How do I protect my guitar in hot or humid weather?Never leave it in a car, and let it acclimatise in the case before big temperature swings. Never in the car ezietsman, our Amp Whisperer, is blunt: a parked car turns into an oven and it WILL damage the guitar — take it with you or leave it at home (theft risk too). Get at least a padded gig bag; they're cheap 1. Stoffeltoo had case trim peel from guitars stored in car boots — find a shaded office/admin room at varsity to stash it instead 1. Sudden changes are the killer Alan Ratcliffe, our Guitar Doctor, says short stints at one extreme are survivable, but going from hot club to cold van (or vice versa) is the prime cause of finish cracks. Keep the guitar in its case for half an hour when moving it into a new environment so temp and humidity equalise gradually 3, 8. If you see visible condensation on the guitar, something's wrong — store it in the open with a few silica gel packs in the case to keep the air dry 8. Manfred-Klose, our Luthier in Residence, keeps silica gel in his case year-round in coastal areas like Cape Town and Durban to protect strings and wood from moisture and rust 8. Watch the humidity Alan Ratcliffe's rule: if it's comfortable for a human, it's comfortable for a guitar 3. Bob-Dubery notes too much humidity also causes problems (bulging top, whack action) — but on the Highveld it's usually too DRY that wrecks solid-wood acoustics. A cheap digital climate station (around R500 in 2010 (about R1,200 in today's money) at camping stores) or the colour-strip gauge bundled with Damp-Its does the job 4, 6, 7. The threads cover humidity mostly for acoustics; for specific gear storage setups, ask the community. From these forum threadsExposing your acoustic guitar to prolonged heat. (2016): Amp Whisperer's blunt verdict on leaving guitars in hot carsStoring Guitars (2008): Guitar Doctor's half-hour-in-the-case acclimatisation ruleLow humidity in Jo'burg - think about your instruments. (2010): Highveld dry-air damage symptoms and cheap humidity gaugesJo'burg humidity (2010): How to dehumidify and which gauges Bob trustsHappiness for acoustic guitars in Jo'burg (2009): Colour-strip humidity gauge explained with real readingsSilica gel will save your guitar, or will it? (2008): Guitar Doctor on silica gel and preventing finish cracks
