How did they humidify in the 20s, 30s, 40, 50s, 60s etc...

[AZLiberty]

Originally Posted by hakkolu

Hi,
Is it possible that they didn't care? And the instruments were fine anyways?

It's almost impossible to find a 20 or 30 year guitar around here without numerous top crack repairs. (or unrepaired cracks) Actually I see lots of 3-4 year old guitars with top cracks.

I'm going with "they didn't think about it" and the guitars "were NOT fine".

[jaybones]

I'd bet the didn't know or care about it.

That's why so many old guitars have splits and cracks in them.

[Looburst]

Originally Posted by AZLiberty

It's almost impossible to find a 20 or 30 year guitar around here without numerous top crack repairs. (or unrepaired cracks) Actually I see lots of 3-4 year old guitars with top cracks.

I'm going with "they didn't think about it" and the guitars "were NOT fine".

And the fact that you live in AZ.

[StephenHD35]

As a teenager in the ‘70s, I never even heard anyone discuss the topic.

[pagedr]

Originally Posted by codecontra

Some here may disagree, but I think you’re perfectly safe within that humidity range. I certainly wouldn’t recommend dehumidifying your space for the sake of your guitars.

Yeah that's what I figured. I know some people who freak out when it gets above 60% which is why I ask. It can get above 70% when it gets warm out here as well so that's when I start to get more concerned.

This is pretty much the only thing I've been able to find: https://www.amazon.com/Ever-Bamboo-G.../dp/B01BHP1JY2

[stringjunky]

Originally Posted by lowrider

One thing to think about is that those old houses were pretty leaky. Heated air flowed out while new air flowed in. Oil and before it coal was cheap and you just cranked up the furnace some more. Come the energy crises of the 70's and everyone started chaulking, house wrapping, foam filling and super-insulating. Also, we now have the dreaded hot forced air heat, the dryest heat ever thought about. Those old houses mostly had steam heat. Remember those old radiator valves hissing out steam?

Winter weather isn't necessarily dry outside. Right now I'm at my Woodstock house. I built it and it has all the good wrapping, chaulking and super-insulating. The humidity inside is 36%, but outside it's 60.

I think you are about right, the relative ambient /indoor conditions are more extreme now and the changes more sudden.

[WildBill82]

Originally Posted by L20A

My first guitar was a 1970 Yamaha laminate. It was stored in a chipboard case. It went with me to Basic Training and spent a lot of time outside and in very dry humidity conditions.

You took a guitar to basic training? Wow I'm guessing it wasn't the Marine Corps, they would've PT'd us to death for even thinking of it lol.

[MChild62]

I'm sure geography plays an important role. Probably a lot of vintage/old guitars did fine with neglectful owners just because of where they were.
When I bought an acoustic years ago, I asked the luthier at the shop whether I should do anything to control the humidity. He laughed and said he'd never seen anyone with that problem, and had his own guitar sitting around his house for 30 years.
We live in a river valley, and it can be humid but not outrageous. According to my hygrometer, the humidity is usually between 40 and 55%. The guitar stays in tune, subject to very small adjustments if I don't pick it up for a couple of days.
By contrast, when I take the same guitar to our vacation place on the seaside, in a humid wooded area about 2 minutes from the water, it goes completely out of tune between morning and afternoon. Huge swings in tuning. I'm sure it's the swings in humidity.

[jwellsy]

Humidity was talked about in the 70's. Applause (imitation Ovations) used humidity in their marketing, claiming that their steel reinforced neck would not warp taking it around the world.

[Goodallboy]

A lot of back and forth so now lets focus on the real world. It mattered then, as it does now, where you live.

I grew up in the Ohio Valley, there was always, even in winter, enough humidity to keep any guitar safe if you didn't place it next to a burning wood stove. I'll guess most guitar players didn't do that.

If you grew up in the West or in an arid climate and didn't hydrate your guitar with a piece of fruit, or some other item, it probably got some finish, or body cracks.

It wasn't a topic of conversation at the local guitar pull.

They shut up and played guitar.

[RustyAxe]

Originally Posted by L20A

He suggested that I place an apple inside a sock and put it inside the guitar case.

That's exactly what we used to do. Cut the apple in half, though, so it gives up its moisture.

[Chriscom]

Originally Posted by StephenHD35

As a teenager in the ‘70s, I never even heard anyone discuss the topic.

Same here. I was in college in the mid-70's, and a friend had a really fine Guild that she had for a couple years before I met her. Never even came up. This was in Pennsylvania where there was certainly dry air in the winter. (and she kicks herself for getting rid of it way back when btw).

Really interesting topic, never occurred to me. My first guitar was an Epiphone Texan, ordered new in the 1970s. I gather there are different versions under that model name but mine was certainly basic. I don't play it much anymore but it hasn't been artificially humidified a day in its life and it's still fine. I assume its back and sides are some kind of laminate but I'll have to check it out.

[L20A]

Originally Posted by WildBill82

You took a guitar to basic training? Wow I'm guessing it wasn't the Marine Corps, they would've PT'd us to death for even thinking of it lol.

It was shipped to me at week four. Army Basic Ft Jackson.

[HHP]

I read an interview with Chet Atkins many years ago and he talked about being on the road with guitars. He said he used to sprinkle water on the carpet in his hotel rooms adjacent to where he kept the guitars.

[Christian Reno]

My personal belief is that although humidification is important for wooden instruments in most areas of the USA and other parts of the world, it is not as critical as many take it to be. The process is slow on both sides – humidifying and drying. I’ve found that I have fewer problems with my action changing if I let my case humidifiers get close to dry and then recharge them, rather than checking them constantly to keep a level in a particular range. I have no scientific explanation for that, but many years of actual experience backs it up for me and I don’t have any cracked guitars.
I can’t speak (with any experience) to years prior to the 1950s, but I can say that my early ventures into music stores in the 1950s exposed me to case humidifiers (clay) and they were recommended for all wood instruments including solid body electrics being sold back then.

I have read the earlier stories of players using apples and kitchen sponges etc., so it would be inaccurate to believe that humidification was relatively unknown to players in the earlier years.

As others have pointed out, there could be some validity to the woods used many years ago being more quartered and air dried over many years, therefore possibly more stable, and I doubt there was as much of a rush to meet production schedules and ship everything the second the finish is dry enough to put into a case.