Humidifying a dry guitar

[ChrisE]

I just got a new (to me) guitar and I'm sure it could use a little moisture. I've read all about humidifiers etc, and I keep Humidipaks in my other guitars (not that I really need them--my house stays at about 50% humidity).

My question is this--do I need to do anything "extra" to humidify a dry guitar, or will just having it in my 50% humidity house for a few days do the trick?

[CSG]

I would think your house will work just fine.

[ChrisE]

Originally Posted by CSG

I would think your house will work just fine.

Awesome! Finally a task I can complete on my own without any effort!

Originally Posted by ChrisE

I just got a new (to me) guitar and I'm sure it could use a little moisture. I've read all about humidifiers etc, and I keep Humidipaks in my other guitars (not that I really need them--my house stays at about 50% humidity).

My question is this--do I need to do anything "extra" to humidify a dry guitar, or will just having it in my 50% humidity house for a few days do the trick?

Everyone these days seems to think, like you, that all guitars need humidification. They don't. They need to be in an environment where the humidity is reasonably close to the humidity where the guitar was built. The safe range is quite a bit wider than the internet would lead you to believe however. Since your home environment is near 50% RH you should be doing NOTHING. Ditch the Humidipacks too. At 50% you don't need them and you're only creating potential problems if one should leak.

To answer the second part of your question, even if the new guitar came from a dry environment, storing it in your 50% RH home is all that would be necessary.

[ChrisE]

Originally Posted by Todd Yates

Everyone these days seems to think, like you, that all guitars need humidification. They don't. They need to be in an environment where the humidity is reasonably close to the humidity where the guitar was built. The safe range is quite a bit wider than the internet would lead you to believe however. Since your home environment is near 50% RH you should be doing NOTHING. Ditch the Humidipacks too. At 50% you don't need them and you're only creating potential problems if one should leak.

To answer the second part of your question, even if the new guitar came from a dry environment, storing it in your 50% RH home is all that would be necessary.

You're probably right about that. I play outdoor gigs all summer in 80-90% humidity, which I why I got them in the first place. But I suppose you're right--bringing them back in the house when I'm done with a high humidity gig puts them right back in the normal zone again.

[gfspencer]

Originally Posted by Todd Yates

Everyone these days seems to think, like you, that all guitars need humidification. They don't. They need to be in an environment where the humidity is reasonably close to the humidity where the guitar was built. The safe range is quite a bit wider than the internet would lead you to believe however. Since your home environment is near 50% RH you should be doing NOTHING. Ditch the Humidipacks too. At 50% you don't need them and you're only creating potential problems if one should leak.

To answer the second part of your question, even if the new guitar came from a dry environment, storing it in your 50% RH home is all that would be necessary.

A Big Plus One to what Todd said. In the old days (back in the '60s and '70s) we (the average acoustic guitar player) didn't know much about humidifying guitars. Our guitars were fine. This fascination with humidification is relatively recent.

[AndrewG]

Originally Posted by gfspencer

A Big Plus One to what Todd said. In the old days (back in the '60s and '70s) we (the average acoustic guitar player) didn't know much about humidifying guitars. Our guitars were fine. This fascination with humidification is relatively recent.

Yep, you can thank the internet and its myth-spreading ability for that-along with bridge pins' tonal attributes ("toasted wheat underpinnings," to quote someone on UMGF), capos with a tone of their own(!) and a whole bunch of complete rubbish which the gullible seem to buy into with glee.

[fitness1]

Originally Posted by ChrisE

I just got a new (to me) guitar and I'm sure it could use a little moisture.

What are you seeing that makes you think so? Is the top sunken?

[Sonics]

The preamble...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GS6GqjP-zMY&t=197s


...here's the main act
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tB8tELj43RE&t=12s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWcGdWFiv4M&t=36s