Australia is a big country with wildly different climates, and that matters more than most players realise when it comes to looking after an acoustic guitar. What works in tropical Far North Queensland can be completely wrong for Melbourne in the middle of winter. Here's how to think about guitar care depending on where you actually live.

Humid and tropical regions

If you're in Far North Queensland, Darwin, or anywhere with consistently high humidity, your main concern is too much moisture, not too little. Watch for a top that looks more domed than usual, a duller tone, or action that's crept higher over time. A dehumidifying pack in the case, and storing guitars in an air-conditioned room rather than a naturally humid one, both help considerably. It's also worth keeping an eye out for mould or a musty smell developing inside a case that's been shut up in damp conditions for a while.

Dry, arid and inland areas

Inland and arid parts of the country, along with much of South Australia and Western Australia's drier regions, tend to run consistently low in humidity, which puts guitars at risk of the classic dry-guitar symptoms: sharp fret ends, a sunken top, and an action that keeps dropping. A reliable in-case humidifier and a hygrometer to check levels are essential in these areas, not optional extras.

Temperate cities with big seasonal swings

Places like Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide and Canberra don't sit at one extreme, but they bring a different challenge: seasonal swings, and specifically what heating and cooling systems do to indoor air. Reverse-cycle heating and traditional heaters both dry the air out significantly in winter, often more than people expect, which is when a lot of "why has my guitar suddenly gone weird" questions come up. Air conditioning in summer can have a similar drying effect. The lesson here is that your guitar's environment isn't just about the climate outside, it's about the room it actually lives in, and that room can be considerably drier than the weather report suggests.

The car is not a safe place, anywhere in Australia

This one applies no matter where you live. Australian car interiors can reach extreme temperatures very quickly in direct sun, even on a mild day, and that kind of heat is genuinely damaging to a guitar's finish, glue joints and structural integrity. Never leave a guitar in a car for any length of time, especially in warmer months.

Bringing a guitar in from very different conditions

If your guitar has just come from a hot car, a cold delivery van, or a very different climate to the one it's about to live in, don't open the case straight away. Let it sit closed at room temperature for a few hours, longer if the temperature difference was extreme, so it can adjust gradually. Opening a case too soon after a big temperature swing can cause condensation to form on and inside the guitar, which is worse for the finish and timber than simply waiting it out.

The general rule, wherever you are

Regardless of your local climate, the goal is the same: keep humidity somewhere around 45% to 55%, avoid direct sun and extreme temperatures, and use a hygrometer if you want to know for certain rather than guess. If you're ever unsure what your particular climate and living situation calls for, our team is happy to talk through the right setup for your guitar.