How much time in heat and humidity is too much?

[Johnny K]

Originally Posted by 1Charlie

I wonder how all of the vintage, pre-air conditioning Martins, Gibsons and Guilds out there made it through those years of heat/humidity and cold/dry cycles without completely falling apart?

Answer: they are tougher than they look. Having said that, I definitely humidify mine in the winter and AC them in the summer. But I also play outside quite often to no ill effect.

Same here. I dont think i've ever seen Arlo Guthrie play a Martin indoors.

It was a scorcher yesterday in the Annapolis area and I was out on the front porch with my coffee, listening to the WC and playing Beatles songs on mine and it was fine.

[sid45]

to not play when you want kinda defeats the purpose I think, perhaps we worry to much sid

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by thechariot1x

So I live in South Florida currently and it gets very hot and humid here (like 80s temp and 75% humidity right now and its 815 and dark. So I would like to be able to sit on my porch playing my guitar, but I am wondering if that will harm it if I do it for limited amounts of time (like maybe an hour tops and not every day). Or should I just completely steer clear of such heat and humidity?

Hi tc1

If you are sitting in the shade on the porch in the conditions you sited, you can play your guitar without fear of harming it. Direct sun wouldn't be good for it, but sitting in the shade or dark on your porch and playing for a hour or two won't hurt your instruments at all. I'd wear a shirt to guard against perspiration getting on the finish.

Damage to an acoustic instrument from high humidity would occur over months and years, not hours and minutes (as long as you don't leave it outside in a rainstorm or dip it in the ocean). And tempreatures up to the 90°s are not 'hot' in terms of the instrument as long as it's not in direct sun.

Also be aware if you have a Nitrocellulose finish, or French Polish, mosquito repellent can melt and distort the finish. That's a more serious risk than high temps.

We travel in an RV for weeks at a time, and I sit in the shade in the evening and play no matter where we are…(we tend to travel where it's hot/warm and humid rather than snowy and freezing).

I've played by the ocean, by lakes, in Florida when daily highs were in the low 100° region, up the East coast, on the West coast during rainy season, and the guitar may not sound it's optimum, but it will not damage it. Just be sensible…

For what it's worth, my guitars sound their best at between 35-45% humidity. That's unlikely where you live. If there are restaurants or bars in your area who feature musicians playing outside they are probably in the shade of a tent. They certainly are not being careless about their instruments (those gigs don't pay well enough to replace instruments).

People who live in places where the humidity exceeds 90% every day for weeks/months sometimes dehumidify mechanically (which is noisy and costly). But most of us don't ever have to worry about that.

If you use air conditioning your humidity level inside the house is probably around 50% most of the time…certainly lower than outside. If you leave the windows open and doors open and don't run air conditioning, then your inside humidity is closer to out of doors already. It's easy to monitor inside by keeping a $15 electronic hygrometer near the guitars.

It's good to be concerned, but not harmful to play outside on the porch in the evening.

[Nyghthawk]

A good friend of mine busks at the Farmer's market here in Deep East Texas every other Saturday. It is in the 90's by the time she breaks off at 1 PM. She plays for about 3 hours with her Seagull without difficulty. It is under a canopy.

[pickitPaul]

Always go by the saying, if its not comfortable for you, it isn't for your guitar either.

[Christian Reno]

There is no magic number of course, but there is a lot of anecdotal evidence to support the notion that guitars are safe in very hot and humid situations IF common sense is observed. I have certainly played in conditions where I was quite uncomfortable due to heat and humidity, and it didn’t hurt my instruments at all, so I cannot agree in general with the adage “if you are uncomfortable, so is your guitar.” Anyone who has played out with a solid wood guitar or even taken one on vacation has probably run into high temps and humidity with little or no issues, even when playing or having the instrument out of the case, outside (in shade) for 3 or 4 hours at a time. I can attest to that several times over. Add to that the number of players who live in these hot, humid areas who routinely play outside for hours at a time.

Having said that, not using common sense will always get one into trouble. I have seen a bridge completely separate due to high temp, humidity, and stupidity all combined. It was in Savannah GA. I have also seen damage due to leaving an instrument in a small enclosed area where the heat buildup became more of an issue than anything else.

So, back to the specific original question : “I am wondering if that will harm it if I do it for limited amounts of time (like maybe an hour tops and not every day). Or should I just completely steer clear of such heat and humidity?”

Under the conditions you described, you are safe.

[robj144]

Originally Posted by ljguitar

Hi tc1

If you are sitting in the shade on the porch in the conditions you sited, you can play your guitar without fear of harming it. Direct sun wouldn't be good for it, but sitting in the shade or dark on your porch and playing for a hour or two won't hurt your instruments at all. I'd wear a shirt to guard against perspiration getting on the finish.

