The Acoustic Guitar Forum

Go Back   The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > General Acoustic Guitar Discussion

Reply
 
Thread Tools
  #1  
Old 10-09-2019, 08:35 PM
Dawgrit Dawgrit is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jun 2018
Posts: 76
Default Pros cons of humidifying with strings off?

I’ve gotten a dead spots on one of my guitars. I’ve switched strings and couldn’t see it being dried out since I live in Florida. But it hit me, I have a side part of my room that is seperated by a heavy curtain, it’s where I keep the guitar. It’s filled with cardboard boxes! So I’m convinced the guitar has gotten too dry. I hate the new strings (I tried new strings to make sure the old ones weren’t the problem) so was wondering if there would be any benefit to hydrating with the strings off until I get new strings? I’ve had the oasis plus in the case for a few days (strings on) but it’s only brought the humidity up from 38 to 43%. I’m thinking about trying the natural sponge in perforated travel soap dish to speed things up. Case in the hot shower room sounded a little drastic. Thanks
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 10-09-2019, 08:46 PM
Wade Hampton Wade Hampton is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Chugiak, Alaska
Posts: 31,166
Default

You won't hurt anything by getting the guitar more humidified if it has its strings off. Since you hate those strings anyway, it seems to me that you might as well.


whm
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 10-09-2019, 08:46 PM
robj144 robj144 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 10,430
Default

Doubt that would change anything.
__________________
Guild CO-2
Guild JF30-12
Guild D55
Goodall Grand Concert Cutaway Walnut/Italian Spruce
Santa Cruz Brazilian VJ
Taylor 8 String Baritone
Blueberry - Grand Concert
Magnum Opus J450
Eastman AJ815
Parker PA-24
Babicz Jumbo Identity
Walden G730
Silvercreek T170
Charvell 150 SC
Takimine G406s
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 10-09-2019, 08:50 PM
Wade Hampton Wade Hampton is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Chugiak, Alaska
Posts: 31,166
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by robj144 View Post
Doubt that would change anything.
No, you're right. There isn't any advantage or disadvantage to it, except that if you have uncoated strings on the guitar that you actually like and you put the guitar in a more humid environment, the added humidity can corrode the strings faster.

But the guitar itself in that situation won't be affected by the presence or absence of strings.


whm
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 10-09-2019, 09:01 PM
Dawgrit Dawgrit is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jun 2018
Posts: 76
Default

Thanks, pretty straight forward.
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 10-09-2019, 09:02 PM
DesertTwang DesertTwang is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Tucson, Arizona
Posts: 5,744
Default

I don't understand what storing a guitar next to cardboard boxes has to do with humidity? That should make no difference whatsoever.

Cardboard doesn't act like a sponge, sucking moisture from the air. It simply equilibrates with the ambient humidity levels, like anything else in the room. It would be different if the boxes contained a desiccant, something that draws moisture from the air, but I don't think cardboard does that.

Plus, humidity problems don't manifest as dead spots on the fretboard. Based on the information provided by the OP, I'm not convinced that the guitar has any humidity issues to begin with.
__________________
"I've always thought of bluegrass players as the Marines of the music world" – (A rock guitar guy I once jammed with)

Martin America 1
Martin 000-15sm
Recording King Dirty 30s RPS-9 TS
Taylor GS Mini
Baton Rouge 12-string guitar
Martin L1XR Little Martin
1933 Epiphone Olympic
1971 square neck Dobro

Last edited by DesertTwang; 10-09-2019 at 09:53 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 10-09-2019, 09:51 PM
Dawgrit Dawgrit is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jun 2018
Posts: 76
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by DesertTwang View Post
I don't understand what storing a guitar next to cardboard boxes has to do with humidity? That should make no difference whatsoever. Plus, humidity problems don't manifest as dead spots on the fretboard. Based on the information provided by the OP, I'm not convinced that the guitar has any humidity issues to begin with.
An abundance of cardboard in a room can absorb the moisture causing the air to become arid. There are many threads on this site claiming dried out wood can cause dead spots. I’m only going by what I read here, on that one.
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 10-10-2019, 07:05 AM
RustyAxe RustyAxe is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 6,312
Default

Why not just leave the strings on until you get new ones?

Florida, where you most likely live in an air conditioned, dehumidified environment for your comfort, can be hard on guitars, and many owners humidify their instruments year round. I don't understand the cardboard box thing in the OP.

