Acoustic question

[Michael Mars]

I live in the North East and temperatures fluctuate from month to month. We keep our house within a good range but depending on the season indoors can get a bit cool in the winter and warm in the summer.

I only have electric guitars and I really want to pick up an acoustic but I have concerns about what affect the temperature variations will have on it.

Should I be worried about seasonal temperature changes for an acoustic?

 

[Warmart]

Humidity is what you most likely need to worry about, 40-50% is generally ideal. Get a humidifier for your guitar room or the whole house, if needed. Can also case it and use one of those humidipacks.

If you're keeping the temperatures in normal human range, it's unlikely to be a problem.

 

[Eagle]

Keep it at comfortable room temperature and it will be fine.

 

[newpedals]

If you are worried how it will work out, please buy a mid-range acoustic from a place with a good return policy. Play and keep it at your home. Then you can return it, and buy the expensive one which you really liked.

I had heard a guitar store employee say this to a customer with similar concerns as yours.

 

[bikescene]

I’m in the Northeast as well. Changes in humidity can be a problem. Humidity can down to about 20% in the winter.

I have a few acoustics of varying sizes, and they’ve held up fine despite the big swings in humidity. I sometimes need to adjust the truss rods when the seasons change. Although, I did experience some fret spout in a new acoustic guitar after I moved into my house two years ago.

 

[OrganicZed]

I have lived in Massachusetts for nine years now and the only thing I monitor closely is the humidity. Temperature can be a concern if it is in the extremes (leaving a guitar in the car during the summer or the temperature shock of bring a guitar out into the freezing cold during the winter), but is not really a concern in the temperature range that is comfortable inside your home.

I have central AC which naturally removes moisture from the air in the summer. The humidity in my guitar room only rarely gets above 55%, so the main concern has been low humidity in the winter. I put humidifiers about the house to maintain humidity levels between 45-50%. When the humidity gets down to the low 40% range I put the acoustic instruments in their cases with humidifier packs. You're not likely to have catastrophic issues unless the RH gets below 35% or so.

I have not experienced any fret sprout or humidity related issues on my guitars while employing these methods.