Do solid body electrics require humidification?

[TDavis]

This might be a dumb question...especially on an acoustic guitar forum, but I know that a lot of you here have solid body electric guitars as well. Please humor me!

I am extremely careful to keep my acoustic guitars humidified properly so no damage occurs. But...is it important to keep a solid body electric guitar humidified as well? If so, what is the optimum humidity percentage?

[warfrat73]

The only problem I've personally run into from not humidifying them is pointy fret ends.

That said, I have a Fender and a G&L which I've never humidified, and never had any problem with... the Fender I had with me when I lived in Maine, the G&L I picked up in Milwaukee, and I now live in Syracuse; a veritable tour of the icy (dry) north, and no problems.

Just one person's experience.

[Wade Hampton]

It’s not nearly as important. To be sure, with extreme dryness for an extended period you could conceivably damage the fretboard and perhaps the headstock veneer might start to delaminate. Plus I suppose it could eventually affect a set neck and the guitar’s action.

But relative humidity is not nearly the concern that it is with acoustic instruments. Not in my experience, anyway.


whm

Fretboards on electrics can shrink in low humidity causing fret end "sprout".

[Wade Hampton]

Originally Posted by warfrat73

The only problem I've personally run into from not humidifying them is pointy fret ends.

Right. The wood of the fingerboard can shrink, especially if it’s ebony. Nasty jagged fret ends can result.


whm

[David Eastwood]

Only negative effect I've ever noted is the aforementioned pointy frets as the humidity decreases - but that's a one-time fix, if done correctly.

As Wade points out, if things get too extreme, all bets are off - but my experience through 25 Minnesota winters is that my electrics are doing just fine.

[Dru Edwards]

Like others posted, it's not nearly as important to humidify electrics as acoustics but watch for those sharp fret ends. That's a great indication.

[Bob Womack]

Now, on guitars with bound necks the frets can neatly disconnect the binding if the fretboard shrinks.


Bob

[Steel and wood]

Other than having to retune them also.

[Dru Edwards]

Originally Posted by Steel and wood

Other than having to retune them also.

+1. Before I got into acoustics and had a humidified guitar room my electrics were at the mercy of humidity swings. Always had to tune when I picked then up, which was no big deal.

[3notes]

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

Right. The wood of the fingerboard can shrink, especially if it’s ebony. Nasty jagged fret ends can result.


whm

q22+0
"especially if it's Ebony." I had a Larrivee acoustic in which I could clearly see that the Ebony board had shrunk and the Big Leaf Maple binding of the neck went with the dry Ebony wood. Leaving sharp fret ends. And a sort of 'corner' where the Maple binding meets the Mahogany neck.

No intention to hijack the thread here. When Wade speaks, I listen. He's usually right only because no one always is. Right.?? Ha.!!

[Marley]

I have a Music Man that I've owned for about a year. I've lived all around the Midwest so humid in summer and dry in winter. Although I love my MM and believe it's the best electric I've ever owned, it's also the only one I've ever got fret sprout on. It's not that bad 1-15 but above the 15th fret it's a tad worse. It's a maple neck with maple board. I have other maples with no issues. I never humidify my electrics and keep em all out. Not really sure why after 32 years and numerous electrics, this is the first one to have it happen.

[hotroad]

If you humidify an electric you will have to keep humidifying it and the set up is different for a guitar that's humidified versus a dry one. One difference is seen in the above mentioned fret sprout. The action on the neck will require a different set up for one versus the other too. On a humidified guitar allowed to dry the string height from the neck will increase demanding an adjustment by a luthier.

[s2y]

Other than stuff with a graphite neck, yes.

[edman]

No. Keep your fretboards conditioned to avoid fret sprout and you’re good.