Albuquerque relative humidity

[avaldes]

We are contemplating a move to the Albuquerque area. I have a couple of mandolins and guitars, including a very thin-wood flamenco. I was concerned about humidity. I am currently in central Illinois and I use humidifiers in winter. I looked at some climate data for Albuquerque, and it is less extreme than I thought, with April to June dropping below 30. Since winters are not as harsh as where I am now, my indoor heated air may not be as dry as it is here. Anyone on this site live in that area, what measures do you take, and have you had humidity problems?
http://www.albuquerque.climatemps.com/humidity.php

[Louise NM]

This is a complicated subject, and almost anyone you talk to will give you a different answer. For a sampling, this thread has some discussion from desert dwellers.

To further confuse the issue, read this and this. There's a sweet spot in there somewhere, but it is just as easy to err either way.

If you end up in house with a swamp cooler, that will help keep the humidity up when it's hot. With winters much milder than Chicago's, there's not as much overheating in the winter. My house—small and adobe—stays more humid than some. I use in-case humidifiers for my mandolin-family instruments along with Boveda packs to try to keep it somewhat stable. I do not humidify my bowed string instruments.

As soon as you take an instrument out of its case, it's in a whole new environment. Bring your humidifiers with you, and get a good hygrometer or two to get a read on conditions in the new house. Acclimating the instruments gradually seems to be safest way to go.

[avaldes]

I knew a luthier who said instruments sound best when they are acclimated to about 35% RH, and recommendations for 40-50 RH result in muddy sound. I use in case and a small room humidifier, and don't panic in winter as long as it is over 30%. Thanks for the reply.

[desertnight]

I knew a luthier who said instruments sound best when they are acclimated to about 35% RH, and recommendations for 40-50 RH result in muddy sound. I use in case and a small room humidifier, and don't panic in winter as long as it is over 30%. Thanks for the reply.

I'd like to add to this as a New Mexico resident. I do agree with Louise on humidity and swamp coolers and will add I run a humidifier 24/7 in my adobe studio. I have swamp coolers in my house and refrigerated air in studio but with a small room my humidifier in studio it works well.

I do use case humidifiers (Oasis etc)as well and keep a "dampit" with me when traveling. I use the D'Addario gel packs for long term storage and they work very well.

In June this year down Las Cruces way we hit 6% which is the lowest I've seen here.

[Drew Egerton]

When I visited ABQ for the first time I feel like I had a nosebleed as soon as I walked off the plane. Very very dry air. This was October a couple of years ago. Immediately went to the store for eye drops and nose spray.