bringing up baby

[Skip_dup1]

I mentioned a bit before, that I recently went to the Phillipines and brought an acoustic back to Japan. They`re really nice down there, 100% handmade and you can get away with under $100. I tried this once before but the climate change monster kinda wrecked things. I thought I had the timing better (spring in japan as opposed to winter), but sure enough since I got back here the temp has been all over the place. It`s sunny and warm in the afternoon, and by evening it`s raining and I can see my breath. I bought a humidifier but I can`t always leave it on. Last week I got so freaked about it, that I put the guitar in bed with the electric blanket, and I pulled out the sleeping bag and slept on the floor! what`s next, bottle feeding lemon oil? (the experts say bottle feeding isn`t the best, but us career guys don`t have time for those `natural` methods...)

[Nollykin]

I'd say breastfeeding. Nothing beats it... it will nurture your baby well and get him or her used to real life experiences at an early age

 

Remember, a good cot is VITAL - if it falls out, you could have a dead baby.

 

"Oh.. is that a babeh? GET IN MAH BELLEH!"

[Skip_dup1]

Originally posted by Nollykin:

I'd say breastfeeding. Nothing beats it... it will nurture your baby well and get him or her used to real life experiences at an early age

 

Remember, a good cot is VITAL - if it falls out, you could have a dead baby.

 

"Oh.. is that a babeh? GET IN MAH BELLEH!"

That sounds good. my bed`s kinda low but you can`t be too...wait, I think I hear a cryin E string. Jeez, is it feeding time again?

[rclite]

Smack round the backside should sort that out

[TurboDog]

The wood should be able to handle changes in temperature/humidity as long as they are gradual changes. If you can help keep the temparature relatively similar, you should be okay. Granted, when the guitar finally settles, it will need a major setup.

 

My personal opinion is that temperature would affect it much more than humidity. Of course, that would depend on how it was finished. If you have raw wood exposed, well that's a different story.

 

Funny how you spent $100 on it, and are going to put many hours into it, just to keep it right. Good luck.

[The Bear Jew]

I'd say breastfeeding. Nothing beats it... it will nurture your baby well and get him or her used to real life experiences at an early age

 

Remember, a good cot is VITAL - if it falls out, you could have a dead baby.

 

"Oh.. is that a babeh? GET IN MAH BELLEH!"

I'm suprised you didn't say, "A dingo ate my baby."

[baronedo]

If the guitar is being dramatic temperature changes, keep it in an insulated case as this will allow the guitar's temperature to adjust gradually to ambient temperature, minimizing thermal shock which can really cause problems to both guitars and amp tubes.

 

I must have missed something but why are you seeing such extremes in temperature and humidity - are you outdoors or inside?

[Skip_dup1]

Originally posted by @rclite:

Smack round the backside should sort that out

Officer, I`d like to refer this person to the proper authorities...

[Skip_dup1]

Lancer-

The guitar is inside, but it was brought from Cebu, where it was 33 degrees celsius, in the 80s F, to Japan, where it was 13 celsius, in the 40s and low 50s

and bone dry in comparison. Also, even though the warmth this year is setting records all over the place-cherry blossom time is something like two weeks early-it keeps changing back to normal conditions every time a front comes through from china. It`s making me nuts. And the problem with these guitars is, that they play and sound really fine, but they don`t have neck adjustments. I deliberately chose one with the lowest action possible, to allow for a bit of rise. but anything over that and I`m stuck with it.

Well at least I didn`t get one of those really expensive ones they`ve been making lately-I`d be on medication by now.

[Skip_dup1]

I should add here that Japan doesn`t have central heating! I`ve talked to some people about it and it would be considered zeitaku-an extravagance. When the weather`s cold people here use a kotatsu. It`s a kind of heater that goes under the table. You sit down, put your legs under the table and it keeps you lower parts nice and toasty. But if you visit people here, it`s amazing how cold parts of the house can be. I know one teacher here who`s been a violinist for over 15 years. I happen to know that she has a violin that costs more than all my guitars put together. She also gets heart arrythmias every time the seasons change.

[Dak Lander]

Skip, I haven't been in Japan for over 25 years but I remember those changes. We get a few extremes here, but not to the extent there. Have you considered a decent sleeping bag? Not the super expensive, ultra cold use bags but an upper mid-range bag? That would slow down the temperature changes and would also slow down the humidity changes a bit.

 

I have most of my guitars (all acoustics) hanging on wall mounts. I oil them regularly with lemon or orange oil & have had no problems. I don't use furniture polish or anything with silicone. They, IMO, will seal the finish and the guitar won't breathe.

My old Yamaha FG150 was purchased over there & has been all over the south seas as well as the western & central USA with no problems. Granted, I had to keep it in the case on board ship but it was the old cheap thin plywood case with very thin lining.

In any case it should settle in pretty soon and then it probably won't be as heavily affected by the changes.

[Rai168]

I'm kind acurious now cause I have relatives who live in the phillipines. I live in Massachusetts so I'm curious - how could I get a nice acoustic gtr over undamaged? Or even better do they make nice handmade mahoghany gtrs over there that I could have shipped? How would the climate over here in the US affect the gtr(s)? Thanks for any info...

 

Rai

www.CalyxinRuin.com

[Skip_dup1]

rai-

I didn`t see any mahogany ones this time out. My new one is made of local hardwood that someone called `Phillipine mahogany`. I did see an ebony model from the same maker I bought from (Susing`s), and several of the guys are using more imported wood now.

I`d say shipping is all a matter of timing. If it`s summertime in Mass. when you have the guitar shipped, it`s likely to be okay. Of course, you still have to deal with winter eventually and note what I said above about neck adjustments. Still, they are really fine and well worth the hassle. Susing and Lilang are the two main builders, but most of them are pretty good. if you have a relative that knows their way around a guitar, have them do the scouting for you. One maker likes to go a bit heavy on the lacquer. Alegre, mentioned above, is darn near as pricey as some U.S. guitars, but you get much more guitar for the money.

I`m considering getting diving certification so I may be back in the near future. Check back with me on it later if you wish.