TAKING Care on my new j45 standard as a truck driver?

[Asphaltcowboy]

Hello I bought a really nice Gibson j45 cutaway standard. I bought these humidity packs one goes up in front of case and the other goes between the strings. I bought a polish kit. I’m a trucker long haul. Temps and humidity is constantly changing for me. I want to take care of this beautiful guitar. Is leaving it in the case with the humidity packs good enough and polishing it every few days? I’m just starting out playing guitar. I have the case itself strapped into a net in my truck so it won’t go flying anywhere but it still gets really bumpy. What else should I do to ensure the sound and quality of this Gibson stays at its best thanks.

[Dave F]

Being exposed to varying conditions, your humidipaks may only last a few months but in my opinion they’re well worth it. You can buy them in bulk packages. I would not be polishing it that often. Just wipe it off after using it. I sometimes polish my guitars every few years. Normal areas to wipe down are the strings, fretboard and where your forearm rests.  If the case is going to get shook up a lot, I would pack some extra cotton cloth beneath the headstock for extra support. 

Enjoy it and welcome to forum. 

[dhanners623]

Always willing to help somebody else spend their money....

The humidity packs are a good idea, but be aware that over-humidifying a guitar can be just as bad as not humidifying it properly. (Don't ask me how I know....) Were I you, I'd invest in a digital thermometer/hygrometer combo -- they're not too expensive -- and that way you'll always have a handle on temperature and humidity.

The big enemy of guitars when it comes to keeping them in vehicles is heat. The release point of most modern woodworking glues is about 120 degrees Fahrenheit, and the temperature in a closed car in summer can quickly get above that. The glue liquifies, bridges lift, binding comes undone and on and on. It isn't pretty, and hot cars help keep repair shops in business. I don't know what the story would be in your cab, temperature-wise.

Lastly, if you're concerned about jostling the guitar, buy a good flight case. You can get into a Hiscox for under$300, and get a better one for under $350. You don't need a Calton ($1,200 or thereabouts...) but a good, sturdy flight case takes care of A LOT of your issues because they also help keep temperature and humidity constant. 

https://www.elderly.com/collections/category_guitar-cases-gigbags?_=pf&pf_t_category=Sub-subcategory_Dreadnought Guitar Cases

Your guitar will spend most of its time in its case, so it makes sense to have a good one. Yeah, the case it came in is a good one as hardshell cases go, but you want a little extra protection since you're traveling. (As an aside, I stencil my name on all my guitar cases. It is an anti-theft tactic. When guitars are stolen, they are usually targets of opportunity because they all look the same and theives believe they are easy to pawn. Making your case individual and readily identifiable by stenciling your name on it makes it less attractive to a thief. Also, it doesn't hurt to write your name and number and/or email address on a piece of tape and stick it on the underside of the soundboard in a place where you can only see it with an inspection mirror. )

Above all, have fun playing! When you start writing songs, I bet you'll have a lot of great stories to put to music....

(And while I'm at it, thanks for the work you do. We depend on truckers.)

Edited September 3, 2019 by dhanners623

[Dave F]

I didn’t think about the heat. Good call. I have a few of the Humiditraks in some of my cases. They work very nicely. 

 

[E-minor7]

Relatively even temperatures here, so expect no competent advice, but welcome to the Forum and thanx for the insight to your version of the acoustic world.

Enjoy the Gibson - both polished, dusty and fat greasy ^ 45s are fab

[ratherbwalkn]

I would take the advice on polishing your new guitars, IMHO My oldest guitar is 55 years old and I have always kept 3 guitars

I dont buy sell or trade hardly ever, so I kept what I like. Ive got a bottle of ten  or more years old polish almost full.  I do 

polish the neck lightly when I change strings. This is all in MHO

I use a warm damp cloth after playing and my guitars according to my jam friends well they look great all the time .

 

Enjoy your new guitar!!! 

[Boyd]

Not exactly sure what kind of humidity packs you're talking about, but I was always a bit nervous about them bursting. When I read a forum post about that happening and causing serious damage, I stopped using them. Now, IIRC, the company that made the packs (don't remember which) covered the cost of repairing the guitar... but who needs that kind of trouble?

Maybe I just worry too much though. 🙂 Anyway, I just stopped worrying about humidifying my guitars and haven't had any problems. But I don't travel much. There are other guitar humidifiers available aside from the packs that might also be worth investigating if you're concerned.

Edited September 3, 2019 by Boyd

[62burst]

Yes, the heat is not your guitar's friend. Neither is any kind of rapid temperature change, for that matter. When taking a nice guitar out on the road when it could either get too hot or too cold, it's nice to have it buried under something like a sleeping bag, and maybe even a heavy jacket or towel(s). Bold move on your part, spending Gibson money for a guitar to learn on and take with you on the road- it is, after all, a musical instrument.

