Having My Guitar Handy

[Methos1979]

I don't think you're whining at all, Dave. In fact, I'm in complete agreement with you about having your guitar nearby and ready to play. It wasn't until I did that, that I actually learned to play.

Humidification for nice, high-end, all-wood guitars is a real issue but I think it's often often taken way too seriously here. I never thought about humidification at ALL until I started hanging out here!

My first 'real' nice all-wood guitar I had for ten years, hanging on the wall in our small living room where we heated the entire house from a wood stove in the winter located in the SAME ROOM. Talk about dry.

I didn't play it much and sold it ten years later in mint condition with no cracks, no bridge lifting. So sometimes I wonder just how dry and for how long you really need to expose a guitar to get cracks and other issues.

If the guitar you leave out is a low-end laminate with a lower dollar value then I wouldn't worry about it at all. Run a small humidifier in the same room as the guitar if you want. It will help YOU feel better at least.

The real way to go is carbon fiber. Head on over to the carbon fiber sub-forum and the only discussion over there about humidification is us laughing about our lack of need for it! I have my second carbon fiber custom on order and when it gets here, the last wood guitar is going bye-bye.

[DebbieE]

I recently purchased a rainsong guitar that I have hanging on my wall for easy access, it's really a nice sounding and easy playing guitar. However I still have my wood guitars in their cases that I take out to play quite often (I use case humidifiers with them). I've thought about going all carbon fiber but I'm not anywhere near that yet and don't know if I ever will be although I may be able to pare down to 2 wood guitars.

[Earl49]

Methos and Jayne covered it quite well. When I live in Alaska, the winters were ultra-dry (10 gallons per day through a cabinet humidifier to get UP to 20% RH in the house). Even the in-case humidifiers had to be wetted every week, as they would be bone dry by then. So I became interested in carbon fiber and bought a Rainsong WS-1000 which could live out handy on a stand or a wall hanger, and could travel without worry to camps and festivals. Removing a guitar from a case does not seem like much of a barrier to playing spontaneously, but it can be.

Wood guitars are on the way out for me too, even though we live in a much milder climate now. I only need to humidify during the peak of heating season in JAN-FEB, but otherwise the house stays above 40% RH. However, I will always keep one particular all-koa Taylor that I have and one koa ukulele too. But these days there are five carbon fiber guitars in the house, and they see virtually all of the play time.

[Earl49]

Originally Posted by DebbieE

I've thought about going all carbon fiber but I'm not anywhere near that yet and don't know if I ever will be although I may be able to pare down to 2 wood guitars.

I could be unkind to you and offer to get together and let your try my Emerald X20 next week while we are in Phoenix. I say "unkind" because even my Rainsong gets relatively little play time now that the Emerald lives here. They are that good.....

[Twitch]

My opinion is to do whatever it takes to keep a guitar at arms reach, outside of the case. If that means getting a humidity tolerant guitar or investing in a quality whole house humidifier then so be it.

My learning accelerated tremendously when I was able to reach out and grab the guitar, play whenever I wanted, even for very short periods, put it back, and repeat.

I went through a phase where I could not control the room humidity so I put it in the case. My playing time changed dramatically so that I would only do it if I had a large block of time to dedicate, and even then would maybe pass. Those case latches are just enough of a pain that I just wont do it (when will someone invent a quicker/safer-no latch points way to protect a guitar?)

When I fixed my issue and I could grab it and play any time again, it was like a breath of fresh air and I was back on my game again.

[Solina Dave]

Originally Posted by Methos1979

Having your guitar nearby and ready to play. It wasn't until I did that, that I actually learned to play.

Originally Posted by Twitch

My opinion is to do whatever it takes to keep a guitar at arms reach.
My learning accelerated tremendously when I was able to reach out and grab the guitar, play whenever I wanted, even for very short periods, put it back, and repeat.
I went through a phase where I could not control the room humidity so I put it in the case. My playing time changed dramatically so that I would only do it if I had a large block of time to dedicate, and even then would maybe pass.

I must say that I have to agree completely. If the guitar is right there, and ready to go, there's no time delay. The inspirational musical idea that crosses your mind can be transferred to the guitar in an almost seamless manner.
Maybe it's just my 71 years, that have so obviously diminished my memory and attention span, coming into play. But I'm much more inclined to make positive creative headway, if I don't have to muddle around taking care of mundane details, before I can potentially lay down a lick that's going to shake the world. Or not!
And I'll likely stir the pot somewhat with my next statement. And I certainly don't wish to offend. But the suggestions, regarding the use and benefits of carbon fiber guitars, encouraged me to investigate further. The posibility of taking that path had never really occured to me before. So it was all very new to me.
I'm sorry. And again, it may just be an aging, grumpy, old school, guitar playin' wannabe talking. But from what I saw they were lifeless, and impersonal, and just left me cold. That, in contrast with my solid wood guitar. But that no doubt may just be me.

Just sayin'.................Dave

[raysachs]

Originally Posted by Solina Dave

And I'll likely stir the pot somewhat with my next statement. And I certainly don't wish to offend. But the suggestions, regarding the use and benefits of carbon fiber guitars, encouraged me to investigate further. The posibility of taking that path had never really occured to me before. So it was all very new to me.
I'm sorry. And again, it may just be an aging, grumpy, old school, guitar playin' wannabe talking. But from what I saw they were lifeless, and impersonal, and just left me cold. That, in contrast with my solid wood guitar. But that no doubt may just be me.

Just sayin'.................Dave

From what you saw, or what you heard? Or both? I was pretty dubious myself, but was highly open to checking them out. I not only have humidity issues at home, but am generally gone for a few months in the winter and can only take one acoustic guitar with me which leaves others in a situation I can't monitor or deal with as conditions warrant.

