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Hi,

I have two hydrometers and they are reading 62 and 67 where I store few of my woods. Would this be too high of humidity? I think I read somewhere that 55% was ideal...? Solution?

Thanks, David

Way too much, I think 45 to 50 percent is a good range. Are your hygrometers electronic? Don't trust 'em until you can check them against a wet/dry bulb combination.

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Dan
http://www.acme-archtops.com

Way too much, I think 45 to 50 percent is a good range. Are your hygrometers electronic? Don't trust 'em until you can check them against a wet/dry bulb combination.

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Dan
http://www.acme-archtops.com

What our pal Dan said.

I store mine in the same conditions that I build in and that is 42-48% RH and I use a calibrated Aberon and sever digitals that I have checked for accuracy. I send my Aberon away for calibration every 6 months and it is on my kitchen island at this moment waiting to be shipped out of here tomorrow.

David I will not be quick to agree with the other two guys just yet. What I will agree with is the calibration of the hygrometer. Make sure it's accurate to some other highly accurate hygrometer and you will not need to doubt if your's is accurate to the rest of the world.

Building in a stable environment is important indeed, but also what is important is the final destination of the instrument. Now if the instrument will live its life in an area which see's an average RH of 65-70% year round, than you should be building in that environment. But there are very few RH stable locations in our world and most areas fluctuate with the seasons. This is why 45% is used, as basically it is the middle ground or a good average of what is possible to maintain (with help by machines) in most places in the world.

Now if the instrument were to live somewhere in the midwest so Chicago, the fluctuations in RH from winter to summer are quite severe and left all on its own, an instrument which was even built to a stable 45%RH would dry out in the winter as the RH drops significantly and would swell in the summer as the RH rises significantly also.

There are so many tools that are overlooked when it comes to building guitars and controling the building environment is just one of the many that are saved till "later". Honestly I'd say 99% of people who are interested in building guitars just go ahead and build them, and it's on about the 4th or 5th (some times many more) that people even bother to start thinking about controlling the environment in which they build.

So to answer your question, I'll have to ask one. Where will the instrument live and what is the overall environment from one season to another in which it will stay? This will help to determine your build environment.

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I've got a couple of the stewmac digital hygrometers(CaliberIII) anyone here know how accurate these are?

Frank

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Frank

Here´s a humidity chart I found at Kevin Ryans site. will tell you what the wood will do, when treated badly or nicely, and just like a woman it gets angry over a humidity of around 45% . dont they all .



Lars

Hesh-

where do you send yours for calibration. I have 2 and they need it.

Thanks buddy-

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John Lewis
Wannabe builder owned by 2 crazy dachshunds

Frank buddy the Caliber III is the only decent digital hygrometer that I know of. I have had 4 now (I keep giving them to folks who need one) and all of them were very close to my Aberon which again I get calibrated regularly.

John my friend here is the info to get you Aberon calibrated:

I didn't get mine out today but Aberon asks you to call them at 800 922-0977 for a price quote and the current address for the calibration lab. Their calibration includes NIST (national institute of standards) certification. I think it cost me something like $29 last time.

Hi David,

I'd say your hygrometers are probably reading correctly. My cheap analog ones have both been showing between 57% and 63% lately (in San Jose - you're just up the road, right?). I've never seen it so high before! Usually they're pretty stable at 45% year round, year after year. Must be the climate change......

Cheers,
Dave F.

P.S. Do you guys mean Abbeon (not Aberon)?

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Cambrian Guitars

"There goes Mister Tic-Tac out the back with some bric-brac from the knick-knack rack"

Thanks Hesh-

You are the man.

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John Lewis
Wannabe builder owned by 2 crazy dachshunds