One question: Many trucks seem to idle indefinitely at rest stops, especially in the winter, as the diesels seem to prefer it, so the temperature stays fairly livable. Is this done in the summer with the a/c on, as well? If the guitar is buried somewhere deep, instead of bouncing around, it might be ok for a good while.

[fortyearspickn]

I'd get a hygrometer to put on your dashboard, and one to put in your case.  If the one on your dash gets outside of a 'safe' range, consider adjusting your AC or heater.  One could argue  'safe' is between 40% and 60%.  That's not to say 35% or 65% are worrisome: Just avoid long periods of wet and dry air.    Your  ac will take excess moisture out of the air up to a point. But your heater will dry the air out.   A case will mitigate that, but not completely.  A humipak will help, but is no guarantee. If the netting your case is hanging in has elasticity, it will go a long way towards neutralizing the bumps.  But if the temp is 40 degrees and the humidity is 20% in your cab - the bumps will be jarring.  The guitar top/face is really thin - and has a lot of stress on it from the strings. 

I'm curious if you told the salesman where you purchased the Gibson what you were intending for it?  He might have recommended a laminate guitar, or better - one made of Carbon Fiber.  The latter is impervious to the elements. And, they sound darn good.  Rainsong is one brand.   Are you still within the 'return period' ?  

[Dave F]

This sounds like a perfect application for a rain song guitar

[dhanners623]

3 hours ago, Dave F said:

This sounds like a perfect application for a rain song guitar

 

I briefly thought of getting a carbon fiber guitar when I moved to Kuwait in 2014. I mean, how much harsher of an environment can there be for a guitar? The day we arrived, it was 120 degrees Fahrenheit. But I discovered that if you take care of your guitar, keep an eye on the humidity (and your humidifiers), not leave the guitar in the sun and keep the guitar in its case when not being played, you'll be just fine. A modern guitar is hardier than we think, and a little common-sense care goes a long way. There are plenty of vintage guitars on the market that saw very little care in their early life, and they're still going strong.

Although Taylor guitars have never been my cup of tea, their website does have some helpful pages regarding humidity, humidifiers and general care:

https://www.taylorguitars.com/support/maintenance/symptoms-dry-guitar

https://www.taylorguitars.com/support/maintenance/using-guitar-humidifier

Edited September 4, 2019 by dhanners623

[Asphaltcowboy]

I have an apu it’s a generator it keeps the ac on in the winter and heat on in the summer I keep it nice and cool inside high 60s low 70s year round

 

also I’m using the two way d,addario packs one in front of case and two packs between strings seems pretty cool maintains constant 40 to 50% humidity or so it says imma buy one of those humidity and temp readers when I get home to know for sure. 

 

Another question what is the best polish/cleaner for a j45 walnut burst?? Also how often should I polish it? I wipe it down after every use using a micro cloth and so far been polishing it once a week using Dunlop kit. I’m still new at this but the kit comes with guitar string clearner and fret board cleaner I don’t wanna take the strings off tho lol I don’t know how to string a guitar yet will try when I need new strings so far this guitar has been sweet

[Asphaltcowboy]

I just wanted a Gibson lol it’s the best of the best kinda like people prefer apple over anything else. It’s what my man Jason Aldean uses he uses a j200z Gibson is best of the best. That’s why I got it. 

[Asphaltcowboy]

My theory is if I spend over 2k on a guitar that looks sexier than a woman at a strip club imma most likely wanna play it every day and this far my theory has been correct.

[Asphaltcowboy]

I have is strapped in right on my top bunk there is this netting seat belt type stuff bottom line it anit moving much may feel a few bumps but that’s it’s really tightly secured

[Asphaltcowboy]

I have a western mountaineering down sleeping bag rates pretty low would that do the trick dunno how that would work tho if I’m not in it it’s a down sleeping bag top of the line spent like 800 bucks on it regret it lol 😂 but it doesn’t generate heat unless a  person is in it haha 

[Asphaltcowboy]

Rain song guitar? What does that mean?

[62burst]

http://www.rainsong.com

Sometimes capitalization matters. But it sounds like you've got fine control of the conditions in your truck. . . so you can keep your Real Deal, and not have to compromise. Congrats.

