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I know that rapidly changing humidity would damage the guitar but how is rapid change?

I live a place where the humidity is usually very high. Humidity in my house is about 80%. I have measured the humidity is about 50% in my hard case.

If i put my guitar in the hard case when it is not used , or take it out from hard case, it is rapidly changing in humidity and does it damage my guitar?

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    What kind of guitar? Acoustic?
    – Kellen Stuart
    May 4, 2017 at 22:12
  • Yes, it is a acoustic guitar.
    – ctchanac
    May 7, 2017 at 11:07

3 Answers 3

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In my experience it has been sustained heat and humidity that has damaged guitars, rather than a rapid change in humidity. You might find you need to retune a little, just as you will in cold weather.

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High temperature and dryness, or high temperature and extremely high humidity are the things you have to watch out for.

If your instrument gets too dry, there is danger of cracking or splitting, especially on solid top instruments.

Hot and humid conditions can soften the glue in the instrument and can cause pieces to come apart, especially parts under tension, such as braces, the bridge or neck joint. (I had to practically rebuild a 12-string that was left in the sun in 90% humidity)

Humidity changes that are rapid enough to actually damage the instrument would be an unusual event. Going from 50% in the case to 80% in the house shouldn't cause anything more than having to re-tune the guitar as the wood swells a little.

Taking a guitar from next to a fire in a warm house and placing it outside in the snow would be bad for it; or the other way, taking a very cold and dry instrument and placing it next to a steam vent would likely damage it.

Opening your case and letting the instrument acclimate is fine.

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i left a tokai guitar in a loft, subject to high heat in summer and very low temperatures in winter for years and it suffered no damage whatsoever.

If you're really worried leave the case slightly open to lessen the transition.

If your wooden furniture is surviving with its lacquer coat, I'm pretty sure your guitar will too.

Don't sweat it. (pun intended)

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  • high temperature and dryness can damage the glue inside the guitar, as well as damage the finish. Other guitars may be constructed differently than yours and be more susceptible than yours was. Or there may be damage that you haven't noticed yet. The wood in furniture is much thicker than the wood in an instrument and therefore sturdier. The better advice is to treat the instruments as well as possible.
    – Alphonso Balvenie
    May 19, 2017 at 18:53

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