I now have an Emerald X20 as my main guitar and a previous model of an Emerald X7 as my parlor guitar. They sound incredibly good. If you'd done a blindfold test between my X20 and my 000-15M I probably could have told them apart but I'd have had trouble deciding which I liked more. I had an amazing D28 for many years quite a while ago and my memory of that is actually a bit closer to the X20, which sounds a lot like a dread, although feels a lot more comfortable to me.

I admit I don't love the looks of carbon fiber guitars. I'm just kind of a traditinalist to a certain degree and there's something about the look and feel of a nice wood guitar that I loved. And miss a little bit. But the Emeralds sound so good, and play like no acoustic I've ever owned, that I got over it really fast. Because when it comes down to it, I play 'em a LOT more than I look at 'em and if they play and sound good, I can cope with them looking a little odd. And being able to leave 'em out all the time, wherever we happen to be in the world, is just HUGE to me.

I'm not trying to convince you to prefer anything, but I do recommend you try a good carbon fiber guitar, just to feel and hear for yourself how they play and sound. I agree they're not as pretty as a nice wood guitar, but they sure don't SOUND cold or lifeless to me.

-Ray

[Solina Dave]

Originally Posted by raysachs

I'm not trying to convince you to prefer anything, but I do recommend you try a good carbon fiber guitar, just to feel and hear for yourself how they play and sound. I agree they're not as pretty as a nice wood guitar, but they sure don't SOUND cold or lifeless to me.

-Ray

I don't know Ray. No offence. But I don't think I said that they sounded cold and lifeless. And I certainly hear where you're coming from. I don't doubt that they sound excellent. Maybe, based on the very minimal amount of reading research I've done, I get the feeling that inherent design features, of carbon fiber guitars, including the actual carbon fiber itself, may provide a more defined sound, than does a wooden guitar. I don't doubt that's debateable. So I'll leave that to the experts.
But what I'm trying to say is; that if I'm holding a baby, and the baby is warm and alive, and is mumbling some incoherent sounds to me, it's one thing. But if I was holding a baby robot, and the baby robot was warm, and mumbling the same incoherent sounds to me, it would still be, just a robot. I would personally feel a much greater sense of oneness with a guitar made of real, and natural materials, than something mixed up in a test tube. But there again, that's just my personal feeling. To each his own. I love the interest this posting is generating.
I will admit though, from a functionality point of view, they are quite possibly more practical. Like you say, regarding humidity factors, and travel demands.

Dave

[raysachs]

Originally Posted by Solina Dave

But what I'm trying to say is; that if I'm holding a baby, and the baby is warm and alive, and is mumbling some incoherent sounds to me, it's one thing. But if I was holding a baby robot, and the baby robot was warm, and mumbling the same incoherent sounds to me, it would still be, just a robot. I would personally feel a much greater sense of oneness with a guitar made of real, and natural materials, than something mixed up in a test tube. But there again, that's just my personal feeling. To each his own. I love the interest this posting is generating.
I will admit though, from a functionality point of view, they are quite possibly more practical. Like you say, regarding humidity factors, and travel demands.

Dave

My only point is that it's worth a try. My perception is that they're real babies, they're just a little funny looking But they cry and gurgle and giggle and eat and poop and play just like a baby. They may look a bit like a robot (eye of the beholder, but I'm kind of with you on that point), but that's as far as it goes. Obviously, your call, but I was dubious too, yet they won me over.

[Goodallboy]

Originally Posted by raysachs

My only point is that it's worth a try. My perception is that they're real babies, they're just a little funny looking But they cry and gurgle and giggle and eat and poop and play just like a baby. They may look a bit like a robot (eye of the beholder, but I'm kind of with you on that point), but that's as far as it goes. Obviously, your call, but I was dubious too, yet they won me over.

Good advice and who knows, Dave might like them. But they don’t sound like a wooden guitar or gurgle like one either in my opinion. Personally I like their look, just not the sound they make. But that’s why we have choices, right?

[muscmp]

no problem as you as you have the room itself humidified.

play music!

[raysachs]

Originally Posted by Goodallboy

Good advice and who knows, Dave might like them. But they don’t sound like a wooden guitar or gurgle like one either in my opinion. Personally I like their look, just not the sound they make. But that’s why we have choices, right?

Absolutely, lots of good choices. I don't find they sound just like wood, but equally good in a slightly different way. At least my X20 - I haven't played a lot else. And my year old X7 does a pretty good imitation of a parlor guitar.

Absolutely to each their own. I just recommend that the OP not judge their relative robot-ness without having a play first. But if he can't get past the look, he can't get past the look...

-Ray

[BT55]

The heating season just started in NY. Most of my guitars are wood and are in open racks in my man cave. I have a whole house humidifier and two automatic humidifiers for the man cave. Yes it’s a pain to keep filling the humidifiers but I can pick up any guitar and just play.

One other thing to remember is that low humidity affects ALL of the wood in your home. Furniture, chairs, cabinets etc. are all effected and need humidity to keep them in good shape.

[Jim in TC]

I have the same whine and went carbon fiber (Cargo from CA for now, Rainsong maybe in my future) so I could have it so handy I had to play any time I had a couple minutes to kill. I hung a Martin for many years without issue but now that I know better I wouldn't (and didn't, with the new Martin, and sold it because it was always in the case).

[RedJoker]

I just hang my guitars on an outside wall of my house. Since the walls are quite a few degrees cooler than the center of the room, that helps keep the RH up into a respectable range at the guitars. So even though the center of the house has a lower RH, the cooler outer walls have a higher RH.