10 to 15 deg temp swings, impact?

[uncle fester]

Hi all - I have a question about 15 to 20 deg temp changes on guitars.

To control the humidity of my guitars, I keep them in my office and maintain the humidity of the room.  Usually I can keep the doors cracked a little bit so heat from the other rooms flow through or I use a space heater to keep my self warm.  Under these conditions the temps go up and down a little bit (+/ - 5 to 10 deg). 

When it's really dry out, I have to keep the doors to the office closed to maintain the humidity, which in turn leads to a pretty cold office.  When I'm back and forth working in there during the day, I use the heat and it could heat up 15 to 20 degrees or so...  The humidity is maintained, and I have not seen any issues due to this, but would anyone have long term concerns with temp changes like this?  Thank you all for input?

Rgds - brfm

[j45nick]

4 minutes ago, billroy fineman said:

 

When it's really dry out, I have to keep the doors to the office closed to maintain the humidity, which in turn leads to a pretty cold office.  When I'm back and forth working in there during the day, I use the heat and it could heat up 15 to 20 degrees or so...  The humidity is maintained, and I have not seen any issues due to this, but would anyone have long term concerns with temp changes like this?  Thank you all for input?

Rgds - brfm

To some extent, it depends on how quickly the temperature changes, and what the actual temperatures are. Often, very cold temperatures come with low humidity, which can be a deadly combination. I've seen significant lacquer checking on guitars that were kept at both extreme high temperatures and extreme low temperatures. What they had in common was low humidity.

When you say a "pretty cold office", what exactly are you talking about?

You may want to look into humidification of individual guitars, rather than trying to control the macro environment.

[zombywoof]

I spent decades working in historic houses and dealing with stabilizing interior conditions..  Unless you are  willing to spend some bucks on putting one room on a separate closed HVAC system, I agree with j45nick  that the way to go is to do the best you can with the instruments inside cases.  

[fortyearspickn]

Is it feasible to keep your acoustic guitars in their cases when not being played?  

I personally would avoid 20 degree changes several times a day on my own, but as  J45N stated - probably less risky if your guitars humidity is always appropriate.  

Cases would mitigate the abruptness of the temp change - again assuming the humidity isn't also fluctuating - which I think it might. 

[uncle fester]

Thank you all, good food for thought.  To put numbers to it, I would say it goes from low 50s (deg F) to high 60s, maybe low 70s....  but humidity is maintained pretty well above 40% (and below 60%).

I think I understand the best practice in this situation (maintain the micro environment...i.e. w/in a case), unfortunately keeping my J45 in it's case really is not enticing to me.  It makes enough sense though, so I  have to think on it.  Right now I work out of my office, so I'm in and out a lot and pick up the guitar 6 different times during the day in between breaks etc... it's nice to have it in a stand.  Thank you again for the input, it's appreciated!

 

[j45nick]

36 minutes ago, billroy fineman said:

Thank you all, good food for thought.  To put numbers to it, I would say it goes from low 50s (deg F) to high 60s, maybe low 70s....  but humidity is maintained pretty well above 40% (and below 60%).

I think I understand the best practice in this situation (maintain the micro environment...i.e. w/in a case), unfortunately keeping my J45 in it's case really is not enticing to me.  It makes enough sense though, so I  have to think on it.  Right now I work out of my office, so I'm in and out a lot and pick up the guitar 6 different times during the day in between breaks etc... it's nice to have it in a stand.  Thank you again for the input, it's appreciated!

 

Temperature variance from the low 50's F to low 70's F is probably nothing to worry about, assuming humidity stays within a rational range. 

I keep my guitars in their cases unless I am playing them. They stay clean and safe that way, safe from their clumsy owner unless he is playing them.

My small home office (about 11' by 11',  3.4m by 3.4m) doubles as my music space, of necessity, so all of my guitars are no more than 10' away when I'm at my desk. Just did a timed test. It takes me no more than 15 seconds to get up from my desk, take a couple of steps in either direction to my guitar storage, pull out a case, take a guitar out, and sit back down in my desk chair or guitar-playing stool  (Geoffrey Warner Studio Owl stool). 

That's a pretty small inconvenience for me. If I had a proper music room (still on the drawing board), I might look at things differently.

We don't get real extremes in temperature in Florida, and it only gets fairly dry inside when the air conditioning is running in the summer, when it can drop to about 37-40%. Right now, outside temp is about 72 F, and humidity (it has been raining, but is now clearing) is 60% in the office. While that humidity is higher than ideal, it isn't into danger zone. The guitars just don't sound as crisp as they will at 45%.

[Murph]

It's not uncommon for my Music room to get into the low 50's at night during the winter, Big old house and we crank the heat downstairs when we get up. I've never had an issue with it, they warm up/cool off slowly.

My J-45 has been colder than that a few times.

Much colder...

[Dave F]

We moved about a year ago and I now have a very nicely situated music room. Only half of one wall is an exterior wall with a window. I was able to close off the vent during the heating season,  leave one side of the double doors open and the temperature and humidity varies very little using a large room. humidifier. The furnace does have a humidifier but keeping the entire house at 45% during the winter is too much. During the summer months I use a large dehumidifier that does a great job keeping the entire level controlled without doing anything special.

[sbpark]

Play more. Freak out and worry less. 

[BluesKing777]

 

Isn’t there a song? “

“I woke up this morning and my guitar was split in half”

My (good) guitars go in good cases mainly, with a Humidipak system in each case. It is not foolproof but better than torturing the poor things.

I am zipping to a music shop that claims to have 2 Humidipaks in stock later, rare as hen’s teeth here. I have the Oasis humidifiers on 2 guitars currently and refilling those all the time is a full time job. Gone.

I read somewhere that acoustic guitars like the same conditions as humans.

 

BluesKing777.

 

 

Edited December 21, 2019 by BluesKing777

[62burst]

 

[BluesKing777]

 

Just when I was thinking used Gibsons are the future, I am now turning to thinking about brand new unopened in the factory box....

 

BluesKing777.

 

[sbpark]

1 hour ago, 62burst said:

 

 

Opposite of torrification?

[ratherbwalkn]

I live in a place where extreme temps and humidity change so fast you hardly notice, when I first started playing and collecting guitars ( more than 30 years ago )

I would say no way my guitar are so beautiful Im leaving them out and enjoying them but again I just wanted to play them and look at them.  Thankfully I came to 

my senses, Just keep them in there cases when not playing them. I have to double up on all my humidity devices that I have to just keep them close to 40%

Ive seen guitars here that weren't and it ugly. In the winter where I live the humidity is in the single digits most of the time. So care is necessary. 

Cheers. 

[uncle fester]

19 hours ago, ratherbwalkn said:

In the winter where I live the humidity is in the single digits most of the time. So care is necessary. 

Cheers. 

Hey Rather-b, out of curiosity where are you from...  just wondering where it get's that dry?

[jt]

You've stipulated that you "maintain the humidity of the room."

Given this, a change of 15, 20, or, sheesh, even 40 degrees (fahrenheit), will not harm your guitars.