Humidity Sucks!

[Jonny Dubai]

nobozos........ which way do you turn in high humidity. Right to tighten or left to loosen??????????????????

 

[edensdad]

I grew up in New England, so I can relate to the changes in temp and humidity. Especially the indoor dryness from heating your home. I live in west central Florida now, just north of Tampa Bay. Here it's almost always humid, like a sauna in the summer, and like a cold wet day in the winter. We keep our Central Air / Heat on 10 months out of the year - mainly to kill the humidity.

I've learned not to take my guitars outside here. My EBMM and my Martin live in their cases and in the house unless I'm travelling to play - then thry live in the A/c of my truck. I have a few "beater" guitars - an old Ovation and a Squier strat, that I use if I play outside for any length of time.

When I first moved to FL, I left the previously mentioned Ovation in my truck all day while I was at work. I didn't think twice about it - in Massachusetts in the spring that wouldn't be the best thing to do to a guitar, but it wouldn't kill it. - in florida in the sun the bridge popped up on the Ovation and the rosette ring glue loosened. It was repairable, but I thought the guitar was history.

I learned real fast that my guitars don't go anywhere I'm not comfortable.


my 2 cents

>^..^<

 

[Jimi D]

Jimi, would that be for a forced hot air system only, or would that include say a forced hot water system?

Honestly Glenn, I don't see many forced hot water systems around here... Oil or Natural Gas forced air and electric heaters are the most common heating systems used in Ottawa, and I will presume most of Canada... I did live in a house with hot water heating when I was a kid, and I kept a humidfier in my guitar case then, but I can't honestly say whether I needed it or not... I do know that sharing a home with numerous long-haired cats helps you appreciate the radical swings in humidity we experience up here in Canada - Ottawa can run from 90% humidity at the height of summer to desert dry in the heart of winter, and unless I make an effort to adjust humidity levels appropriately, the air in the house shifts just as radically. Even using a humidfier in the winter and AC in the summer to keep things moderated a bit, the seasonal swings effect my guitar necks noticably. I have to admit that I am of the same school as Norin Radd - I leave my guitars out and adjust them as necessary. In fact, I can't leave all my guitars out of their cases at once, so I rotate them to give them an opportunity to adjust. I've had the experience of trying to play through a set with a neck that keeps moving a couple of times, and I'm not eager to repeat it....

 

[beej]

I've got hot water (rads) as do many of my neighbours. Actually have the ORIGINAL boiler in my house - circa 1920's. Still works like a charm

But dry as a mofo in the winter.

 

[Spudmurphy]

I've got hot water (rads) as do many of my neighbours. Actually have the ORIGINAL boiler in my house - circa 1920's. Still works like a charm

But dry as a mofo in the winter.

I must have had the same boiler!!!

I repaired it about 15 years ago - it was just like a small block auto engine but with two heads!! worked a treat but not very economical.
Changed to a condensing combi boiler (very popular in Europe) and my running costs have been slashed........ oooops sorry I thought this was the Home Heating Forum !!!

Check out the recent thread on "Do I need to use a humidifier?"
I'm going to put some of these Planet Waves Humidifiers on my Xmas list - especially for my 30's Archtop.
Spud.

 

[louisgtr]

I'd lived in Tampa my whole life until about ten years ago, I live a few miles north of Tampa now. I've always kept my guitars out of their cases for the most part and never had a problem. It's probably because it's humid here almost all of the time, so there's not much change in the climate. The humidity during summer is unreal. Several years ago I started keeping my guitars in their cases because my strings would go dead on me pretty quickly when I didn't. I don't have to do that anymore since I've started using Elixir strings on my guitars. I leave my JP on the stand, and there's little to no shifting probably because the climate is pretty consistent here.

 

[Spudmurphy]

I have to say I'm NOT a proponent of leaving the guitars in the case. Why? Well if you leave it out, the guitar has a chance to "adjust" itself slowly to the changes in humidity as the moisture content in the air gradually changes. If it's in a case where the humdity level remains constant, it will have to go through a big change. Sure, it may be in tune when you initially take it out, but it will, what I like to call, "go into shock", from going from no humidity to a lot of it all of a sudden or vice versa.

What will happen is that the humidity level in the air will affect the guitar as you are playing it and the wood will move. You are going to have to adjust it anyhow for the humidity level. I prefer to have all the movement already done and adjust before I start playing instead of during playing. Nothing like adjusting that truss rod on a Floyd system after the first six songs at the gig!

When I get to a venue, I open the case and just prop it open a bit while I set up.

I'll then open the case fully for a few minutes before "unleashing the beast"

I used to suffer dreadfully with my Les Paul, until I discovered the machine heads were sh*t!!!

 

[nobozos]

nobozos........ which way do you turn in high humidity. Right to tighten or left to loosen??????????????????

I honestly don't remember. I want to say left.