I would like to take a few minutes if your time to talk to you about humidity control. The lack of proper humidity is the number one reason people have problems with action, cracks, and neck issues. Here are some warning signs that may tell you have a humidity problem.
The first thing you will notice is that your action is too low and you are getting a buzz down the neck. What is happening is that the wood is starting to shrink and you top is sinking making the action drop. On arch top instruments this is hard to see so you may not see it like you would on a flat top guitar.
The second thing you might notice is that you are getting sharp fret ends. If your instrument has made it this far without cracking you are lucky. If you see this you MUST start humidifying your instrument. Your instrument has become so dry that it is now pulling water from your neck making it smaller. Due to the fact that your frets are made of metal, they’re not shrinking which makes them stick out. If this occurs, it can be fixed with a fret dress.
Lastly, the most horrific thing that can happen is your instrument cracks. Although this is the worst case scenario, it’s not the end of the world. You can get a crack fixed, but this means you now have a repaired instrument which diminishes the value.
You may ask, “Why is this so important to make sure you humidify you instrument?” The truth is you should do your best to keep it between 45% and 55% humidity. Even though you may have a humidifier and think you are keeping your instrument humidified, there is no guarantee without a Hygrometer that you are doing so properly.
The worst thing you can do is put your instrument on a stand. This is the biggest issue that I see people do. Putting you instrument on a stand makes it easier to pick up and play, and they look nice when they are on display. Unless you have a fully humidity controlled room you can’t put your instrument on a stand. It needs be kept in the case to keep what moisture you have in the guitar. In the dead of winter with the heat running it will only take a few days before you see issues. If you find yourself in a situation where you are having one or more of these problems Please shoot us an email or give us a call so I can walk you through an emergency humidification process.
-Brian Farmer
brian@themandolinstore.com
Head Set-up Technician
The Mandolin Store
