Used to drive my Mom crazy with off the wall questions....

[NavyChap]

When I was "much younger" I'd drive Mom crazy by starting a conversation with "Mom, I've been thinking, and I have a question....."  One such question would be like "Hey, Mom, when I was born, if I was a girl, what was my name going to be?"

So, for folks here on the Forum, I've been thinking and I have a question......Is the need for humidification more or less important for a guitar with matte/satin finish vs. a high gloss finish?  Inquisitive minds want to know.

Back to Mom -- my "if I was a girl" name was going to be "Patricia Ann" -- but since my initials would then be P.A.M. they were going to call me Pam.  Talk about instilling a question of one's own identity!

[timfitz63]

My take on guitar humidification is the finish really doesn't enter into the picture.  Since the inside of the guitar has no finish, that's where moisture will mainly be lost and absorbed by the top, back, and sides.  So I'd say the need for proper humidification is equally important regardless of the exterior finish.

Now, that said, my understanding is laminate bodies are less susceptible to moisture loss/absorption; so a laminate-bodied guitar equipped with a solid top is mainly seeing moisture loss/absorption through the top wood.  Again, finish is irrelevant.

[donlyn]

Back to Mom -- my "if I was a girl" name was going to be "Patricia Ann" -- but since my initials would then be P.A.M. they were going to call me Pam.  Talk about instilling a question of one's own identity!

Could have been more awkward if it was "Samantha Patricia Ann . . " 

All's well that ends well.

[donlyn]

Oh yeah, back on topic, humidify everything including yourself. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Dryness has a negative effect on people too.

[Edward]

As timfitz said, proper humidification is important, regardless of finish.

1. remember the entire inside of the body is unfinished so the exterior surfaces are largely not the subject of absorbing/shedding moisture.
2. remember that your entire fretboard is unfinished and a dry fretboard will shrink, resulting in fret end "sprout."
3. the "proper" RH is a range, and a pretty generous one at that.  No need to get uber-concerned about the particular reading so long as you're in the range, and that the guitar avoids extreme/sudden changes (which is unlikely in a house, unless you like that sort of thing ).

Edward