Proper humidity

[thindave]

All, a follow-up to my earlier post about fret-popping and the probable cause of low humidity - what is the correct humidity level to properly maintain a MM guitar? Also, does anyone else have any other tips for in-case maintenance?

 

[Jimi D]

We have guitars and harps all over the house, and we maintain a humidity level around 40% in the winter (a little higher in summer). I would think anything from about 30-35% and up should be good for electric guitars - you just want to keep them from drying out. Too much humidity will cause it's own problems - ask people on the coast who have to deal with rapidly deteriorating strings and mold on the fretboard... Anyway, if fret sprout does appear, it's an easy, easy fix - a quick filing down of the protruding ends when the neck is shrunk means that they won't be a problem again. But I live in an extreme climate, and fret sprout has never been a problem for me with my EB/MM guitars (did have a serious case of it on a Wolfgang, though)...

 

[thindave]

Thanks Jimi, the weather here has been so up and down lately, I want to keep a good handle on it.

 

[zabba]

In the southwest desert , ,
the humidity rarely climbs over 5%.

However ,
have not had a problem with fret sprong.

Probably because of regular (twice a month) application
of guitar oil.
the importance of maintanence on a guitar , does much to improves playability and value

I have seen guitars , with the frets so loose they are ready to fall out, possibly due to the wood drying out.
Wood out here develops a bleached , dried out look quickly ,
it burns great, a bit fast , but never have a problem with wet wood.
hose it down and it still burns.