What about big swings in temperature?

[lowrider]

I see lots of posts here about humidity but not about temperature swings. I just brought my MartinX up to my mountain house to stay. Right now it's sitting on a stand in the sunroom. In the winter this room isn't heated at all when I'm not here and the temp can go down to almost freezing. When I'm not here, I only keep the heat on in the bathrooms and kitchen, but that's just at 50*. Then, before I come up here, I turn on the pellet stove. It's warming up nicely by the time I get here an then I fire up the air-tight fireplace in the sunroom to get the house just right. When I'm here the fireplace buns all day an the pellet stove burns all night.

If I put the guitar i the kitchen or bathroom. It will still be swinging between 50 and 70. My all laminate Yamaha was fine last winter. Will the MartinX be OK in these temperatures?

Large temp changes will cause cracking. It's a main reason of cracks you see in guitars.

The stove will also dry out the air and lower humidity.

Expect that guitar to get damage over time if you don't change the routine up.

[Greg Ballantyne]

Temperature change should not cause problems for your Martin, EXCEPT........

1. Sudden change can have detrimental effects. Slower change is OK. For example, a guitar shipped during the winter that reaches a low temp, then suddenly being delivered and unboxed in a heated environment. Better to let the change be slow, or to acclimate by not unboxing for several hours.

2. Low humidity accompanies low temp. Lower temp air holds less moisture. But 50 degrees farenheight can hold sufficient moisture, but will it under the conditions you describe?

I'd suggest getting a little digital hygrometer (right term?) and place it in that place. When you get there to start the stove, check the humidity. If it's 30% or lower, extended exposure isn't so good for a wooden guitar. It does take a while to dry them out to the point of damage, and a guitar with laminates takes longer, but I would avoid lower than 30% for extended periods.

[cmd612]

50 to 70 F should not cause any problem.

Unless the humidity gets low for an extended period of time (more likely when you have the fireplace and stove going - heating air makes relative humidity drop), the guitar should be fine. I second the recommendation for a hygrometer.

[lowrider]

Yes, I have a hygrometer in the room with the guitar. The house is in the forest so it never really gets dried out. Yesterday, it was at 66%. It's also quite cool there and we always start a fire in the morning, not for love, maybe 3 or 4 pieces of wood to get the chill off. Winters are cold and the house usually has snow in the roof. When I'm not there, I'll keep the guitar in it's case, in one of the heated areas.

Thanks