Home
<p>If the wood is exposed to damp air, it will literally absorb the moisture and hold it. When the environment is drier than the wood’s moisture level, it will release that moisture. Thereby, wood is dimensionally unstable – it will react to an uncontrolled environment and climate conditions such as moisture and temperature (heat/cold).</p><p><br></p><p>This is why <a href="https://www.xuqiumusic.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>guitar manufacturers</strong></a> work in a controlled environment. They need to control the moisture content of the building environment and the storage area. It warrants painstaking measures to maintain a relative humidity of 45 to 50% relative humidity (RH) at 20 degrees to prevent the wood from shrinking or expanding.</p><p><br></p><p>We’ll also discuss some easy to follow solutions to safeguard your guitar from damage and wear.</p><p><br></p><p>Burl wood staying happy and moist before the chainsaws come.</p><p>Guitar Wood: Changes and movement caused by moisture</p><p>From the boot of your car to an overhead compartment to a hotel room, a guitar makes several pit stops in its journey from your storage closet to the stage. Dryness will make the guitar wood crack and moisture will make it swell and/or distort.</p><p><br></p><p>There are two primary ways in which wood absorbs moisture: a) when it comes in direct contact with any liquid, and b) from the air. Thus, the guitar wood’s moisture content varies as per the humidity and temperature of the surrounding air.</p><p><br></p><p>When you live in a high-humidity area or tropical weather, there is no safe place to store your guitar. You heard that right. Your soft case and closet won’t safeguard it from 70 to 80% humidity. The ensuing damage and repairs, if possible at all, won’t be cheap either.</p><p><br></p><p>Moisture, in a nutshell, is the arch-nemesis of wood. <a href="https://www.xuqiumusic.com/electric-guitar" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Acoustic guitars</strong></a> are decidedly more susceptible to damage from changes in moisture content. Either way, the humidity will oxidize the metal hardware components on any acoustic, electric, hollow, and semi-hollow body guitars.</p><p><br></p><p>Effect of moisture on the Guitar</p><p>It takes a few weeks for the guitar to get affected when exposed to severe humidity. In the case of moderate levels of humidity – 60% to 70%), the over-humidification will happen after a few months of exposure.</p><p><br></p><p>Some wood species are more hygroscopic than others and the expansion and contraction are more pronounced. In general, softwoods are less likely to shrink or swell with changes in moisture levels as compared to hardwoods. This is due to their inherent dimensional stability.</p><p><br></p><p>The moisture content of wood also affects its mechanical characteristics and alters the acoustic vibration. High moisture content reduces the dynamic elastic modulus of the wood and increases its loss tangent. In simple words, it causes internal stresses that result in volume change and instability in the guitar’s sound.</p><p><br></p><p>Telltale Signs of a ‘Wet Guitar’:</p><p>We use the term wet guitar for any over-humidified guitar. A visual sighting of the neck angle, top/back, and bridge angle are enough to diagnose the problem. On occasion, I will use a straightedge to check over humidification.</p><p><br></p><p>The most visible moisture-based damage to a guitar is seen in the top and back. They tend to have a pronounced arch. However, don’t confuse this with acoustic guitars that have it by design. Here is a quick summary of the telltale signs of a ‘wet guitar’ –</p><p><br></p><p>Regularly oiling your (un-lacquered) fretboard will prevent it from drying out.</p><p>Cracks in the finish</p><p>High guitar string action</p><p>Fret ends and nut may shrink</p><p>Crack joints swell up</p><p>Glue joints will fail</p><p>Neck angle will get distorted (neck warp)</p><p>“Rising tongue”</p><p>Dull tone and diminished projection of sound</p><p>A low spot where the end block is glued</p>
products
