#16
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For example, using this calculator, on a cold winter day at 5C and 60% RH, if you heat the air to 20C the RH drops to only 23.5%! That, my friends, is why we need humidifiers. |
#17
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London Righty here - so you should probably invert my comments 180 degrees.
I keep one guitar out only because that's the deal I with my wife, otherwise they'd all be out. Re humidity - guitars in the UK CAN be affected. I have had two that have. Counter intuitively, the problem time (for me anyway) is winter.....because of central heating. I've had two high end guitars where I've started to feel the fret ends (ie fretboard shrinkage). Easily reversed with a DIY humidity pack (aka a wet sponge in a bag) in the case. Those guitars were kept in cases, not near a radiator. The guitar that I keep on a stand has never had a problem. Could be THAT guitar or it perhaps its getting better ventilation through being out. My advice - wherever you keep your guitars - don't be overly anxious but do monitor your guitars for humidity related issues. |
#18
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For me, it is all about tone and keeping my instruments sounding their best. In northern California (besides the occasional earthquake rock and rattles), we have more stretches of time at higher humidity than lower. Sometimes, the RH in my place is in the mid-to high 60s for a few weeks. This is why I keep my guitars in cases which usually stay between 45% and 50%. When I bring my guitars out to play them, they sound better. If I leave them out for days in 60%+ RH, they can start to sound a bit tubby.
As others have said, it is a personal preference depending on your habits and needs. I live in a small place, storing my guitars in their cases does not make them less accessible to me at all. Best, Jayne |
#19
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I live in the midlands and very rarely have an issue regarding humidity.
Our winters in the uk are generally pretty moist so you probably could leave your guitar out without an issue but still best to get a hygrometer just to keep track of RH levels. I would also keep a soundhole humidifier device just in case. Occasionally in the summer humidty can drop quite low particularly at night. The humidity where I live in derby has been sitting around 44-48% over the last month or so, so all good at present.
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"All I can be is me.....whoever that is" Bob Dylan 1934 Gibson Kalamazoo KG11 www.reverbnation.com/jamesascott |
#20
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I understand the need for humid-paks or sponges or whatever in arid situations. Barring that...overkill. If the room RH says 40-55 %, leave ‘em out. YMMV.
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Nothing bothers me unless I let it. Martin D18 Gibson J45 Gibson J15 Fender Copperburst Telecaster Squier CV 50 Stratocaster Squier CV 50 Telecaster |
#21
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As everyone is pretty much saying "Moister control" is the thing to watch out for.
We're located in Central Massachusetts. My house right now is around 20% RH, which is about right for this time of year. Guitars are cased, and I'm recharging my sound hole humidifiers about twice a week. Then again, I never let them get bone dry. |
#22
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A guitar at hand is probably played more often than a guitar in a case.
To me, the most SECURE place is in case. If you leave it on a short stand : DANGER ! But if you HANG PROPERLY a guitar, no problem either.
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Needed some nylons, a wide range of acoustics and some weirdos to be happy... |
#23
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2020 Yamaha LL56 Custom 2021 Boucher SG-51-BMV 2020 RainSong CO-WS1000N2 2019 PRS Silver Sky |
#24
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As stated, a guitar that is easy to access is going to get played. Also, a guitar that is kept in a case is much safer for it. That's why I put my guitars in cases where I can see them. The 15 seconds it takes to get them out doesn't deprive me of "easy access".
Not a problem for you in England but here in earthquake country hanging them on a wall is probably one of the most dangerous things I could do. |
#25
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Thank you for all the responses- certainly food for thought- will get a cheap hygrometer to check the humidity. No pets in the house and kids are older now, in fact my son’s Guild M120 is always out on a stand too.
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#26
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The first step was buying a hygrometer. The readings of the hygrometer were alarming and caused me to buy guitar humidifiers and some more cases. The cases and humidifiers resulted in a bunch of muddy sounding ill-actioned guitars. I'm back to my old ways. Want to buy some cases and humidifiers? I'll keep the hygrometer as it's fun information to know. I'm sure there are extreme climates (Phoenix, AZ??) where you do need to take precautions, but not apparently anywhere where I have lived. |
#27
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#28
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Central California's San Joaquin Valley, here, in what could generously be described as a "semi-arid region," so our humidity is lower than preferred more often than not. This is easy to deal with, though - a couple of cheap digital hygrometers, checked with the "damp salt and tupperware" method to determine their degree of error, and placed where they can easily be seen . . . and a pot of water on the stove top. When the humidity goes below 50 we turn the stove on, and when it reaches 50, we turn it off.
We keep the guitars hanging on the wall, out of reach of pets and out of the way of random bumps, and since the Mrs. sees the guitars as works of industrial art worthy of display, everybody wins. |
#29
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I'll resist asking you if you are a cuddiewhifter or a corbynite! (I'm left handed - playing righty - nuff said! I too grew up just outside London, now on the south coast. Good info about your normal temps in the house. RH CAN be a factor: Gas fired central heating - radiators? (Usually OK but RH needs monitoring). Hot air electric heating? - (often bad news for guitars). Double glazed windows? - (good - more regulated temps and less dramatic temp/RH changes) During the coldest times with windows closed and heating going - RH can get to levels that negatively affect your guitars - not dramatic cracks that our North American pals experience, but changes in action with possible sinking of tops. Here's what I do with too many guitars and a small house with D/G windows and doors, gas fired radiator system, and insulated brick walls. Typically, I have kept most of my guitars in cases in cupboards - mainly beacise that means I can grab whatever I want as I played mostyl out of the house - clubs, pubs rehearsals etc. I've always kept one guitar on a stand in the lounge and a couple upstairs in my little office. I have HYGROMETERS around the house and inside my cases. Usually anywhere between 38-56 ish is OK. If they below - put them in cases with a humidifier(s) If the get higher then put them in cases with some bags of reuseable silica gels AND monitor! I play out far less now and have been monitoring RH in my house this winter (which is/has been VERY wet but not extremely cold) - so 50% RH is fine. I've decided to hang some guitars on a bare wall - as they (and I) don't get out so much!) I'll use some Hercules hangers and add some extra cork insulation on that wall as well. I also intend to add some blinds on the nearby windows. Another point - the better the guitar the more likely they are to "change" unfavourably with low temps. Check out ebay or whatever for humidifiers (I like guitar nomad) I also have small thermometer/hygrometers in each case - look for things like this :
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Silly Moustache, Just an old Limey acoustic guitarist, Dobrolist, mandolier and singer. I'm here to try to help and advise and I offer one to one lessons/meetings/mentoring via Zoom! |
#30
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As for guitar safety, I've had more case and latch incidents than I've had from my Hercules stands and racks, so I am happy to keep them out. And it enables me to play them all more often (and switch up more frequently). But I understand those who prefer to keep them in cases. Full disclosure: I have two kids and four cats, and nobody bothers the instruments.
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"It's only castles burning." - Neil Young |