Some of the most common repair issues we encounter with fine acoustic instruments here in the desert Southwest involve one cause – the owner has let the instrument dry out. Such damage is entirely preventable with proper humidification.
Cracks, collapsed tops, sunken or “rolling” bridges, poor action, loose braces, protruding fret ends, raised or loose frets… the list goes on and on.
Quality guitars are manufactured at a constant humidity level of 45%. Virtually every manufacturer recommends storing the instrument at that humidity level. Many humidifier gizmos are on the market. They are kept with the instrument in a closed case between uses, but need to be replenished often to provide enough water vapor to achieve 45%. Several low cost humidity gauges are on the market as well, so you can see at a glance if the moisture level is correct.
When wood dries out it shrinks. When it takes on humidity it swells. Sudden changes or extreme dryness can wreck havoc with your guitar. Don’t let that happen!
When you bring a guitar to GRT for a humidity-caused repair, before we do the work we will keep the instrument for a couple weeks in our humidity controlled storage area, so that the guitar is once again at 45% relative humidity. We will not accept dryness-caused repair work unless the guitar has been properly rehumidified and stabilized.
We will not warrant any repair if the instrument is allowed to dry out once again.
We will be glad to speak with you in person about specific recommendations for storage and humidity control. You own a wonderful instrument. With proper care it will last a lifetime.
Guitar Repair Tucson is an authorized dealer for Music Nomad humidification products. Here in the desert, we always recommend using a case humidifier as well as a sound-hole humidifier. It’s wise as well to keep some type of hygrometer in the case so that you can accurately monitor the relative humidity. (Digital monitors are much more accurate than analog models.) We will be happy to show you our Music Nomad humidification accessories for your consideration. We consider them to be the best on the market and always keep them in stock.
