Humidity and temperature meter

Possible location of the air humidity and temperature meter

It is in your interest that your guitar will be kept in proper climatic conditions. Like presented in the above picture a digital air humidity and temperature meter is built into a guitar body. This device will not affect the guitar sound at all and can be removed easily at any time. By light signals the meter provides you data about the air humidity and temperature, in other words, it shows if these two parameters are within the allowed range or not. The built-in meter:

• enables elegant monitoring and controlling of the climatic conditions of your guitar. On principle you do not need any additional hygrometer, although we recommend it for a room where the guitar will be stored most of the time.

• gives you a right for a free repair of a guitar wooden parts if it turns out that the guitar was stored in correct conditions.

All deformations and cracks of wooden parts will be repaired for free (in 3 years from the date of purchase) if data in the meter's memory are in agreement with the allowed range. If the deformations and cracks are a consequence of sudden temperature changes (heat, cold) of short duration, which cannot be registered by the meter (however they are evident on the varnished surface of a guitar), then the costs for a repair are covered by a customer. Warranty period for a meter itself and its battery is 3 years from the date of purchase. Other warranty conditions for Sali guitars.

Allowed range of air humidity and temperature (set on a meter):

• lower limit of air humidity (relative humidity): 40%

• upper limit of air humidity: 70%

• lower limit of air temperature: 5 °C

• upper limit of air temperature: 35 °C

Due to reasonable tolerances you can exceed all the above limits, however this is not recommended.

1. air humidity may drop below 40%. A drop occurs if the air humidity is lower than 40% for more than 24 hours. Thus, tolerance is:

• 10 days between 37 - 39% *

• 7 days between 34 - 36% *

• 3 days between 31 - 33% *

• 2 days between 28 - 30% *

• 1 day between 25 - 27% *

• a drop of humidity below 25% is not allowed

2. air humidity may raise over 70%. A raise occurs if the air humidity is higher than 70% for more than 48 hours Thus, tolerance is:

• 30 days between 71 - 73% *

• 15 days between 74 - 76% *

• 7 days between 77 - 79% *

• 4 days between 80 - 85% *

• 2 days between 85 - 90% *

• a raise of humidity above 90% is not allowed

3. temperature may drop below 5 °C for 24 hours mostly, however it may not drop below 0 °C

4. temperature may raise above 35 °C for 24 hours mostly, however it may not raise above 40 °C

Maintenance

Warranty period for a humidity and temperature meter and the corresponding battery is 3 years from the date of purchase. The built-in meter does not require any maintenance, however its memory must be erased each 3 years and a half, and a battery must be replaced at the same time in order to enable its normal functioning. We can do this free of charge for you, however you should cover the costs for a new battery if it needs replacement later than three years from the date of purchase. If the battery dies out before the warranty expiration date then the warranty is still valid if the buyer makes possible to us to replace the battery not later than after one month during winter and not later than after two months during spring - fall period. Each meter is sealed therefore any unauthorized clearing of its memory or battery replacement during warranty period automatically cuts off the warranty's validity.

Meter's position and explanation of light signals

The picture below shows two signal lights. The meter is usually mounted in the guitar body below the fingerboard at the neck's end. Therefore we can easily check the status of both green (REC - recording) and red/yellow (ALM - alarm) lights through the resonant hole.

• green light (REC) blinks once per 30 seconds if both air humidity and temperature are within the allowed range (see above)

• if air humidity is below 40% the green light does not blink, and red light (ALM) blinks once per 30 seconds

• if air humidity raises above 70% the green light does not blink, and red light (ALM) blinks twice per 30 seconds

• if air temperature drops below 5 °C the green light does not blink, and yellow light (ALM) blinks once per 30 seconds

• if air temperature raises above 35 °C the green light does not blink, and yellow light (ALM) blinks twice per 30 seconds

• if both air humidity and temperature are not within allowed range then green light does not blink, and according to the real conditions red or yellow light shows on at the ALM position alternately. For example, if air humidity is below 40% and temperature above 35°C then at the ALM position there is one blink of a red light and after 30 seconds two blinks of a yellow light. After 30 seconds this cycle is repeated. This is true as long as climatic conditions are not changed.

• if blinking of a red or yellow light is finished and green light is on at position REC, then climatic conditions are as recommended

• if there is no light signal at all in 30 seconds, then battery is bad and needs a replacement

• one blink of yellow light at position ALM indicates full meter's memory. It needs a reset. This is simple and can be done with a computer and instruction (it comes along with a guitar) in a moment.

Important: please become familiar with proper climatic conditions for your guitar. There is a big number of web sites which explain this problem in details.

In most situations you will need to control the humidity of the air when the guitar is held in case. A simple humidifier which can be inserted between the strings into the resonant hole of your guitar can be purchased in almost every music shop.  If the air is too wet, you can use silica gel to dry it. Again, this has to be done with silica gel and a guitar in the case. Another solution is air-conditioning of the room. As a rule, higher air temperature means higher humidity level.

Note: a direct exposure to the heat sources can damage your guitar in a moment, cracks will occur !