Why your Guitar doesn’t like the weather
Ever noticed how the weather can mess with your guitar? Whether you're jamming in a humid tropical paradise or strumming away in a dry desert, the elements can mess with your guitar's vibe, sound, and overall health. Read the following tips and tricks to help ensure the weather in your location has no adverse effects on your guitar and drop some tips on how to keep it in tip-top shape.
Let's talk humidity - a big player in the weather-guitar equation. High humidity can make your guitar's wood swell, while low humidity can shrink it down. Swollen wood leads to annoying fret buzzing and playability issues, while shrinkage might result in those dreaded wood cracks. To beat the humidity blues, try storing your guitar in a case with a humidifier or dehumidifier, depending on where you live. For those in damp spots, a dehumidifier keeps things under control, while folks in dry areas can prevent brittleness with a humidifier.
Temperature's another showstopper. Extreme temps can make the wood expand and contract, leading to unsightly cracks, weird warping, and even finish damage. If you're taking your guitar on a trip, do your best to shield it from the temperature rollercoaster.
Rainy days can also rain on your guitar's parade. Water makes wood swell and twist, and it can cause metal parts to rust and corrode. If your guitar gets caught in the rain, give it a quick dry-off and let it chill until it's completely dry before playing again.
Sunlight isn't all sunshine and rainbows for your guitar either. Direct sunlight can fade the finish and dry out the wood, making it all brittle. So if you're rocking out outdoors, give your guitar some shade or toss on a cover to shield it from the sun's rays.
In a nutshell, the weather can seriously mess with your guitar's mojo. But with a few tricks up your sleeve, you can keep your instrument in primo condition. Whether you're a seasoned pro or just strumming for fun, taking care of your guitar means more awesome music-making ahead. Keep rockin'!
