air conditioned home, this should be about "average". I keep my thermostat set on 70, and the relative humidity stays between 45 and 55 according to my humistat.
I get some out of tune issues as well, but outside of a specificly climate controlled environment, I'm not sure there is much you can do about that. You can run a de-humidifer in your guitar room if you think humidity is too high.
I read somewhere that 70 degres, plus or minus a few, and 50% humidity is about the perfect range for guitars. Usually in an air conditioned home, this should be about "average". I keep my thermostat set on 70, and the relative humidity stays between 45 and 55 according to my humistat.
I get some out of tune issues as well, but outside of a specificly climate controlled environment, I'm not sure there is much you can do about that. You can run a de-humidifer in your guitar room if you think humidity is too high.
Fresh_Start
New member
Re: Weather Effects Guitars
Changing strings this a.m. on my #1 Strat, I thought "gee, the action sure looks high." Measured relief and it was Waaaaay off. Hopefully the first round of tweaks will do it...
So, yep, weather can and will affect your guitar.
Chip
Changing strings this a.m. on my #1 Strat, I thought "gee, the action sure looks high." Measured relief and it was Waaaaay off. Hopefully the first round of tweaks will do it...
So, yep, weather can and will affect your guitar.
Chip
timorousme
New member
Re: Weather Effects Guitars
Yea, right when it broke from 50's to 78 here one week, I had to adjust my truss rod... Then it got cold again, then hot and humid again, so I had to adjust my truss rod again. My poor neck.
Yea, right when it broke from 50's to 78 here one week, I had to adjust my truss rod... Then it got cold again, then hot and humid again, so I had to adjust my truss rod again. My poor neck.
Bludave
New member
Re: Weather Effects Guitars
You should be more concerned with the lack of humidity. The ultimate is 45 to 50%, but once the air temp. starts to drop for winter it will also pull a lot of humidity out of the air. Here is what I do. I have a room humidifier that I keep running and try to keep the humidity at 50% all year round (the summers are hard they usually run about 60%). Keep your guitars in the case when you are not playing it. Its the safest place for it. If the humidity is running below 45% you may have to put some form of moisture in the case. With my acoustic guitars I use a Dampit and I keep a sponge moist in a plastic travel soap dish that I keep under the headstocks. I also keep a Hygrometer in the case with each guitar. This may be a bit of overkill, but it forces me to check each guitar every day. This takes a lot of time because I have a lot of guitars, but my guitars are always in good playing order.
IF your guitars are always going out of tune, it may not be the humidity....... it may just be your tecnique for stringing your guitars. Check the vault there is a good thread in there about proper stringing techniques.
You should be more concerned with the lack of humidity. The ultimate is 45 to 50%, but once the air temp. starts to drop for winter it will also pull a lot of humidity out of the air. Here is what I do. I have a room humidifier that I keep running and try to keep the humidity at 50% all year round (the summers are hard they usually run about 60%). Keep your guitars in the case when you are not playing it. Its the safest place for it. If the humidity is running below 45% you may have to put some form of moisture in the case. With my acoustic guitars I use a Dampit and I keep a sponge moist in a plastic travel soap dish that I keep under the headstocks. I also keep a Hygrometer in the case with each guitar. This may be a bit of overkill, but it forces me to check each guitar every day. This takes a lot of time because I have a lot of guitars, but my guitars are always in good playing order.
IF your guitars are always going out of tune, it may not be the humidity....... it may just be your tecnique for stringing your guitars. Check the vault there is a good thread in there about proper stringing techniques.
timorousme
New member
Re: Weather Effects Guitars
I heard that lack of humidity and having the guitar dry out during the winter is a really good thing actually. Why is a lack of humidity bad?
I heard that lack of humidity and having the guitar dry out during the winter is a really good thing actually. Why is a lack of humidity bad?
