Long Term Effects of Humidity (or Lack thereof) on a Steel

Dan Beller-McKenna · From: Durham, New Hampshire, USA

Last year, I began leaving a steel and rig set up at my monthly gig. It is a safe space and the owners (whom I play with) were fine with my leaving everything there since I could easily move it back and out of the way for other acts. I know some people would recoil at the idea of leaving so much equipment unattended, but I have my reasons for feeling secure in this instance, so I'm not interested in debating the practice in this thread.

What I do have a concern about in this instance, and another (my office at work), is the long-term effects leaving a steel in an uncontrolled climate environment. In both cases, I found a steel I had left for several days in one case, several weeks in another, a complete half-step flat when I came back to it (one room gets cold and dry, the other stays warm and dry). The steels were fine (and have continued to be) after I tuned them back up. But I worry about the potential long-term effects on the steels; does the drop of a half-step indicate the steel is under too much climate stress? At home I keep them in my study which I control for relative humidity pretty well--close to 50% year round.

For now I've stopped leaving the steels in these spaces, but if it's not doing any long-term damage, it would save my aging back an incredible amount of wear and tear not to have to transport them to and from every time I needed them in these locations.

Thoughts?

(Again: I am not interested in opinions about whether there is a theft risk in these locations.)

Fred Treece · From: California, USA

Since both locations are dry, I doubt the humidity has much to do with tuning. It’s probably the temperature fluctuation. The metal parts on the steel in the cold room will contract and pull the strings sharp, and when the room warms up for an event, things expand and the strings will go slack and may fall flat. The problem with the instrument in warm storage is more complicated. How much warmer is it than when you check the tuning? It takes a while for both metal and wood to re-stabilize after drastic temperature changes.

As far as long term damage, humidity will definitely do a number on your metal parts - leaving pits and such, rusting the steel parts, having an effect on pedal and lever action. Strings and wood finish will suffer too.

On outdoor twi-night gigs in the summer, when the temperature where I live can go from near 100° at setup to about 70-75° by the end of the gig, I fight my tuning all night long. The humidity might double up too. Sometimes it’s just not a workable situation, and I just resort to playing guitar so I only have to worry about 6 strings and no pedals.

Do you cover your instrument? If you are suspicious of humidity, that would help.

Bob Blair · From: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

I have one that lives on the west coast where the winters are damper than here in central Alberta (where the humidity drops off the face of the earth when it gets cold), one set up by my desk, one in a friend's studio set up, and one in a case ready to go out for gigs. While sometimes an instrument will go flat or sharp (which is also a thing and I have never been able to figure out why it sometimes goes sharp and sometimes flat) it has never seemed like my instruments have suffered for it. Fred's explanation about the temperature makes sense but I'm not sure that the temperature varies wildly in my house or my friend's studio. At the place on the coast the temperatures do fluctuate a lot. Doesn't seem to do any harm.

Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

Humidity has more of an effect on an acoustic instrument.

Dan Beller-McKenna · From: Durham, New Hampshire, USA

Thanks everybody for the feedback. Sounds like I shouldn't stress too much about this, and I'll go ahead and leave the steels where I need them.

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