How do humidity and climate affect guitar strings?

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Humidity mainly affects strings through corrosion: moisture and sweat speed up rust and tarnish, so strings go dull faster in humid climates. Temperature and humidity also move the wood, which changes neck relief and tuning. A stable environment, around 45 to 55% relative humidity for acoustic guitars, helps both the strings and the instrument. What happens in different conditions:Humid: strings corrode faster. Wood swells, which can raise action on acoustics.Dry: wood shrinks. Fret ends can stick out, action can drop and buzz can appear. Severe dryness can crack acoustic tops.Temperature swings: strings expand and contract, so tuning drifts. That's normal.How to protect your strings and guitar:Wipe strings after playing.Keep the guitar in its case or a room with stable humidity. A humidifier or dehumidifier can help.Let a cold guitar warm up in its case before opening it.Expect to retune when moving between rooms or venues.If you live somewhere humid or your strings tarnish quickly, a coated set lasts longer. Our CS1046 in CRT Coated Nickel and CP1253 in CRT Coated Phosphor Bronze are built to resist corrosion.

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