Humidifying electric guitars in the winter?

[Jtross1297]

Hello! I was trying to find some kind of humidifier to throw in my telecaster case for the winter months. My two questions are: is it overkill to humidify an electric guitar over the winter? And if it is necessary what’s the humidifier to leave in the case? Thanks!

[FrankHudson]

First off, I don't know your environment. The first thing I'd advise is figuring out what humidity you're dealing with. I use inexpensive wireless communication humidistat devices inside my acoustic guitar cases. I can read the current RH and the history in graph form. Recognize that if your case is a wooden one, it will act as a "buffer" slowing the loss of humidity and absorbing some of any replacement humidity you use to supplement dry air. So don't expect instant dry out or instant destabilization if you want to treat for humidity.

The only issues I've ever seen from Un-humidified electric guitars is "fret sprout" where the wooden fretboard shrinks in dry air and the metal frets don't. I've owned a fairly large number of (mostly inexpensive) electric guitars over the years and even though I don't humidify my electrics, I have only seen this rarely. For this reason, I don't humidify my electric guitars. Damage from too much humidity is something I have seen too in used guitars at least as often.

If I you're really worried, know what you're dealing with from the humidistat first, then any of the things sold for acoustic guitars (Oasis, Humidpak, etc) could be applied as things drop below 40%. If your cases are registering over 60% (too moist) I would be more concerned myself.

[Jtross1297]

I live in Indiana so it’s pretty mild weather. We can get some dry winters though. The body of an electric (in my case a tele) won’t crack through like acoustics can due to dryness right? It doesn’t seem likely but it makes me question whether I should humidify them in the winter or not. I know the neck is the main concern but those can usually be fixed with a simple set up I don’t want something severe happening like the body splitting

[redir]

I lived in Indiana for 2 years in a cabin heated by wood stoves. It got dry as a bone. I never did anything but put the guitar in it's case and never had a problem. Electric guitars are forgiving but do require some care. One of the problems you see most is fret sprout. But once you get fret sprout and take in to a good tech to have it fixed you will never see it again. There are of course other EXTREME dry out issues if you live in wild places or take really bad care of the instrument.

It can't hurt to have some moisture in the case. IDK what systems work best as I never used them for electric guitars.

[FrankHudson]

Originally Posted by Jtross1297

I live in Indiana so it’s pretty mild weather. We can get some dry winters though. The body of an electric (in my case a tele) won’t crack through like acoustics can due to dryness right? It doesn’t seem likely but it makes me question whether I should humidify them in the winter or not. I know the neck is the main concern but those can usually be fixed with a simple set up I don’t want something severe happening like the body splitting

Spitting the wood of a solid body guitar such as a Telecaster from environmental dryness is about unlikely as any risk I can think of.

[Earl49]

Originally Posted by FrankHudson

....figuring out what humidity you're dealing with. I use inexpensive wireless communication humidistat devices inside my acoustic guitar cases. ....The only issues I've ever seen from Un-humidified electric guitars is "fret sprout" where the wooden fretboard shrinks in dry air and the metal frets don't.

I generally agree. Living in Alaska where we struggled mightily to get the house UP to 20% RH in the winter, I never did anything for the couple of electric guitars and basses we had. Maybe I filed fret sprout once on each solid body guitar -- do it once when dry and never again. But all the acoustic guitars and ukulele got dampened sponge (and later water bead) devices refreshed in their cases every week all winter long. Quite a chore after I got beyond three instruments. Ask me why I am a devoted carbon fiber fan these days....

Engineer's OCD Point: a humidistat controls humidity. A hygrometer measures RH. An analogy is the thermostat for your furnace versus a thermometer.

[FrankHudson]

Originally Posted by Earl49

Engineer's OCD Point: a humidistat controls humidity. A hygrometer measures RH. An analogy is the thermostat for your furnace versus a thermometer.

Right you are, and clumsy I was.

[Quickstep192]

If it can suit your situation, a whole house humidifier is a wonderful solution. Humidity in the winter is naturally lower and the heating system dries the indoor air seven further.

Not only does a whole house humidifier maintain a constant humidity for guitars without the use of humidpacks, but it also makes the house “feel” warmer at lower temps. It also eliminates static cling and static shocks.

This is a great one.

https://www.aprilaire.com/whole-hous...fier/model-800

[rmp]

I'm in New England, dry winters are the norm

if you are planning to keep it in the case, you should be ok

If you were leaving it out on a stand all the time, I'd worry about fret sprout or if the guitar is too close to a heat source, the neck could go askew on ya

but in the case? safest place IMHO.

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by Jtross1297

Hello! I was trying to find some kind of humidifier to throw in my telecaster case for the winter months. My two questions are: is it overkill to humidify an electric guitar over the winter? And if it is necessary what’s the humidifier to leave in the case? Thanks!

It all depends on exactly what kind/numbers of RH you are actually dealing with

With a solid body electric it is not so much a matter of the body cracking/splitting BUT with extreme dryness the neck can shrink which can make the frets protrude

That said :: what I do being in a very vey dry climate is I use Oasis Humidifer

either the OH 1 or the OH 5

https://www.amazon.com/Oasis-OH-5-Pl...72292008&psc=1