Humidity depends on many things that are beyond your control. Therefore, it is important to make sure that the relative humidity (RH) is between 45 and 55% where you store your guitar.
Why humidity matters
Wood is a living material. Your guitar absorbs or releases moisture depending on the environment it is in, and when this happens, it changes shape and size slightly. Although the change is small, it is enough to cause problems.
When the guitar releases moisture, the wood shrinks. This can cause cracks and loose joints. When it absorbs moisture, the wood expands and pushes the joints apart. When the guitar was built, heat and moisture were used to bend the wood into shape, so it makes perfect sense that large fluctuations can damage it.
The sound also changes with the humidity. Think about the difference between striking a piece of freshly cut wood and a piece of dry firewood. The difference in a guitar is, of course, much smaller, but the principle is the same.
Summer and winter
The Danish winter is the most dangerous time for a guitar. The cold brings low humidity, and on a winter day with the radiators working hard, the indoor humidity can drop so low that the guitar needs extra moisture. If you have a wood stove, underfloor heating, or other heat sources that produce dry air, you need to be particularly careful.
Typical signs of a guitar that is drying out:
- frets protruding over the edge of the fretboard
- strings sitting lower and beginning to buzz
- a top that is sinking around the bridge
- cracks in the top, back, or sides
In summer, the humidity is usually higher, and there are rarely any problems. A calibratable hygrometer that constantly displays the humidity is a good investment all year round.
How to protect your guitar
The easiest way to protect the guitar is with humidity packs in the guitar case. We use two-way humidity packs from Boveda ourselves, which can both release and absorb moisture as needed and maintain the humidity at around 49%. This is the level we recommend for the cold Nordic climate.
Our recommendation: Boveda Humidity Control Kit 49% RH – Large. The kit has everything you need: fabric bags and three two-way humidity packs. You place the humidity packs in the fabric bag and hang it in the soundhole when the guitar is in the case. The packs are ready to use and do not need to be activated.
The humidity packs should be replaced once or twice a year. For this, you can buy refills with 49% RH.
Store the guitar in the case when you are not playing it during the driest months, and do not hang it on a wall above a radiator.
When the guitar has become too dry
Return the guitar to the correct humidity as quickly as possible. We recommend that you buy both the Boveda Humidity Control Kit 49% RH – Large and a refill with 72% RH:
- Start with the 72% packs in the kit's fabric bags. They provide the guitar with extra moisture so it can recover.
- When the guitar is well rehydrated, switch to the 49% packs from the kit. They will then maintain it at the correct level.
If the problem is too much moisture, use the 49% kit from the start.
If there are visible cracks, or if the guitar has warped, come by one of our workshops. We will then assess the damage and advise you on what needs to be done.
Is drying out covered by the right of complaint?
Storing the guitar is your own responsibility. Damage caused by storing it in conditions that are too dry or too damp is not a defect in the guitar and is therefore not covered by the right of complaint.
Relative and absolute humidity
Humidity is a measure of how much water vapor the air contains. It can be measured in two ways:
- Absolute humidity (AH) is the amount of water vapor in a given volume of air, typically measured in grams per cubic meter.
- Relative humidity (RH) is the ratio between the current amount of water vapor and the maximum amount the air can hold at the given temperature. It is expressed as a percentage, and this is what you need to monitor.
See also our selection of care and cleaning.