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I think we’ve all encountered some humidity issues with our guitars… I’ve had cracks in the top, as well as sharp fret edges sticking out the side of the neck. All resolved with some good proper hydration…
Winter season is very hard on our delicate guitars as indoor heating makes the relative humidity plummet. A hygrometer is a must especially in the winter. Target range is 40-60%. If it’s lower than that, it’s time to hydrate.
The cheapest way is to store in a hard case with a “Dampit”. (Same thing would be a homemade damp sponge inside a ziplock bag with a few air holes) The drawbacks of that are it needs frequent checking, to re-moisturize the dampit/sponge, and having your guitar in the case all the time can discourage you from practicing/playing.
I prefer using the D’Addario Humidipaks, just chuck one or two inside the case with your guitar and it will keep the humidity within a set range. They need to be replaced periodically tho and they are not cheap, but if you don’t open your case often they last a long time and don’t need much maintenance.
I know they now make little humidity sensors you can keep inside the guitar case and it will bluetooth the humidity level to your phone app or your computer. If you like to keep your guitars out of the case for display or convenience, then a room humidifier is pretty much a necessity. We pay alot of moolah when we first purchase our lovely beautiful guitars, and it doesn’t stop there… But it’s all worth it 🙂