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Guitars and Salt Air OnBoard

10K views 72 replies 31 participants last post by  travlin-easy 
#1 ·
When the time comes for me to move aboard my yacht, I will taking my guitar along with me. However, I am just wondering how it will go with the salt air in a marine environment. My favourite weapon of choice is a beautiful Larrivee acoustic and I would hate the gorgeous sitka top and the rest of the guitar to end up as soggy cardboard because of the marine environment.

Do any other sailors/cruisers/live-aboards have advice about guitars on board?

cheers
Andrew
 
#2 ·
I carry a Cordoba C5 Cedar top Spanish guitar that I don't mind ruining (but has held up so far) and use bags of absorbents during humid days in the case. I remove the guitar during the winter to prevent the wood drying up and cracking. I'd be wary of the humidity softening the glues and adhesives used in the construction as most are fish glues. If it has a French polish then even greater concern to not keep it on the boat... I own a over dozen guitars at which I only take two of my favorite guitars to the boat.

Suggestion... leave the Larrivee at home and bring on-board something less expensive to play on.
 
#3 ·
The day I bought my first big boat I sold my old Martin 00018 to a friend in the music business and haven't had an axe worth more than a c-note since. I'm no professional but if you love your instrument see that she is in the hands of a dirt dweller who will take care of her. The sea will be her demise.
 
#7 ·
I've been carrying my Morgan acoustic on board for several months a year for about 10 years. It lives in a hardshell case when not being used, and I stow it out of the sun. No problems, but I recommend Elixir or other coated strings.
Up until recently I lived without air conditioning ashore so my guitar thinks the boat is normal lol.
I find climate problems much more serious if you go to an extremely dry environment. I once cut a driving trip short to get from a western state (I think Arizona) to the coast before my Takamine decided to come apart. Bought humidifiers after that for use when in a dry area.
 
#8 · (Edited)
There's absolutely nothing about the environment on a boat that should threaten a wooden guitar. The issues with wood are not the "salt" air. What could cause problems would be rapid changes in humidity. Wood expands and contracts. Furniture makers have long known this, and the good ones allow for some expansion and contraction in their designs.

I've had an acoustic violin here in a marine environment for ten years now. The only issues I've seen are that steel parts ( strings mostly) will rust if you leave them untouched for a while.

Three years ago I brought an 8 string mandolin on board. Same thing, the strings need a light coat of something from time to time or they rust in places your fingers don't normally touch, like up between the nut and tuners on the underside of the strings.

Frankly, I had a LOT more problems with wood expanding and contracting when I lived in Massachusetts. Summers were hot and humid, winters cold with some spells of very low humidity.

The environment on a boat is more stable. It's a higher humidity, but it doesn't fluctuate much.

I gave my wife a nice Koa wood uke from Hawaii three years ago, and they shipped it with a humidifier in the case. To keep the instrument at a more constant humidity. It doesn't matter much what the humidity is, as long as it doesn't vary widely. Think about people playing music for a living in New Orleans. Houston. Singapore. If they needed plastic instruments to do it, there would be a market for high end plastic instruments and most informed musicians would know about it. I'd be a lot more worried about a sea level instrument taken to a high altitude, low humidity environment than I would about one on a boat.
 
#11 ·
....

I've had an acoustic violin here in a marine environment for ten years now. The only issues I've seen are that steel parts ( strings mostly) will rust if you leave them untouched for a while.
Many years ago we shared a foggy anchorage with another yacht that had a violin (and accomplished violinist) aboard. We discovered that when, hemmed in by fog in the late evening, we heard the strains of his/her music drifting through the mist... Almost like a scene from "Fiddler on the Roof". The boat was gone by the time we awoke the next AM so we never had a chance to thank/compliment him/her.
 
#9 ·
The above advice from 2Gringos is dead on and perfect.
My boat guitar will be either a Martin HPL guitar or a Taylor 200 series. Not exactly cheap but easy to replace and will never have much value down the road.
I'm more worried about actual physical damage, if somebody fell and put a fist through my vintage Gibson I would be returning home short a crew member!
Where I live I go from -30 almost bone dry in winter to +30 near 100% humidity, twice yearly setups. Once they are set up they stay fine until the big season change. Either buzz all over the place or the action is too high, depends if it's shrinking (drying) or expanding.
All it takes on a well built guitar is a truss rod adjustment, cheap guitar anything could happen, been my experience that cheap ones react much worse to climate change.
 
#12 · (Edited)
I bought a beater Chinese Fender ply-top many years ago. Camping, boating, hang in' out at the beach? It doesn't care ;)
Recently had a Luther buddy go over it. A bit of a tweak here and there and G-T-G ! Usually kept aboard in the case and brought at for an evenings strum and wailing whilst. consuming adult beverages at the dock. Surprisingly; there's less humidity at the Bay than up home in farm country!
I looked into the Martin HPLs. (Formica, tee-hee ) and for. that price I could replace mine several times. For the price on that blackbird whatzis, I could go near ten times :eek: I don't care if it *is* impervious. I'd still not take that much money aboard to bang away on ;) Now, the Fender solid spruce top 12 string? That's another matter. it will live in the case and be brought out with care to conditions :D

Between the gulls, halyard slap, imbibement, outboards and PWC noise...who's gonna notice the difference a'tween a $179 unit and a $750+ piece of Formica?

