guitar issues resolved via humidity control

[uncle fester]

Hi all - I was going to reply to an older thread i started about recurring string buzz, but couldn't find it.   

Anyways, the back story is I got a really good set up on my guitar, it played beautifully (luthier recommended by kidblast), then several months later developed some string buzz.  Addressed it via a truss rod tweak (via luthier recommendation) - guitar was back to gold.  A few months later it developed some more buzz... another truss rod tweak...  and then a few months later it developed buzz again.. and enough was enough.

Cutting to the chase, I used to keep my guitar out in the stand.  I pretty much was able to keep it between 40 and 60 humidity via humidifiers etc... but it could land anywhere in that zone from day to day.  I decided I would try managing humidity by putting the guitar in the case at night with d'addario humidipaks.   about 5-6 months in, I have to say it's the best thing I have done.   

The reason for this post is I just picked up the guitar started playing it and realized again just how nice it plays.  It doesn't just play nice, it plays nice enough for me to want to post about it.  Talk about bringing out the potential in an instrument!

If anyone was to ask me what's important about a good set up - I would now include humidity management as a must have item.  

[j45nick]

There will be a lot of changes in a guitar in an environment that swings from 40% humidity to 60%.

Glad you got it sorted out.

[northcntryblues]

Living in Canada with four full seasons and all the humidity changes that go with them, I've always found the best way to keep my guitars stable is to keep them in the case when not playing.  As soon as the furnace goes on in fall, in goes the Oasis humidifier.  When the furnace goes off in the spring, out it comes.   My guitar's action hasn't changed in the ten years I've had it.  Mind you, I prefer a fairly "guitar-friendly" setup - custom light strings tuned down half a step.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[kidblast]

I'm happy to hear that you've got that thing playing to your taste.  It makes your day a lot easier when you pick it up, and it's just ready to go.

Cases and sound hole humidifiers are the way

Mine stay in them till I am using them, then they are back in when I'm done.  and each has an oasis or similar

Strings will tend to last a bit longer with less free air to corrode them, and very rarely do need to tweak the relief. 

I like my necks really straight, and I can feel any change in relief immediately. 

I have 6 acoustics, one being a 12 string,  the necks just do not move.

Same treatment for my electrics.  They spend down time in their cases.  

Edited November 20, 2021 by kidblast

[Sgt. Pepper]

I use those Boveda hydration packs, they make them for/and D'addario, rebrands them as their own as well. I put them in all my acoustic guitar cases. They say they only last 3 months, but some I have gotten about 5 out of. They are easy to use. No water to add, just put then in the sound hole and case and when they get lumpy and hard get new ones. Heat and AC both remove moisture from the air. So if they remove moisture form the air it will also remove moisture from your guitar if left out.

Edited November 20, 2021 by Sgt. Pepper

[uncle fester]

thanks for the comments all, and the education leading me here.   I've got me a nice guitar, that plays super nice, always!

[BoSoxBiker]

I leave mine out for a week at a time and then the off weeks are in their cases. I was using the soundhole humidifiers and silica gel packs to manage humidity as needed during the their storage weeks. I got a couple sets of humidipaks with new guitars the past two years, so I tried them out. It was too easy. I now use them exclusively. I've even started keeping two guitars out on my stand.

With my HVAC and house, I do have to watch humidity more than I'd like. A Humid Summer along with some really bad advice from a big chain guitar store that wasn't GC had me using the sponge-filled sound-hole type humidifiers despite what my hygrometer was saying and it killed my Taylor 614 CE. Never did recover. That's when I researched and changed how I did things.

Two of mine are 3 years old now. They started needing less and less of the season and weather changes this past year. My newer ones (6-18 months) followed suit as soon as I started using Humidipaks. I think I've noticed the same string longevity recently, too. 

[Kwlsky]

I guess I've gone in the other direction.  I used to use humidipacks, but then stopped using them because I never liked not knowing exactly what their humidity was during the winter. Especially the guitars I wasn't regularly playing.  I also didn't like the lack of humidity to the necks , bridges, and fret boards. Living up north and heating our entire house with wood, we eventually  decided to humidify the whole house - which made everyone breathe much easier. The guitars I currently play are always sit within 6 feet of a humidifier, and no more than three feet from a hygrometer.  The humidifiers are all adjustable, and I adjust them to what I see on the hygrometers every morning and night.  Now the house is more enjoyable for everybody. Why should only the guitars get the winter moisture they need?

[kidblast]

3 hours ago, Kwlsky said:

I guess I've gone in the other direction.  I used to use humidipacks, but then stopped using them because I never liked not knowing exactly what their humidity was during the winter. Especially the guitars I wasn't regularly playing.  I also didn't like the lack of humidity to the necks , bridges, and fret boards. Living up north and heating our entire house with wood, we eventually  decided to humidify the whole house - which made everyone breathe much easier. The guitars I currently play are always sit within 6 feet of a humidifier, and no more than three feet from a hygrometer.  The humidifiers are all adjustable, and I adjust them to what I see on the hygrometers every morning and night.  Now the house is more enjoyable for everybody. Why should only the guitars get the winter moisture they need?

yea.. whole house is the way to go if you can.  everyone wins..

