PRESENCE - Volume 52
Inspiration For Guitarists
Hey friends,
It has been cold up here in Boone lately — and I learned (again) why winter and guitars don’t always get along.
One of my Strats developed a little fret sprout this week — where the ends of the frets start poking out just a bit.
Nothing major… but it was my reminder that I’d been slacking on refilling my humidifier while running the wood stove nonstop.
I’m pretty confident it’ll correct itself with a little humidifier therapy (and if not, my luthier will take care of it).
But this is exactly how bigger problems start — especially with acoustic guitars.
Cracks, warped tops, loose braces… all from dry air.
Most luthiers will tell you:
“Keep your guitar in the case.”
And yes — that’s safest for the guitar.
But it’s not always best for you.
I’m a big believer in keeping guitars out where you can actually play them.
So the solution for me is simple: humidify the room instead of the case.
Here’s what I use:
• A small room humidifier (my guitar room is tiny — the one you see in my YouTube videos is the whole space)
• A cheap hygrometer to measure humidity
• I aim for roughly 45–50% humidity
That’s it.
You can use:
Case humidifiers
Soundhole humidifiers for acoustics (D’Addario makes a good one)
Or even a whole-house humidifier
I just prefer the room humidifier because all my guitars benefit from it at once.
The important part isn’t which product you choose — it’s that you choose something.
Dry guitars don’t complain loudly at first.
They whisper.
Then one day they crack.
Trust me — prevention is a lot cheaper than repairs.
So if your heat has been running nonstop lately, take this as your friendly reminder:
Check your humidity.
Refill your humidifier.
Your guitars will thank you.
Talk soon,
Dustin
P.S. - This is one of those unsexy habits that keeps your instruments healthy for decades. A $10 hygrometer and a small $25 humidifier can save you hundreds in repairs down the road.
PPS - I'm launching weekly Office Hours calls in March where you can get real-time help with your specific guitar questions. It's going to be small and focused—very different from the course. More details coming next week.