OpenTube

Why Your Acoustic Guitar Sucks (Pro Advice)

Mary Spender

105,830 views

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20 Comments

@MrMisterock 10 months ago (edited)

It is also a problem with the player's humidification. Normally it takes around 4 to 6 cans for the player to come up with a nice sound. Some manufacturers recommend Heineken.

@timothycharlesellis5940 10 months ago

The only issue with my acoustic is the player.

@bengun1 10 months ago

Where I live in the UK humidity doesn't change much, it rains every week of the year, temperature doesn't vary that much either.....

@trackie1957 10 months ago

A lot of talk about the “right” level of humidity. I think it’s not the absolute level that matters as much as changes in humidity that stresses the guitar. Wood swells and shrinks more across the grain than along it, and places where you have pieces glued together with their grain not parallel (bridge/top, brace/top…) the glue and the wood will be stressed as the humidity changes. Let those stresses reverse multiple times, especially rapidly, and something’s going to give.

@mademepickaname 10 months ago

It’s easy to monitor the humidity of the air that the guitar is in, but hard to know how hydrated the actual wood itself is.

@jeffro. 3 months ago

Good advice, Mary!
Thanks.
I had a surprise last winter, where my acoustic guitars suddenly didn't love me any more, and wouldn't let me even touch them, let alone play them! 😪
I was devastated.
Fortunately, I was able to rescue them.
Each one responded to a different method of humidity rescue.
I've gotten a room humidifier ("vaporizer") since, but then the weather changed!
(I live in southern USA).
Anyway, thanks for the additional info, 'specially 'bout the top!
👍👍👍

@DeccaOnline 10 months ago

Offtopic, but I love the Descendents-shirt so much!

@euhdink4501 10 months ago

Sorry, a lot of BS here. If a guitar can't stand some normal differences between humidity levels (let's say between 30 to 60%) it is a badly made guitar. If your guitar is warped from taking it out its case to play a gig in a hot and humid environment, it is time to look for a well made instrument. Idem if the neck is warped. Don't mess with trussrods and saddles: give it to a real luthier to fix.
Those humidifiers are just a vendors trick and can cause a lot of damage. Just keep your guitar in its case when not playing. A guitar is made to resist more than the normal tension of the strings. If it doesn't and requires detuning: it's a bad guitar. Wood is a living thing so it can change form, but within normal ranges it wouldn't, if not: it is a bad ....

@odesseus 9 months ago

Thank you, Mary!

@Chilajuana 7 months ago

Very awesome Tutorial!!

@ariakiss 10 months ago

You absolutely do not need to detune your guitars

@rogeralan6260 10 months ago

Great video. I agree, you should make more like this. From West Michigan, yes, winter is tough! RG

@xBoomstick 10 months ago

I use the two way humidipacks so it keeps it from being over humidified and under humidifiied.

@murraykriner9425 10 months ago

After researching all the things that affect our instruments in less than advantageous ways, it's not always clear cut. Often it has several factors at work.

@ochayethenoo15 10 months ago

Thank you Mary, it's always good to hear insight from a professional. Here is the Midwest, I run a dehumidifier in the summer and then switch to a humidifier in the winter months.

@KeithGroover 10 months ago

4:40 -- "especially high-end guitars. So when you have a Martin or, or [life flashes before eyes] any other kind of brand [which shall remain nameless] . . . " lollll

@milesoffshoresportfishing746 9 months ago

Thank you for the great informative video Mary! Wishing you a Merry Christmas!

@Ericjamesmusic84 8 months ago

I bought a new Martin om-28 last Feb. I needed to see this!

@ITSupport-q1y 10 months ago

Very interesting video, thanks for the learning !!!

@DavidStephenson-dg6ib 10 months ago

Thank you so much for highlighting this Mary. I have a Martin among others that have all been reacting to the cooler, damp weather. I have just checked the top and it has definitely come up which has raised the action. I have just detuned all of my guitars and I am going to look into keeping a room at the correct humidity for my guitars. So pleased I didn't go crazy with the truss rod 😁👍❤️