De-mistifying Guitar Hydration

L. Petsch

Yep, it's that time of year again and Fall is upon us.  The days grow shorter, leaves are changing, and I hear the strangely comforting crackle of Grady High's Friday night football drum lines from my parents porch in Virginia Highlands during our weekly family dinners. If you are anything like me, it is hard to resist the siren call of a cool, crisp fall night outside on the porch or by the fire pit with a guitar and a stout beer and/or a smooth bourbon. However, before one is overcome with autumnal zeal for tipsy jams under a harvest moon, it is important to remember that your beloved guitar might not share your enthusiasm for the change in seasons. In fact, if our trusty six string companions could give voice to their attitudes during the coming months, their grumblings would probably not be suitable for polite company, and, at very least, would echo the complaints of a grumpy arthritic old coot!  Indeed, this is the time of year when your guitar is most at risk from exposure to its environment.  And, not surprisingly, every year we see quite a number of guitars come through our repair shop with any number of maladies related to cold weather, and the concomitant dryness of the season.  These include: cracks, loose bracing, sharp fret ends, and poor action (due to the shrinking of the top).  Over the years, I have found myself proselytizing the practice of caring for their guitars during this time of year, which mostly involves vigilance in monitoring humidity.  With hope of converting even more of you, I will pass along a few guidelines, insights, and tips for the season if you know of someone else who would benefit, please spread the word!!!  Also, to further incentivize proper guitar maintenance, we are offering some good deals on humidification products throughout the season. 

Like many manufacturers, we include an informative pamphlet with every guitar we sell that details the general care and feeding of a guitar.  Of course, many folks are so overwhelmed with enthusiasm for their new guitar, that task of reading manuals is a distant consideration, and thus something that will likely never occur!   Knowing that face to face entreaties are usually more powerful than anything written, I try to paraphrase all the maintenance instructions into a couple easily digestible concepts:  1) Think of your guitar as person, a living thing that is sensitive to its surroundings.  You would not enjoy being in your trunk during a scorching summer afternoon or a below freezing January night,  so neither does your guitar.  Just like you, it prefers a temperate environment ideally, an environment that is relatively devoid of irresponsible and reckless people as well!  2) When it comes to the subject of this article, hydration, your guitar is a lot like your car, in that regular maintenance prevents a great many major problems down the road.  Keeping your guitar properly hydrated/humidified is the equivalent of keeping fresh oil in the care it requires little effort, and yet it is critical to ensuring that things run smoothly.

Many folks are oblivious to how essential hydration is, or they are loath to add what is often perceived as some onerous tedious task to their day-to-day routine.   Yet, humidification doesn't have to be a major pain or overly complicated!  In the end, you simply need to monitor the humidity, and act accordingly if it is dry.  Wood is hygroscopic, meaning it behaves like a sponge, taking on and releasing moisture given the surroundings.  As a result, the woods of a guitar will expand and contract laterally, depending on humidity.  The effects of this are most apparent on acoustic guitars, particularly with respect to their tops, which will rise with excess humidity and sink in the absence of moisture if your acoustic guitar's action is suddenly high, the guitar is probably over-hydrated; and, if the action is low and buzzy, the guitar is probably dry.  That said, we also see guitars universally impacted by dryness when their fingerboards shrink and sharp fret ends protrude (owners of solid body electric guitars should not assume that their guitar is impervious to fluctuations in the humidity!).   As a rule, guitars like to live in 40-65% relative humidity, though some might argue that 40% is a bit dry.   Here in the southeast (coastal areas excluded), atmospheric humidity tends to drop in the fall, winter, and early spring.  If you are suddenly feeling desiccated with dry skin and sinus problems, then your guitar is probably dry as well!  We highly recommend that you purchase a hygrometer (which is a digital humidity gauge) and keep it in the room or case where you store your guitar.  Check this gauge regularly, and, if the humidity is low, begin humidifying your guitar!  Should you have an integrated humidifier in your home's HVAC, I still recommend that you check the room itself with an independent hygrometer.  Central hygrometers are not always as accurate or reliable.  

When it comes to actually humidifying the guitar, there are essentially two methods:  1) You can humidify the guitar directly using an instrument or case humidifier.  2)  You can humidify the room with a room humidifier.   Case/instrument humidifiers are most effective when the guitar is in the case.  Historically, these humidifiers have been either permeable clays in a perforated container, or some sort of glorified elongated sponge, like a Dampit.  In the case of the sponges, one must fill them regularly (e.g., every 24-48 hours) and take great care to wring them out properly!  (If the sponge is used when it is dripping wet, you can damage your guitar!)  Nowadays, we also have products like the Planet Waves Humidipaks, which have a lifespan of roughly 3-4 months and actually regulate humidity (i.e., they add or release moisture gradually to maintain about 50% relative humidity).  Gel-type Humidipaks like these are a bit more expensive, less eco-friendly, and their lifespan can be greatly reduced in overly arid environments (e.g., Arizona); however, they are less of a hassle for those who can't deal with a daily routine of filling a sponge.  TIP:  If you use Humidipaks, some folks have had success re-hydrating desiccated packs (thus expanding their lifespan and reducing their eco-footprint) by placing them in a sealed container with moist paper towels.  ANOTHER TIP:  You can make your own sponge humidifier with a kitchen sponge in a perforated Ziplock bag or plastic traveling soap container with some holes drilled in it (be sure to wring out the sponge before putting it in the case with your guitar!).  

As the owner of numerous guitars, I prefer (and advocate) simply humidifying the room where the guitars are stored, much like we do here in our showroom. Apart from eliminating the need for a host of individual humidifiers and the associated cost, this approach has the very desirable advantage of allowing me to leave the instruments displayed.  Not only do I end up playing my guitars more regularly as a result, but I get to display my collection and look cool (with less sinus congestion to boot, which is good for any singer songwriter!).   This approach is made possible with the simple purchase of a warm mist humidifier from your local pharmacy or department stores we have found Vicks brand to be very reliable and relatively inexpensive.  Cool mist units can be more expensive, and, in my opinion, less effective when it comes to distributing the moisture in a room (they are good a targeting a bed-ridden body, however), yet most high-end and/or high-volume room humidifiers will be cool mist.  Please note, if your guitars are stored in a large room like a loft or a living room with vaulted ceilings; or, if you reside in a very dry place, this approach might not work as well.

In closing, as the cool months descend upon us, please take a moment to assess your guitars needs given the environmental conditions.  We are happy to answer your questions, and help you find the humidification approach that is best for you.  If you keep the points from this article in mind, I assure you that your guitar will be better off, and you will incur fewer playability issues, less expense for maintenance costs, and overall less hassle where your guitar is concerned.  You can then focus on the important part, playing music!  And, should your friendly neighborhood guitar-slinger's words of wisdom above not fully resonate, remember the old adage: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of the cure!