Guitars in the Desert
--Humidity and the effects on your
acoustic guitar--
Most people who purchase a new
acoustic instrument from their local store, find that it played very
well, and to their liking, in the store. After getting it
home and playing it for a couple weeks they might start to notice a
change in the 'action' of the guitar, meaning the height of the
string to the top of the fret is getting closer to the
fretboard. When they strum or 'pick' the guitar, a 'buzzing'
noise might be noticed. Usually in this case the customer
feels he has purchased a 'bad' instrument.
To understand this further, you must
know the acoustic guitar purchased was built in a climate controlled
environment (usually with a relative air humidity which is between
45-55%). Most music stores also have climate controlled rooms
with some form of humidification.
When the guitar is no longer in a
controlled humidified climate, the guitar can begin to dry
out. Thus causing the top of the guitar to sink which creates
the sudden change in the 'action' of the guitar. Fret ends may
protrude from the side of the neck. You may notice sharp edges
on the side of the neck.
Many products are available to help
combat this problem. The one that I find that works the best
is a soundhole humidifier made by Kyser. This disc is placed
in the soundhole when you are not playing the guitar. There is
a sponge inside this disc that needs to be moistened so that
the humidity is forced in the guitar.
If you have noticed the guitar
is starting to 'buzz', it is probably a good idea to purchase this
and start using this immediately. You should notice
within 1 week the top of the guitar coming back to its original
position and the 'buzzing' problem corrected.
It is always a good idea when you
purchase a new instrument, to take it to your local repair shop and
have the guitar set up and evaluated to make sure it is to your
liking. This will generally cost around $40. It's a
small investment but well worth it.
Next time I will talk a little more
about setting up your guitar for different playing
styles.
Contact Darin Mahoney
at:
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