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Journeyman
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In my earlier travels, I left a guitar in storage down in Hautulco Mexico over a year ago. I just got back down to there a day ago and immediately accessed my guitar. The hard shell case weathered well, however the surprise was on the inside. Due to heat/humidity/whatever the plush lining had melted into the finish. I had to use a knife to cut the guitar free, resulting in a plush body guitar. It really looked ugly. After a lot of experimenting I used SOS pad to remove the plush then wet sanded the body with 1200 grit paper. I then wiped the guitar down with almond oil. Amazingly the neck was still straight and the single ply top was free of warps. The blonde finish has taken on a brown tone though. The sound is still pretty darn good. Now for my problem. I still won’t be going directly home from here so i will have to leave it again. Any suggestions as to my best options for storage. In the case, out of the case, some kind of wax on the body, 3n1 oil on strings, ad nauseum. I leave here this Thursday so any responses by Wednesday would be appreciated. Thanks D
There are only 3 kinds of musicians: those that can count, and those that can't!
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Off the top of my bald head, I'd put the thing in a heavy duty plastic bag, and almost seal it. By almost I mean put in a few pin pricks...this allows the humidity to change slowly, and any rapid change and the humidity condenses on the outside of the plastic.
Variations of this idea are used to cure green wood, for example you dig up a walnut stump and want to use parts of it for gun stocks etc. you seal it in plastic and leave a few small holes. In that case there are a few more, you are trying to get it to 'average moisture content' so as to not allow it to check in drying.
The second comes from the best way to store electronic gear in the sub arctic, which in winter, one uses plastic bags for laptops, which are sealed. It's not uncommon to have a temperature range from indoors to outdoors of over 80C and without the bags things like cameras and lenses are..well...full of condensation.
John Conley
Musica est vita
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Hi Dennis,
I live in Acapulco, I would be happy to store it here in my house, we have AC, and I'm sure it would be fine. PM me if you need more info.
Take care,
Ed
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Ed, could you store ME in Acapulco? I would love to have some fun in AcapulcoI hear you can't say No in Acapulco... Or is that a song? 
Follow That Dream Sam Karaoke King -------------------- Turning that corner again - I have to keep following that dream, no matter what
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Hey Sam,
You are always welcome here. Yes, that was a hit many years ago. We live about 500 yards from the beach and we can see pretty much half the bay from our porch. Come on down, the water is great, its about 32c right now, the wife is cookin' up some great Fijitas and garlic lime soup.
Ed
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I wouldn't use a plastic bag, they outgas unknown chemicals also.
Really, a good guitar should never be left anywhere you wouldn't leave a live human being.
If temperature, humidity - or its opposite, too dry - etc. is not taken care of, the environment is very likely to be detrimental to the guitar.
--Mac
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Plastic Bags and chemicals? Jeez Louise. Ever since the invention we've used it for exotic or native wood, unless you have access to a good steam kiln.
In this case, given I worked in 15 sawmills, and used to have (I gave them away) 3 or 4 instruments to check the humidity of wood, I suggest I do know what I'm talking about here. Although a piece of wood (which is what a guitar is with added glue(s)) has a certain humidity content given the environment it's in, must adjust if the finish is not water proof (ie the inside of the body is not usually treated with varnish/lacquer etc.) the fluctuations are normally covered by 'nature'. Now given the same guitar, left in a place where the humidity varies, a good heavy duty plastic simply allows the guitar to keep the humidity content at about what it was the moment it was inserted into the bag. The reason for a few holes is to allow normal humidity to slowly allow the wood to adjust.
There used to be a theory that old houses were "tinder" dry due to the age..well that's bs, the wood takes on the average humidity of it's surroundings, acquiring a certain amount of moisture when it's damp, and if it gets hot and dry, losing that same moisture. It's simple really.
The problem with green or untreated wood as one might find in a 'new' guitar made someplace like china, is that the thing will possible warp in extreme humidity, or in a very dry climate. The fact that this instrument, in contact with the case, 'ate the fuzz' is partly environment, and a reaction between the chemicals in the finish and the synthetic material used in the case lining.
From a perspective that takes into account all the factors in play, one must surmise that the best environment for a guitar would be to ensure that it's at a proper level of humidity, and if it's expensive enough to warrant it, put it in a humidor with controls to keep it at a constant state.
If you ever played a horn in a snowstorm you'd have some idea as to the dynamics. All materials are subject to temperature and humidity, and therefore they expand or shrink. In the case of a guitar, the humidity fluctuations from the 100 percent humidity of the deep south vrs the winter humidity north of here where it's 5 to 8 percent will certainly cause the wood to react in a detrimental fashion.
To say that plastic would be harmful I am cognisant of the properties of modern plastic vapour barriers, as here, we have use them in the exterior walls of every house. It's illegal not to have them. To suggest that they give off harmful or detrimental levels of anything is to suggest every Canadian would become sick. The simple answer to that is every Canadian outlives the average American. That said, it could be bad health plans, or in reality, that the Average american has 25 pounds over the average Canuck due to the ingestion of Big Macs, but I'm not qualified to answer that question, I may have measured hundreds of thousands of board feet of spruce lumber headed south for moisture content, however I never studied the reason that the first reaction of Canadians traveling south is WoW those people are fat and waddle....
As for me, I'm sticking with the original comment, I'd put any wooden instrument, from my accordion with it's wooden parts, inside a plastic bag if storing it. I have every lens I own inside a nice plastic zip lock bag, because put in my car, it might undergo huge temperature variations, and I don't want that to mess the lens up, especially if it's worth over 400 bucks.
