Building for humidity?

[Mike Lindstrom]

I've been asked to build a guitar for a friend which I'd love to do, but he's in San Francisco, and I'm in dry Colorado. Is there anything specific I should be doing to make it work out other than turn up the humidifier?

It doesn't help that his time frame is the next two months when my humidified furnace won't run much and my swamp cooler won't have kicked on yet.

Thanks,

Mike

[Tony_in_NYC]

It is always better to build in low humidity and move to high. The only problem your buddy might have is the action will raise and he will have to get the guitar set up again. Another member here built a guitar that was going to live in India. Kevin Sjostrand actually. I searched the new forum but I guess the thread is in the old one. hopefully he will weigh in to let us know how the guitar worked out for his son-in-law.

[tippie53]

it depends on how dry you are ? If you can get to 35% or higher you may be ok.

[Kevin Sjostrand]

Hi Mike,
I built a cocobolo dred last year that is now in India. I know that the humidity there is high (I've been there 4 times) and it does fluctuate from high, to higher! I was not sure what to do. My son-in-law had a Cort dred that we purchased here in the states. He took it to India, and the top swelled up drastically and the action is barely playable.
My intention was to try and build that guitar maintaining the humidity around 50%. This I was able to do except for the period it was being sprayed, when the humidity outside where my booth is was around 30%. All that said, it has been in India since last August and I am told that the action has not changed. It is not practical for him to try and keep the guitar in a lower maintained humidity state. I did build it a little heavy to hopefully help it to maintain shape.
I have just built another one (the Macauaba Cutaway Dred) that is going to India, and have tried to do the same thing. It is waiting for the finish, and is resting in a case at about 60% humidity. I built most of it more at around 50%. The humidity will again be around 30 to 40% when I spray it. Now this guitar will be in the states all summer, being used in the bay area (Vallejo), so I am a little concerned that it will be out in much lower humidity before it gets to India. I am just hoping that it holds together. The owner will be instructed to get it back in the humidified case right after each use.
That is my story. I think it is working out. Hope it works out for you.

Kevin

[Mike Lindstrom]

Thanks for the feedback, guys. He wants it as an anniversary gift for his wife. I think I can make it pretty easily, but it would be the fastest guitar I've built. However, I might see if he wants to delay to summer when the swamp cooler keeps things plenty humid. Maybe a back to school gift...

Mike