# To much humidity



## robert87 (Dec 6, 2007)

I've read so much on humidity and keeping a room at the perfect level about 45 % to 50%. How serious is to much humidity say 65%, can it do just as much damage. My house now is at 65% should I be using a dehumidifier to control it , or should i be ok?


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## Grenvilleter (Dec 22, 2007)

You should be fine. Too much humidity can cause a deadening in the sound of the guitar. It also makes the wood "softer" resulting in maybe having to readjust the truss rod to compensate for less stiffness in the neck wood and sometimes, depending on the build, you can get a little more bow in the soundboard around the bridge, again, due to softening of the wood. As a rule, too much humidity will cause no lasting harm to your guitar within a reasonable window. 
Too dry however is an entirely different matter.


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## robert87 (Dec 6, 2007)

Thanks for the info. everything seems fine so far.


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## exhaust_49 (Jan 4, 2007)

I like to keep my guitar at 60% humidity because the guitar sounds much too bright at 50% humidity.


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## Jeff Flowerday (Jan 23, 2006)

45% is usually the number the manufacturers throw around. Too much variation in either direction isn't good for the guitar.


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## notjoeaverage (Oct 6, 2008)

Too much humidty causes warping, you always want to keep it under 50% and over 40%, avoid drastic changes in both humidity and temp.

If you can't afford the juice to keep a whole house or room at 45% get a hygrometer and humidifier for a case. To get rid of excess humidity use silica packs you get from asprin bottles etc. store them in an airtight container til you need them. When they stop working put them on tin foil and pop them in the oven on low heat for a couple minutes.

It's best to keep it in a case, away from an outside wall and direct sunlight.


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## Guest (Oct 9, 2008)

Good advice, notjoeaverage. Keep it in the case. Where I live a lack of humidity is normally the problem and the solution is the same. Keep it in the case.


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## notjoeaverage (Oct 6, 2008)

Thanks Yoda

Winters here will see it drop to the low 30% range but usually stays around the high 30's from Christmas to March break. I haven't got around to getting a room humidifier so I usually take a shower after work with the fan off and the door open so it raises the humidty level enough to match what I have in the case. I play for a while after work to destress.

This summer saw clear days hit 70%, good thing I kept the dehumidifier after the divorce.


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## robert87 (Dec 6, 2007)

I don't live to far from you notjoeaverage. I left my guitar out all summer. The highest the humidity I did see was about 70%, just like you said . It usually fluctuated between 60% and 70%. Everything seems ok. Maybe because it wasen't a sudden drastic change. I don't know. But i'm glad everything is ok. Did you leave yours out this summer? or do you always keep them at 40% to 50% using a dehumidifier? I don't like putting my guitar away. I like it easy access. It's time now to get the humidifier out. Next the snow shovel.


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## notjoeaverage (Oct 6, 2008)

I keep it in the case all the time UV rays are bad for the finish too. It's a Norman ST68 Cutaway w/ Fishman Prefix Pro MSRP $1295 purchased brand new in 2002. Solid Spruce top and Indian Rosewood back, sides are laminated. It's one of those one strum and you gotta have it guitars. I spent 3 months trying to find the right one. This one is a lifer I will never sell it. So I want to take care of it, the better you care for it and keep it at ideal RH and the more you play it the better any solid top sounds.

If you have a laminate top it's not as important, but if you know you want to keep it why not care for it.

The school of thought on leaving it out you'll play it more often works for some maybe, but has too many risks ie got knocked of the stand by the dog, cat, kid, brother-in-law and has never been the same or is now firewood.

I always felt if you had to be reminded or encouraged to play you should have picked a different hobby, this one is about PASSION if you don't have the passion to take it out of the case everyday you never should have bought it.

Mine is in the Fort EPP case just love it. I keep it on the couch, so I sit down, open it up, play, wipe it down and back in the case it goes safe and sound til tomorrow.

What have you got and how long have you had it Robert?


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## smorgdonkey (Jun 23, 2008)

I think the best information on humidity and acoustic guitars that I've ever seen was on the Morgan website...

http://morganguitars.com/
-click on the icon
-click on 'The Morgan Line'
-click on 'care'

After reading the first page click on the arrow ---> and you can scroll through the second page.

Nice details and such regarding humidity. It is an excellent thing for people to read if they find humidity confusing. Taylor has some good info too but nothing more or better than the Morgan site.


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## notjoeaverage (Oct 6, 2008)

smorgdonkey said:


> I think the best information on humidity and acoustic guitars that I've ever seen was on the Morgan website...
> 
> http://morganguitars.com/
> -click on the icon
> ...


Great post Smorgdonkey - good info - beautiful guitars


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## smorgdonkey (Jun 23, 2008)

notjoeaverage said:


> Great post Smorgdonkey - good info - beautiful guitars


Thanks...he's a meticulous builder. I have played about a dozen or more of his guitars and they are excellent. I was fortunate enough to be able to purchase one back in 2000 but perhaps the best I have ever played of his was a Jumbo...just phenomenal!!


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## robert87 (Dec 6, 2007)

notjoeaverage said:


> What have you got and how long have you had it Robert?


 I have a Larrivee LV-03RE. I bought it in March 2008.


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## patrick s. (Mar 24, 2007)

i have a few questions

do electric guitars need the same humidity care as acoustic guitars ?


i'm using 2 humidifiers for my guitars,a room humidifier and i have a hygrometer in the room

i try to keep the room in the 50% range,sometimes it drops to around 40-45%, i'm always checking the humidifiers just to be safe

but i'm still not sure if that's enough, should i invest in 2 in case hygrometers ?


and last one

i prefer playing in my living room, but the % is really low up there (sometimes drops to 20% ) is it alright to play for a while in that range as long as i'm not keeping my guitar in those conditions ?


thanks


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## Jeff Flowerday (Jan 23, 2006)

patrick s. said:


> i have a few questions
> 
> do electric guitars need the same humidity care as acoustic guitars ?
> 
> ...


40% is perfectly fine for your room. 50% is getting high. I think Taylor recommends 45%. So anything in the 40%-50% range is perfect.

Playing the guitar in lower humidity for a few hours is perfectly fine. If you take your guitar with you someplace, have a incase humidifer in place.

The major factor when it comes to humidity change is the thickness of the wood. Acoustics have real thin tops, sides and backs so they expand and shrink like mad. Next would be hollowbody electrics, but in most cases their top back and sides are quite a bit thicker than an acoustic and are a little more resiliant to humidity change. For solid body electrics, the neck is the only thing you really have worry about. All three will see the neck action of the guitar go up and down with humidity change, it's usually a very good tell on how the guitar is doing.


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## patrick s. (Mar 24, 2007)

thanks for the responses guys :smile:


@paul

what i meant was, getting 2 hygrometers to check the % inside the cases

but if my room is in the "safe zone" , inside the case should be ok then right ?



and for playing in the 20%'s , i was worried the sudden change would affect the wood on the guitars

but know that you guys cleared that out for me, i can play without getting worried all the time


thanks again


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