humidifier

[cellardweller]

Damned if I can find that thread...

anyone recommend a decent/cheap humidifier to maintain my instruments integrity???


Thanx..

 

[therage!]

I've had a Holmes model 2060W whiich I've been running virtually non stop for about 3 years, and have no problems with it. Get one that is cool mist because some of those other kinds leave a powdery residue on furniture, even your gear.

here's a link for one....Shop around, do you have a Lowes local to you?

http://store.yahoo.com/allergybegone/holmeshm1700.html?AID=8766529&PID=177778&SID=106893240614539028

PS, sorry if your looking for an in case type, I don't use those as I prefer to keep the room humidified.

 

[c7sus]

Dampit makes a humidifier that fits in your soundhole.

I use cello humis made from surgical tubing, with holes drilled through it and sponge inside. I put them up by the peghead in the case. You can also push them down into the body, but I've had some leaks so I stopped doing that.

 

[philboyd studge]

Damp sponge in a plastic string package.

 

[Cyrokk]

http://www.gregboyd.com/ShoppingCart/ViewItem.asp?ProductCode=Lifeguard-Lg&Quantity=1

I just bought one today.

Cy

 

[Light]

At my shop we recommend a two step process. First, throw out your dampit and replace it with a Kyser Lifeguard. Don't forget to remove that stupid ring they use to hold the thing in it's packaging. Dampits do not hold enough moisture, and they do not hold the moisture where it needs to be (in the box). Second, go to a drug store and get a cheap plastic travel soap container. Drill some holes in the container, add a sponge, and keep it and the guitar in the case when you are not using it. This will work just about anywhere.

Room humidifiers are not recommended. First, if you have forced air heat, you will have a hard time keeping the humidity up as most of it goes back through the air return. Second, you are trying to humidify a much larger space, which is more difficult even under the best conditions. Third, a room is much more susceptible to sudden temperature changes, and the accompanying humidity changes.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi

 

[cellardweller]

I bought a Honeywell tonight, couldn't wait. Just bought the wife a new violin. Of course the humidity, as it turns out, is still hovering around 50%.

What's a good humity level to maintain?

I would assume it depends upon the usual climate conditions?

At What amount of fluctuation will problems begin?

The one I bought is a pain in the ass. Has a filter, recommends softened water. Must clean weekly with vinegar to remove scaling, and then bleach to disinfect.

It's just sitting there because I have the humidity set @ %40.

BTW, my "room" has no heat duct run to it, as I built it myself and never got around to cutting a hole in the side of my furnace/airconditioner to accomadate. I use a shitty little space heater which is addequate for the small room/thourough insulation. Needless to say that if I leave the door closed, it can get quite chilly, but I have to keep my shithead cats out!

I'm done babbling.

 

[therage!]

Room humidifiers are not recommended. First, if you have forced air heat, you will have a hard time keeping the humidity up as most of it goes back through the air return. Second, you are trying to humidify a much larger space, which is more difficult even under the best conditions. Third, a room is much more susceptible to sudden temperature changes, and the accompanying humidity changes.

I don't think you can say this in all sitiuations. I have had absolutely no problem keeping humidity in the room where my guitars are at 40-45% humidity. Now if I were to keep my guitars in my main living quarters of my house that would be much more of a problem. But if I did that I would need a larger humidifier and another one that would attach to my fan system. I have known people who have damaged their instruments by improperly using in case humidifiers because they don't monitor it well enough. If I'm going to be away for a lenght of time then I'll use in case humidifiers. In any event I use a hygrometer to measure the humidity in cases and of course in my room.

I have found the key to be constant monitoring of your humidity levels and what is the point of using humidifiers in any form if one doesn't have a hygrometer?