Damage to an acoustic instrument from high humidity would occur over months and years, not hours and minutes (as long as you don't leave it outside in a rainstorm or dip it in the ocean). And tempreatures up to the 90°s are not 'hot' in terms of the instrument as long as it's not in direct sun.

Also be aware if you have a Nitrocellulose finish, or French Polish, mosquito repellent can melt and distort the finish. That's a more serious risk than high temps.

We travel in an RV for weeks at a time, and I sit in the shade in the evening and play no matter where we are…(we tend to travel where it's hot/warm and humid rather than snowy and freezing).

I've played by the ocean, by lakes, in Florida when daily highs were in the low 100° region, up the East coast, on the West coast during rainy season, and the guitar may not sound it's optimum, but it will not damage it. Just be sensible…

For what it's worth, my guitars sound their best at between 35-45% humidity. That's unlikely where you live. If there are restaurants or bars in your area who feature musicians playing outside they are probably in the shade of a tent. They certainly are not being careless about their instruments (those gigs don't pay well enough to replace instruments).

People who live in places where the humidity exceeds 90% every day for weeks/months sometimes dehumidify mechanically (which is noisy and costly). But most of us don't ever have to worry about that.

If you use air conditioning your humidity level inside the house is probably around 50% most of the time…certainly lower than outside. If you leave the windows open and doors open and don't run air conditioning, then your inside humidity is closer to out of doors already. It's easy to monitor inside by keeping a $15 electronic hygrometer near the guitars.

It's good to be concerned, but not harmful to play outside on the porch in the evening.

Hi Larry. Did you read Simon's response earlier? He's a luthier in Florida. He actually said the opposite.

[LeftIsRight!]

First solution: put the guitar back in the case as soon as you are done playing AND get those two-way guitar humidifier packs. Those things are amazing; if the humidity is low they release moisture. If the humidity is too high they absorb it.

Second solution: get a composite guitar for those days that are outrageously humid

[Thin Crust]

We lived on the gulf coast for a while, and dealing with 80%+ humidity was certainly a factor. Having moved to the desert a couple of years ago, the single digit humidity presented its own set of challenges. Both of my Claxtons respond very rapidly to humidity changes, and become difficult to keep in tune after 30 minutes or so. Hence them living in my climate controlled music room most of the time. And, hence my decision to let them go to a new home.

[muscmp]

if you are comfortable, so is it. if not, it isn't. but, surely an hour or two probably won't do much.

play music!

[muscmp]

Originally Posted by 1Charlie

I wonder how all of the vintage, pre-air conditioning Martins, Gibsons and Guilds out there made it through those years of heat/humidity and cold/dry cycles without completely falling apart?

they didn't. that's why they are so rare and expensive.

play music!

[Scootch]

I once had an Anthem internal mic fall off, it was so darn hot.

That was about 95f - 97f out.

[Nyghthawk]

I would think hot and dry would affect a guitar much more than hot (to a point) and humid. I would feel more comfortable about taking my guitar out and playing here (Temps in the 90's and RH at 50%+) than doing the same thing in Phoenix.

[1Charlie]

Originally Posted by muscmp

they didn't. that's why they are so rare and expensive.

play music!

Hmmm...That must be why there are "only" 496 pre-1970 Martins and 804 pre-1970 Gibsons listed on Reverb alone.

They are expensive because they are awesome, not because they are particularly rare (with some notable exceptions, such as herringbone pre-war D-28's).

For instance, 700 D-18's were made in 1960. Sure, that's small compared to modern production numbers, but nowhere near as rare as some modern small luthier copies.

I own six examples of Martins and Gibsons dated 1960 or earlier. They stay in tune better, and resist humidity and temperature changes better than any modern guitar I have ever owned.

[FLRon]

Originally Posted by thechariot1x

So I live in South Florida currently and it gets very hot and humid here (like 80s temp and 75% humidity right now and its 815 and dark. So I would like to be able to sit on my porch playing my guitar, but I am wondering if that will harm it if I do it for limited amounts of time (like maybe an hour tops and not every day). Or should I just completely steer clear of such heat and humidity?

I too live in the steamy paradise called SW Florida. I play my guitars outside regardless of temp or humidity. Granted,I'm normally not in direct sunlight, but still I am outside.

To me, I have far greater concerns about my guitars being in near constant conditioned air. That's why all my guitars have soundhole humidifiers and are kept in their cases except when I'm playing them.