Laminate Guitar Humidity

Obviously this isn t an invitation to stress test a guitar to destruction but hpl guitars should hold up to environmental hassles better than an instrument made from a dead tree.

Laminate guitar humidity. All guitars are at risk of extreme climate temperature swings and dryness so you still have to be careful with a 500 guitar or a 5000 all solid wood rosewood acoustic. But how do you know what the humidity is. While it is always a good idea to protect any guitar from sudden changes in humidity laminated wood can usually survive in any climate controlled building especially if kept in a hard shell case. Buying an inexpensive digital hygrometer is a smart way to find that out i keep one on a bookshelf near my hanging guitar.

When a guitar s wood goes through fast changes in temperature and humidity the wood can develop cracks or glued joints can change. The simple formula for ideal guitar humidity that has worked for me in giving my guitars consistent playability stability all these years is this. Many of us would have a hard time making that a reality so do what you can generally 40 60 percent humidity is optimal. Where lower end builds tend to require less refined and at times questionably sourced wood variations today s boutique flat top guitar builders rely exclusively on the most resonant cuts of solid wood.

A good set of numbers to aspire to is 50 percent humidity at 70 degrees. I m glad you asked. Humidity effects when the humidity in the room exceeds 60 percent laminate boards expand and push against each other. Some people say laminate guitars react better to extreme climate changes but i haven t heard this enough for it to be a real plus in my opinion.

The best way to monitor humidity is to use a. Whenever conditions are outside of this range you risk damaging your guitar. To prevent damage keep your guitar at a consistent 40 50 humidity level. 72 degrees f 50 rh about 9 moisture content.

A major difference between laminate and solid wood guitars involves how the tonewood is sourced and processed. That is my rule of thumb. When i check my wood with the moisture meter i m looking for around 9 moisture content. If you re considering a guitar and planning to travel a lot with it a laminate guitar will stand up to many different climates and temperatures better than a solid wood guitar.