Humidify/Dehumidify - again

[Deacon Blues]

Originally Posted by rdmiller

Thinking about this more. Probably the easiest solution to watering your herd of guitars is keep them in a smaller room in your house and run a room humidifier. That way you only have to keep up with one source of humidity. I use a Swiss Air brand humidifier in my build room. It’s the best I’ve owned. And I’ve been through a bunch. It produces steam and accurately maintains what I need to build which is 45%. You can get away with less. But I wouldn’t let it go below 35%. Keep it at 40%. This way you could display them out of the cases if you want.

Here's the scenario:

MY HOUSE - guitars are in one room with closed door and windows. Humidifier and dehumidifier keep the room between 46 and 50%. I know this because I have 3 hygrometers.
Rooms WITHOUT humidifier and dehumidifier can range from mid-30s in winter and upper 70s in summer.

HIS HOUSE - no humidifier. no dehumidifier. Same mid-30s in winter and upper 70s in summer.
His instruments have no problems.
When he's had some of mine - for a period of months - they come back without problems.

I've always - ALWAYS - kept my instruments in a humidity controlled room. Been doing this for well over 20 years. I get that part.

i'm just thinking their might be another factor I'm not picking up on. For example, is the wood aged and stable enough that humidity becomes less of a factor after a certain point? Is that possible.

When you see the pre-war Martin's, banner Gibson's, etc., I sincerely doubt that back then people were fretting (no pun intended) about humidity levels. Yet there seem to be a tremendous number of older instruments without all the typical signs of humidity gone wild. Of course some show the effects, but many don't.

Even with guitars from the '60s. We never paid attention to humidity, and I don't recall anyone having any negative consequences. Only an occasional 1/4 turn on a truss rod every year or so.

My concern is what other factors might be at work that could cause this. Again, my guitars in his house for extended periods (one he had for two years) show no issues.

I just think perhaps their is another factor at work here, or perhaps I'm just a humidity control freak when I shouldn't be.

[Gmountain]

Originally Posted by Deacon Blues

Here's the scenario:

MY HOUSE - guitars are in one room with closed door and windows. Humidifier and dehumidifier keep the room between 46 and 50%. I know this because I have 3 hygrometers.
Rooms WITHOUT humidifier and dehumidifier can range from mid-30s in winter and upper 70s in summer.

HIS HOUSE - no humidifier. no dehumidifier. Same mid-30s in winter and upper 70s in summer.
His instruments have no problems.
When he's had some of mine - for a period of months - they come back without problems.

I've always - ALWAYS - kept my instruments in a humidity controlled room. Been doing this for well over 20 years. I get that part.
.

Except when he's had them for months at a time.

[Deacon Blues]

Correct. Except when he's had them.

And there was no change to them.