How to Save your Guitar from Summer Heat Damage

CoreyT

PRS Addiction
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Taken from a newsletter I just received in my email.
Article by Ted Drozdowski 8 12 2013

Great advice here although from a different guitar maker.
Anyone who has seen my pic of guitars can probably guess what newsletter it was in.

High temperatures can cause cracking, make glued joints and tops lift up and buckle, trigger neck warping, and a host of other problems. The least severe of these issues can be corrected by a good luthier via a set-up, neck adjustment or the careful re-application of glue. But summer has been the killer of many, many fine guitars.

Two basic cautionary points:

• Never leave a guitar in your car’s trunk: Temperatures in the trunk can be up to 60 degrees hotter than outside, which means that if you’re in the South and Southwest, it could be rocking 160 to 170 degrees in there during peak summer temperatures. Even a few hours can cause bridges to loosen, necks to leave alignment, frets to rise and other issues. Changes in temperature not only affect acoustic guitars, but electrics, too. Besides neck warping and fret heave, electric guitar finishes exposed to contrasts in heat and cold will crack, due to expansion and contraction.

• Use hard shell cases for summer travel: Sure, gig bags are a practical and comfortable way to carry guitars, but a hard shell case offers more resistance to environmental dangers including heat. And many soft bags are made of vinyl and other plastic-resin derived material, which, in fact, absorb heat and retain it, essentially putting you guitar in a sweatbox.

Also, keep your guitars out of direct sunlight as much as possible, which can be challenging during outdoor gigs. Always place your guitar stand in the shade. Besides the finish damage direct sun can cause, overheated guitar strings will stretch when they’re struck and you’ll drive yourself nuts trying to stay in turn while you play. Repeated exposure to the sun bleaches finishes quickly. It’s also more important to wipe down a guitar’s surfaces after playing during the summer for the simple reason that you’ll be sweating more, and human sweat left on a guitar can destroy necks, frets, bridges and other hardware, as well as damage finishes and make the fretboard a gunk-covered mess.

The most important consideration is keeping your guitar safe during the summer in very low or high humidity. Low humidity is the biggest enemy of guitars, especially acoustics. If you’re touring, be aware of the relative humidity or RH levels of the regions you’re playing. In the U.S. the Rocky Mountain area, Montana, Wyoming, Nevada and Arizona all have very low relative humidity year ’round, which, when combined with high heat, can be extremely rough on acoustic guitar tops, side and backs, and all guitar necks, causing a host of problems, but primarily cracking and warping, and, with prolonged dryness, a susceptibility to fractures. Commercial sound hole and guitar case humidifiers are available. There’s also a DIY version. Dampen a sponge, put it in a plastic sandwich bag, and make a few small holes in one side of the bag. Then lay the bag with the damp — not soaking — sponge inside the case with the holes facing up. Refresh the sponge when it begins to dry.

High humidity is especially rough on solid-body guitars. States with high RH ratings in the summer, like Florida, Louisiana and Alabama — as well as, thanks to climate change, locations along the Eastern Seaboard — are the major trouble spots. Small bags of silica gel placed within guitar cases will help. But the best solution is to keep your guitars in a temperature-controlled environment, like an air conditioned home, hotel room or vehicle, as much as possible.

Too much humidity can cause the tops of solid body guitars to swell, creating high action, and can alter an instrument’s tone. If the swelling is allowed to continue unabated, the binding and glue joints can separate from the guitar’s body. Watch for any slight warping on your six-string’s surfaces. If you notice warped spots, get the guitar to a safe environment or, if swelling doesn’t cease, consult a luthier as soon as possible.
 
I have been wondering about the humidity situation for my electric guitars. We got a lot of rain on the east coast this year and I notice my humidity going up to 60% to 70% Max. I have been thinking about getting a dehumidifier just wondering if I really need it? I have a humidifier for Winter so I already got that covered.
 
One thing a reader commented on over where this was posted was that people often play their guitars out in the heat such as at an outdoor venue, or if it is high humidity.
What do you do then since the guitar can be exposed to high heat and sun when playing outdoors?

Fortunately all of my playing is in my living room where the humidity is around 49 to 50%, or out on my porch when it is nice out, but out of the direct sunlight.
 
I have been wondering about the humidity situation for my electric guitars. We got a lot of rain on the east coast this year and I notice my humidity going up to 60% to 70% Max. I have been thinking about getting a dehumidifier just wondering if I really need it? I have a humidifier for Winter so I already got that covered.


Got the same problem and also wondering what to do. I keep my regulars on a six guitar stand (five guitars and a bass) with the lights out, shades down, door closed and A/C set at 74 Degrees all day. Still notice that the humidity level in the room stays at 70%. However, I have not noticed any warping or fret rise, etc. So, I'm not sure if I should worry about this.
 
One thing a reader commented on over where this was posted was that people often play their guitars out in the heat such as at an outdoor venue, or if it is high humidity.
What do you do then since the guitar can be exposed to high heat and sun when playing outdoors?

Fortunately all of my playing is in my living room where the humidity is around 49 to 50%, or out on my porch when it is nice out, but out of the direct sunlight.
Not sure that it's that big of a deal. I mean, probably don't leave it sitting out in direct sun at 100 degrees for 12 hours, but better that than in a trunk of a car. Typically you want your guitar out in the room or environment you're playing in for an hour or 2 so it acclimates. Tune, play a bit, check tuning. I honestly haven't had any issues with any PRS in this regard. If a guitar is well built, you shouldn't have any major issues. They're less delicate than one thinks.
 
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Personally, I play a plywood arch top in extreme conditions when I'm playing jazz, and either a Mahogany or Korina SE when it's an electric gig. My theory is that if it's not my best guitar, I won't go crazy. Also, the guitars I mentioned all have a thick polyester finish that seems to hold up better in bad weather. A laminated neck seems to be more stable as well.
 
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