I'm not aware of any issues with "dead spots" coming from humidity issues.
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 10-10-2019, 07:31 AM
cap217 cap217 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Cleveland
Posts: 139
Default

38% isnt that low. Sure its under the 40% recommended but that 2% isnt changing much that should make you worry. There is something else going on. Get it setup.
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 10-10-2019, 08:08 AM
bufflehead bufflehead is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2018
Posts: 3,689
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by cap217 View Post
There is something else going on. Get it setup.
Agreed. It sounds as if you're solving the wrong problem. But put on the strings you think you'll like before getting a setup.
__________________
1 dreadnought, 1 auditorium, 1 concert, and 2 travel guitars.
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old 10-10-2019, 12:37 PM
DesertTwang DesertTwang is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Tucson, Arizona
Posts: 5,744
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dawgrit View Post
An abundance of cardboard in a room can absorb the moisture causing the air to become arid.
Wow, really? I don't doubt that you read this here, and I'm intrigued. I'm going to look into this.
__________________
"I've always thought of bluegrass players as the Marines of the music world" – (A rock guitar guy I once jammed with)

Martin America 1
Martin 000-15sm
Recording King Dirty 30s RPS-9 TS
Taylor GS Mini
Baton Rouge 12-string guitar
Martin L1XR Little Martin
1933 Epiphone Olympic
1971 square neck Dobro
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 10-10-2019, 02:33 PM
ManyMartinMan ManyMartinMan is offline
Guest
 
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: In The Hills, Off Mulholland
Posts: 4,101
Default

None so I would leave the strings on like they're supposed to be. It takes a while for a case to absorb moisture and raise the case humidity to a level that the guitar will benefit. You're best bet is to place it in a location where the humidity is higher than the case and humidify it there. It will take more than "a few days". Maybe a week or two in a properly humidified case - once the case is humid enough. Until then the case is competing with the guitar for humidification.
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old 10-10-2019, 02:53 PM
Dawgrit Dawgrit is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jun 2018
Posts: 76
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by DesertTwang View Post
Wow, really? I don't doubt that you read this here, and I'm intrigued. I'm going to look into this.
I’m actually didn’t read that here. I read the part about dry wood causing dead spots here. Just search “dry dead spot”, there’s more detail on why. I was a little perplexed of the aridity of the room being only seperated from another room by a curtain. And I thought of the boxes. But research showed they might be the cause. “We’re all familiar with how easily paper can soak up liquids. Corrugated “cardboard” boxes are no exception. The porosity of wood fibers, which is what corrugated boxes are made of, allows it to absorb and release moisture, a phenomenon that is known as hygroscopy.
We should do our best to keep boxes relatively dry because humidity can have a huge impact on their performance. And unfortunately, humidity is one factor that cannot always be controlled.” That might not be it. But if the larger humidor doesn’t work. I’ll let y’all know I’m going to get it set.
Reply With Quote
  #14  
Old 10-10-2019, 03:34 PM
Dawgrit Dawgrit is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jun 2018
Posts: 76
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by DesertTwang View Post
Wow, really? I don't doubt that you read this here, and I'm intrigued. I'm going to look into this.
I’m actually didn’t read that here. I read the part about dry wood causing dead spots here. Just search “dry dead spot”, there’s more detail on why. I was a little perplexed of the aridity of the room being only seperated from another room by a curtain. And I thought of the boxes. But research showed they might be the cause. “We’re all familiar with how easily paper can soak up liquids. Corrugated “cardboard” boxes are no exception. The porosity of wood fibers, which is what corrugated boxes are made of, allows it to absorb and release moisture, a phenomenon that is known as hygroscopy.
We should do our best to keep boxes relatively dry because humidity can have a huge impact on their performance. And unfortunately, humidity is one factor that cannot always be controlled.” That might not be it. But if the larger humidor doesn’t work. I’ll let y’all know I’m going to get it set.
Reply With Quote
  #15  
Old 10-10-2019, 05:29 PM
Earl49 Earl49 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Idaho
Posts: 10,982
Default

RH of 38-43% is just about perfect for most guitars, except maybe for the first year or two of the guitar's life. The wood is still figuring out that it isn't a tree anymore and can take a while to season and settle in to the stresses that it now lives under. Cardboard, being made of wood fiber, may soak up some excess moisture until it saturates and stabilizes. Then it won't make any more difference either way - just like the hard case. The presence or lack of strings does not factor in.

The big issue with removing the strings in the long term to also loosen the truss rod. Over time a tight truss rod not opposed by string tension (as intended) can cause a back-bow in the neck, which can become permanent and not correctable.
Reply With Quote
Reply

  The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > General Acoustic Guitar Discussion

Tags
dry, humidifier, humidity, hydrate, hygrometer

Thread Tools





All times are GMT -6. The time now is 11:26 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Copyright ©2000 - 2022, The Acoustic Guitar Forum
vB Ad Management by =RedTyger=