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Hello everyone. This is my first post, and my naiveté will indeed show. My brother in law and I would like to try our hand at building guitars. I have a simple dilemma as to which area of my house we should set up to work in. I basically have two choices: My attic, which is incredibly hot and dry (100 degrees + during the summer when we aren't up there with the A/C on). And my basement, which is cool but incredibly humid (110 year old house, I have to run a dehumidifier down there to keep moisture off the floor all summer).

My question is simply which one would present a better space for guitar work. Are either of these environments completely detrimental to the build process?

Thanks in advance.

They are both "bad". Either extreme in humidity/temperature will cause havoc. You need to figure out which area can be brought into a normal humidity and temperature range with the least amount of effort and cost. It would probably be easier to add humidity to the attic than it would to remove it from the basement. But the main thing you will need to work on is sealing one of these areas so that you can start to control the environment.

You need to stabilize the humidity swings of wherever you build. Of the two imperfect options, I'd definitely opt for the basement. If you run a dehumidifier and an airconditioner in the summer in the basement, you may or may not need humidification in the winter. Trying to stabilize the humidity in an attic where temp.s get over 100 in summer would be a nightmare. If it's like my attic, it's more like a kiln than a workspace.

My basement, while not wet, does get damp in the summer and dry in the winter. I manage to keep it relatively stable with the approach above.

Daniel: I live on the east coast of Canada and lots of humidity in the late spring to early fall. No air conditioning and I build in the basement. My approach to building has been to start in the fall,say early Sept.,and get parts ready.Make linings,rough out necks,make fingerboards etc.You don't have to worry much about Rh when doing certain operations.As the winter season approaches and Rh start to drop a bit I will start to glue things a bit more RH sensitive but not critical.Such as blocks to sides,grain running the same way on both,maybe mahogany on mahogany, put on linings,scarf joint and heel blocks on necks.After this I start to do things more critical again based on the Rh, join tops and backs etc. Around late Dec. when the cold sets in and the Rh in the basement drops to low 40's high 30's that is the time I do the critical cross grain gluing, rosette inlays,braces back and top and putting the box together.This is the busiest time for me because certain work has to be done while conditions are right. I have used this approach for quite a long time. It's not ideal but it enables me to build guitars. I might add that I tend to build guitars in bunches and take advantage of the times of good building conditions.Have just started to put the finish on 3 guitars done this past winter. Hope you can follow what I'm trying to get across here. Good luck in your adventure
Tom

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A person who has never made a mistake has never made anything!!!

Thanks to the three of you for your responses. This gives me a lot to think about. There's a chance we're going to move this fall, so I may look for a temporary solution until I know for sure. The attic is a much more appealing space to us (cleanliness, ceiling height, lighting, etc.), so we may just insulate the attic rafters and tarp a section off to control climate / humidity in a section of the attic for the summer. We can make a more permanent decision after I know where I'll be living this fall.

If you reasonably insulate your attic and put a vapor barrier you may be able to run an AC and lower temp and RH at the same time to the level you're comfortable with. Building on the dry and hot side is always preferable to building on the wet and cold side. Also a small space is always easier to control than a large one, an important point to keep in mind. In the summer a dehumidifier is much less efficient than an AC unit to remove moisture. IME in the north N-E where I live, a basement is always too damp. Last point, I've always found it much easier to add moisture in the air than to remove it.

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Laurent Brondel
West Paris, Maine - USA
http://www.laurentbrondel.com/