Guitar Care: It's the Humidity

Guitar: "It's not the heat, it's the humidity!"

Now that fall is here, (or just about), we have to start thinking about the care & feeding of our acoustics a bit more.  The best place to keep control over temperature & humidity is still the guitar case.  I prefer the molded thermoplastic cases that came with my Martin Guitars and keep a hygrometer / thermometer inside each one.  Gigbags are great but they are porous and will not maintain optimal humidity and temperature conditions very well.  You need to get serious about storing and monitoring your instruments during times of excessive wetness as well as drier days that come with the fall.  PHOTO: Planet Waves Hygrometer

Now I've been guilty in the past of "over-feeding" my Martin acoustics as top guitar technician, Dave Doll can attest.  I was using the older Humidi-Pak by Planet Waves without a monitoring system inside the case.  As I could not tell what the levels were, the guitars became over humidified and difficult to play, (think REALLY high action).  The Humidi-Pak claims to regulate the humidity, adding/subtracting moisture so you stay roughly between 45-55%.  It's been very rainy the past few weeks and I have to say that the humidity in the case only went up to 59% so I'll call that a success. All the same, I think it's a mistake to leave any humidifying gadget inside your guitar or case without periodically checking to see how the guitar's levels are interacting with the environment.

Another way of dealing with low humidity levels is to simply humidify your ambient environment and store your guitars in a climate controlled room or area.  Your recording studio should definitely be under climate control especially for the benefit of your most precious instrument, your voice.  I like to keep at least one guitar out on the stand for easy access so it's great when the whole studio is properly keep at the right moisture level. PHOTO: Air O Swiss Travel Humidifier

The BEST Guitar polish...
I don't like to polish my guitars that often and I've been told to let the wood breathe for a full year on a new guitar.  Part of keeping the wood moisturized is to use a good guitar polish.  Everyone has their favorite mixtures and elixirs but Virtuoso Instrument Cleaner and Polish are some of the best I've ever used.  The most impressive results will come if you clean and polish your guitar before they get embedded with grime and dirt.  Still the Virtuoso cleaner does a very good job of even dealing with poor, neglected instruments.  I like Martin's Polishing Cloths and try to wipe my guitars down after every use.  Since they all have a light coat of Virtuoso Polish at this point, that;a quite easy and those forearm smudges are a thing of the past. 

The Wrap
Keep in mind that when you buy a new quality acoustic guitar from a reputable dealer, it will be kept in a climate controlled area such as what you see here at Russo's Music Center.  Once the guitar leaves that perfect environment, it begins to dry out.  The sound of that perfectly conditioned guitar is most likely what led you to buy it, right?  You can keep that first spark alive by properly humidifying your instrument at home or in the studio.

This Martin Sustainable Series Guitar is kept in the store at 45-55% humidity.

Humidity to Go

The Air O Swiss Portable Ultrasonic Humidifier is travel-ready!

Acoustics are more prone to drying out!

If you depend on your guitar and voice at least in part to make a living, you really need to protect your investments.  Winter dryness can wreak havoc with your acoustic guitar's structure and ability to stay in tune.  Really the same holds true for your voice!  Traveling poses a real threat to both because you have no control over the airplane cabin or hotel room's humidity levels.  Airplanes are notoriously dry so there's not much you can do about that but once you arrive at your destination, there is a workable solution to rehydrate yourself AND your instruments.

Air O Swiss makes a full range of ultrasonic humidifiers for the home and studio with some vocalists having one in each room to maintain optimal humidity levels, (between 45-55%).  Once you leave that comfortably controlled environment, well, you're on your own!
Air O Swiss has an answer for that too.  The AOS 7146 Travel Ultrasonic Humidifier offers a super lightweight, portable unit that gives you humidity output of 1 gallon a day using a simple plastic water bottle!  The no-leak adapter and balancing feet make it tip proof and stable plus it's quiet in operation.

The Air O Swiss 7146 Travel Ultrasonic Humidifier

This portable humidifier can be placed on your night stand or dresser for a great night's sleep.  The cool microfine mist immediately evaporates and if you are using bottled water you'll enjoy pure, fresh air as well.  Place your guitar on its stand and it will naturally absorb the moisture from the room humidifier. Both you AND your guitar can sleep well!  I've found my acoustic guitars staying in tune longer when they are kept properly humidified.  I also have less sinus and vocal issues in the morning after sleeping with an ultrasonic humidifier.  Now you don't have to leave behind all the comforts of home.  Take clean, moist air with you everywhere you go, even on tour.



Look in our banner ad section for more tips on Guitar Humidification including a video with Bob Taylor of Taylor Guitars!   Also check out Levy's Leathers Touring Bag for your mics and cables.