Caution: Do you really need a humidifier?

[JR]

Last summer, I bought a Martin D28CW while on vacation in Long Beach, CA. When I brought it home to UT, I was told by my local Martin dealer that I absolutely had to have a humidifier since it's so dry here. I ended up buying the Planet Waves one that you stick in the sound hole. Well, long story short, I ended up trading in that guitar for a Huss & Dalton TDMA and continued to use the PW. I had the same experience that many of you had, that is the humidifier getting clogged despite using distilled water. When I got my L-09 MR Ltd Ed, I decided to use the old sponge in the baggie trick in both guitar cases instead. Last week, I decided that it would be nice to know what the relative humidity in my basement was which is where I keep my guitars. I found a good hygrometer for $20 at a cigar shop of all places! The reading I got in the basement was 45% - perfect. I then stuck it in my Larrivee case by the sponge & got a reading of 69%!!! In the H&D case, it wasn't quite as bad, but it was still 60% - too high for an extended time according to Larrivee's guitar care booklet. Needless to say, I've removed both sponges from my guitar cases. I shudder to think about what damage I might have caused my babies if I hadn't bought that hygrometer!

John

[imwjl]

I need to humidify my guitars in winter, and have too much humidity at times in summer. I am in upper Midwest, USA where we get all seasons and official drought and 100 year floods in the past 3 months.

[Mr_LV19E]

You were wise to buy a hygrometer and keep it in the room your guitars are in.

Every area of the world or even your house has a different level of humidity. Basements in my area tend to be damp in the summer if you don't dehumidify, even my music room which is right now 57% can get too high if I don't run the air conditioning. We have been having some very mild weather and enjoying the fresh air but if the humidity gets any higher I will have to close the house up and turn it back on.

In the winter most people have to run a humidifier, but since we bought a cast iron gas ventless fireplace the humidity level stays right around 50%. I can't tell you why burning natural gas adds moisture to the air but it just does. I had to turn my humidifier off the last two winters.

[LaminateBoy]

Here in Montreal I keep my guitars in my basement music room. I humidify the basement in the winter and dehumidify it in the summer. When I take a guitar to our wood-stove heated cottage in the winter, I keep the guitar in a case with a PW humidifier. In the summer, I spend four or five weeks at the cottage and don't do anything at all to mange humidity. I have never found too much humidity to be a problem, at least for a few weeks at a time. I suppose it might be different if I lived in the Mississippi Delta.
However, I might worry about elevated humidity in an enclosed space like a guitar case, if only because you might get some mildew growth.

[Caleb]

All that humidifying stuff if mostly hype.  I've never used one and never will. 

[GA-ME]

"I had the same experience that many of you had, that is the humidifier getting clogged despite using distilled water."  If you take the humidifier into a weak bleach solution for a day or two then  put it back in plain water rinse a couple of time and let it dry out well the icky white goo goes bye bye!

[bjstrings]

If you get one of those Planet Waves Humidipak things (which are now subject to recall, but that's another story) and use as directed, it'll keep the air inside your case around 45%RH.  Where I live, not too far from one of the worlds great deserts (the Gobi), its extremely dry in the winter (10-20%RH) and around 80% or higher in the summer.  That means humidifying in the winter & dehumidifying in the summer -- a real challenge.  The Humidipak seems to handle the problem effortlessly.

A competing product is something called Zorb-it.

I have no relationship with either company and am not trying to sell these things, btw.  They just make life with fragile wood & steel easier.

[rrgguitarman]

I found a good hygrometer for $20 at a cigar shop of all places! The reading I got in the basement was 45% - perfect

Did you calibrate the Hygrometer?

http://www.humidor-guide.com/hygrometer-calibrating-4-1.php3

[Dale_I]

Just like in real estate - Location, location, location.

Went to Mazatlan a couple weeks ago on vacation and it was 80% humidity at the lowest point all week. I was really nothing but a wet t-shirt from the time I got off the plane until the time I boarded again. However, in Spokane, WA, we are rarely, if ever, humid unless it's raining. Right now it is only 37% outside and slightly lower inside.

I have both an instrument humidifier and a sound hole humidifier in all my cases and am lucky if I can get any of the hygrometers to get into the high 40%. Usually in the mid 30%. Thinking about going with the sponge in the soap box idea.

Excellent advice to get a hygrometer though. The only way I know is to read the gauge when I open the case.

[JR]

Ruben, I just read the instructions that came with the hygrometer. It's a digital one - Caliber III made by Western Humidor Corp. It's supposed to be accurate to -1% relative humidity, and it also displays the temperature as well. The instructions say that it was factory calibrated so no further testing is needed. There's also a warning against testing its accuracy by wrapping it with a wet towel and attempting to use the salt test. I've had no previous experience with hygrometers, digital or analog. Should I be testing it a different way?

Thanks for any input!
John

[hatofthecat]

Should I be testing it a different way?

Really is no need.  You only need to know what kind of range of humidity your guitar is living in.... even 10% accuracy would be good enough.  The one you have looks a decent model so I'd assume its pretty accurate.

Old style analog hygrometers are subject to drifting readings and can need regular checking thus the trusty "bag o' salt" method 

Pete

[dotpitch]

All that humidifying stuff if mostly hype.  I've never used one and never will.

