Guitar humidification

[Lala]

I know there are any number of humidifiers for use with guitars stored in cases but does anyone have any experience of humidifying guitars kept out on stands?

I appreciate the obvious answer is to perhaps buy a humidifier that works on the whole room and get a hygrometer to keep an eye on the levels.

I've got three acoustics, two steel strings, one nylon string that sit on stands in an upstairs bedroom where I've got all my recording kit. They're next to each other in a line and I keep an old ice cream tub behind them topped up with water, I've done that for years, ever since a piano tuner we had years back told us to put a large jar of water in the piano to keep it hydrated.

Anyway, just wondering if anyone else has any ideas. I'm thinking the first thing I should do is check what the actual humidity levels are that room.

Thanks for your time.

[Wonks]

Individual guitar humidifiers won't work on guitars kept on stands. They work for guitars in cases because the air volume they are humidifying is small, with very little air change rate.

In a big room, any moisture they put out will instantly dissipate into the room.

So you'll definitely need to humidify the room.

I will warn you that most cheap digital relative humidity sensors are pretty inaccurate. You're probably better off with a wet + dry bulb thermometer and looking up the %RH on a psychrometric chart.

This sort of thing.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Brannan-Masons ... 103&sr=8-5

But in the UK there's rarely enough of a relative humidity problem to cause problems with acoustic guitars. It's places like some very inland areas in the US that can get very dry indeed, and also have very quick and large temperature & %RH changes.

Long term low %RH can dry out the wood, but it's often the big swings that cause most damage.

[zenguitar]

Wonks is correct, large humidity swings are a problem in the USA. In the UK our climate is far more temperate. If you are comfortable in the room, your guitars are too.

The conversations about humidity and devices to control it are all driven by the needs of the US market.

Andy

[Lala]

Thanks for the quick replies

Both steel string acoustics had extensive setups last year and were playing well. I must admit that sadly I've hardly played them this year but picked one up over the weekend and was surprised at how buzzy it was which led me down the rabbit hole of wondering if all the recent extended hot weather may have had a detrimental effect.

Thanks for your reassurances

[Wonks]

The necks can certainly move over time with heat and temperature changes - but that's what the truss rod is for. What the case humidifiers are to prevent are major differential wood shrinkages and expansions, which can pull the tops and back away from the bracing struts and cause cracks in the tops and back.

Don't forget to oil the fretboard from time to time. That's prone to drying out, and oiling can stop the wood from shrinking, causing exposed fret ends and in worst cases, loose frets.

If the fretboard is looking quite light, it needs oiling. If you aren't sure, dab some oil on a spot. If the wood gets darker, it could do with some oil. You can use lemon oil, but the base ingredient in that is 'mineral oil', the sort you can find on Amazon for oiling chopping boards, which is cheaper, has no smell and is promoted as non-toxic and food safe (though I wouldn't drink it).

[Lala]

Yes good shout on the fretboard, I do use lemon oil on it but probably not often enough to be honest

Thanks again.

[tea for two]

I moved my post to Les Paul thread.