Temperature cut off for acoustics

D30Man

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I keep mine in a case with humidifiers. My F-55 case has a built in.
Either way, that is a lovely collection Tom and I also get having them out where you can see them. Out of sight out of mind sometimes and those bad boys were meant to played.
 

Roland

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This is a good question because we road trip a lot in the summer and I take a guitar with me. Last summer we did a twenty eight day tour of the Southwest with no itinerary. While I don't leave my guitar in the car with sun beating down on it for hours on end, I don't take it into restaurants and the like with me. I mean, we get out of the car, look around, eat, drink, and move on. It doesn't get dangerously hot in there, but I'll bet it gets up into the nineties sometimes.
 

Westerly Wood

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Man, Tucson is equally brutal. I still hang my guilds on wall and use soundhole lifeguards.

the Br is impervious to really anything. The f30r struggles a bit.
 

Nuuska

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Tom - about the skylights - If you worry about sun rays - is it possible to put a shade on the roof - depending of shape of the roof - like a white "sail cloth" parallel to roof - about a foot or two above the skylight - large enough to provide shadow even when the sun is not at top? And white in order not to dim the light too much.

I have the big windows of my house facing south - and even here in north the noon sun might get too heavy - in the summer. Last summer I had a "sail cloth" in front of my workdesk window. Boy - did that ever make the difference. And feeling the white stucco outside wall with hand - a quite noticeable difference in temperature when comparing a spot w direct sunlight or a spot in the shadow.

All that heat transfers to inside - sooner or later.

Here is the IKEA sail of mine.

 

Neal

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General rule of thumb is if you are comfortable, your guitar probably is, too. If you feel hot, it is probably not a safe place to leave your guitar for too long.

I left my beloved 1973 D-35, inside its case, in the trunk of my car one afternoon in Key West. It got hot enough to melt the glue holding the bridge to the top, under all that string tension. It had to be removed and reglued. Lesson learned.
 
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davismanLV

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I'm keeping the slider open until the thermometer from Amazon comes next week. It's really hard to tell going by FEEL. We keep the house at 74 in summer. I'd prefer cooler but we need to give the a/c unit and the electricity a break. So just now it's 108 heading up to 110 again. Just went to the store and walking around outside I just wanna die, then come inside and it feels so cool and nice and with the door to the atrium open it's not AS cool as the rest of the house, but no more than maybe 78 or 79. If I close the door the humidity shoots back up to 40 but the temp soars. We may have to go back to the old ways until Autumn.

p.s. - I've seen those little space coolers that you can carry around from room to room to cool things down. Anyone have any experience with those? They're like $90 or so? Let me know if you've any experience with them. Maybe that would work but again a huge energy drain.
 
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walrus

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You need a guitar made of ice!

ice_guitar.jpg

walrus
 

Midnight Toker

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Prolonged low humidity for acoustics is always a concern, but overall, I think quality built instruments can take more cold/heat than you'd think. As long as it isn't a sudden massive change in temp, and as long as it doesn't stay in extreme low or high temps for Very long periods of time. Countless touring acts since the touring profession existed have had their gear in the non climate controlled storage holds under buses, in planes, in trailers, vans, trunks of cars...you name it. Not to mention, playing outdoor summertime shows where it's already 100 degrees out...then add 10 more from the hot stage lights! During my years as a tour mgr, our stage gear which was in a box trailer pulled behind a bus, which included everything from acoustics, electrics, upright bass, Hammond B3, drums, full percussion rig, etc......it all stayed in hotel parking lots in -20 degrees F to 105 degrees F.... countless times!! (10 straight yrs of playing 250-300 gigs a year!! Southern beaches in the summer, northern ski resorts in the winter.) Never once did we worry about the gear. Just as long as it was all inside the club to gradually acclimate several hours before showtime. Never had a single structural issue with anything. Mechanical/electrical...regularly. Never structural.

Tom, I'd say just don't ever let them get too dry....or experience sudden extreme temp changes. Otherwise, I'd bet they'll be just fine. ;)
 

fronobulax

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The anecdotal evidence is pretty consistent in establishing rapid changes of temperature as a cause of damage. Sustained storage at temperature extremes can also cause damage but seems to be less frequent. But if a couple of hours at 130 F softens glue enough to allow string tension to move a bridge that is a concern.

