MIMF

Hello, is it possible to build an acoustic guitar in humid Wisconsin that might go to Arizona to live without exploding? I haven’t even fully finished my first guitar and I have friends wanting me to build them one. I’m suspecting they think I would be cheap.

Are there techniques and approaches that might help? I’m so new I am seriously doubting that this would be a good idea. It’s hard to do this with well made furniture that’s designed for wood movement.

Thanks,

-Eric

You'll need a room dehumidifier that works for the room size. I live in SW Oregon inland from the coast but on a river. The humidity varies quite a bit. I keep the thing running around the clock from about two weeks before I begin construction until after the box is closed and sealed. The wood is aged and lives in the shop too. Testing the wood with a moisture meter gives the lowest reading.

Take into consideration wood movement. For instance; if book matched pieces have a cross grained bow and are glued up to match, half the piece will swell in one direction and the other half the opposite way. I match up the pieces to move together. With highly figured wood (which is so desirable from a visual standpoint) it's harder to match the pieces by flipping them. So I look for the straightest vertical grained wood and use wood with the least tendency to split. I'd avoid flat sawn oily Amazonian rosewoods that people ooh and aww over. I like straight vertical grained maple. You could also use laminated back/sides to limit splitting.

I took one of my guitars with me on a two month trip in my trailer down to Arizona in winter. Just stood upright in a closet in an open cardboard 'case' with no humidity control. Death Valley, Mohave desert, Organ Pipes, Tombstone at 5000 feet elevation etc... Dry. The weather channel said 10% humidity at times. No problem with the guitar over that period of time, though doesn't mean I guarantee it not to ever have a split. Especially when it gets chilly and people turn the heat up. Air conditioning is going to dry the air too.

Just warn them that the guitar needs humidity control. Humidifiers can be had for guitar cases/cabinets. Build the best guitar you can. It's their responsibility to take care of it.