Music Room Temperature

[KevinH]

As far as low temperature goes, I'd think your guitars will be fine in any temperature you're comfortable in. Large rapid swings in temperature, giving rise to thermal expansion and contraction should be avoided, which is why people let newly arrived guitars slowly acclimate if they were shipped in in the cold. But I'd imagine the temperature in your basement stays relatively constant, right? I have a small room in my basement where I store wine. It has two walls against earth, is unheated, and stays in the 50s year round. But it's cold enough I wouldn't want to play guitar in there.

BTW, Larrivee has some good info on care/maintenance here.

[rmp]

Originally Posted by Italuke

All good stuff yet no one has answered OP's question: how cold dare he let the room get? (I'd like to hear everyone's thoughts too as I have a somewhat similar issue.)

Fair question, I wonder that too.

What you don't want is a quick change in temperature in the room.

I think on the surface, there's at least two things..

how cold can your hands / fingers tolerate? Some where around 52 degrees is about when my hands say "Are you kidding me?" 56/57 is doable, but more comfortable with anything over 62.

I don't think there's a big danger for the guitars in temps that are in the 50s.


Lower than that, and I honestly don't know.

When you take delivery of guitar in the winter time, just off a freezing cold truck, you don't drag it in the house and open the boxes up till they have a chance to acclimate.

[CoryB]

I keep my area between 68 and 72 degrees, following the old adage, “If you’re comfortable, your guitars will be too.”

As for you folks with rooms in the 50s, more power to you. I couldn’t play wearing a parka and insulated gloves.

[rmp]

Originally Posted by CoryB

I keep my area between 68 and 72 degrees, following the old adage, “If you’re comfortable, your guitars will be too.”

As for you folks with rooms in the 50s, more power to you. I couldn’t play wearing a parka and insulated gloves.

ha! I know.

about 60 is my threshold

[Mandobart]

Originally Posted by Italuke

All good stuff yet no one has answered OP's question: how cold dare he let the room get? (I'd like to hear everyone's thoughts too as I have a somewhat similar issue.)

My opinion is if you're not comfortable, your guitars are also likely not comfortable.

That said, we all know instruments get shipped all around the world in some extreme conditions.

In most cases, it's not the actual temperature or humidity but how fast it changes that causes damage. This is how a case helps. A case doesn't add warmth or humidity but it adds insulation to slow down the change.

In my case, I don't let my home get less than 55 F, mainly because it takes more energy to restore temperature to "normal" (~65 F) than it does just to keep it there all the time.

[nweekes]

Thank you all for your great advice! I want to tap into my furnace but I run into two challenges:
1. It would work during the winter unless my family turns off the heat which happens on occasion when I’m at work. Ugh.
2. The extra vent would make it colder in the summer.

So, I purchased a De’Longhi Oil-Filled Radiator. Highest reviews.

Thanks again!

[printer2]

Temperature is not an issue, the guitar will be fine from freezing to the 90's. The thing about differences in temperature, say your living space and the guitar room, if the living area is 72 and the guitar room is 60 then the relative humidity would be higher in the guitar room. If the guitar room were 90, then the Relative Humidity would be lower than the living space. The guitar will feel the difference in RH more than the temperature difference (within reason). Get a humidity gauge and you can judge what is an acceptable temperature by seeing if the room RH is outside of 40-50%. The guitar will probably be good for another 10% ether way but greater than this may need you taking that into account.

[nweekes]

I’m in Utah.
House is 10 years old.
Central air w/ humidifier attached to furnace.
House at 63-68 degrees year round.
Basement (music room) is always 10 degrees colder. That’s why I’ve used a separate heater to maintain ~70.
I have 3 hygrometers, each read mid 40% year round.
I purchased the new oil-filled heater because I feel it is too cold without one. I can’t play in low 60’s and all of my guitars have lived in a 70 degree environment for 15 years+.
I’m trying to keep consistency to avoid any damage.

[EZYPIKINS]

If it's cold enough to make your fingers stiff. Then that would be too cold. Just remember colder temp will cause strings to shrink and tighten. So the colder it gets the more tuning you need to do. Weather you play them or not. Colder temp without tuning to pitch will cause more pressure on the truss rod. Therefore slightly bowing the neck. This has nothing to do with humidity. Which is why the guitars hanging on music store walls in the winter have a bit higher action than in summer. Also could cause shrinking of the top. Ever see a guitar hanging in a store that you could see where the braces are, like an X-ray? (More quality minded stores will check tune and neck relief constantly) Others (Lazy ones) might drop the tune half a step . I like temp around 70-75 But that is a personal thing. That is where I'm comfortable. That is the temp I set up my guitars at. You may be a 68 person. It's all preference. If you just keep your guitars tuned to pitch you should be good to go.

[rstaight]

You have been using a portable heater. Instead of running duct from your furnace check into electric base board heat.

I have ducts from my furnace in the basement. Not the greatest. Still have to run a portable heater.