Central Minnesota Humidity

[Merlemantel]

Just wondering if there is anyone else out there combatting humidity in central MN. I have a dehumidifier, and still struggling to keep levels under 60% in my house. I am worried about my guitar, and I have also noticed that its wonderful sound is not so wonderful when really humid. This is the first year I've had a really nice guitar that I worry about in this way. What should I expect for the late fall and winter? Will high humidity continue to be a problem, or will it become dry and problematic on the other side. Can someone please bring me up to speed? And thanks in advance.
Leesa

[Bob from Brooklyn]

Do you have a hygrometer in the case? Humidipaks might help also.

[The Watchman]

It depends on what kind of heating system you have, and whether or not you have our need a humidifier. In general, midwest heating season means bone dry air which is why people have humidifiers. Did you just move there? There are impacts on more than just your guitars.

[Merlemantel]

Originally Posted by Bob from Brooklyn

Do you have a hygrometer in the case? Humidipaks might help also.

I do have a hygrometer and I am using the Boveda packs

[Merlemantel]

Originally Posted by The Watchman

It depends on what kind of heating system you have, and whether or not you have our need a humidifier. In general, midwest heating season means bone dry air which is why people have humidifiers. Did you just move there? There are impacts on more than just your guitars.

I have lived here for years. The humidity is on my radar now, where it hasn't been before. My Ac has a dehumidifier attached. But right now, it isn't really warm enough for air, and running it just to humidify the house is expensive. But it has been rain forest humid in MN the last few weeks. Are you in MN? Today is gonna be very warm, so I'll put on the air, which will help

[Charlie Bernstein]

1. Use a hygrometer, a humidifier, and since you don't like the wet sound, a dehumidifier or air conditioner.

2. Keep the guitar out of the case. Cases discourage playing.

My wife used to live in Minnesota. She said visitors from the east talked about how dry it was and and people from the west talked about how humid it was.

Here in northern New England, it's dry in the winter and wet in the summer — much wetter than the Midwest. Doors and cabinets swell shut (or swell so much you can't shut 'em.

I don't worry about humidity because a guitar — any guitar — will only sound as good as I do. I don't blame my sound on humidity.

The dry winter is what matters. It can can crack solid-wood instruments. So I have a cheap hardware store hygrometer and a cheap drugstore humidifier. And when it tips below 45%, I use a spray bottle to spritz mist into soundholes.

Never had a problem.

[gr81dorn]

I’m up in Cloudytown. Same issue, but I have a basement and keep things down there where it’s naturally a little more steady, though higher than normal. I keep my instruments in a single room that I keep the door closed and dehumidifier:humidifier running as needed. It’s a lot less work to keep a small room at bay than a whole house, so consider moving things into a room and just working that small room, if you can. I’ve found that fully underground basements are just natural more stable, so downstairs if you have one.

[Merlemantel]

Originally Posted by Charlie Bernstein

1. Use a hygrometer, a humidifier, and since you don't like the wet sound, a dehumidifier or air conditioner.

2. Keep the guitar out of the case. Cases discourage playing.

My wife used to live in Minnesota. She said visitors from the east talked about how dry it was and and people from the west talked about how humid it was.

Here in northern New England, it's dry in the winter and wet in the summer — much wetter than the Midwest. Doors and cabinets swell shut (or swell so much you can't shut 'em.

I don't worry about humidity because a guitar — any guitar — will only sound as good as I do. I don't blame my sound on humidity.

The dry winter is what matters. It can can crack solid-wood instruments. So I have a cheap hardware store hygrometer and a cheap drugstore humidifier. And when it tips below 45%, I use a spray bottle to spritz mist into soundholes.

Never had a problem.

I appreciate you chiming in. Keeping my guitar in its case has not discouraged me from playing in the least. And, I have two, 200 pound Great Danes who don't know a fine guitar when they see one. They have access to the whole house. You can see where that would go. I do have a hydrometer. I sound much better when the humidity is low. Maybe you dont.

[Merlemantel]

Originally Posted by gr81dorn

I’m up in Cloudytown. Same issue, but I have a basement and keep things down there where it’s naturally a little more steady, though higher than normal. I keep my instruments in a single room that I keep the door closed and dehumidifier:humidifier running as needed. It’s a lot less work to keep a small room at bay than a whole house, so consider moving things into a room and just working that small room, if you can. I’ve found that fully underground basements are just natural more stable, so downstairs if you have one.

I think you are right about moving into a small room I can contain. I do have a room like that - I am using it for storage. I could clean it out and use it as a music room. I think I'll work on that. Thanks.

[M19]

I'm at 54% here in the Twin Cities. Although I have a digital hygrometer on my shelf, I really don't fret it much, summer or winter.

[Joseph Hanna]

Originally Posted by Charlie Bernstein

Keep the guitar out of the case. Cases discourage playing.

If that's the case (no pun intended), I'd think the commitment to playing would be the culprit, not the case itself. I can honestly say a cased guitar has never prevented me from getting my guitar out and playing. That's just me though.

[JayBee1404]

Originally Posted by Merlemantel

Just wondering if there is anyone else out there combatting humidity in central MN. I have a dehumidifier, and still struggling to keep levels under 60% in my house.

Originally Posted by Merlemantel

I do have a hygrometer and I am using the Boveda packs

The RH in your house is irrelevant if you’re storing your guitar in its case - it’s the RH in the case that’s important.

1) If RH is ~60% in your house, what is the RH in the case?
2) If it’s ~40% - 55% in the case, why have you got those Boveda things in there? RH in that range is absolutely fine, no ‘treatment’ needed.
3) If RH in the case is over 55%, a better solution would be to use desiccant packs (silica) to remove RH - more efficient than Boveda packs which, whilst they work OK to add humidity, are pretty u/s for removing it.

Get a hygrometer in your guitar case and go from there…

And don’t over-think this humidity thing - guitars are tougher that you might think!

As always, the standard disclaimer applies - IMHO. However, I realise that YMMV, and I’m cool with that.

[Merlemantel]

Originally Posted by JayBee1404

The RH in your house is irrelevant if you’re storing your guitar in its case - it’s the RH in the case that’s important.

1) If RH is ~60% in your house, what is the RH in the case?
2) If it’s ~40% - 55% in the case, why have you got those Boveda things in there? RH in that range is absolutely fine, no ‘treatment’ needed.
3) If RH in the case is over 55%, a better solution would be to use desiccant packs (silica) to remove RH - more efficient than Boveda packs which, whilst they work OK to add humidity, are pretty u/s for removing it.

Get a hygrometer in your guitar case and go from there…

As always, the standard disclaimer applies - IMHO. However, I realise that YMMV, and I’m cool with that.

I do have a hygrometer in my case. The Boveda packs are supposed to work on both ends of the humidity spectrum, to keep a constant state. I gather this is not something they can actually do

[JayBee1404]

Originally Posted by Merlemantel

I do have a hygrometer in my case. The Boveda packs are supposed to work on both ends of the humidity spectrum, to keep a constant state. I gather this is not something they can actually do

So what is the RH in the case?

[Merlemantel]

Originally Posted by JayBee1404

So what is the RH in the case?

61% - too high, with air on in house, down to 57% in house. It is not just typical Midwest weather here in Minnesota, the land of 10 thousand lakes. And the weather has been very very wet lately. This is not a usual problem