# humidity



## jimmy c g (Jan 1, 2008)

heres an average reading of my island 65 year old house re humidity, ( worse in winter), i actually gave up on acoustics for 5 years but now I figure if generations of players put up with it so can I, fingers crossed.... J


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## jbealsmusic (Feb 12, 2014)

Maybe try a dehumidifier in an enclosed room for your guitars?

In reality, consistency is what matters most. Once the wood acclimatizes to a certain humidity, it will be fine so long as it more or less stays close to the same. Major swings up and down are what cause the most problems.


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## Jamdog (Mar 9, 2016)

When was this hygrometer last calibrated? 

For all we know, it may be 50% overvalued.


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

Got the opposite problem here. I've bought two acoustics that were not properly humidified over the winter here in Edmonton. The first one had been kept in a case for two years without humidification. It took about 3 weeks of with an in guitar humidifier even before it could be set up. During the tinder dry spring here, I had to keep a humidifier in the case and even run one in the apartment as the humidity was often in the teens. By keeping a guitar humidifier in it all the time in the case, I found the sound and even the playability improved over a couple of months.

The second guitar was all solid wood that had a crack in the top repaired and had been kept humidified. Guy learned the hard way I guess and I got a deal. 

There are times when I have kept guitars on a stand for a week or so when the humidity was 30+%, and I swear the action was a bit higher. Temp in Apt is currently 23C and humidity is 34% @ 1:30pm.


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## cboutilier (Jan 12, 2016)

Robert1950 said:


> Got the opposite problem here. I've bought two acoustics that were not properly humidified over the winter here in Edmonton. The first one had been kept in a case for two years without humidification. It took about 3 weeks of with an in guitar humidifier even before it could be set up. During the tinder dry spring here, I had to keep a humidifier in the case and even run one in the apartment as the humidity was often in the teens. By keeping a guitar humidifier in it all the time in the case, I found the sound and even the playability improved over a couple of months.
> 
> The second guitar was all solid wood that had a crack in the top repaired and had been kept humidified. Guy learned the hard way I guess and I got a deal.
> 
> There are times when I have kept guitars on a stand for a week or so when the humidity was 30+%, and I swear the action was a bit higher. Temp in Apt is currently 23C and humidity is 34% @ 1:30pm.


My Tele went from perfect low action in the humid fall, to unplayable low action over the winter. Couldn't ring a single note. When the humidity struck this summer with a vengeance it became a perfect guitar once again. 

Our east coast climate swings are hard on guitars and cars. 

My acoustic got a bunch of finish cracks in one night a few winters ago. -40 degrees at night while I was living in my camp. The Woodstove brought the room up to 20+ in 4 hours, and then back down to -20 in the morning.


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## Acousticado (Jul 28, 2016)

Perhaps time for a quality carbon fibre guitar? Of so, check out models from RainSong, Emerald, Composite Acoustics, Blackbird. No worry, stable instruments.


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## knight_yyz (Mar 14, 2015)

Put your stuff in a room with a dehumidifier. I have the opposite problem, I need to run a large humidifier to keep my music room between 40 and 50%. (spare bedroom with the door closed)


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## jimmy c g (Jan 1, 2008)

the readings are correct, 150 yards from the ocean in a once upon time rain forest, dehumidifying a single room not really practical, living with it is, as many have for years, 
so far so good.....


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

knight_yyz said:


> Put your stuff in a room with a dehumidifier. I have the opposite problem, I need to run a large humidifier to keep my music room between 40 and 50%. (spare bedroom with the door closed)


I try to keep my guitar room at 38% to 43%. I like to keep it a bit on the dry side. The guitars just seem a bit livelier and snappier. The most important factor is consistency in the humidity levels.


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## knight_yyz (Mar 14, 2015)

Well, I set the humidifier at 50% and it hovers around 45 most of the time. I have a calibrated hygrometer in the room as well.

I have a 50 pint dehumidifier in the basement, set at 50% as well and it runs about 80% of the day during the summer. But the humidity hovers around 55 in the basement. Its just a bit small for the damp basement. If i can almost keep a basement at 50% with what I have a 70 pint should do a good job on your place.


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## Wardo (Feb 5, 2010)

I have humidifier running for the whole condo in winter and a dehumidifier as needed in the summer. Keeps me comfortable too. CNE started today. Air show before you know and that's the ball game. Headin down into fall.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

Jamdog said:


> When was this hygrometer last calibrated?
> 
> For all we know, it may be 50% overvalued.


You likely didn't notice he lives on Vancouver Island.


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## Jamdog (Mar 9, 2016)

Steadfastly said:


> You likely didn't notice he lives on Vancouver Island.


And hygrometers in Vancouver never lie? 

Why do they sell hygrometer calibration kits?


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

Jamdog said:


> And hygrometers in Vancouver never lie?
> 
> Why do they sell hygrometer calibration kits?


No, never. Once they are west of the rockies, they are always 100% accurate.


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