That's a dangerous way to think, imo. Last year, I purchased a Larrivee Parlor from a guy who shared your perspective - he lives in Nevada. When I received the guitar, it was *severely* dehydrated. The top and back were visibly concave. The fret ends were sticking out so far beyond the edge of the fretboard that you could easily see the exposed sharp ends with your bare eyes. The fretboard had shrunk and pulled away from the binding in several places, leaving gaps large enough to stick a business card into. The top had literally ripped away from the side at the upper bout, leaving a 2-1/2" long gapping hole. There were also two cracks in the top running along either side of the fretboard, one of which extended all the way to the sound hole. The guitar was a Humidity Control Poster Child. 

The effects of humidity changes on a guitar are very real. Just about any guitar manufacturer will tell you that the majority of the repairs they do are humidity related. For less than $30 you can buy all of the equipment you need (a decent hygrometer) to verify that the relative humidity around your guitars is within' a decent range. If the environment around the guitars is outside of that range, it's another small investment to purchase the equipment to maintain that range. 'tis a small price to pay for maintaining a healthy guitar!

Ruben, I just read the instructions that came with the hygrometer. It's a digital one - Caliber III made by Western Humidor Corp. It's supposed to be accurate to -1% relative humidity, and it also displays the temperature as well.

That's an excellent hygrometer, JR. I own 3 of those and I've checked them against both a 45% and a 75% humidipak inside a ziplock bag. All 3 are spot-on! I love the warning they give about doing the damp towel and/or salt tests - Run away!! 

[jimmy buffett]

All that humidifying stuff if mostly hype.  I've never used one and never will. 

It's your choice not to humidify your guitars, but it's bad advise to give to anyone who lives in a dry climate, or where harsh winter temps require space heating.  Every guitar builder out there has information on their web sites regarding this issue, and as dotpitch says, a great many issues relating to repairs are caused by dehydrated guitars. Taylor, Larivee, Martin, Gibson, Collings and other builders have a published letter signed by their respective company presidents about the value of proper humidity levels.

I have seen many examples of cracked tops, sunken bridges and such, and when these instruments are rehydrated, it's remarkable to see the difference.  It's not always enough to correct the damage, but it does serve to illustrate the issue.  I was looking at somone's 1975 Victoria built L09 with a nasty crack in the top, and he told me that he never saw the need to use a humidfier.  Curious....

When I returned my 8 year old OM 05 to The 12th Fret as a trade in, the first thing that Dave said was, "I can see you've been humidfying your guitar".  Yes, a well cared for instrument will tell the tale. 

Anyway, I don't want to go nuts driving home the point, and hope that my comments do not appear to be critical, but we all need to inform ourselves as to whether or not we think this is important.  Talk to your local dealer, a luthier, or a repair tech and draw your own conclusions. 

As for me, when the furnace comes on in the fall, the humidifier goes into the case. 

jimmy

[rrgguitarman]

Really is no need.  You only need to know what kind of range of humidity your guitar is living in.... even 10% accuracy would be good enough.  The one you have looks a decent model so I'd assume its pretty accurate.

10% range safe? so, if they recommend 42-55% range and your Hygrometer is reading 42% and its 10% to low are you OK with that?
I had a digital Hygrometer that I purchased new and when I tested it, it read almost 25% too low! It had no adjustment.
Be careful.
Solid woods need to be kept properly humidified or they will go south and north on you.
I keep all my guitars humidified and I've never had any problems with them, in fact they still smell new!

[hatofthecat]

10% range safe? so, if they recommend 42-55% range and your Hygrometer is reading 42% and its 10% to low are you OK with that?

...err, yup....cos I live in the UK and the only way to get any flippin' dry air here is to seal your windows in winter and turn the heat up full blast 

But seriously, a digital hygrometer that is 25% out is pretty extreme    I reckon most are easily within +/- 3% and that is close enough for the task.   Sorry if I seemed flippant with 10% as I actually meant a 10% range so +/- 5%.

As per other poster's & manufacturer's advice DO NOT try to check a digital hygrometer with the "bag o' salt" method... you will damage it.  The only thing you can really safely check it against is a properly (and recently) calibrated analog hygrometer.

Pete

[Hoser Rob]

... The reading I got in the basement was 45% - perfect....

Actually, 45% in a basement is quite good.  Many places you can't keep a guitar in a basement without a dehumidifier.

In fact, I suspect most would assume you don't keep it in a basement, it's so risky most places.

[big ring]

If you're house is about 45% - 50%, then I would not worry about a thing.  Once you get below 35% or above 60% is when you start having problems.

[Dale_I]

On the upside, I got an excellent deal on a C-15 where the owner did not thing humidity made a difference. It had a crack from the bridge to the tail that, after repaired, is only slightly noticeable. I think I filled both humidifiers (case and sound hole) daily for well over a week before the bridge layed back down.

[jimmy buffett]

It had a crack from the bridge to the tail that, after repaired, is only slightly noticeable. I think I filled both humidifiers (case and sound hole) daily for well over a week before the bridge layed back down.

Thanks, Dale.  Exactly my point...

jimmy

[Caleb]

Well, I'll leave open the possibility that you gusy are right, but I have never had any issues with any of my gutiars and I've never owned a humidfier.  My guitars (I only have 2) are left out on stands all year long.  They stay in tune.  They look great.  They have no fret ends sticking out, etc.  It gets very humid in the summer where I live and it gets very dry in the winter.  But still, no problems EVER with the guitars.  I've got a good friend who builds acoustic guitars and lives here as well that never bothers with humidifiers either.  As a matter of fact, out of all the guys that I've ever known I've never seen anyone with a humidifier.  I never even heard of them until I started reading the forums. 

At any rate, I'm not buying one.