Moving to High Desert

[sirwhale]

Get a carbon fibre guitar or a linen fibre guitar. You will not be disappointed with the sound and you will be worry free.

Check out:

• Rainsong
• Blackbird
• Emerald

[ronadair]

Thanks all! Great to hear that my GAS attacks can still be remedied with wood guitars. I've got an Emerald on order, so I'll soon have two CF guitars. I do love the look, feel and sound of wood though.

[mercy]

Since we are giving our opinions, CF etc guitars: yuk

[ronadair]

^ I used to think the same thing, but now that I own one (with another on order), I see them as cool instruments in their own right. They're more than a device to defy the elements.

Wood, however, I do agree, rules.

[zumaboy]

I previously lived in Santa Fe and now live in Las Vegas, NV. I'm originally from the Southeast where humidification simply wasn't an issue, but when I moved to the Southwest I found out things were quite different. My experience tells me that it all depends on the guitar. I've got a couple of Martins with some age on them ('70 D-35 and '92 D-28) and they were pretty bulletproof. In my opinion, these guitars have already developed a certain amount of natural strain relief through aging (the D-35 has a repaired top crack) that makes them less susceptible to issues. On the other hand, I had a friend in Santa Fe who left his brand new Taylor 814ce out on a stand just one night instead of in its humidified case and it developed a top crack. Certain issues will happen in dry climates such as the frets sprouting out a bit from fretboard shrinkage. I play it safe and use a humidifier in the room my guitars live. Enjoy Santa Fe, it's a great town with a tight little music community, I miss it! Check out my buddy Stan Burg's cool guitar shop down in Albuquerque, Guitar Vista.

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by paulzoom

I always thought that part of the country would have a lot of moisture. Learn something new every day!

That would be true of the west side of the Cascades. Bend is on the east side and more akin to high desert.

[Photojeep]

I also live in Las Vegas, NV and I use the Humidipak system. Until recently, I'd only had solid topped guitars that had laminated backs and sides. With those guitars I use the standard 3 paks per guitar. I now own an all solid wood Gibson and since it's my dream guitar that may one day become a family heirloom, I am taking no chances and actually use 9 Paks.

I maintain 38-39% humidity with this process.

Regardless of the guitar or the type of humidification, I highly recommend keeping your instrument in its case when you're not playing it.

Oh, and keep an eye on whatever type of humidifier you choose.

Best,
PJ

[JohnW63]

I am pretty sure, all the big brands recommend a given humidity be kept, in their user manuals about caring for your guitar. This includes Martin, Gibson, ....etc. Why ignore the manufacturers recommendations ?

This is the snipet of text that Google shows under the Martin web link:

Learn all about the best practices of caring for your Martin Guitar. Temperature and humidity can play havoc with your instrument.

Here is the full PDF:
https://www.martinguitar.com/media/6...e_intl_low.pdf

And another quote:

2
Humidity, Temperature and Storage
Your guitar is made of thin wood which is easily affected
by temperature and humidity. This combination is the most
important single part of your guitar’s surroundings. Martin
keeps the factory at a constant 45-55 percent humidity and
72-77 degrees Fahrenheit. If either humidity or temperature
get far away from these factory conditions, your guitar is in
danger. A rapid change in temperature or exposure to cold
can cause small cracks in the finish. These are lacquer
checks. We recommend the use of a hygrometer/thermometer
to measure the relative humidity and temperature surrounding
your guitar.

So, whether you have had issues or not, the people who MAKE you guitar really suggest you pay attention to these possible issues.

[Jukie]

I live in northern Colorado at 5000 feet. May to October is no problem at 50% rh. November to April I keep them cased with a humidipak. No problems.

[Cypress Knee]

I live north and inland of San Diego, where it is hotter and drier than the coastal areas but not nearly as much as the Anza-Borrega desert. I started using the D'Addario humidpak system and it is so much easier than fussing around with humidifiers, sponges, and all the other systems. I keep two guitars cased and play the third for a week or two, maybe leaving on the stand overnight or putting back in the case, but then it goes back into the case for a few weeks while the other guitars get played in rotation.

I play all my keepers on a rotational basis, and they all get to set in closed cases with a dehumidification system that works.

CK