Do I need to humidify my guitar if I live in Central Florida?

[Graham H]

Originally Posted by catdaddy

This. I live in Central Florida, use central A/C most of the time and have never humidified my guitars. No problems. If you want to use a humidifier I don't see the harm but I don't believe it's necessary.

^^ I'm with these posters,I have lived in South FL, and now North Central FL by the "big bend", I keep my house set to a comfortable temp year round, and have owned plenty of Acoustics, and Electric guitars, and never had a problem with any of them.

[Joseph Hanna]

Originally Posted by The Chronicals

I bet all those Gibsons and Martins from the 40's that sound sublime all saw 'humidification' methods and techniques over the years lol.

I think its a massive farce and waste of time.

Some years back Bob Taylor mentioned the single most pervasively problematic (not to mention costly) repairs in the history of Taylor Guitars were instruments that were either under or over exposed to humidity.

Also some years back and on a summer trip to the Midwest area of the US my Breedlove Revival Series virtually fell apart. Braces just popped up. The guitar went Titanically dead. I sent it back to Breedlove. They called a week or two later and (tongue in cheek) said the guitar is “water logged”. They were kind enough to dry it out and reset the neck or free for me, but lesson learned.

I’m willing to bet for every one of those Martin’s or Gibson’s that survived all those years there are dozens, if not hundreds and maybe thousands that didn’t.

I’m fortunate to live in an area that’s pretty stable (Los Angeles) but my sister lives in the Ohio River Valley. I’m positive given that same guitar, without protection from humidity, would feel and perform noticeably different in those massively different environments.

The variables in discussions like this are nearly endless so virtually everyone and virtually every guitar is gonna react substantially different and everyone’s experience to some degree varied but I can personally testify (and so will Bob Taylor) that humidity damage is decidedly not a massive farce.

[AZLiberty]

Guitars live indoors.

So indoor humidity is what matters. Any reasonably effective air-conditioner will knock the humidity down into the 20-30% range depending on ambient.

Where I live, I expect single digit humidity. But Phoenix isn't Lake Okeechobee.

Most luthiers here will tell you their #1 repair is a cracked top. #2 is a cracked back.

[Jimbo00]

After reading the post on the waterlogged Breedlove. The more I think about this, the meters we're all using are measuring the air moisture. We probably need to be using the meter that a home inspector uses for moisture in the drywall/wood to really determine where any guitar is in terms of wet or dry wood ? For the air humidity, the analog thermometer & humidity measure is a $ 2-3 item. The wood moisture meters, those are becoming affordable for a basic model. I'd rather spend relatively more money on a building materials moisture meter than a fancy battery operated thermometer that indicates RH.

[rz1]

Originally Posted by Jimbo00

With the AC set at 73* F, true temp is 74.2* F in the house and 61% RH. That's pretty much what my AC is set at year round.

No offense, but your AC sounds really inefficient. I live in Orlando. My AC is set to 78, and the RH in my music room hovers around 30%. I need to run a humidifier just to bring it up to 40%. In the winter, when I don't need AC (as much), the RH usually goes up to 40-45% on its own.

As I said earlier in this thread, it does NOT matter what the RH is OUTSIDE. You need to check it in whatever room you're storing your guitar. AC and heat will dry out the air. Before I got the humidifier, it could be 95 degrees and 95% humidity OUTSIDE, but in my music room, it was 78 degrees and 30% humidity.

[Bridgepin]

A guitar should be keeped at between 40% and 50% relative humidity the most, I prefer to try and keep my guitars as close to 40% is were they sound their best.

So working off that range, if you are below the 40% mark you need to humidify your guitars.

If your above 50% you need to run a dehumidifier

[Pitar]

Originally Posted by Gmountain

No, I wouldn't worry about it. I live in Florida, my guitars are kept inside in the A/C year round, and the humidity is somewhere around 45-50%. That is the range Martin recommends guitars should be kept around.

Agree. I've lived in Central Florida since 2006 and humidified once because I was used to doing it previously in the snow belt. The few days of low RH were not to worry about. What I did do is buy a room dehumidifier along with a window AC unit to better control both temp and RH in the music room should the central AC unit fail.

[flaggerphil]

I don't think you need to, no. I live on the Space Coast in an air conditioned house and have never had a problem.