[62burst]

2 hours ago, Asphaltcowboy said:

I have a western mountaineering down sleeping bag rates pretty low would that do the trick dunno how that would work tho if I’m not in it it’s a down sleeping bag top of the line spent like 800 bucks on it regret it lol 😂 but it doesn’t generate heat unless a  person is in it haha 

That would be fine. What you're mostly looking to do is avoid rapid temperature change. Recalling the time I had a guitar coming in to the local FedEx ship store during a Nor'east snowstorm- watching from the front windows of the shop as the local truck driver bounced a guitar-sized box down each step of the truck, then standing it up on it's end in the fire lane, only to have it blown over onto the tarmac in freezing weather. Perfect. Regrettably had to open up the box in the superheated FedEx shop to have a quick look for damage. Not ideal, but all was ok.

[dhanners623]

11 hours ago, Asphaltcowboy said:

I have an apu it’s a generator it keeps the ac on in the winter and heat on in the summer I keep it nice and cool inside high 60s low 70s year round

 

also I’m using the two way d,addario packs one in front of case and two packs between strings seems pretty cool maintains constant 40 to 50% humidity or so it says imma buy one of those humidity and temp readers when I get home to know for sure. 

 

Another question what is the best polish/cleaner for a j45 walnut burst?? Also how often should I polish it? I wipe it down after every use using a micro cloth and so far been polishing it once a week using Dunlop kit. I’m still new at this but the kit comes with guitar string clearner and fret board cleaner I don’t wanna take the strings off tho lol I don’t know how to string a guitar yet will try when I need new strings so far this guitar has been sweet

 

You're over-thinking polishing. If you're wiping it down with a micro-fiber cloth, you really don't need to polish it every week. Maybe once a month, if that. Despite the manufacturer claims, any polish is going to build up on the guitar's surface if you're using it every week. And polish build-up can be hard to remove.

And you don't have to take the strings off to clean them. GHS makes a guitar-string cleaning cloth; a wipe or two with it will do wonders. Actually, a wipe or two with any clean lint-free cloth will help. Much depends on the type of strings you use, your own body chemistry and how much you play. I've got a couple of friends who have body chemistries that can deaden a new set of strings in no time flat. It is a matter of the acidity in their finger oil.

For basic guitar care, check out the Taylor stuff I posted, and also check Frank Ford's frets.com site. There are plenty of videos on YouTube showing how to properly string the guitar. The bottom line is, there's a lot of information out there. You will also hear a lot of old wives' tales, and you can spark heated debates over seemingly simple statements.

Yeah, you've got a darn-good guitar, but keep in mind it is a tool. Take care of it, but there's no need to treat I like a Faberge egg. It is meant to be played, and the folks at Gibson built some robustness into it.

Edited September 9, 2019 by dhanners623

[drathbun]

On 9/2/2019 at 10:15 PM, dhanners623 said:

Always willing to help somebody else spend their money....

The humidity packs are a good idea, but be aware that over-humidifying a guitar can be just as bad as not humidifying it properly. (Don't ask me how I know....) Were I you, I'd invest in a digital thermometer/hygrometer combo -- they're not too expensive -- and that way you'll always have a handle on temperature and humidity.

The big enemy of guitars when it comes to keeping them in vehicles is heat. The release point of most modern woodworking glues is about 120 degrees Fahrenheit, and the temperature in a closed car in summer can quickly get above that. The glue liquifies, bridges lift, binding comes undone and on and on. It isn't pretty, and hot cars help keep repair shops in business. I don't know what the story would be in your cab, temperature-wise.

Lastly, if you're concerned about jostling the guitar, buy a good flight case. You can get into a Hiscox for under$300, and get a better one for under $350. You don't need a Calton ($1,200 or thereabouts...) but a good, sturdy flight case takes care of A LOT of your issues because they also help keep temperature and humidity constant. 

https://www.elderly.com/collections/category_guitar-cases-gigbags?_=pf&pf_t_category=Sub-subcategory_Dreadnought Guitar Cases

Your guitar will spend most of its time in its case, so it makes sense to have a good one. Yeah, the case it came in is a good one as hardshell cases go, but you want a little extra protection since you're traveling. (As an aside, I stencil my name on all my guitar cases. It is an anti-theft tactic. When guitars are stolen, they are usually targets of opportunity because they all look the same and theives believe they are easy to pawn. Making your case individual and readily identifiable by stenciling your name on it makes it less attractive to a thief. Also, it doesn't hurt to write your name and number and/or email address on a piece of tape and stick it on the underside of the soundboard in a place where you can only see it with an inspection mirror. )

Above all, have fun playing! When you start writing songs, I bet you'll have a lot of great stories to put to music....

(And while I'm at it, thanks for the work you do. We depend on truckers.)

All great advice here dhanners... but what stood out to me was "be aware that over-humidifying a guitar can be just as bad as not humidifying it properly. (Don't ask me how I know....)". I hear you man! I had my SJ200 Golden Age in the shop for three months with nine popped braces!