Bludave
New member
Re: Weather Effects Guitars
A lack of Humidity will cause the the wood to shrink. This will cause the finish to check. In some cases this can be a desired effect. When guitars are reliced a technique that is used is to warm the guitar up quickly and then cool it down quickly this will cause the nitro finish to crack as the wood beneath it expands and contracts. With acoustic guitars the the bridge is glued to the top. When the top dries out to much it will cause the top to sink. The bridge will usually begin to lift off the top or split at the pin holes. In real bad cases the bridge cannot come loose and the top cracks. Depending on how bad the cracks are will determine what cost to repair it will be. In some cases glue can be forced into the crack and thats all it needs. In more severe cracks they will need to be cleated from the inside. Obviously this will also affect the playability of the guitar, In some cases the neck will backbow so much that the truss rod cannot take it out and the neck will need to be heat pressed. so bottom line is to keep your guitars properly hydrated to eliminate the tops from cracking and the finish from splitting all over and to keep the necks in good playing order. In real severe cases I have seen the fingerboards begin to lift off the necks also. This is pure and simple neglect. People who own a lot of guitars tend to play the favorites and the others are forgotten about. During the winter months in particular, open the guitar case and check your guitar at least 3X per week. If it is not getting enough moisture make an adjustment in the frequency you are adding water to it. Your guitars are made of wood....... wood needs water. Monitor them as frequently as you feel you need to but IMHO that should be a minimum of 3X per week. 45 to 50% Humidity is the goal. IF it is above that thats not as bad as below it. Too much humidity will cause the neck to move and will require some adjustments to make it play correctly, but not enough will cause damage to the instrument!
timorousme said:
A lack of Humidity will cause the the wood to shrink. This will cause the finish to check. In some cases this can be a desired effect. When guitars are reliced a technique that is used is to warm the guitar up quickly and then cool it down quickly this will cause the nitro finish to crack as the wood beneath it expands and contracts. With acoustic guitars the the bridge is glued to the top. When the top dries out to much it will cause the top to sink. The bridge will usually begin to lift off the top or split at the pin holes. In real bad cases the bridge cannot come loose and the top cracks. Depending on how bad the cracks are will determine what cost to repair it will be. In some cases glue can be forced into the crack and thats all it needs. In more severe cracks they will need to be cleated from the inside. Obviously this will also affect the playability of the guitar, In some cases the neck will backbow so much that the truss rod cannot take it out and the neck will need to be heat pressed. so bottom line is to keep your guitars properly hydrated to eliminate the tops from cracking and the finish from splitting all over and to keep the necks in good playing order. In real severe cases I have seen the fingerboards begin to lift off the necks also. This is pure and simple neglect. People who own a lot of guitars tend to play the favorites and the others are forgotten about. During the winter months in particular, open the guitar case and check your guitar at least 3X per week. If it is not getting enough moisture make an adjustment in the frequency you are adding water to it. Your guitars are made of wood....... wood needs water. Monitor them as frequently as you feel you need to but IMHO that should be a minimum of 3X per week. 45 to 50% Humidity is the goal. IF it is above that thats not as bad as below it. Too much humidity will cause the neck to move and will require some adjustments to make it play correctly, but not enough will cause damage to the instrument!
Last edited:
GuitarStv
Sock Market Trader
Re: Weather Effects Guitars
I don't know . . . I keep my electric guitar and my acoustic out of their cases year round in our unairconditioned house . . . that means that in the summer the temp/humidity can be 35 degC / 95% and in the winter it can go to 17 degC / 20%. (At least according to my wall barometer). I play one or both guitars every day, and other than the occasional need to adjust the trussrod, my guitars are fine. I think that some people can get a little carried away with trying to protect/equalize humidity for their guitars. Believe me, a semi-hollow guitar and an acoustic from the 60s are both pretty fragile guitars . . . I would expect them to be the first guitars to show problems from humidity, but nothing so far (in about 6 years).
I don't know . . . I keep my electric guitar and my acoustic out of their cases year round in our unairconditioned house . . . that means that in the summer the temp/humidity can be 35 degC / 95% and in the winter it can go to 17 degC / 20%. (At least according to my wall barometer). I play one or both guitars every day, and other than the occasional need to adjust the trussrod, my guitars are fine. I think that some people can get a little carried away with trying to protect/equalize humidity for their guitars. Believe me, a semi-hollow guitar and an acoustic from the 60s are both pretty fragile guitars . . . I would expect them to be the first guitars to show problems from humidity, but nothing so far (in about 6 years).
toneseeker
New member
Re: Weather Effects Guitars
It sounds like you're finally getting a taste of coastal NC humidity.
My in laws live in Western PA.
I usually play my guitar outside at night. It can be in tune inside, but by the time I walk across the yard to the barn, plug my amp in and get ready to play, all of the strings have gone slightly sharp. Happens every time.
Sniper1 said:
It sounds like you're finally getting a taste of coastal NC humidity.
My in laws live in Western PA.
I usually play my guitar outside at night. It can be in tune inside, but by the time I walk across the yard to the barn, plug my amp in and get ready to play, all of the strings have gone slightly sharp. Happens every time.
