Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I know that it has been talked about before but I can't find the old thread now.

What is the recommended humidity to store Rickenbacker guitars and basses which are kept in their cases and at concert pitch?

I think it is 50% ... maybe John Hall will chime in on this one ... he has stated that low humidity is more harmful than high humidity ...

JH in a previous thread said 45% is perfect. I'll try to find it and post it.

Hello everyone. I am an archivist by trade and although I have never stored guitars specifically in any archives I have worked, the general, optimum relative humidity (RH) level for most materials varies from 40-50%, depending on the particular medium (photos for instance require slightly less RH than paper). 45% would indeed seem like a good RH for wood based items such as guitars. Remember that relative humidity depends upon and is tied to temperature. Also, another general principle of preservation is that all materials benefit more from storage in consistent temp and humidity. That is the benefit that cases confer-they provide a "micro-climate" that mitigates against temp and RH fluctuation in the external environment. In other words, if you HAD to choose, it is better to have something stored with a consistent and stable higher temp and RH than to have it exposed to constant fluctuation. Of course, the best solution is to store your guitar in stable, unchanging, optimum environmental conditions.

I am assuming from the hot car to the air conditioned, smoky bar, then under the hot stage lights, then back into the hot car and into the air conditioned home is less than "optimum environmental conditions."

gigging with an instrument exposes it to all the wrong conditions ... low humidity levels cause wood shrinkage ... high hunidity levely cause the wood to expand ... for people like me who live in Michigan this means I have to adjust my necks twice a year ...

Reminds me of another thread re modifications to a guitar-what do you want it for, collecting or playing? Moving your instruments around from home to cars to gigs, etc. etc. isn't good for them but what are you gonna do? Come to think of it, a lot of gigs aren't so great for my health either!

"Moving your instruments around from home to cars to gigs, etc. etc. isn't good for them but what are you gonna do?"

Get an early Steinberger! Or a Status Stealth 2000 or Buzzard.

The best thing you can do is keep the guitar/bass in its case as it transitions from one temperature and humidity to the other temperature and humidity. For example, if you store your bass in your air conditioned house and are playing a 100 degree F gig tomorrow, put it out in your garage about 6 hours before you plan to leave so it can equalize in its case as best it can. Not ideal, but better than the alternative. Put a tuner in your signal path and check your tuning frequently throughout the gig, too!

If you're going from air conditioned house to air conditioned bar/club, the ride over there shouldn't matter, as long as the instrument is in its case.

If you have doubts, it's best to have on hand a total dog bass for the bad environmental situations you just can't avoid. I have a $300 Mexican Jazz Bass that is specifically for this purpose and will go where all other basses fear to tread... haha.