Buchanan Music | Mesa, Arizona

Caring For Your Instrument As The Weather Changes

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When an acoustic guitar dries, the top begins to sink and begins to look like a spoon. The pressure from the contracting top can pull the sides and create a split like the one you see here.By Jonathan Varo

Hi Everyone!

I asked Rush if I could add to The Corner this week.  Back at my store in Nashville, humidity was a huge problem every year between the months of November to April.  As the weather became cold and the heat was turned on, the humidity in the air would be sucked right out.  That would wreak havoc on our instruments so we had to put about six of those huge Kenmore humidifiers throughout the store to combat the dry effect on the instruments.  Since relocating to the Mesa area, I've noticed a consistent influx of severely dehydrated instruments coming through the door of Buchanan Music.  In the desert conditions, humidity is the most important thing to be aware of when you have a solid wood instrument.  I am hoping that this article will help you understand more about humidity and how it affects your instrument.

In an arid climate like Arizona, humidity for your instrument should be a year-round concern.

1. When you're not using your instrument, keep it in it's case.
   Hard shell cases are the best cases to use since humidity can be trapped inside and protect the instrument from sudden drops in moisture.  Keeping your instrument in the case also protects against sudden temperature changes and protects your strings from corroding due to moisture and airborne particles.
2. If you have to use a stand or a wall hanger, make sure that the room you keep your instrument in is temperature controlled and humidified.
    There are plenty of small humidifiers that will keep moisture in a room for about $40 to $60.  If you have a room dedicated as a music room, a small humidifier for that room is ideal since your instruments will be left out in the open.  This will shorten the life of your strings (unless you have Elixirs) but the convenience of having your instrument available at a moments notice is preferred by many musicians; especially songwriters.  A central air humidity system is ideal, since it humidifies the entire house, but it is considerably more expensive. Aside from keeping your wooden musical instruments from drying out, a central air humidity system will save money on your utility bills since the humidity traps much needed heat during the winter... but we're talking guitars not home improvement.
3. When you store your guitar, make sure that it's kept in an interior closet. Do not leave your prized instrument in a closet on an exterior wall, unfinished basement, or attic.
    The temperature changes from day to night, even season to season, will warp the neck of the instrument and also crack an instrument's gloss finish (if it has one).  We've had people come in with instruments that they had found in their attic that would have been worth thousands of dollars but were ruined due to heat and cold damage, mold, and neglect.
4. NEVER EVER leave your instrument in a parked car no matter what season it is.
5. Don't over-humidify an instrument.
   If you live in a humid area like Florida or the Gulf Coast states where humidity can exceed 75% all year long, you may need to use a de-humidifier in your home to lower the relative humidity of your home to a more suitable level.  Interestingly enough, too much humidity isn't as damaging to your instruments since an oversaturated instrument can be dried back to it's original shape.