80/20 or phosphor bronze strings match the thru-hulls ! Just gotta check the wires, same as std rigging schedule LOL ! TThinking back on nit; I *do* have eilxer coateds onnit. Oh well, needs new anywho
:D
 
#18 ·
It's not how it sounds it's how it plays.
Used to own a 1976 Fender Jumbo, think I traded it, horrible 70's Japanese guitar! Might have given it away come to think about it.
Anybody who says there is no difference is probably better of with a cheap guitar, save the good tone woods for people who KNOW the difference.
When I bought my last guitar I had a choice of 6 of the exact same model, each and every one of them had slight differences in tone and feel. Was really fun sitting in a room with 30 000$ worth of guitars trying to choose one of six!
 
#13 · (Edited)
You might be surprised how low the relative humidity can be near the ocean, especially when the air temperature is high. My experience is like others: the strings and tuners are susceptible to corrosion; the wood will be fine, but far more likely on a sailboat to get damaged from getting banged up.

2Gringos was right except for one thing: rapid fluctuations in air relative humidity do not damage guitars. Moisture enters and leaves seasoned wood quite slowly. Check diurnal RH fluctuations in most locations. They can easily go from the 90s in the coolest hours to the 40s in the warmest hours, back to the 90s again, all in 24 hours. Think of the millions of guitars that have withstood decades of those daily fluctuations with no damage. Instead, it's the average humidity over a longer period of time that affect guitars. The damage that you hear about is mostly due to keeping guitars in heated houses. Raising temperature of cold air that leaks in reduces the RH to the 30s or even lower. Do that all winter without adding moisture, and your guitar may crack.

Now, go look at the long-term weather data in your sailing area. If the average humidity (not just the daily high) is more than, say, 70%, then you may want to consider different strategies. One strategy is to keep one guitar on the boat, and if it does show effects of high moisture in the wood, then swap it out for another guitar that has been kept in a drier environment. Alternate guitars as necessary.

P.S. It puzzles me why people refer to their guitars as "axes" or "weapons." I wonder if painters call their brushes swords or machetes.
 
#14 ·
I keep a 35 year old Epiphone flat top on board all the time. Has had a few issues over the years like the bridge lifting from glue failure, but easy to fix and still sounds just like a 35 year old Eppy. Just have to strum it harder and sing louder... My best guitar stays in the house. Caveam is going aboard full time, so its a real coin toss. Your guitar should stay nice if you keep it hard cased and, like everyone else says, temperature and humidity stable. Seems like 65-90% average humidity where I live. Good luck! Most of all ENJOY your new life! :)
 
#16 ·
Two things, both already mentioned, but I thought I’d reinforce…..

You’ll need a truss rod adjustment at some point if you’re traveling to different climates.

No matter how careful you are, the guitar will get banged around and bumped into……unless you never intend to take it out of the case.

~doo
 
#17 ·
Two things, both already mentioned, but I thought I'd reinforce…..

You'll need a truss rod adjustment at some point if you're traveling to different climates.

No matter how careful you are, the guitar will get banged around and bumped into……unless you never intend to take it out of the case.

~doo
Cordoba guitars have the truss rods... I have not banged mine around the cabin or in the cockpit yet (knock on guitar wood!) but I'm very careful now since I've banged up some of my other guitars requiring luthier repairs in the past... takes some discipline to focus every angle and corner around you... like holding and passing around a baby! ;)
 
#21 ·
I have many nice guitars.
I live on the beach. depending on tide the water can be 50' from my front door.
I have never had a guitar problem caused by salt air.
Dryness, lack of humidity is what kills guitars.
I have a Guild (Hoboken factory) D-50 that I bought in 1966, now worth about $10,000, that has lives at the beach for the last 30 years. It plays better than ever.

Life is short, Play the ax you want to play.
 
#22 ·
Nice guitar Bob... Guilds have a nice folky sound and from the Hoboken factory one to keep and yes worth a pretty penny.

Guitars are hard to sell for what we believe they're worth on the market unfortunately and long to consign and sell to the right ambitious player/collector. I have several Jose Ramirez's from the 70's when they were really at their best and a Manuel Contreras guitar from the 60's but my most prized guitar I probably will hand down to my kids is a Modesto Borreguero from the 1930's I found in a flea market about 20 years ago that is signed by the man and though it needed some luthier restoration is worth a handsome sum. My other guitars are scattered but nothing electric.. my son plays those strato's... ;)
 
#23 ·
Who said anything about selling?. I have promised the Guild to my Canadian pal Tim who won;t put it down from the time he gets here until he leaves. The stipulation is that he leaves it to my son.
The Guild is the second from the left tucked behind my current squeeze, a custom shop JS 200 Gibsont

OMG, BS is stalking me. What a hoot.
 
