I learned a humidity lesson this year. As some of you know, I play in a guitar ensemble, and we participate at the Carolina Reniassance Festival every year. This year, I took my #2 guitar out there. The weather was terrible for the first several weekends, and the guitar, which was built very lightly, was subjected to some extended exposure to humidity in the 100% range, including some direct precipitation. By the third weekend, it had developed some unusual undulations in the top. The fan braces were the low spots, and the top had bulged between them. Also, in the area of the open TB's, generated a smooth ridge line that ran from the end of the bridge up to the edge of the body at the neck. It really looked funny, it wasn't
![[headinwall]](./images/smilies/headbangwalluf8.gif "Mad")
, but it looked funny. My thinking was that I shouldn't try to return it to low humidity too fast, so I took the strings off, and closed it up in a case, in my house, which is maintained in the 45 - 50% range, with a humidifier in the heat system. Over the weeks it's been in the case, it has recovered about 50%. The hills and valleys were reduced to lower levels. This weekend, I moved it to the shop, where the humidity is now about 40 - 45%, and noticed that, overnight, it had settled down even more. I am amazed at what a piece of wood will do. Nothing is loose, all joints are solid, as well as all braces and fans. I am amazed. I was afraid I might have trashed a pretty good guitar. My fault, totally, as I should not have taken such a lightly built instrument out in that weather. Guitars built on the edge shouldn't be exposed to the elements like I did. I used my #1 guitar for the rest of the season, and it did fine - rain or shine. Fortunately, we had more shine in the last 4 weekends of the festival. I didn't take pictures when it was at it's worst, or I'd have posted them, but the high areas were as much as 1/2" above the low areas. It looked like a carved top. As it looks now, it looks like it will recover fully. I figure, several days to a week in the shop should do it. Maybe I'll work on the French Polish some, while it's out of commission.Just thought it was worth mentioning, in this discussion on humidity.