Still humidifying my guitars

We’re in mid-April and there’s still not enough relative humidity in my studio where my guitars reside on their stands. So I keep filling the humidifier with water and it keeps belching out steam. It’s a labour of love.

I didn’t even know about the necessity for doing this before I started lurking around internet forums. 50% relative humidity was the factory controlled condition under which my Martin guitars were made. 45% is what a lot of experts recommend you keep ’em at. My room oscillates between 35% (occasionally) and 75% (when I forget to turn the humidifier off!) so my guitars experience a… varied climate!

In the Summer, where I live it can get to less than 30% in the Winter but never goes above 55% in the summer, so it’s all pretty moderate, anyway. I guess my Martins would survive without my attentions but I wouldn’t like to see any lacquer checks – as is unfortunately the case with my Eccleshall. Crazy paving is the phrase that springs to mind.

I just must try and remember to unplug it.