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STAY COOL - HUMIDITY TIPS

How Humidity affects your Guitar

Courtesy: "Play It Again Sam" Newsletter Website: guitarsam.com

In some parts of our world, outside temperature is dropping, and with it drops the humidity level. This natural phenomenon causes distress in many guitars. Most highly at risk are acoustic guitars built with solid wood. When the guitar gets dry, the wood starts to shrink, causing playability problems and potential cracking.

Humidity Facts...

• The best relative humidity level for instruments is between 45% and 55%. Guitars live in this range very nicely.
  
  
• When the relative humidity level drops to 40% inside your home, your guitar's fingerboard may start to shrink, causing the frets to stick out slightly over the edge.
  
  
• At 35% relative humidity, the frets are definitely starting to feel uncomfortable. The solid top of your acoustic starts to shrink, causing it to bow in near the soundhole, making the action higher, and you're beginning to notice that your guitar doesn't play as well as it used to.
  
  
• By the time your guitar has been living in 30% humidity for a while, you may start to see finish cracks, or even wood cracks in the top.

The list continues, but we've scared you enough. Here's some simple tips to keep your guitar in good condition all year long:

1. Keep your expensive guitars in their cases when not in use. The case will help keep the guitar's natural moisture in place.
   
   
2. Don't store your guitar near a direct source of heat, in direct sunlight, or near outside doors.
   
   
3. If you have a dedicated music room, keep the temperature slightly lower in that room, when not in use.
   
   
4. Use a digital hygrometer to measure the relative humidity level in your home. These sell at many hardware or electronic stores for around $25.00-$30.00.
   
   
5. If you find that your home is very dry, use a room humidifier to raise the moisture level and keep it there.
   
   
6. Use a guitar humidifier like the "Dampit" to add moisture to your guitar on a regular basis. These easy-to-use devices sell for about $15.95, and are available from any well-stocked music store. They'll help keep your guitar at a better humidity level, even if your entire house isn't.

Thanks to Taylor Guitars for some of the facts and figures in this report. Taylor Guitars was the first guitar manufacturer to campaign for better consumer information on guitar humidity, even though it's an issue that every guitar builder has struggled with forever.


Got a special tip or trick? Email it to us! We'll publish the best ones, and we'll give you credit for submitting it, plus you may also win a prize (check them out on the prizes page)

Courtesy: "Play It Again Sam" Newsletter
playitagainsam@drbs.com (say "Neil" sent you)
www.guitarsam.com


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