A Guitarist's Question For The Day

mogruith · September 2021

What do you think, or maybe you have the experience to confirm?

Are solid wood acoustics more prone to humidity issues, such as warping?

Tannin · September 2021

I don't think this is actually a question. The mechanical properties of timber are very well understood. (Not just for guitars, pretty much anything.) Solid timber is less robust than bonded plies. But in any sensible climate, and with any normal care, well-made solid guitars are very durable. The UK, I understand, had a pretty reasonable climate. It is places like the USA where the humidity swings around like a mad duck that they have all the trouble.

Mellish · September 2021

@mogruith. If uncared for, yes. But looked after, no. I've had many solid wood guitars and never had an issue caused by humidity

Jimbro66 · September 2021

As @Tannin said, there are potential issues in extreme climates but not really in most of the UK. WhenI lived in Cornwall the periods of high air humidity could cause belly swelling in solid wood acoustics if they were left out of their cases for too long. Rather than potential damage, in much of Britain any high-ish humidity can slightly dull the tone of a good solid wood acoustic. They’ll sound a little brighter when air humidity is low. That’s my experience anyway but ymmv.

mogruith · September 2021

Thanks for the interesting replies, Jimbro66 I have heard similar accounts, and being by the coast myself humidity is a factor.

Mellish · September 2021

You could run a dehumidifier to keep 45-55% humidity if you need even more reassurance

mogruith · September 2021

Mellish said:

You could run a dehumidifier to keep 45-55% humidity if you need reassurance

It's an idea, but as there's differing takes on the impact, or not, of humidity in the UK on solid wood acoustics then I'm holding my horses. Plus, to have any meaningful effect a humidifier would need to be running almost constantly, that's a battle with nature that has only one winner

Kilgore · September 2021

As others have said, it's not a significant issue in the UK.

Our American cousins on the AGF are obsessed about humidity, which is fair enough considering their weather extremes.

Mellish · September 2021

Is it that you'd like a solid woods acoustic but humidity fears are putting you off?

mogruith · September 2021

Mellish said:

Is it that you'd like a solid woods acoustic but humidity fears are putting you off?

It's a topic I have heard raised and was interested to hear what fellow guitarists thought

Mellish · September 2021

Oh OK. Well, as said by others more experienced, it isn't something we need to worry about in the UK. That said, I do use a dehumidifier. It gives me peace of mind, you see

Lewy · September 2021

A well built (and what I mean by that is not over-braced and entombed in thick finish) solid top acoustic will be susceptible to changes of humidity. Granted in the UK we don't get the extremes that are likely to cause structural damage, but there is also the question of whether a guitar is sounding and playing its best and it doesn't take extremes for there to be a noticeable difference in those things. It's less about the sudden drop to 20% that splits your top and more about the long dragging autumn into winter where it's damp but not cold enough to fire up the heating and everything is at 67% for months on end. That will make a good guitar sound dull and exaggerate its belly etc. It's very easy to take care of if you keep your guitar in a decent case. I've found Hiscox to be by far the most effective at keeping the in-case humidity (and temperature) consistent regardless of what's going on outside. More involved if you want your fine acoustic to live out on a stand/on the wall etc

mogruith · September 2021

Lewy said:

A well built (and what I mean by that is not over-braced and entombed in thick finish) solid top acoustic will be susceptible to changes of humidity. Granted in the UK we don't get the extremes that are likely to cause structural damage, but there is also the question of whether a guitar is sounding and playing its best and it doesn't take extremes for there to be a noticeable difference in those things. It's less about the sudden drop to 20% that splits your top and more about the long dragging autumn into winter where it's damp but not cold enough to fire up the heating and everything is at 67% for months on end. That will make a good guitar sound dull and exaggerate its belly etc.

Lewy, that's what has been suggested to me.

DavidR · September 2021

As a little knowlegable about Yamaha FG's the answer is yes, but as far as I understand its a build issue rather than a humidity issue. One reason the FG got such a good rep in the early days (1970's) was that the use of strong laminated tops enabled the top to be thinner, more lightly braced and therefore, in some people's view, 'nicer' sounding than if they had been solid. Unfortunately they did not always age well and string pressure pulled up the bridge and top into a bulge with consequently bad action. This took a long time, a decade or three, but nevertheless is an example of laminate tops to warp more. But as I've mentioned, not a humidity issue though as far as I am aware.

Modern makers are wise to all this now and so, as has been said, there should be no major difference between solid and laminated. I've owned quite a few acoustics in the UK since the 1970's and I've never had a problem. Classical players are more touchy in the UK though and like to keep an eye on humidity to stay between 40-70%. They talk about the greater solubility of animal glues still used by many top classical luthiers and other esoteric stuff!

Over and above all this, wood is a fascinatingly responsive substance and, even in the UK, will respond to changing temp and humidity. Ever wondered why you pick up your guitar some days and it sounds really good? Well it might be you, but it might also be that that day the guitar has found a sweet spot in the hydration and structural property of its top.

mogruith · September 2021

DavidR said:

As a little knowlegable about Yamaha FG's the answer is yes, but as far as I understand its a build issue rather than a humidity issue. One reason the FG got such a good rep in the early days (1970's) was that the use of strong laminated tops enabled the top to be thinner, more lightly braced and therefore, in some people's view, 'nicer' sounding than if they had been solid. Unfortunately they did not always age well and string pressure pulled up the bridge and top into a bulge with consequently bad action. This took a long time, a decade or three, but nevertheless is an example of laminate tops to warp more. But as I've mentioned, not a humidity issue though as far as I am aware.

Modern makers are wise to all this now and so, as has been said, there should be no major difference between solid and laminated. I've owned quite a few acoustics in the UK since the 1970's and I've never had a problem. Classical players are more touchy in the UK though and like to keep an eye on humidity to stay between 40-70%. They talk about the greater solubility of animal glues still used by many top classical luthiers and other esoteric stuff!

Over and above all this, wood is a fascinatingly responsive substance and, even in the UK, will respond to changing temp and humidity. Ever wondered why you pick up your guitar some days and it sounds really good? Well it might be you, but it might also be that that day the guitar has found a sweet spot in the hydration and structural property of its top.

David, I hear you on that. I bought a Sigma in 1987 had it for over 20 years, never any issues with bellying and for the most part played like a dream. It had a laminated top, back and sides. Maybe just luck but given the conditions it was exposed to, with no hard case, and a companion o'er hill and dale it would be expected to have warped, Then, someone can buy a sold bodied acoustic and after a few months it starts swelling.

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A Guitarist's Question For The Day

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