John Conley
Musica est vita
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Oh and the only reason a house in the winter that burns really fast is not due to the wood per se, but many of the older dwellings have radiators that are steam driven, and the steam does not leave the thing, and if you check the humidity of the old sawn rough lumber you'll find it might be 10 percent. Thus when a fire gets inside a wall that is lath and plaster, the low humidity plus the fact that the structure is one of balloon construction with no fire stopping between floors, the old 3 story homes built over 100 years ago here, with brick veneer, tend to go up quickly. Now that every responding vehicle has a FLIR camera, they can scan the exterior of the building and determine the location of the fire, pierce the brick, and insert water into the lower part of the vertical space, and extinguish it without the old method of opening the roof to vent it, making entry, and hoping to find the fire. Of course, I'm talking about local construction methods, this changes from area to area when moving south to another country.
I admit to not having spending thousands of hours examining construction methods employed in the Usa. I have done that here, and have a 100 page manual written and in use on construction and fire protection.
That said EVERY museum that's involved in the display of anything wood, including instruments, stores them and displays them in a temperature and humidity controlled environment. I also have a lengthy paper on that subject, part of the "Loss Prevention Best Practices for Cultural Institutions on the Matter of Fires, Flooding and Natural Disasters", used as a sort of handbook by museums and art galleries, and libraries in our area..
I would defer however to you Mac on the electrical electronics side.
John Conley
Musica est vita
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Gentlemen, once again I thank you for your responses. Ed I appreciate the offer of Alcapolco however my itinerary takes me directly to Calgary (tomorrow) then to Vancouver that same evening. From Vancouver I fly the next morning to Portland Oregon for an undetermined time, then I may be flying to on Singapore (all work related) before flying back to Vancouver. I had a similar itinerary the last time I was in Bahia de Salchi (near Huatulco Mexico) with the guitar. I did not figure on leaving the guitar behind that long.
Mac, I agree a good instrument shouldn’t be left. This is a circa 1966 Harmony Sovereign Jumbo and although it is not the most expensive guitar in my stable it still has a beautiful sound and plays well. That is why it is my travel guitar. I was going to bring it home with me this time but unfortunately sudden changes in work arose that make it difficult to travel with it.
John I think I will try the following:
Wipe the strings with 3n1 oil, loosen the tension approximately a tone. Coat of wax
Lay saran wrap on the guitar where the plush was contacted the worse last time. Place in case.
Put a garbage bag over the case, if I can locate one!
Hopefully I will be returning in 6 months time, at which I will take the guitar back home with me and refinish it. The saga continues. Once again, thanks for the responses. D
There are only 3 kinds of musicians: those that can count, and those that can't!
PC AMD A4-5300 APU 3.4 GHz, 8gb RAM, 1T HDD, Windows 10,
Reaper 4.77, BIAB2018, PTPA12, RB2018, Roland VS-880 DAW
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Good Luck, I sure would not want that schedule.
Just don't take the guitar on United Airlines.
In case you missed it google Youtube United breaks Guitars.
Canuck who has a band from the east coast did the video. The first song is the best. He's made a lot of money off a youtube thing because they busted his taylor. Great story, great song, and it exposed a very good band.
BTW, Calgary just got whacked with snow..LOL. I'm still wondering if we are going to get more, you are never safe here until May 24, when you can plant....
though I might have to cut the grass soon, I have cut it and it snowed the next day.
John Conley
Musica est vita
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Dennis,
Have a great time in Portland, my hometown. Growing up there was amazing, the jazz scene was incredible. Although I don't miss the rain, I do miss the fresh air, tasty water right out of the tap (try that in Mexico!) and beautiful summers.
Ed
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XPro Styles PAK 11 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box® version 2026 (and higher) is here with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 31 RealTracks/RealDrums!
Guess who’s back again? That’s right! It’s our XPro Styles PAK’s triumphant return with the 11th edition in this series! 100 new styles are coming your way spread across the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres. And this edition's wildcard genre explores the immense and far-reaching catalogue of electronic music! The included 31 RealTracks and RealDrums can be used with any Band-in-a-Box® 2026 (and higher) package.
Special offers available until August 31st, 2026!
All the XPro Styles PAKs 1-11 are on sale for only $29 ea (Reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Order now!
Learn more and listen to demos of XPro Styles PAKs.
Video: XPro Styles PAK 11 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2026 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.
Introducing Xtra Styles PAK 22 – Now Available for Mac Band-in-a-Box 2026 and Higher!
Xtra Styles PAK 22 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2026 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!
It’s time to celebrate! Xtra Styles PAK 22 for Band-in-a-Box® is here, and we've got 200 brand-new styles coming your way!
No Xtra Styles PAK is complete without the classic rock & pop, jazz, and country volumes you know and love, and we’ve got plenty to share, with 150 styles spread across too many genres to list! Of course, it also wouldn’t be complete with our special wildcard volume to add a little spice and pizzazz to the mix. This year, because we loved it so much the first time, we’ve decided to make the second iteration of our SynthMaster volume, full of new sounds, interesting genres, and 50 engaging styles, all making use of the diverse SynthMaster plugin! Here you can find genres such as airy yacht rock, sultry electrotango, and even some synth soca funk. Don’t wait, pickup up Xtra Styles PAK 22 today!
In this PAK you can find: dulcet folk ballads, funky gospel country, Brazilian jazz fusion, upbeat 1980s pop, classic Americana, a plethora of breezy bossa novas, indie singer-songwriter, scintillating synthwave, exuberant electronica, and many, many more!
Special offers available until August 31st, 2026!
All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1-22 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 22 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!
Learn more and listen to demos of the Xtra Styles PAK 22.
Video: Xtra Styles PAK 22 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 22 requires the 2026 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
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