How delicate are acoustics?

Think293 · February 24th, 2004, 05:18 PM

I just got my first nice acoustic (read solid woods) and the guy at the shop was scaring me a little bit. i realize the need for a humidifier and everything, but he was telling me that when i take it somewhere i should leave it in the case for 10 minutes then open the case and leave it for 10 minutes then it's ready to take out. this seems like overkill to me, but is this kind of treatment really necessary to keep the guitar in good shape?

Hucklebilly · February 24th, 2004, 05:53 PM

I have a Santa Cruz, it's about 12 years old now and I've played the **** out of it. Over the years I've done some incredibly stupid things, like placing it in a room with a dehumidifier (don't ask) and hauling it around with me in sub zero weather. It still plays great, and apart from a few dings, it looks pretty good too (had to have the binding reglued after the dehumidifier incident.) I don't recommend treating your guitar like this, but the upshot is that while acoustic guitars are somewhat fragile, they are also very reparable, and I don't think you need to lose sleep over its care and feeding. Use common sense and enjoy! (For the record, I now keep a hygrometer in the case and use a soundhole humidifier if the humidity drops below 40%).

Teletwang · February 24th, 2004, 06:07 PM

Like Hucklebilly says, just use common sense...there are extreme conditions when you should wait to open
your case and so on but the upshot is you have a nice
guitar to worry about.

Think293 · February 24th, 2004, 06:43 PM

That's good to know. I'm not planning on abusing it or anything, but i live in a college dorm room and haul my guitars around a lot so it's definitely going to go through a lot more than it did when it was sitting on the wall at the shop.

bgwatts · March 4th, 2004, 11:52 PM

I beat the crap out of mine all the time.But,they ARE hollow and that makes them more sensitive to big swings in temp and humidity.If your talking about guitars that cost thousands of dollars ,yea,I'd probably pay a little more attention to it but all in all,just don't be abusive or overly negligent.Don't leave it in your car when its a 100 degrees in the summer and don't leave it in an unheated garage when its below freezing.Relax,I think the sales guys maybe over did it a bit.But,he was probably just looking out for your best interest.

February 24th, 2004, 05:18 PM	#1 (permalink)
Think293 TDPRI Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Corpus Christi, TX Age: 24 Posts: 28	How delicate are acoustics? I just got my first nice acoustic (read solid woods) and the guy at the shop was scaring me a little bit. i realize the need for a humidifier and everything, but he was telling me that when i take it somewhere i should leave it in the case for 10 minutes then open the case and leave it for 10 minutes then it's ready to take out. this seems like overkill to me, but is this kind of treatment really necessary to keep the guitar in good shape?

February 24th, 2004, 05:53 PM	#2 (permalink)
Hucklebilly Tele-Holic Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 822 2 Photos	Acoustics I have a Santa Cruz, it's about 12 years old now and I've played the **** out of it. Over the years I've done some incredibly stupid things, like placing it in a room with a dehumidifier (don't ask) and hauling it around with me in sub zero weather. It still plays great, and apart from a few dings, it looks pretty good too (had to have the binding reglued after the dehumidifier incident.) I don't recommend treating your guitar like this, but the upshot is that while acoustic guitars are somewhat fragile, they are also very reparable, and I don't think you need to lose sleep over its care and feeding. Use common sense and enjoy! (For the record, I now keep a hygrometer in the case and use a soundhole humidifier if the humidity drops below 40%).

March 4th, 2004, 11:52 PM	#5 (permalink)
bgwatts Tele-Meister Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 226	abuse I beat the crap out of mine all the time.But,they ARE hollow and that makes them more sensitive to big swings in temp and humidity.If your talking about guitars that cost thousands of dollars ,yea,I'd probably pay a little more attention to it but all in all,just don't be abusive or overly negligent.Don't leave it in your car when its a 100 degrees in the summer and don't leave it in an unheated garage when its below freezing.Relax,I think the sales guys maybe over did it a bit.But,he was probably just looking out for your best interest.

February 24th, 2004, 06:07 PM	#3 (permalink)
Teletwang Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Connecticut Age: 41 Posts: 1,275 1 Photos	Like Hucklebilly says, just use common sense...there are extreme conditions when you should wait to open your case and so on but the upshot is you have a nice guitar to worry about.

February 24th, 2004, 06:43 PM	#4 (permalink)
Think293 TDPRI Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Corpus Christi, TX Age: 24 Posts: 28	That's good to know. I'm not planning on abusing it or anything, but i live in a college dorm room and haul my guitars around a lot so it's definitely going to go through a lot more than it did when it was sitting on the wall at the shop.