humidifier for acoustics in the UK

Lewy

BRISTOL86 said:

Sorry if this is a stupid question but if your guitar lives in its case all the time other than when being played, is action still required to check/control humidity?

Or is it only a real concern if the guitar is constantly out?

Just my experience, but cases can absorb a lot of humidity in their plush lining so even in a room with spot on humidity, a sealed "wet" case can be over-humidifying your guitar. Desiccant packs do very little to take humidity out of a case - the only way to dry out a case is to have it open for a long time in a room that is at the right RH.

That achieved, I find a decent (i.e. nearly airtight) dry case can effectively protect your guitar from increases in room RH. But if you leave it open for a short while in a humid room, you're back to square one.....

richardhomer

It's a fallacy that cases protect against sharp falls in humidity for any significant period of time.

My ex-wife had a penchant for really cranking the heating in winter. One day I took my Martin out of its case to find fret ends sticking out and a top so sunken that the guitar would barely play.

Personally I'd rather keep the room somewhere close to the right level, than trying to create a little ecosystem in the case.

BRISTOL86

Thanks chaps, so the upshot seems to be that monitoring the room and addressing RH levels accordingly is the way to go

crunchman

It depends how hot you have your central heating.  Lots of people I know seem to like it unbearably hot.  If you keep it around 20C then the relative humidity will be a lot higher than at 24C.  The key thing for relative humidity is the difference in temperature from outside.

If you live in a sheltered area in the South and keep your central heating at a sensible temperature it shouldn't be an issue.  If you live in the wilds of Scotland and run your central heating at 24C you might have an issue.  If you live somewhere properly cold (and/or dry) then you do need to actively do something.  I bought a guitar in Sweden several years ago and they gave me a case humidifier with it as standard.

Living in London and keeping the central heating around 20 my guitars have been fine without needing to do anything.  In winter we often have washing drying on radiators anyway.

BRISTOL86

Thanks crunchman.

Our heating has been set at 20 since it went on for the first time a couple of months ago. We crank it up a touch for half an hour here or there if we are feeling chilly but as a rule it's not on higher than 20.

It also tends to be much cooler upstairs (where the guitar lives) than downstairs in our house.

capo4th

CloudNine said:

capo4th said:

Agreed radiators cranked all day would represent a problem. 

Also consider that everyone's house is different in insulation, ventilation, windows, heating systems and humidity that is generated in the home showers washing cooking etc. Everyone's environment is different.

Erm, but you said this.

capo4th said:

Most houses in the winter are damp / moist / wet even with central heating.

capo4th said:

Our climate is predominantly wet it is not a UK problem in my opinion.

Which is all completely wrong.

Cloudnine I would recommend you turn down your heating to 20 degrees go and play your guitar and calm down.

CloudNine

Cloudnine I would recommend you turn down your heating to 20 degrees go and play your guitar and calm down.

It's set right at 20 as it happens!

I wish you the best of luck with your damp problems, but it would be great if you could stop giving out rubbish advice on the internet.

:-h

jellyroll

Would the lower. amount of stress in a classical/flamenco guitar make it less of a problem for those guitars?

richardhomer

jellyroll;966192" said:

Would the lower. amount of stress in a classical/flamenco guitar make it less of a problem for those guitars?

No - it's all about the environment the instrument was built in. As soon as it gets significantly wetter or dryer, the wood moves.

Owing to the complex construction - and differing materials - say Rosewood and spruce - rates of expansion and contraction are none-linear, eg tops contract across their width - as do braces - some of which are at 90 degrees to the top - so effectively the top contracts and the cross braces don't. This causes the top to dip. In extreme cases, it will crack.

Classical (and flamencos in particular) are very lightly built. The impact of low humidity will have as much - if not more - effect as on a steel strung guitar.