#33 ·
Who said anything about selling?. I have promised the Guild to my Canadian pal Tim who won;t put it down from the time he gets here until he leaves. The stipulation is that he leaves it to my son.
The Guild is the second from the left tucked behind my current squeeze, a custom shop JS 200 Gibsont

OMG, BS is stalking me. What a hoot.
My bad Bob... when you placed the dollar figure to what your Guild was worth it was thought you may sell it... No offense.

My guitars are all for my son except the Borreguero as it's an heirloom piece at this point so I'll have to see who gets the guitar (they'll have to fight for it). ;)

Be nice now Bob... Brent has every right to post if he owns a guitar on the boat... that is what we're discussing right. Can't you two sit down at the pub and jam away on guitars and forget your differences? :)
 
#24 ·
I have had an acoustic guitar aboard for about ten years now, no problem. However, my steel boat has no leaks ,and an inch and a half of spray foam insulation ,with a wood stove, means it is extremely dry aboard.
 
#25 · (Edited)
Extremely dry conditions are very bad for any musical instrument. Dryness kills them. Any fool knows that. Extreme changes in humidity are always bad. But a humid environment is better than a dry environment. But don't take my word, Call Elderly Guitars in Nashville and ask them. You can buy a special cabinet to store your axes, humidity controlled.

I live on the beach in the PNW. I know humidity.

Now, humidity may not be good for the strings. I have tried the Gortex coated strings and found they d sound better longer. But they do not sound as good new. I do noit have to worry about changing strings. My player friends come by and say, "I can't stand it any longer! I'm changing those strings."

How about this:
If you really want to know about guitars and humidity. Write to FRETBOARD JOURNAL and get an answer from axperts.
 
#26 ·
I had a 12-strring Yamaha on my 27 Catalina for six months out of the year for three summers in Maryland - no problems. Three years ago, I hauled my Yamaha PSR-3000 arranger keyboard, Bose L1 Compact amp, and custom console down to the Florida Keys and home, played music in horrible humid conditions at night in Tiki Huts, and that keyboard and amp never complained. Everything works as good as they day they were purchased.

Gary :cool:
 
#28 · (Edited)
Tanski;

Understood ! The one in question was selected (out of 20 or so) for tone and playability.. Now that it's been worked some; it's a dream for me to play being that I'm a ham-fisted Strummer and have a voice (I been told) like Tom Waites. ;) Anything finer than this one is a waste on me. I *can* tell the difference; but can't truly make use of it. ! LOL

TheCommodore and local dock mates seem not to mind so much ;) For my own edification and enjoyment; it's great...... better than I'll ever be :D

and now, for something completely different......
where to stow the pair? Mebbe up near/against the overhead in the Vee berth? Out ta the way, bout aft ought a fit somehow? Whereabouts do others stow 'em?

Best,
Paul
 
#31 ·
Not too bad storing mandolins or violins on board a 36 footer. I use soft cases and move them around a lot depending on space needs. Guitars are more of a pain. Last year I got a full size cello. Now that is a pain in the ass to try and keep on board.
 
#36 ·
Maybe swing it from the davits......uh could you put an outboard on it?

My onboard fiddle is in a hard case, the mando in a soft case. I'm fortunate in that I have room for both in the hanging locker with my clothes.

I note that the metal latches and hinges on the fiddle hard case are all discolored and corroded. The nylon or plastic zipper on the mandolin soft case is handling it fine. Not sure about putting a fiddle and two bows in a soft case, so I think I'm stuck with the hard case for the fiddle. Probably end up holding that one together with bungees.

Unless I can win a gold one from the devil...
 
#37 ·
Seeing as you have a boat now, what about getting an inexpensive electronic recording humidigraph, that records the humidity fluctuations (and temps too, if you can) and then seeing just what you are going to put that guitar through?

If you are using it every day, well, you may as well leave it "exposed" and just try to give it lots of TLC and tuning.

If you are not going to use it every day, you might be able to treat it like a prized cigar and put it in a humidor, so to speak. Find a Pelican case made for double long-guns, they've big and totally sealed, and then keep the guitar stowed in that, with either a moisture eater or other additions, as is it were just a large cigar humidor. At least that would give it a stable environment while not being used.
 
#42 · (Edited)
Find a Pelican case made for double long-guns, they've big and totally sealed, and then keep the guitar stowed in that, with either a moisture eater or other additions, as is it were just a large cigar humidor. At least that would give it a stable environment while not being used.
For what it's worth, the uke people I just dropped over a thousand bucks with supplied a humidifier to go in the case with a Koa wood uke. You ADD water to it, to keep the environment humid. Moisture eaters or dessicants are the opposite direction, dry out the wood, which shrinks it, which opens cracks in the seams and joints. I think it might be better to protect it from knocks and scrapes, but not to seal it up from ambient humidity. Going back and forth from an arid, sealed case to normal humidity might be worse than just letting it stabilize in it's environment.

Does the string section of the Sydney symphony orchestra seal their instruments up in air tight containers between practices or performances? And I've sat through a number of Boston symphony concerts at the Hatch in Boston on July 4th weekend, and seen humidity in Boston run the gamut from very low to sweat dripping miserable. These are pros with expensive instruments.

And WHO is BS? Those are my initials, and I'm pretty sure I'm not stalking anyone.
 
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