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  #16  
Old 01-17-2020, 08:53 AM
jaymarsch jaymarsch is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by hermithollow View Post
It is important to monitor and regulate the relative humidity when building a guitar because that gives it some resilience to humidity fluctuations. A properly built instrument should be able to "live" in RH ranges from 30 to 80 percent without severe problems. If you check hourly RH changes you will find that it can vary by 50% points or more within a 24 hour period, and often does. Guitars survived for over a hundred years before central air and humidity control existed.
Because makers are building lightly built "responsive" guitars from less than well aged materials humidity control has become more of a concern. Another problem is with the modern heating of houses in the winter to warmer levels than formerly the RH can drop into the teens or single digits unless supplemental humidity is added.
Still, guitars should be able to handle RH levels from 30 to 80 percent without a problem, so ultra tight control of RH should not be a concern for the average owner.
Excellent post on the subject and it falls in line with my experience.

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  #17  
Old 01-17-2020, 10:36 AM
619TF 619TF is offline
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Originally Posted by neofolk View Post
Hi all. I'd like to ask: I've just rececntly bought an acoustic guitar and I've learned that I'm supposed keep an eye on humidity levels. So I bought a hygrometer. The levels are at about 40% now, sometimes a few points less. My question is how FAST it could hurt the acoustic guitar? I suppose it's meant rather in the long term? I'm gonna get a humidifier next week.
Thank you!
It'll be fine though 40% is on the low end of acceptable. Just keep it in the case when you're not playing it and store a humidification system within the case. Personally I use a drilled soap dish and a sponge but humidipacks seem popular on this forum as well. Purchasing a full room/home humidifier seems like overkill to me.
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  #18  
Old 01-17-2020, 10:56 AM
Chipotle Chipotle is offline
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Originally Posted by neofolk View Post
My question is how FAST it could hurt the acoustic guitar? I suppose it's meant rather in the long term?
Since I didn't see this answered directly: days to weeks. It takes that much time for the moisture to evaporate out of the wood; a few hours in a dry environment won't destroy the guitar, probably even a day or two. Then, even if it starts to dry out and move, it doesn't necessarily crack or separate right away--if at all.

I used to not humidify, and have an HD-28 that never developed any cracks. However, the "fret sprout" from the fingerboard shrinking was annoying, if not actually dangerous to my fingers! Humidifying resolved that, so plenty of good reasons to do it even if your guitar doesn't spontaneously self-destruct.
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  #19  
Old 01-17-2020, 11:28 AM
Peepaw Peepaw is offline
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Originally Posted by 619TF View Post
It'll be fine though 40% is on the low end of acceptable. Just keep it in the case when you're not playing it and store a humidification system within the case. Personally I use a drilled soap dish and a sponge but humidipacks seem popular on this forum as well. Purchasing a full room/home humidifier seems like overkill to me.
I wouldn't call it overkill. During the winter months the humidity in my house will hang around 25-30% for long periods of time without a humidifier going.
With humidity up around 40-45% not only are my guitars healthier, so am I.

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  #20  
Old 01-17-2020, 11:30 AM
619TF 619TF is offline
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Originally Posted by Peepaw View Post
I wouldn't call it overkill. During the winter months the humidity in my house will hang around 25-30% for long periods of time without a humidifier going.
With humidity up around 40-45% not only are my guitars healthier, so am I.

Overkill to buy one just to keep the guitars healthy as that can be done in the case. For humans? Humidification may also be necessary though I didn't think that was very relevant to the post at hand.
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  #21  
Old 01-17-2020, 12:28 PM
O'Mahony O'Mahony is offline
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Humidity is best reduced with refrigeration. Heating air (furnace) does not significantly reduce humidity through heat. Often repeated misconception.

Running a gas fired heater in cold weather may bring about humidity reduction by introduction of out-side air. This comes about either through outside furnace combustion air or a mixed portion of outside air at the return plenum by design. Or possibly through normal house venting as furnace runs.

Applications requiring tighter control for humidity in the hvac world is achieved by first refrigerating (dehumidify) the air stream and then add any desired re-heat followed by re-humidifying air stream to target level. This is all done in the air ducts. Respectfully, tim
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  #22  
Old 01-17-2020, 12:35 PM
Peepaw Peepaw is offline
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Originally Posted by 619TF View Post
Overkill to buy one just to keep the guitars healthy as that can be done in the case. For humans? Humidification may also be necessary though I didn't think that was very relevant to the post at hand.
Relevant to me for sure.
Since I started keeping the humidity around 40-45% in my house the inside of my guitar cases don't need extra humidification. They stay right around the same. I trust that more than any in case humidifier for guitars.

