Tim Plains Posted March 13, 2008 Share Posted March 13, 2008 This isn't particularly a LP question, but since Lesters are my favorite guitars, I'll post it here. My guitars are kept in my basement. I read a bunch of websites on low humidity and how it damages your guitar(s) over time. Recommended humidity levels for a guitar is between 45% - 55%. So, I went out and bought a digital thing-a-majig that shows your humidity level - mine was at 30%. Fearing my guitars may become damaged in the long run, I bought a humidifier - had it for two weeks now and my basement is now at 45%. When I pull a guitar out, the first thing I do is tune it. Before, they'd always be in tune or close to it. Now, for some reason, most of my strings are sharp...I'm assuming this is related to the guitars adjusting to the new humidity levels? My question is, is this normal, and if so, is there a typical time period that it takes for the guitar to adjust to the moisture levels in the air? After all, they are wood - so, I'm guessing that they do need some time...but two weeks? Much appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plank_Spanker Posted March 13, 2008 Share Posted March 13, 2008 It's quite normal for Gibsons. When I play outdoor gigs on jungle humid days, I'll let my Gibsons breath for an hour or so before I ever attempt to tune them. Don't be alarmed if your Lesters are out of tune from one session to another. It's the nature of the beast. These guitars really need to breathe to get stabile. It's not just the humidity, it's also the temperature. A few degrees here or there will also affect the tuning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gutch220 Posted March 13, 2008 Share Posted March 13, 2008 I always keep my guitars in their hardshell cases in my bedroom so I figure that will shield them from temp & humidity. I do have a little humidifier for an old acoustic that I put inside the guitar ever once in a while just to keep the wood happy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silverbursted Posted March 13, 2008 Share Posted March 13, 2008 I live in the desert southwest in a little town called Phoenix, where humidity in the summer is easily in the single digits. I asked the same question to the tech at a local shop when I had a nasty buzz I could not get rid of. The buzz started when I returned from a trip to Philly (80% humidity) then returning to Phoenix (7% humidity). The amount of humidity is not as bad as the change in humidity. It is imperative that you allow the guitar to self adjust to the environment. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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