Get those humidifiers out of the drawer and into your gits!

[pennerblue]

It's that time of year...at least in the northern midwest US.  The heater's running and the humidity is dropping.

Just plopped the 'planet waves' in all my gits.

If you live in a cold climate and don't have a guitar humidifier (or well humidified home) you WILL regret it!

Looking forward to ice fishing!!!

[AZLiberty]

It's the other way around here.  Winter is when I stop worrying about it as much.  (I only have to fill the humidifiers every 3-4 weeks instead of every 1-2)

[Danny]

   Our heat is on at night but the humidity keeps flowing into our area from the gulf. So it's still over 50% in the house.
    This is a good reminder though. Time to tune up the whole house humidifier.

[blindblakefan1]

Here's a DIY method for keeping your guitar from drying out during winter. I own an Oasis humidifier and several Dampits for my guitars. But you know what works just as well? Take a kitchen sponge, wet it and squeeze it out, then drop it in an unsealed Glad sandwich baggie. Drop the whole thing inside your soundhole and let it rest inside your guitar body. That's OK if it shuffles around in there whenever you move your guitar. Make sure the bag top is open, of course. Then just fish it out every week or so to re-moisten the sponge. Works great. (I was given this tip by a professional guitarist who's made several albums and likes guitar gadgets in general -- but he prefers the sponge and baggie method.) 

[ffinke]

Here's a DIY method for keeping your guitar from drying out during winter. I own an Oasis humidifier and several Dampits for my guitars. But you know what works just as well? Take a kitchen sponge, wet it and squeeze it out, then drop it in an unsealed Glad sandwich baggie. Drop the whole thing inside your soundhole and let it rest inside your guitar body. That's OK if it shuffles around in there whenever you move your guitar. Make sure the bag top is open, of course. Then just fish it out every week or so to re-moisten the sponge. Works great. (I was given this tip by a professional guitarist who's made several albums and likes guitar gadgets in general -- but he prefers the sponge and baggie method.) 

My case humidifier is the damp sponge / baggie system but I just poke holes in the baggie. I still like the oasis for the guitar body because it is suspended and lets you know when it's thirsty.

f

[Hogtop]

Hi all. I moved back to central Ohio from Arizona where I made sure my instruments had a drink all of the time. My furnace in this old remodeled farmhouse has kicked on just a couple of times so far, but the cold days and nights are just around the corner. Something I've been doing for years is to have one of those plastic travel soap dishes that clip shut. I cut a sponge to fit in it which I keep moist. I drilled very small holes in the top of the soap dish and drop it into the case under the headstock. My meter in the case, even in Arizona, stays 47 - 51% . I've been doing that for a long time and have had no problems.

[lyric_girl]

Not really sure what is going on in our new house, but I have been around 55% humidity for weeks. The humidifier is turned off on the furnace, but we have a 65 gallon saltwater tank that may be changing things up in here. Should I be worried about this?

[SMan]

When my furnace runs so do my humidifiers.  It has been pretty easy for me to keep the humidity in a range from 45 - 55%.  In nearly 40 years of guitar ownership I have been fortunate to have never had a problem 

I just say no to crack. 

[Danny]

Not really sure what is going on in our new house, but I have been around 55% humidity for weeks. The humidifier is turned off on the furnace, but we have a 65 gallon saltwater tank that may be changing things up in here. Should I be worried about this?

That is OK.

[jimmy buffett]

Not really sure what is going on in our new house, but I have been around 55% humidity for weeks. The humidifier is turned off on the furnace, but we have a 65 gallon saltwater tank that may be changing things up in here. Should I be worried about this?

When I first became interested in quality guitars, Dave Wren told me that you should start to humidify at the same time that you turn on your furnace for the season.  The guys down at The Twelfth Fret now tell you that you don't typically need to humidify until the temps go below freezing (0c for us in the north, or 32F for our friends in the States). 

You and I live in the same area, and with all of the mild weather we've experienced this fall, my humidity has been stable at 55% throughout the season, and I am confident that my two hygrometers are accurate.  I have no intention to start humidifying until conditions change, and I consider myself pretty picky about these things. 

In short - no - you have nothing to worry about.  They're well on the high side of the standards for keeping your guitar safe...

jimmy

[Danny]

Not really sure what is going on in our new house, but I have been around 55% humidity for weeks. The humidifier is turned off on the furnace, but we have a 65 gallon saltwater tank that may be changing things up in here. Should I be worried about this?

Yup, I agree with the above post. My house is at 55% right now and all my guitars seem to like it very much. I have four out on stands and the walls right now. And since they are really old to the new F-III and Martin, Gibson, Larrivee and an old classical I could easily tell if 55% was a problem. 

[acoustic6]

On another note with temperature changes: be careful if you've ordered a guitar not to open it to soon upon arrival.  Especially if it's been cold.  I had a crack open on the center seem of a guitar once that appeared in about 8 hours.  Not sure how much of this may have been a difference in weather/temp from where it was shipped from but I did tear into the box and open the case sooner than I should have.  

There seems to be a wide variation on how much time you should give a guitar to acclimate but I usually open the box and get the case out, leave it for a few hours, then unclasp the latches without opening the case, leave it for a few more hours, then peek in a little later.  It's tough to do but the potential headache you might save yourself is well worth it.

Any other advice or experiences with this?

[Mr_LV19E]

I'm at about 60% and have been running my dehumidfier in the basement off and on trying to get the rel humidity down some, it's been as high as 70% within the last three weeks.

[Danny]

I'm at about 60% and have been running my dehumidfier in the basement off and on trying to get the rel humidity down some, it's been as high as 70% within the last three weeks.

Yup, when it gets to 60% and stays there for more than a day or so I case mine up and run the A/C to dehumidify or crank up the heat a little.
                It's a bit funny, but I like the humidity to be about 40 to 45% myself. So even without the four hygrometers around the house I kinda know when it's high or low.

[lyric_girl]

Thanks everyone. I had been concerned as I never had more humidity in the old place we lived in.

[Big E]

Living in the "Great White North" well, OK, just north of the 49th, my house is quite dry especially this time of year. I bought an electronic humidity reader and was surprised that the in-hole humidifier was just  keeping the case at 40-42%. I placed a wet sponge in a plastic bag in the case and that brought the level upto 48%. I'm happy with the set up now.

[vates]

Although this autumn is rather warm and humid here, the heating is already active. So I decided to put humidifiers in guitars already. Perhaps I need humidity reader to be sure that I'm doing right...

[Danny]

Although this autumn is rather warm and humid here, the heating is already active. So I decided to put humidifiers in guitars already. Perhaps I need humidity reader to be sure that I'm doing right...

Yup, Wal-mart sells some inexpensive combo temperature/hygrometers and though some vary from true RH they are close enough to monitor guitars with. They are about $8.

[vates]

Thanks!
There's no Wal-marts around but I'm sure such readers can be found in similar local stores.

[Danny]

Thanks!
There's no Wal-marts around but I'm sure such readers can be found in similar local stores.

Pet stores sell hygrometers for terrariums also. A little more $ though.