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Topic: household climate and your instruments |
J. Wilson
From:
Manitoba, Canada
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Posted 20 Jun 2010 9:26 pm |
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A couple of my lap steels are vintage (a B6 and a Bronson/National). I keep them, along with my other string instruments, in the basement where I practice. The house is brand new, the basement is not damp or humid but it is always a little on the cool side. Should I be concerned at all? I never really thought about it until I got my B6, which is in such utterly astounding condition that I find myself fretting about how to best keep it that way.
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If Music Be the Food of Love, Play On. -Shakespeare
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1941 Ric B6 / 1948 National Dynamic / 1951 Bronson Supro / Custom teak wood Allen Melbert / Tut Taylor Dobro / Gold Tone Dojo / Martin D15S / Eastman P10 |
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Peter Lindelauf
From:
Penticton, BC
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Posted 20 Jun 2010 10:24 pm
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I like having my instruments out where I can see them--and play them--and not in their cases. I use wall hangers and floor stands. Several months ago, finally bought a room-sized humidifier for the music room. Also keep Damp-It sponge-type humidifiers poked in my guitar and bouzouki for a little extra moisture where it's most needed. Where we live is pretty arid plus we use wood/electric heat in winter, which really sucks the moisture out of the air.
There are some good pieces on the Taylor site about musical instrument repairs/set-up problems due to too little or too much humidity. Flew in winter with a herringbone Martin D-28 once. Loved that guitar. Let it warm up for most of a day before I even loosened the latches of the case. Finally took it out to play. Rested my elbow on the guitar's side between songs and *crack.* A rather long split on the top side. Have really tried to not let instruments dry out since then.
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...but you are the music / while the music lasts (TS Eliot) |
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Mark Rende
From:
Tokyo, Japan
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Posted 20 Jun 2010 11:48 pm
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I worry about this too. I live in Tokyo, where it's extremely humid throughout the summer and then fairly dry in winter. It seems to me my instruments do better when they're out on stands, not sure why that would be.
Regarding my Ric B6, I was told that since it's basically plastic and metal, just wiping it down should be enough. I wonder how heat and cold will affect it, though. Although I'm sure it's been through a lot in its 75 years, and it still looks great.
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Rickenbacher B6 "C57" * Gibson ES-175D * Martin J12-40M * Gibson Les Paul 'R6' * Fender Telecaster '52 AV reissue |
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Jason Hull
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Mark Mansueto
From:
Michigan, USA
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Posted 21 Jun 2010 3:54 am
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Here in Michigan the weather varies a lot from cold to hot, dry to humid, ect. For That reason I have humidity gages upstairs and downstairs at my house. I also run two dehumidifiers in my basement.
My basement is finished and insulated and does not seem damp but the humidity gage says otherwise. When the furnace or AC are running full time there's no problem but during nuetral weather (60-80 degrees F) the dehumidifiers run quite a bit and I'll generally draw about 3 gallons of water per week in spring and fall.
That seems like a lot to me and my bassment humidity is still around 55 during those times. I have guitars both in cases and out on stands and I've never had a problem.
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https://markmansueto.bandcamp.com/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/65dQ3EyZC2RaqawA8gPlRy?si=dOdqc5zxSKeJI9cISVVx_A |
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J. Wilson
From:
Manitoba, Canada
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Posted 21 Jun 2010 6:27 am
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Thanks team! Getting a hydrometer sounds like a good idea. My house has humidity control and all my wood instruments seem fine so far but I should keep on the safe side and monitor the area where the instruments are. I have a dehumidifier I can use if I have to. Dryness is not a problem here in Manitoba this time of year.
I was actually most concerned about the Bakelite instrument. I'm told that neck warpage is not at all unusual for the older ones, but mine is as straight as an arrow and I want to keep it that way. I did read somewhere that they are sensitive to cold -- but I think it was referring to temperature affecting the tuning more than anything else. Still, if anyone has a lot of knowledge about the maintanance of bakelite instruments specifically please let me know what I should keep an eye on.
