Acoustic guitars in hot places

[bassbiscuits]

Topical question given the heat in Europe this summer as holiday season approaches.
 

Im off on my holidays camping in France in a few weeks, and there’s room for my acoustic to come with me.

 

Should I be worried about the heat having a detrimental effect on it? I’m thinking warping, drying out, splitting etc?

 

I think we’re looking at temperatures in the mid/high 20s rather than the 40c temperatures further south.

 

But even long road trips in a hot car etc - is there anything to worry about? 

[Dad3353]

5 minutes ago, bassbiscuits said:

... is there anything to worry about? 

 

Short answer : Yes, but largely dependant on the robustesse of the instrument, as well as the extremes encountered. Stuff riding in a hot car can easily reach the 40's; that's not good at all. It's the rapid swings of temperature and humidity that cause problems; instruments can handle heat and cold quite well, as long as they have the time to acclimatise. This won't be the case for a holiday trip, of course. I took my 12-string acoustic for a motorbike trip around France, camping, and it came to no harm, but it was a rather inexpensive Antoria 'humming bird' copy, not a vintage Gibson. I wouldn't recommend taking any valuable instrument; better to 'invest' in a budget-level equivalent that can take some punishment without risking coming apart at the seams or warping. Heat itself is not a problem; it's the abrupt changes that are to be avoided, but that's difficult when touring, and a hot car is a definite danger. Hope this helps. 

[bassbiscuits]

Thanks - that’s what I was thinking. The guitar in question is a 20-odd year old Yamaha acoustic, which is very nice indeed but not super valuable. However I’d be gutted if it came to any harm.

 

The alternative is the Hohner I bought in Argos in 1988 which mostly still works - that’s been to festivals and stuff with me and apart from a few rough/buzzy frets works well enough. 
 

I think that’s the wiser option. 

[bassbiscuits]

Just to follow up on this one, I did end up taking my nice Yamaha on holiday (I figured if I was going to cart one around it might as well be a decent one). 
 

Ended up playing on the beach watching the sunset with mates, and also jamming with some local French musicians I met in a campsite on the way home. Definitely the right decision!

 

And guitar seems happy with its adventure. 

[Graham50]

Good result. Did you think about putting a humidifier in the soundhole? Bob Taylor, who knows a thing or two about guitars, recommends them. Might still be worth it now your back as it will have dried out quite a bit on the trip. 

[sundayguitar]

I always wonder how people who have like 5-6 guitars hanging on their wall manage them over the course of a year. Dust, humidity, temperature... In an average room, it's a nightmare to take care of

[Dad3353]

51 minutes ago, sundayguitar said:

I always wonder how people who have like 5-6 guitars hanging on their wall manage them over the course of a year. Dust, humidity, temperature... In an average room, it's a nightmare to take care of

 

Our cottage, in France, Lower Normandy, stays at around 14-15°C all year round, thanks to thick stone walls and no central heating. None of my guitars, basses or drums suffer in any way from changes over the course of a year.