Humidity

[eded]

?
The most dangerous times of year for acoustic guitars are when the cooling and heating kick in. They remove moisture from the air. Definitely does not help keep instruments in a stable or desirable RH range, for most of N America at least.

I also didn't call modern AC a risk. I said WITH modern AC, it's a risk not to look after your humidity.

The AC, I agree with.  I struggle trying to understand the heat part of the problem though.  Forced air (heat and AC) tends to remove moisture from the air.... I get that.  But, I have steam radiators, and it still gets dry as heck. 

Ed

Ed

[eded]

In younger days, 1970s and 80s for me, nobody ever talked about humidity with instruments.  But, lots of folks had instruments with cracks. It was the mid 90s when I got interested in acoustic (it had always been a guitar I could play where there wasn't an amp before that).  It seems to me, it was Taylor who came out with their Tech Sheets (or whatever they called them) and one was very in-depth on humidity and guitars. Once I started paying attention, I noticed belly bulge and/or dip, and backs being flat and such, and fret ends poking out.  After getting a tiny crack in my Larrivee parlor and a bit of bridge lift, and the ensuing chiding from my repair guy, I started paying more attention.  Now I have little hydrometers around the house and that I can put in cases if I want to check individual guitars. Oh, and soap box and sponge in-case humidifiers.  I humidify the house so I'm comfortable, the guitars in their cases so they are.

Ed

[Queequeg]

I started paying more attention.  Now I have little hydrometers around the house and that I can put in cases if I want to check individual guitars. Oh, and soap box and sponge in-case humidifiers.  I humidify the house so I'm comfortable, the guitars in their cases so they are.

Ed

Hygrometers are cheap. I have a $10 hygrometer for my son's Christmas stocking because he thinks his natural gas forced air furnace keeps his house properly humidified.
(We'll see if he's right.)

[C-10-4-me]

All I know is that here in SW Florida our AC is on 98% of the time. The RH in my house stays between 37% & 40% . My guitars are kept in their cases with a soap dish containing those water gel balls. So far no problem