Personally, I try and avoid storage at temperature extremes (as defined relative to temperatures where I feel comfortable) and when I can't, try and acclimate before using. Since I am a believer in "in the case or in the hands" I'd probably give up on the Atrium until I could cool and humidify it to the point I'd want to sit in it for several hours at a stretch.
 

Bill Ashton

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For what its worh, I have the D'Addario "Humiditrax" thingys in two cases, sometimes one freestanding in the room so I can compare with our other hydrometer...also measures temp. In our steam-heated home with no dedicated A/C in the storage space, since 9/21 temp has swung from a low of 66 degs F to a high of 82 degs F and so far no splits, no loose braces, no necks leaving bodies...
 

Rayk

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I’m not sure what I’m looking at with that big window ? If sun light is coming then forget about the ugly and cover up that area . My house is 74deg two humidifiers run one in my room and one out in the kitchen area but it’s a open floor plan I maintain 40-50% humidity best I can now after My Baby suffered and had to be fixed I keep a cave like experience in my home so no sun ! Lol

Heat is pretty hard on me I hate it can’t imagine what it’s like for guitars if you ask me . Lol 😂
 

Br1ck

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For short periods of time, I keep a freezer blanket in my Honda CRV, left over from my days as a food wholesaler. Envision a super insulated moving blanket. I've wrapped a guitar case in it for an hour or so, and felt the guitar case still cool while the blanket was warm to the touch on the outside. It can be rolled up to sleeping bag size and tied with a bungie cord. Might consider getting one if you car travel. The back of your SUV is not going to be front seat cool.

A rule of thumb is if you are too hot, so is your guitar.
 

davismanLV

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I decided it was just uncomfortable out there and therefore I was uncomfortable with the guitars in that heat. So the guitars moved out. I've got 4 in the bedroom and 5 in the living room with both humidifiers running full time, just like before. When things cool off later in the year, I may move them back out there. But for now I'm calmer with them in the a/c and humidified house. Thanks, all!! (y)
 

Guildedagain

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I keep a cave like experience in my home so no sun ! Lol

Yes.

Cool and dark.

UV's are great for fading new guitars to make them look old, one year in the sun takes quite a toll. I had a Flametop LP that was faded like that in Nashville, sunny window for a year, a fade to die for, if you're afflicted by that sort of thing.

You can see where the pickguard protected the finish, looking just like a real 50's guitar.

There was no doubt this was aged in the window, because when I got it it was only a couple years years old but looked like 50 years old.

The One.jpg
 

Boneman

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Bet the humidity is rather high lately with the storms and flooding in Vegas eh? We have a storm brewing here and expecting rain today and tomorrow. At the moment we have the windows open and the hygrometer is measuring 50%! It’s so nice, to where I get the shut off the Venta Airwasher for a while, loving it!, Hope your acoustics are well ;)
 

davismanLV

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Bet the humidity is rather high lately with the storms and flooding in Vegas eh? We have a storm brewing here and expecting rain today and tomorrow. At the moment we have the windows open and the hygrometer is measuring 50%! It’s so nice, to where I get the shut off the Venta Airwasher for a while, loving it!, Hope your acoustics are well ;)
Hey B-man!! I moved the guitars out. The atrium is 87 degrees and 37% because of the huge storms. But it's better in the house to be 73 and 40%. But yeah, the humidifiers have had an easy time of it lately with all the storms. Hoping for rain again tonight. Where are you in the world, B-man??
 

Boneman

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Glad to hear! I’m in the San Bernardino mountains, and we got a little rain yesterday, nothing so far today. Still good amount of moisture in the air though, 76 degrees and 46% rH. Rather perfect conditions for a guitar. Before long it’ll be back down to low 30s high 20s again.
 

Boneman

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40015CD1-2AB7-4BC2-AF7A-0581DE8EC2BA.jpeg
up to 56%! This free humidity is nice in these parts :). Still keep them in their cases now out of habit either way.
 
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