[Woodshed]

I live in Texas and it's humid here. Never used a humidifier and never had a problem. Usually keep my guitars in the case. Have a friend in Colorado that had a guitar neck crack on him...

[Jimbo00]

Originally Posted by rz1

No offense, but your AC sounds really inefficient. I live in Orlando. My AC is set to 78, and the RH in my music room hovers around 30%. I need to run a humidifier just to bring it up to 40%. In the winter, when I don't need AC (as much), the RH usually goes up to 40-45% on its own.

As I said earlier in this thread, it does NOT matter what the RH is OUTSIDE. You need to check it in whatever room you're storing your guitar. AC and heat will dry out the air. Before I got the humidifier, it could be 95 degrees and 95% humidity OUTSIDE, but in my music room, it was 78 degrees and 30% humidity.

No offense taken, this is FL, FL man exists, you know how some folks are though. Right now the outside temp for the day never got above 74, as low as 64. RH was 75+% all day. Someone opened their windows to get fresh air in the house somewhere in the neighborhood. That house is now relatively soaking wet from what it was closed and AC running.

My AC is a heat pump thingy, it's an older 2 ton unit. Also square footage of the interior space is 1,235 sq\ft and is right at the limitation of a 2 ton unit for FL zone 1.

https://www.acdirect.com/ac-package-...ing-calculator

I bought the house in January of 2019, still learning about what the inspection may have missed or wouldn't guarantee. No idea what the previous owner did or didn't do, but the rear glass sliding door had a leak for the 2016 & 2017 hurricanes that came thru here, carpet is a little rotten & frayed there. How much of that moisture is still in the walls ? I have no idea. But there is no mold spores nor mildew. Doesn't leak now so I figure they took care of the problem. As far as the guitar goes, I just bought it 2 weeks ago. Right now, with this cooler day RH is at 56-57% inside all day that I bothered to check it.

[gmel555]

Originally Posted by rogthefrog

Get a $12 hygrometer from eBay or Amazon and keep it where your guitars are stored. If it ever drops below ~40-45%, then yes. Otherwise, no.

Yes, this above. Why guess? Buy a hyrgrometer (or even two-to check on their accuracy); they're inexpensive vs the cost of a guitars. If it drops below 40% (or so) for more than a few days have a humidification approach ready to deploy. Conversely, it will also tell you if you need to de-humidify at certain times as well.

[Jimbo00]

Originally Posted by gmel555

Yes, this above. Why guess? Buy a hyrgrometer (or even two-to check on their accuracy); they're inexpensive vs the cost of a guitars. If it drops below 40% (or so) for more than a few days have a humidification approach ready to deploy. Conversely, it will also tell you if you need to de-humidify at certain times as well.

Check the weather app for your smartphone and take the hygrometer outside and see if it reads the same, if it does the hygrometer is as accurate as the US weather service devices. NOAA is pretty spot on. Mine checked out and it was a $ 3 item over at Home Depot that doesn't operate on batteries. All you need is the same old school thermometer and humidity thingy your parents had on the back patio or front porch.

They also have 330 cubic feet dehumidifiers for $ 15 each on amazon, 3 of those and it covers your 10x10x8 spare bedroom or den. those thing last up to 10 years & don't use electricity either. But watch the hygrometer in that room so it doesn't get too arid & dry. I might get one of those bucket thingy to see what it does to the house as a dehumidifier. Maybe put one out in the garage for the AC air handler ?

[Atomnimity]

Originally Posted by Graham H

^^ I'm with these posters,I have lived in South FL, and now North Central FL by the "big bend", I keep my house set to a comfortable temp year round, and have owned plenty of Acoustics, and Electric guitars, and never had a problem with any of them.

Ditto on location. I keep my house AC on 70 and have a hygrometer in my guitar room. I stays a couple of percents over or under 50% year round.

[Basalt Beach]

Originally Posted by Gmountain

No, I wouldn't worry about it. I live in Florida, my guitars are kept inside in the A/C year round, and the humidity is somewhere around 45-50%. That is the range Martin recommends guitars should be kept around.

This^^^

We have lived in west central Florida for 30 plus years. A/C on year round, guitars, solid wood, out year round and have never had any issues. Our indoor humidity readings never drop below 39% and only only do so during a cold front, which lasts for about 24 to 48 hours.