Three Simple Tips for Caring for Your Acoustic Guitar During Fall

[GnLguy]

From the friendly folks at Breedlove……couple of pieces of eye candy on the original page…..

Three Simple Tips for Caring for Your Acoustic Guitar During Fall

As the days grow cooler and the leaves start to fall, it’s the perfect time to cozy up with your acoustic guitar. But autumn weather can bring unique challenges for guitar care, with fluctuating temperatures and dry air potentially affecting your instrument. To keep your guitar playing beautifully all season long, here are three essential tips for caring for your acoustic guitar in the fall:
1. Keep an Eye on Humidity

One of the biggest threats to your guitar in the fall is low humidity. Dry air can cause the wood to shrink, leading to issues like cracks, fret sprout, or poor intonation. The solution? Invest in a guitar humidifier to maintain the right humidity (around 45-50% RH) inside your case. Use a digital hygrometer to track humidity levels, and if your home gets too dry, a room humidifier can help protect your instrument.
2. Clean Regularly

Fall can bring dust, dirt, and other debris that may harm your guitar. Regular cleaning keeps it in top shape both aesthetically and functionally. Follow these simple steps:

Wipe down your guitar’s body and neck with a soft microfiber cloth.
Use guitar polish to protect the finish (avoid household cleaners).
Clean the fretboard with a damp cloth or fretboard cleaner.
Check for any rust or dirt on the hardware, and lubricate tuners if needed.

A clean guitar plays better and stays protected from the elements.
3. Store Your Guitar in a Stable Environment

As fall sets in, many homes turn on the heat or use wood stoves, which can drastically dry out the air and affect your guitar. To avoid issues like cracks or warping, store your guitar in a place where temperatures and humidity levels are more stable. Avoid placing it near heaters, fireplaces, or direct sunlight. Keeping your guitar in its case when not in use also helps protect it from sudden temperature changes. A consistent, moderate environment will ensure your guitar stays in great condition throughout the season.

[San Luis Rey]

Good advice Keith. I’ve used a few different methods to get in the 40% to 55% range for acoustics and 40 to 60% for electrics. First you need a hygrometer to measure the relative humidity. These little digital gauges a cheap and small enough to toss in a case or have in the room your instruments are in. The humidi-packs are easy to put in a case with your guitar and they work for electrics also. They are a bit expensive but they should last about 6 months. D’addario makes a reasonable soundhole humidifier and Herco makes a small plastic jar filled with clay that you add water to and it goes in a case.
Happy Humidifying!

Mike

[Mark H]

Thanks for the timely reminder GnL. I noticed it was getting drier just yesterday here in upstate NY. We have a “weather station” gizmo in the kitchen. Temps are hitting the mid 30s F at night, and we had the first frost last week.

In the deep of winter we run a big Amish wood burning stove. I try to remember to keep a large cauldron of water steaming on the stovetop. It’s hard to keep the humidity up to ~50% particularly during a long hard freeze, and the steam does help.

[GnLguy]

Mark H wrote:

Thanks for the timely reminder GnL. I noticed it was getting drier just yesterday here in upstate NY. We have a “weather station” gizmo in the kitchen. Temps are hitting the mid 30s F at night, and we had the first frost last week.

In the deep of winter we run a big Amish wood burning stove. I try to remember to keep a large cauldron of water steaming on the stovetop. It’s hard to keep the humidity up to ~50% particularly during a long hard freeze, and the steam does help.

Love the heat from a wood burning stove but they definitely dry the air quickly.

I have 2 Honeywell humidifiers model HEV615B. It has a tank that holds nearly 2 gallons and they make a huge difference – but I still use the humidifiers that is dropped into the body of the acoustic just to be sure

[Mark H]

Thanks Keith, I will research that Honeywell model. In my experience they make good stuff.

We run a portable Honeywell A/C window unit in the height of summer. It’s on long term loan from my brother-in-law and for a few hot & sticky weeks each year we’re hoping he’s forgotten he’d loaned it to us. 🙂

We can’t justify putting in a permanent A/C system up here. When we do spend money on a whole-house four season system we’ll be going heat pump technology. Just waiting for the prices to go down and the technology to advance enough to cope with our climate profile.

While we’re talking humidity, there’s another side to the coin, which is too wet. When we lived in New Zealand North Island relative humidity was through the roof year round, 80% and above, despite running dehumidifiers. So we’re talking very wet guitars.

My Martin 000-16 finally came alive when we moved to Texas. So which would I prefer. Dry every time, but not too dry. Wet guitars tend to be dull and unresponsive. They also take a long time to dry out when remediated. Too dry guitars, on the other hand, tend to develop cracks. My Guild acoustic is a testament to that, long story.

My point is one can overdo both humidifying and dehumidifying. 50% is a nice round number to shoot for in my experience. All players of wood musical instruments benefit from monitoring ambient humidity year round and aiming to keep it at ~50% using humidifiers and/or dehumidifiers as required.

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