Winters Coming
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Bludave
New member
Re: Winters Coming
Yes. Go to Radio shack and buy a Hydrometer. Its a little meter that measures the humidity and temp. Go to your local music store and buy a case humidifier. A Dampit or the planet wave system are good choices. Store the guitar in the case when you are not playing it and check the meter every other day. Add water as needed. A guitar should be maintained at about 45 to 50% humidity. If it is a solid body guitar it is probably not as much of a concern than it is for acoustics. Acoustic guitars it is absolutley critical to keep moisture available to the guitar or the wood will shrink causing the top to sink which will cause the bridge to crack or pull off, or worse yet the top will develop cracks! Your guitar is wood..... wood needs moisture. Don't over do it either. Keep the humidity in the area described and you should be OK! Good luck!
Yes. Go to Radio shack and buy a Hydrometer. Its a little meter that measures the humidity and temp. Go to your local music store and buy a case humidifier. A Dampit or the planet wave system are good choices. Store the guitar in the case when you are not playing it and check the meter every other day. Add water as needed. A guitar should be maintained at about 45 to 50% humidity. If it is a solid body guitar it is probably not as much of a concern than it is for acoustics. Acoustic guitars it is absolutley critical to keep moisture available to the guitar or the wood will shrink causing the top to sink which will cause the bridge to crack or pull off, or worse yet the top will develop cracks! Your guitar is wood..... wood needs moisture. Don't over do it either. Keep the humidity in the area described and you should be OK! Good luck!
Norman_T
New member
Re: Winters Coming
Send it over to me - I'll make sure its properly looked after. It will have regular feeds, early nights and will be handled with kid gloves and I''ll make sure that it arrives in pristine condition!! :saeek:
What Bludave said but just make sure that your guitar is not subjected to extreme weather conditions - too hot/cold/wet as that is what makes guitars go. If in any doubt keep it in a good strong/hard case and every now and then take it out and play that damn thing - that's what it's for.
Send it over to me - I'll make sure its properly looked after. It will have regular feeds, early nights and will be handled with kid gloves and I''ll make sure that it arrives in pristine condition!! :saeek:
What Bludave said but just make sure that your guitar is not subjected to extreme weather conditions - too hot/cold/wet as that is what makes guitars go. If in any doubt keep it in a good strong/hard case and every now and then take it out and play that damn thing - that's what it's for.
Re: Winters Coming
Move to TX or FL? I once bought a used PRS from a guy in Boston that had let his rosewood fretboard shrink beyond belief. I liberally oiled it down with lemon oil, I mean I soaked it, then I put a damn rag in the case and closed it up. Fixed it. But that was an extreme case.
Be careful putting wet rags in your guitar case. They make effective devices like someone above alluded to. Get one. Acoustics are more delicate than electrics. Be careful with extreme temperatures as well.
Anyone else have some positive suggestions? I'm not much of an authority on this since the humidity in my music room is consistently high for the most part.
Move to TX or FL? I once bought a used PRS from a guy in Boston that had let his rosewood fretboard shrink beyond belief. I liberally oiled it down with lemon oil, I mean I soaked it, then I put a damn rag in the case and closed it up. Fixed it. But that was an extreme case.
Be careful putting wet rags in your guitar case. They make effective devices like someone above alluded to. Get one. Acoustics are more delicate than electrics. Be careful with extreme temperatures as well.
Anyone else have some positive suggestions? I'm not much of an authority on this since the humidity in my music room is consistently high for the most part.
Benjy_26
25's Nemesis
Re: Winters Coming
Keep it from getting to dry and too cold. Pretty simple, really. Keep in mind that extreme weather changes will change your set up, especially on acoustics or hollowbodies. Don't freak out if they feel diffrent after not playing them for a while, just readjust (carefully) and have at it.
Keep it from getting to dry and too cold. Pretty simple, really. Keep in mind that extreme weather changes will change your set up, especially on acoustics or hollowbodies. Don't freak out if they feel diffrent after not playing them for a while, just readjust (carefully) and have at it.
S
seafoamer
Guest
Re: Winters Coming
I'm pretty sure it's called a hygrometer. & yeah, they're good to have.
Bludave said:
I'm pretty sure it's called a hygrometer. & yeah, they're good to have.
\m/(00)\m/
HeadBanginologist
Re: Winters Coming
move down to florida with me
we can jam all day!!!
move down to florida with me
we can jam all day!!!
S
Skarekrough
Guest
Re: Winters Coming
Knowing the humidity is nice and all, but it's doing something about it that's the trick. A good room humidifier that will turn on and shut off at a certain amount of moisture in the air is hard to find cheap.
The big hazard for damage is going from extremes in a short amount of time. If the guitar is left overnight outside in a case (like....in a car after a gig) try and go progressively; leave it in the case and go from the car to the garage to a breezeway to near the front door to somewhere inside at an hour plus intervals. Before you open the case I'd even say give it a few solid hours to just sit in there and acclimate.
Rosewood fretboards may need a little extra care if they don't get played much. If the guitar has been sitting and drying out use a product called "Guitar Honey" on it. I've found it does a MUCH better job than lemon oil. If the guitar is getting plenty of play then don't worry about it; odds are the oil on your hands is keeping it in fine shape.
I'd also suggest giving it a set up a few days after the first cold snap is in full effect. I usually do my own setups and find the truss rods usually need just a touch of a turn to get them where they need to be. During the first humidity snap in New England I find I have to do it again as well.
All in all don't panic too hard over this. Wood's pretty durable and forgiving. Most cases of damage are the result of serious neglect and gross negligence. Common sense is probably your best guide you could have.
Knowing the humidity is nice and all, but it's doing something about it that's the trick. A good room humidifier that will turn on and shut off at a certain amount of moisture in the air is hard to find cheap.
The big hazard for damage is going from extremes in a short amount of time. If the guitar is left overnight outside in a case (like....in a car after a gig) try and go progressively; leave it in the case and go from the car to the garage to a breezeway to near the front door to somewhere inside at an hour plus intervals. Before you open the case I'd even say give it a few solid hours to just sit in there and acclimate.
Rosewood fretboards may need a little extra care if they don't get played much. If the guitar has been sitting and drying out use a product called "Guitar Honey" on it. I've found it does a MUCH better job than lemon oil. If the guitar is getting plenty of play then don't worry about it; odds are the oil on your hands is keeping it in fine shape.
I'd also suggest giving it a set up a few days after the first cold snap is in full effect. I usually do my own setups and find the truss rods usually need just a touch of a turn to get them where they need to be. During the first humidity snap in New England I find I have to do it again as well.
All in all don't panic too hard over this. Wood's pretty durable and forgiving. Most cases of damage are the result of serious neglect and gross negligence. Common sense is probably your best guide you could have.
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