Winter stress on guitars

[Rich#6]

no regular humidifier.

[shreddermon]

Well, Chicago is right on a big old lake, so maybe that has something to do with it. LOL

[leftykingv2]

Well, Chicago is right on a big old lake, so maybe that has something to do with it. LOL

Ex Steelers QB Bubby Brister once said Three Rivers Stadium had terrible winds because they blew in off the lake.

[j2379]

I do HVAC in high end NYC residences, if installed properly a good furnace humidifier is fine. Humidifiers are the trickiest installations as they are finicky and prone to problems when not installed 100% by the book. As for water + metal we alway suggest an aluminum liner of at least 3' where the humdity is introduced. Most issues with mold have to due with over humidifying the duct or unit which makes it wet. If installed properly the absorption rate of the humidty into the airflow should yield a dry yet humidified Air flow. If the steam output is greater than the space and temp allows within the furnace or duct it will create rain and condesation and cause mold. Which is also why a humidifier not used in conjuction with a furnace needs a low temp shut off, as introducing humdiity into a cold duct or cold air flow with condensate almost immediatetly. I work in places w millions of dollars of HIGH END art work and mill work that is absolutely insane. As per every engineer architect and designer I have ever worked with the range they seek is 30-40% RH.

[rjohnstone]

My house stays at 33% RH pretty much year round.
I have a heat pump (package unit A/C and Heater) that does a good job of maintaining even temps year round.
My thermostat has a RH display that takes a reading in the hall right outside of my guitar room.

The running joke in AZ is that it's a dry heat. But reality is, it is humid, just not "mid-west" humid.

[Dog Boy]

I oil my necks in November when I usually turn my heat on full time. I keep them in the case and keep an eye on them. If I see them drying out I oil them again. So far no damage and only truss rod adjustments needed.

[j2379]

Yep because under 50% humidity in hot weather feels dry unlike the east coast where it's 85% or higher in summer time. Here in summer without a dedicated dehumidifier getting a home under 50% is almost impossible even with a good AC system.

[ginsambo]

Guess we are lucky in the UK. Humidity is always a fairly constant thing 55-65-75% in mid winter and around 70-85% at all other times of the year. The best thing you can do is keep them away from non cavity brick walls, windows etc where the condensation and mould builds up as warm air hits a cold surface and try and keep it the humidity as constant as possible. Especially don't leave them in cases against a cold wall, they'll get condensation on them and mould. Best on a rack or in cases in the centre of the house away from duct vents or radiators. I was shocked that even at over 80% some stainless starts to rust and chrome and nickel will rust. Paranoid central. Of course over here damper conditions mean bugs, not on a USA scale, but woodworm, dust mites and woodlouse. Worst I found was woodworm in an old guitar, not as bad as termites but freaks you out all the same. Went right through the body binding. That shit really freaks me out and hardly adds to the value. If you are getting down to 25% in a USA mid winter, I would definitely get a humidifier before things start popping. I'II never achieve 40-50% indoors but don't really have major problems so long as I keep an eye on them and play them. Given how cold it is, I would say 35% isn't too bad and is pretty good infact. I don't know if you'd need one.

[leftykingv2]

Guess we are lucky in the UK. Humidity is always a fairly constant thing 55-65-75% in mid winter and around 70-85% at all other times of the year. The best thing you can do is keep them away from non cavity brick walls, windows etc where the condensation and mould builds up as warm air hits a cold surface and try and keep it the humidity as constant as possible. Especially don't leave them in cases against a cold wall, they'll get condensation on them and mould. Best on a rack or in cases in the centre of the house away from duct vents or radiators. I was shocked that even at over 80% some stainless starts to rust and chrome and nickel will rust. Paranoid central. Of course over here damper conditions mean bugs, not on a USA scale, but woodworm, dust mites and woodlouse. Worst I found was woodworm in an old guitar, not as bad as termites but freaks you out all the same. Went right through the body binding. That shit really freaks me out and hardly adds to the value. If you are getting down to 25% in a USA mid winter, I would definitely get a humidifier before things start popping. I'II never achieve 40-50% indoors but don't really have major problems so long as I keep an eye on them and play them. Given how cold it is, I would say 35% isn't too bad and is pretty good infact. I don't know if you'd need one.

You live in the U.K. How could you be lucky? The price of a USA Jackson must be astronomical over there.

[j2379]

The small stand alone room humidifiers work great and if you have a music room it should be more than sufficient. Less expensive humidifiers are no better than expensive ones. The expensive one usually have more safeties built in to them as well as modulating out put which is not always a big deal if used for a large zone or whole house. All of the humidification systems I install are steam into duct or furnace not a dirrect steam distributor in the space. It's also the safeties that keep the humidifier from creating the problems that people have heard of. Mold, over humidifying, introducing humidity in a space that is too cold, and lack of air flow where the steam is being introduced are the 3 major causes of problems. If you heat your home w electric forced hot air i highly suggest a humidifier as they dry spaces out quick. For some reason heat pumps and rads are not as bad as giant toasters. Also don't go crazy w #s as MOST devices that read humidity have a +/- 5%.

[guitarsjb]

We just bought our house last March, never really spent a winter here til this year. The humidity in here is low (around 23-25% most days), so for my music room I have a stand alone humidifier which is set at 45% and shuts itself off when it reaches that level. My guitars seem to be very happy.

[JACKSONFREAK]

Taylor, Martin, and Gibson all recommend 45-55% relative humidity. This is in regards to acoustics. Electrics aren't as critical but do need a minimum of 40-45% to keep frets from poking out. Most hvac humidifiers are set for 30-35% for our comfort levels. If it is adjustable great kick it up a bit. if you do hang your guitars in the wall use a room humidifier to keep them healthy. Ultimately they should be in their cases. With the cold snap we had here in Chicago recently my music room dropped to just below 30%. I then put a five gallon bucket of water in the room with an air stone attached to an air pump and an aquarium heater. It is now at 45%. The warmer the air the more moisture it can hold. The cases should also be humidified to the same level as the guitars to prevent the moisture being sucked out of the guitar when it's put in. Again more for acoustics but still helps with electrics.
Gil