_________________
If Music Be the Food of Love, Play On. -Shakespeare
___________________________________________
1941 Ric B6 / 1948 National Dynamic / 1951 Bronson Supro / Custom teak wood Allen Melbert / Tut Taylor Dobro / Gold Tone Dojo / Martin D15S / Eastman P10 |
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 21 Jun 2010 7:11 am
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I believe a bigger problem is where the climate is on the dry side.
I think that extreme dyness will take the life out of an instrument more so than some excess humidity. |
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Mike Neer
From:
NJ
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Posted 21 Jun 2010 7:59 am
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I don't think it's anything to worry about. Keeping your guitars in the car trunk on a hot summer day = not so good. Keeping them in the car trunk on a cold winter = not so good. (I've done both of the above with no serious consequences) Leaving them out in the rain = no good. Keeping them in your home, whether humid or dry = nothing to worry about.
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Links to streaming music, websites, YouTube: Links |
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Bill Creller
From:
Saginaw, Michigan, USA (deceased)
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Posted 21 Jun 2010 8:29 pm
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When mine are in their cases, I leave some packets of silica in them to keep the strings from corroding etc.
The only thing that has deteriorated in the last 50 years on my National are the tuner knobs  |
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Mike Harris
From:
Texas, USA
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Posted 23 Jun 2010 6:36 am
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There are those who insist on keeping their instruments between 45 and 55% RH.
I think that's extreme. Think Howard Hughes, Michael Jackson...
I'm in a humid environment but I still have to use my room humidifier (cheap vaporizer) a lot due to the effects of the central air and heat system. Over the years I've loosened up to the point that I think I'm okay if the RH doesn't dip below 30% for too long. Usually the fiddle pegs start popping when it's been too dry for a while. I have many instruments hanging on the wall, including a 100-year old parlor guitar which seems very happy with this situation.
No problems with any of the others, either (I've had this setup for many years).
As far as sound goes, when it gets excessively humid the instruments seem to lose their focus. It sounds muddy to me. I don't mind the sound when RH is on the drier side. |
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seldomfed
From:
Colorado
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Posted 23 Jun 2010 2:19 pm
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hi all, I live in Colorado. Rather dry overall, RH averages in the teens, and in winter, the gas forced air heat drys things even more. So I humidify the bedroom in winter so my nose won't bleed  , but the guitars don't care.
I leave my guitars out on wall hangers and let them naturally adjust to the local humidity. I don't humidify the house and I've never seen a problem in 50 years of having guitars here.
I have one 1941 Martin I got in Hawaii when I lived there in the 70's. It lived all it's life there till I took it home to Colorado. It's never had a problem.
Every new guitar I have purchased is still perfect - dry weather is not a problem.
A buddy lives in Hawaii for the winter, and is home in CO for summer - he takes his ukes and guitars there and says they take about a week to suck 'em up brah - and they sound different in that humidity, but he doesn't keep them in dryers or humidify them upon his return here, and they have never suffered either.
A long time ago I was sucked in to the humidity debate and put humidifiers in the cases etc. - the guitars did sound different, but not better. So I stopped the madness.
Just avoid extreme and rapid climate changes. Everyone knows to not open a cold case in a warm room, that will crack the finish quicker than a dry climate. If you buy a new guitar and it cracks for no reason, take it back, they didn't build it right.
The other thing I've learned is that some of the old plastics used on instruments 'out-gas' and do become brittle etc., and if you leave the guitar in the case all the time - that micro climate with the 'gas' can cause plated metal parts to degrade. My 60's Country Gent suffered this fate. So open them cases!
The B6 will be fine. I'd worry more about guitars in basements simply becase basements flood, and have big hairy spiders!
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Chris Kennison
Rhythm Cats - steel, guitar, banjo, dobro
Gold Canyon, AZ
www.rhythmcatsshow.com
www.seldomfed.com |
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