A guide to the protection of musical instruments against humidity and climate changes.

1. Protecting Your Musical Instruments Against Mother Nature
By: S.W. Seeds
As the fall season is quickly approaching, which means cooler temperatures to
follow, I am reminded once again that it is time to start planning for proper
humidification for wooden musical instruments. As all major guitar manufacturers
such as Martin and Washburn agree, it is imperative that you maintain a
comfortable environment for your treasured instruments.
Last year, a customer brought his beloved acoustic guitar into Rawson Music with
a nasty crack on the top. He said he just found it that way and didn’t know what
could possibly have happened, as it was in the case and safely put away in the
closet. The outside temperature was in the 50’s dropping down to the low 40’s at
night. The relative humidity was somewhere in the low 30’s. The guitar simply got
too dry and the wood shrunk causing the unsightly crack. In this customer’s
defense, although he has owned guitars for years, this is the first nice solid wood
acoustic guitar he has owned.
While lesser quality made guitars, with laminated construction are still affected by
temperature and humidity fluctuations, instruments that are constructed of solid
woods are highly susceptible to adverse weather conditions. While the physical
damage can generally be repaired, the cosmetic damage almost always remains
noticeable. Note – any damage caused by humidity and or temperature changes
are not considered to be defects in materials or craftsmanship and therefore are
not covered under any manufacturer’s warranty.
There are affordable solutions, easily and readily obtained, that can prevent such
an unfortunate situation from happening to your musical baby. Rawson Music
offers a complete line of products as well as expert advice as to what might be the
best solution for your needs. Contact them today at 405-534-3997 or visit their
store at 7812 S. Western Ave – Oklahoma City, OK 73139.
www.rawsonmusic.com