Each to his own I guess.
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  #23  
Old 01-17-2020, 10:01 PM
Malcolm Kindnes Malcolm Kindnes is offline
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On the other hand the humidity is 92% where I am at the moment!
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  #24  
Old 01-17-2020, 10:21 PM
Ukulele_Eddie Ukulele_Eddie is offline
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Here in Socal most of the time humidity indoors is in the 40-50% range and so in the good zone instruments. However, on a day with Santa Ana winds it can drop below 20% lickity-split. Shocking how quick it happens.

I keep an indoor humidifier in the living room and while I tend to have a guitar or two out at all times, the others are cased with Humidipaks.

I bought a few Sensorpush, so I can keep one out where the instruments that are out sit, one in the closet where the cased instruments, and one I can rotate among cases just for grins.
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  #25  
Old 01-18-2020, 06:56 AM
Parlorman Parlorman is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by O'Mahony View Post
Humidity is best reduced with refrigeration. Heating air (furnace) does not significantly reduce humidity through heat. Often repeated misconception.

Running a gas fired heater in cold weather may bring about humidity reduction by introduction of out-side air. This comes about either through outside furnace combustion air or a mixed portion of outside air at the return plenum by design. Or possibly through normal house venting as furnace runs.

Applications requiring tighter control for humidity in the hvac world is achieved by first refrigerating (dehumidify) the air stream and then add any desired re-heat followed by re-humidifying air stream to target level. This is all done in the air ducts. Respectfully, tim
This is true, but sort of only half the story. Once the ambient air has been dried out by cold temperatures and then heated by whatever means, the relative humidity is reduced and it’s low relative humidity that can damage wooden instruments as the moisture content in the wood seeks to equalize with the air.

Right now it’s 9 degrees Fahrenheit outside with a relative humidity of 56%. Inside the house it’s 70 degrees and the RH is a desert-like 22%. That’s low enough to cause serious problems with some instruments left in those condition
for more than a day or two.

My guitars like in a temperature and humidity controlled display cabinet. I’ll leave ones that I’m playing out during the day but they go back in at night and for long term storage.
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  #26  
Old 01-18-2020, 07:08 AM
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UncleJesse UncleJesse is offline
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Originally Posted by rstaight View Post
I live on the edge of northern, north/central Indiana. Around Christmas we had temps pushing 60. Very odd. Usually in the 30's and dipping below 0.
It was 70 degrees here in St. Louis on Xmas day. I couldn't believe it. I grilled steaks.

As far as humidity, I've been very lucky here. This newer house keeps humidity very well. I rarely run a humidifier or dehumidifer (maybe a few weeks of each) and it stays between 40-55%.
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  #27  
Old 01-18-2020, 07:54 AM
musicman1951 musicman1951 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by O'Mahony View Post
Humidity is best reduced with refrigeration. Heating air (furnace) does not significantly reduce humidity through heat. Often repeated misconception.

Running a gas fired heater in cold weather may bring about humidity reduction by introduction of out-side air. This comes about either through outside furnace combustion air or a mixed portion of outside air at the return plenum by design. Or possibly through normal house venting as furnace runs.

Applications requiring tighter control for humidity in the hvac world is achieved by first refrigerating (dehumidify) the air stream and then add any desired re-heat followed by re-humidifying air stream to target level. This is all done in the air ducts. Respectfully, tim
That may well be true - not my area of expertise.

But right now the outside humidity is 61% and the humidity in my room with the humidifier running 24/7 is 33%.

It no doubt depends on your heating system. Mine is baseboard hot water. My humidistat "seems" to be telling me that the furnace is cooking some humidity out of the air. That might not be the actual science, just what makes sense relative to my observations.
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  #28  
Old 01-18-2020, 09:32 AM
rstaight rstaight is offline
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We have had a strange winter so far. Temps have been consistently above freezing. We have also had a lot of rain.

The RH in the "guitar" room is presently 41%. Has not dropped below 40. I believe the highest it's been this winter was 54. We did have a humidifier installed on the furnace that is connected to the water line.

Last year I used the soap dish trick in the case. This year nothing. If I could find an inexpensive in case hygrometer I would experiment with one of the less expensive guitars to see what the in case humidifier really did for me.
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