 

[Light]

I don't think you can say this in all sitiuations. I have had absolutely no problem keeping humidity in the room where my guitars are at 40-45% humidity. Now if I were to keep my guitars in my main living quarters of my house that would be much more of a problem. But if I did that I would need a larger humidifier and another one that would attach to my fan system. I have known people who have damaged their instruments by improperly using in case humidifiers because they don't monitor it well enough. If I'm going to be away for a lenght of time then I'll use in case humidifiers. In any event I use a hygrometer to measure the humidity in cases and of course in my room.

I have found the key to be constant monitoring of your humidity levels and what is the point of using humidifiers in any form if one doesn't have a hygrometer?

Well, we see hundreds of guitars a year whose owners thought like you do, and we make a lot of money fixing the cracks and protruding fret ends on their guitars. But you do what you want. I need a new DVD player.

Don't get me wrong, I use a room humidifier, because I have like 15 guitars on my walls. But I also have a whole house humidifier which keeps my house (as a whole) at about 25-35% during the winter. Given that, I can generally boost the room with my guitars the rest of the way, but I would never try it without the house humidifier, nor would I do so if I had fewer guitars.

The last time I lived without forced air, I had hot water radiators, and the humidity in the winter was usually around 5-10%. In conditions like that, trying to humidify just the room would be foolish.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi

 

[cellardweller]

The "light" seems dark tonight...

 

[therage!]

Well, we see hundreds of guitars a year whose owners thought like you do, and we make a lot of money fixing the cracks and protruding fret ends on their guitars. But you do what you want. I need a new DVD player.

I have no idea what your talking about here. Owners that think like I do? What do you mean by that?

You said this..." First, if you have forced air heat, you will have a hard time keeping the humidity up as most of it goes back through the air return."

And I'm saying that I have had absolutely no problem for years keeping humidity at a near constant level. You comment like I do not keep the environment that my guitars are in humidified. When I take any of them out of the house I use case humidifiers. If one can keep a constant humidity level for their guitars is that not the best thing for them? The ONLY way I know how to do that is to monitor the environment all the time, day and night and that is what I do. My living room right now is at 28% humidity, no good. Guitar room is at 42% right now. It is very simple to keep my guitar room at 42% and I live in a cold dry desert. My humidifier is rated at something like being able to cover 1200 sq feet so it is adequate for the smaller room my guitars are in.

 

[Light]

I have no idea what your talking about here. Owners that think like I do? What do you mean by that?

Well, I live in the upper Midwest, and up here just using an in room humidifier is a serious mistake. If you have radiator heat, the humidity is just too low for most in room humidifiers, because they are designed for human comfort level, which is much lower than a guitars comfort level. Forced air is even worse as the humidity just gets sucked back into the system (like I said, I use my in room humidifier with a whole house humidifier). When the temperature goes down quickly, I add Lifeguards to all of my guitars.

I don't know where you live, but up here, not using a dedicated humidifier (such as a Lifeguard) is just abusing your guitar. We see hundreds of guitars a year from owners who thought they where keeping on top of their humidity, and when we had an extreme cold snap (as we often do) their guitars cracked because they could not keep the humidity up when the temperature crashed. You can have all the theories you want about this, but we have over thirty years of experience with this in the worst climate for guitars in the world, due to the sudden and frequent changes in temperature and humidity. I know what happens to guitars when the humidity crashes.

Like I said, I need a new DVD player, so if you want to ignore my advice, I really don't care.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi

 

[Light]

The "light" seems dark tonight...

Well, as you might have noticed from my thread last night, I have been in a rather bad mood this weekend. If I seem a bit grumpy, you'll just have to excuse me.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi

 

[onlyfingers]

I used Dampit humidifiers for years. Then I noticed that the every-day removal and replacement of the sound-hole cover had left hundreds of faint scratches in the finish. (Faint. Much less than the ones that show up south of your pick guard.) I switched to Planet Waves, that wedges in between the third and fourth strings. Does it help? I can't afford to find out. When someone posts that they live in the desert and never humidify and never have had a problem, I wonder when the last time they had their guitar in to have a pro look at it. It costs so little to take care of what you've got.