[Mr. Paul]

On 11/20/2021 at 9:03 AM, kidblast said:

 

Cases and sound hole humidifiers are the way

 

Well it is certainly one way.

I hang all my guitars in a room humidified to 42%. It's been 10 years with no buzzes or a single truss rod tweak. So that's another way.

[kidblast]

20 minutes ago, Mr. Paul said:

Well it is certainly one way.

I hang all my guitars in a room humidified to 42%. It's been 10 years with no buzzes or a single truss rod tweak. So that's another way.

yea, like said, whole house is great if you can manage it.   in my house, it'd be very difficult to achieve. 

[Mr. Paul]

22 hours ago, kidblast said:

yea, like said, whole house is great if you can manage it.   in my house, it'd be very difficult to achieve. 

I use a big honking floor standing humidifier. It runs most of the time in the drier months. A lot of folks wouldn't care for the noise but it functions as an effective mask for my tinnitus.

[fortyearspickn]

Humidity ....    it's all relative. 

[kidblast]

39 minutes ago, Mr. Paul said:

I use a big honking floor standing humidifier. It runs most of the time in the drier months. A lot of folks wouldn't care for the noise but it functions as an effective mask for my tinnitus.

I tried one and the maintenance was pretty high for keeping the filters clean..  

back to the case & Sound hole humidifiers I went

[GuitarsAnn]

I used to do the humid thing in the case, but it didn't address dryness and I wanted better access to my guitars. A change in our home environment made getting a dedicated case a better choice. I had one built by Access N Sight. It holds all my guitars in safety and proper humidity. I can monitor the temperature and humidity at a glance, see my guitars, and grab one anytime with ease. Pricey, but worth it if you can afford this option.

Edited November 24, 2021 by GuitarsAnn

[j45nick]

36 minutes ago, GuitarsAnn said:

I used to do the humid thing in the case, but it didn't address dryness and I wanted better access to my guitars. A change in our home environment made getting a dedicated case a better choice. I had one built by Access N Sight. It holds all my guitars in safety and proper humidity. I can monitor the temperature and humidity at a glance, see my guitars, and grab one anytime with ease. Pricey, but worth it if you can afford this option.

I like that a lot, but what do you do with the stack of empty cases?

[Kwlsky]

43 minutes ago, GuitarsAnn said:

I used to do the humid thing in the case, but it didn't address dryness and I wanted better access to my guitars. A change in our home environment made getting a dedicated case a better choice. I had one built by Access N Sight. It holds all my guitars in safety and proper humidity. I can monitor the temperature and humidity at a glance, see my guitars, and grab one anytime with ease. Pricey, but worth it if you can afford this option.

 

That is fantastic. It's giving me some ideas........

[GuitarsAnn]

I store the cases I may use more frequently in my music/guest room closet. The others are stored in a closet off our recreation room. When my hubby started working at home, due to covid restrictions, we move my guitars out of the home office/music room to a revamped guest bedroom with a Wilding Wall Bed. I wanted the guitars stored safer for when we had guest, so we ordered the guitar case from Access N Sight. I can go from Music room to guest room in about 5 minutes and not have a wasted room for 350 days a year.

[j45nick]

2 hours ago, GuitarsAnn said:

I store the cases I may use more frequently in my music/guest room closet. The others are stored in a closet off our recreation room. When my hubby started working at home, due to covid restrictions, we move my guitars out of the home office/music room to a revamped guest bedroom with a Wilding Wall Bed. I wanted the guitars stored safer for when we had guest, so we ordered the guitar case from Access N Sight. I can go from Music room to guest room in about 5 minutes and not have a wasted room for 350 days a year.

That's a very nice solution.

Right now, my current office doubles as a music room which triples as a guest room. Fortunately, we don't get many guests. Plans for a dedicated music room have languished here for a number of years, but I live in hope.

[BluesKing777]

It was probably me that told you about the Humidipaks...I have been a staunch proponent for them.

Elixir PBs, Humidipaks, Hiscox Case - house full of various guitars and pull one out and it is normally almost still in tune! But leave them out around here and lookout..horrible weather changes! Guitar no likey.😁

BluesKing777.

 

 

[thegreatgumbino]

10 hours ago, GuitarsAnn said:

I used to do the humid thing in the case, but it didn't address dryness and I wanted better access to my guitars. A change in our home environment made getting a dedicated case a better choice. I had one built by Access N Sight. It holds all my guitars in safety and proper humidity. I can monitor the temperature and humidity at a glance, see my guitars, and grab one anytime with ease. Pricey, but worth it if you can afford this option.

Beautiful!  That’s a dream setup right there.

[BoSoxBiker]

GuitarsAnn, that is one sweet setup.