humidifiers

[slowhand111666]

i saw an old post on humidifiers....now i can't find it. i have a 92 D-40 electric acoustic....want to know the best humidifier to use with ohsc

 

[Dr. Spivey]

A soapbox with holes and a sponge inside works as well as anything. If you don't want it to flop around in the case attach it with some velcro tape. It will go a week or more without refilling. When the sponge gets funky, throw it out and replace it with a new sponge for 25 cents. Take the money you save and buy some picks and strings.

Conversely, if you are convinced there is a great deal of science and technology involved, buy the most expensive, complicated gizmo you can find. Then write a long review, parroting the manufacturers claims, and post it at Harmony Central.

Another option (and the cheapest) is a baggie with holes, and a sponge, or a wet rag or whatever. Works fine, but the general public seems suspicious of baggies in guitar cases, or any instrument case, in my experience.

A hygrometer (humidity gauge), is a worthwhile investment. Shoot for 40-60% R.H.

Whatever system you choose, remember your guitar won't dry out or re-hydrate in a few hours. Be proactive, and plan for the dry spells,and all should be well. 8)

 

[Bing k]

For about $16 you can put in a Planetwaves GH which will do the job nicely. It slips into the strings in the sound hole. Pretty user friendly.
http://store.daddario.com/category/1464 ... rency_id=1

 

[chicagowineguy]

+1 on the soapbox and sponge. I leave it in the case below the neck, and it seems to work just fine, at least I haven't had any warps or cracks this past winter. Of course, we should all be thankful that the dry season is over...if anything the next few months will probably have us worrying about too MUCH humidity!

 

[Taylor Martin Guild]

I do the soap dish thing but I use floral foam instead of a sponge.
It holds water longer and doesn't leak.
I buy a brick of foam and cut it to fit the soap box.
I drill some holes in the top of the dish and I'm good to go.

In some of my cases, I place the soap dish inside the small compartment under the neck of the guitar.
I have tested it with a hygrometer and the humidity is the same whether the humidifier is inside the compartment or just under the neck.

If a soap dish is larger than you want, try using a baby food container.
I have both types and they work the same.

 

[oldflattop]

,,,,,,ditto on the baggie with the small sponge,,,,and correct, most folks are suspicious regarding baggies, especially if you happen to use a green sponge and place it next to your gi-normous pill bottle,,,,filled with picks! Seems to do the job. Later,,,,,Willie

 

[chazmo]

Floral foam... good idea! I'll have to try that next year.

I'm a baggie guy.

 

[jazzmang]

I'm a dampit man myself. Relatively cheap and they always do the trick.
I also picked up some digital hygrometers for $15 a pop... got one in each case.

 

[TonyT]

Which brings me to this...will a gig bag hold humidty like a HSC? Possible mold growth? Am I just making a mountain?

 

[Taylor Martin Guild]

I'm a dampit man myself. Relatively cheap and they always do the trick.
I also picked up some digital hygrometers for $15 a pop... got one in each case.

I asked the Taylor folks this same question because I had a Big Baby in a gig bag.
They said to humidify the guitar the same way as if it was a hard case.
They recommended to use a Dampit.
The humidity doesn't last as long in a gig bag, so check it more often till you have a comfort level with it.

 

[Dr. Spivey]

Good question Tony. I've never used a gig bag. I would suppose if its non-breathable material, mold and condensation could be a problem. A fabric that breathes too much, or a hard case that doesn't seal well, won't maintain an adequate level of humidity.

 

[cjd-player]

Damp-its

http://www.letstalkguild.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=12444&p=130130&hilit=dampits#p130130

 

[john_kidder]

Of course, we should all be thankful that the dry season is over...if anything the next few months will probably have us worrying about too MUCH humidity!

Not I - I spend most of my time in the winter right here in Vancouver, where the relative humidity is way up there - this is the Pacific Coast rain forest, after all.

But at this time of year I spend much more time in Ashcroft, where the relative humidity is pretty much 0% pretty much all the time - this is the top end of the Great American Desert, (4" total annual precipitation) after all.

So - guitars in cases, with sponge/baggie humidifiers, or in my office/music room where I have a swamp cooler running constantly.

 

[guitarslinger]

Totally old school here. I use the old clay type of humidifier. I think they are called "Guardfather" (?). No splits no warps no crazing etc since 1959. Live in the very dry Central San Joaquin Valley. I liked the planet waves things that went in the mesh bags like I've seen for my cigars, but, they recalled those things after they had damaged several guitars.

 

[West R Lee]

I use these, manufactured about 60 miles from here. Easy to use and never had a problem.

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/KLHC

http://www.kysermusical.com/home.php

West

 

[chazmo]

Curious... You guys that have known to humidify your guitars for a long time, how did you know about that? Were you taught?

I learned to play in the '70s, but I didn't have a clue about how to humidify a guitar (and I learned the hard way a few years ago).

These days, with web sites like ours and others, and manufacturers themselves evangelizing proper humidity, there's no excuse.

 

[Dr. Spivey]

Chaz, I got my first guitar in the seventies also. There was only a handful of players back then that talked about proper care of acoustic guitars. I think the word came down from working musicians, through the guys who repaired their guitars. That's how a lot of this information came to me.

It seems that the word really started to spread in the 80s, with the rise of small builders and independent luthiers, first in books and magazines, then on the internet. The interest in vintage guitars seemed to factor in there too.

 

[chazmo]

Doc, sounds about right. I wish I'd known some of those guys back then. My education was mostly self-taught, and no one I knew had a clue.

I know that the Taylor Guitars website is probably where I've gotten my most useful information about humidification. Bob talks about it all the time -- probably because his all-wood guitars are highly susceptible to damage (as anyone who's been to a Guitar Center can attest).
Best wishes.

 

[guitarslinger]

I bought a Goya clay humidifier in the 50's that was about the diameter of a silver dollar. (The real ones not Susan B or Sakagawea).
I've always loved my guitars and actively looked for ways to "pamper" them.

 

[West R Lee]

I bought a Goya clay humidifier in the 50's that was about the diameter of a silver dollar. (The real ones not Susan B or Sakagawea).
I've always loved my guitars and actively looked for ways to "pamper" them.

I know you do Slinger, we got one from you.

West