Air conditioning and nitrocellulous

[ToddS]

Hi All,

 

I used to keep my 335 safely locked in its case, scared of any ding, dent or scratch. It was safe. In its case.

 

Trouble is, I played it once a week, so I decided to take the plunge, and now she spends most her time hanging on my study wall, on a leather 'hook' (which after recent reading I have done is done to be covered in a cotton polishing cloth).

 

Winter has hit here in Australia, and I'm a bit concerned that running our newly installed (dont know how we ever did with out it) reverse cycle ducted air con is going to create problems with the finish.

 

Gibson website and owners manuals seem to suggest that problems only come about with RAPID shifts in temperature:

 

 

A rapid change in temperature or humidity can result in small cracks in the finish known as "finish checking". In most cases it happens when a chilled instrument is exposed to warm air. It occurs most frequently in the winter when a guitar case is opened in a warm room or studio after being outside. This is a result of the wood expanding faster than the lacquer. While this condition does not affect the tone it certainly does affect the appearance. To eliminate the possibility of this happening to your instrument we recommend you warm it slowly by opening the case slowly and fanning it to induce warm air to circulate over the top. If a bright bluish fog appears on the top, close the case immediately and let it warm up for a few minutes. Then lift the instrument a little bit from the case and allow the rest of it to warm to room temperature.

 

But is there any chance of damage due to the air con drying the air out, or keeping the room too warm? I can turn airflow to the room on or off, but cant adjust the temp seperately from the rest of the house.

 

Any concerns (and what about in summer when I have cold a/c running)?

 

Thanks

 

Todd

[jmjohnson]

Our AC runs most of the summer - keeping it about 70ish, but it gets warmer and cooler depending...no problems.

 

I do worry more about humidity (or lack there of)...ours seems to be in the 25-30% area all the time w/heat or AC, & even with a humidifier in the case gets it to only like 35%. Eventually the guitars end up on stands for convenience...I haven't had any issues in a couple years.

 

They are definitely warning of drastic changes, or extremes in either direction. But be careful that the study wall isn't an outside wall - that can get very warm or very cold depending. I also avoid direct sunlight.

[TattooedCarrot]

Normal weather changes are fine. Rapid changes that would cause the nitro to shrink noticeably would be like leaving it in the car overnight in a snowy winter then bringing it in the house and setting it next to the fireplace. And extreme example, but kinda makes the point.

 

Another more realistic example might be having a guitar shipped; its been in cold train cars and trucks for a week during the cold (or heat) and you bring it straight into your heated (or cooled) house and open the box up. Stuff like that.

 

As long as the changes are moderate enough that the guitar can acclimate, I don't think there's an issue.

 

Also, that cotton cloth thing isn't for leather, its recommended to do that if your wall hangers or stand have rubber foam padding because something in the rubber's petroleum base chemically melts into the nitro.

[ToddS]

 

Also' date=' that cotton cloth thing isn't for leather, its recommended to do that if your wall hangers or stand have rubber foam padding because something in the rubber's petroleum base chemically melts into the nitro.

[/quote']

 

Thanks .. i learnt that the hard way, had a plastic coated hanging hook originally, had never harmed my tele (different finish on the neck I guess) but took two days to make some sticky marks on my 335.

 

They have since polished off, and thats why i went to a leather hanger.

 

The reason I was going to start covering the leather with a cotton cloth is that I had read somewhere in Gibson materials to remove even a leather strap after you had finished playing, with the inference being that leaving it on could damage the finish. You think the were just covering their asses?

[WayneS]

Tattooed said:

 

"Also, that cotton cloth thing isn't for leather, its recommended to do that if your wall hangers or stand have rubber foam padding because something in the rubber's petroleum base chemically melts into the nitro."

 

How about the "rubber" foam in an ATA flight case? I've just started using some to protect my Blueshawk in its universal electric guitar case-- is that a bad idea?

[milod]

I've had problems with finish cracking over the years - but figure this: It tended to be from roughly -30 C to +21 C, back and forth to gigs.

 

I doubt you'll have that much change that rapidly in Oz - especially the -C temps.

 

As for humidity... I worry about that all the time and I'm where it's relatively dry.

 

I've also noticed that the full hollow with trapeze changes tuning far more than a semi which changes tuning more than a solidbody during major humidity changes that are fairly typical here. But it doesn't seem to affect the finish of any. I do occasionally have some concerns about acoustic woods given that I had one wood top develop a split I blame on humidity variations...

 

m

[Vestapol]

Just got a '96 Blueshawk and there's just a bit of what I'll call de-lamination of the Cherry Red see-through finish at the edge of an f-hole. I'm not sure of the technical terms or even exactly what finish this Hawk has, lacquer, nitro, or what.

 

But my question is, anyone have experience solving this particular problem?

 

Thanks,

 

Doug

[Hall]

I just keep my guitars in their cases for many reasons. One less worry. But, I rather see one hanging 'stead of on a stand awaiting the inevitable!

[milod]

While I can't speak to the specific problem last mentioned, let's put it this way: Woods, laminate or otherwise, are organic entities that will make lots of changes over time.

 

I recently ran into a couple of early - as 1950s - Gibson electrics. One was a flat top with a mostly hidden magnetic pickup and big obvious volume and control knobs and one was a single pickup archtop. Both had a degree of obvious wood degradation and the obvious resulting problems for the finish.

 

It seems to me that no guitar will remain pristine. The nastier the weather one puts a guitar into, very likely the more problems one might have. I have an idea about those two 55+ year old Gibsons since I know more or less the conditions under which they have survived and in ways, in spite of love for them by their owners, it may be a wonder they haven't had to be entirely rebuilt at least once during their lifetime.

 

My own early-mid 1970s guitars, mandolin and banjo and an older fiddle show a bit of age too. Some more than others. But then no two bits of wood or wood laminate are identical. The Guild SG "clone" I used in the '70s for most gigs was put through some "interesting" temperature changes. The finish shows the inevitable lines/cracks, whatever you want to call it. My laminate top archtop form that era is still awfully nice in apparent appearance - but frankly I worry about her.

 

A 1996 guitar is at least 14 years old. If it's been anywhere, there will have been many times when it may not have cared for variations in temperature or other "climate" changes. Heck, I wish I still looked like I did in 1996...

 

m