Like humans, guitars need hydration too. Fall can get pretty dry in Flagstaff. We're coming into the season of cracked instruments from lack of humidity, especially once those heaters get going at night. Here's what you need to know to keep you instrument playing and sounding good:
Hydrate your instrument and if possible keep it in it's case! The more stable of an environment you can maintain for your guitar, the happier it will be. If you have a nice instrument, I highly recommend humidification. Buy a humidifier or make one. Get into the habit of maintaining your humidifiers. My favorite guitar humidifier is the Oasis because of it's regulated output-- it's not a sponge based unit. It sits inside the guitar body suspended by the strings. You must keep your guitar in it's case for humidifiers like this to work properly.
If you can't stand the idea of keeping your guitar in it's case, then get a room humidifier and keep it in the corner with your instrument on a stand. It's best to also get a hydrometer when doing this, so you can monitor the area where your instrument lives.
Remember, you want to keep your instrument at about 40% relative humidity. Bring in your guitar for a free humidity assessment or a humidifier demonstration.
~ R.E.
