HUMIDIFIER

[4 FINGER PETE]

I have a PLanet Waves humidipak system in my case and a good hygrometer in the case. Do I also need to humidify my room if I never leave the instrument out of its case after playing it ?? TY.

[62burst]

Pete-

 

It depends. What's the humidity level in the room where the guitar's going to be left out? I'm in the camp that does the multiple warm mist humidifiers- thing; better for all humans, animals, & guitars. There are those who feel older guitars are more susceptible, and require more care- I've found the opposite to be true, especially with high gloss nitro finishes. I'd also thought it took a couple of days to dry a guitar out, but have learned that it seems to be the rapid change of extremes that does the damage. I had a nice recently minted D-41 Martin that I took to the home of a friend who augmented his heat with a wood stove. Over the course of one evening, the finish "sunk" into the grain of the wood so severely a nice sound effect could be made by brushing the fingernails across the grain of the top. The humidity was probably in the 20 - 30% range that night. Several sessions in the bathroom with the shower running helped get a fairly decent recovery, no cracks, but I now travel with a digital humidity meter, and bring older guitars if the home is heated with a wood stove.

[ballcorner]

As a long time collector and player I have controlled the humidity in my homes for decades. I always try to keep things between 45-55% RH, and am successful with a combination of humidifiers in the winter and dehumidifiers in the summer. Running my air conditioning also helps in the summer as it tends to balance out the humidity at around 45% - which is acceptable.

 

Conditioning in the case is a tough call. If your room is kept well, then the case will take on the humidity of the room provided the case is opened regularly to play the instrument. An ideal, then, is to have both the room and the case at 50%, but if you can't control the room then you have to control the case.

 

As for taking the instrument out of a "wet" case into a dry room - it is not an ideal situation, but as long as the guitar is returned to the humidified case within a few hours it should all be fine. As previously stated, mist style humidifiers are excellent, silent and efficient. If you keep one in the playing room you should have no trouble at all.

[mking]

What do most of you use for in the case humidifiers? I use the Planet Wave one where you take the sponge out and soak it, squeeze it so that it won't drip, the one you slide down into the body held up by the strings. I once bought the new Oasis device put I read too much info on it leaking onto the back of the guitar. What is the consensus?

[duluthdan]

What do most of you use for in the case humidifiers? I use the Planet Wave one where you take the sponge out and soak it, squeeze it so that it won't drip, the one you slide down into the body held up by the strings. I once bought the new Oasis device put I read too much info on it leaking onto the back of the guitar. What is the consensus?

I use Planet Wave Humidipaks, and a soap dish sponge, hygrometers in all the cases, and an Essix room humidifier. The RH outside today was negative 6 . Good news is my wife lost 8 pounds in the last 2 days. Oops, did I say that? Off topic, my bad...

[iwalktheline]

What do most of you use for in the case humidifiers? I use the Planet Wave one where you take the sponge out and soak it, squeeze it so that it won't drip, the one you slide down into the body held up by the strings. I once bought the new Oasis device put I read too much info on it leaking onto the back of the guitar. What is the consensus?

 

I actually just switched over to the oasis. I have had the planet waves humidifiers for years but they leak as well sometimes. After awhile the sponges start to really smell, yes you could just change them(sponges) but my mind starts wondering to questions like....can this lead to mold of sorts in the guitar?? I only just started with the oasis and so far so good.

[Sitedrifter]

I use the Humitar which is like the planet waves sponge setup but the humitar uses a synthetic sponge that holds alot more water then a normal sponge can and does not need to be wrung out (losing all the water) and it does not drip. It has been 7 days since I soaked the sponge and it is still very damp. Very good if you don't like soaking the sponge all the time

[4 FINGER PETE]

Thank's Burst. I use a large size 2 gallon Honeywell in the room and keep the humidity level between 42 and 52. My guitars are always put back in their cases and each have a Humidipak system in them. I also have a digital hygrometer in the room and in each case. I was just wondering if I was overdoing it :-) Sorry for the late reply. I don't seem to get an email for each reply I get.

 

Pete-

 

It depends. What's the humidity level in the room where the guitar's going to be left out? I'm in the camp that does the multiple warm mist humidifiers- thing; better for all humans, animals, & guitars. There are those who feel older guitars are more susceptible, and require more care- I've found the opposite to be true, especially with high gloss nitro finishes. I'd also thought it took a couple of days to dry a guitar out, but have learned that it seems to be the rapid change of extremes that does the damage. I had a nice recently minted D-41 Martin that I took to the home of a friend who augmented his heat with a wood stove. Over the course of one evening, the finish "sunk" into the grain of the wood so severely a nice sound effect could be made by brushing the fingernails across the grain of the top. The humidity was probably in the 20 - 30% range that night. Several sessions in the bathroom with the shower running helped get a fairly decent recovery, no cracks, but I now travel with a digital humidity meter, and bring older guitars if the home is heated with a wood stove.

[4 FINGER PETE]

Thank's a million Mark. I'll look into the Humitar.

 

I use the Humitar which is like the planet waves sponge setup but the humitar uses a synthetic sponge that holds alot more water then a normal sponge can and does not need to be wrung out (losing all the water) and it does not drip. It has been 7 days since I soaked the sponge and it is still very damp. Very good if you don't like soaking the sponge all the time

[4 FINGER PETE]

Thank's BC. Much appreciated input.

 

As a long time collector and player I have controlled the humidity in my homes for decades. I always try to keep things between 45-55% RH, and am successful with a combination of humidifiers in the winter and dehumidifiers in the summer. Running my air conditioning also helps in the summer as it tends to balance out the humidity at around 45% - which is acceptable.

 

Conditioning in the case is a tough call. If your room is kept well, then the case will take on the humidity of the room provided the case is opened regularly to play the instrument. An ideal, then, is to have both the room and the case at 50%, but if you can't control the room then you have to control the case.

 

As for taking the instrument out of a "wet" case into a dry room - it is not an ideal situation, but as long as the guitar is returned to the humidified case within a few hours it should all be fine. As previously stated, mist style humidifiers are excellent, silent and efficient. If you keep one in the playing room you should have no trouble at all.

[4 FINGER PETE]

I' m not quite sure I get what kind of Planet Waves Humidipak you are using. My "PAKS" are in sealed plastic pouches, there's no "wringing out the water" ? Is there a danger that these sealed paks would leak?

 

 

 

I use Planet Wave Humidipaks, and a soap dish sponge, hygrometers in all the cases, and an Essix room humidifier. The RH outside today was negative 6 . Good news is my wife lost 8 pounds in the last 2 days. Oops, did I say that? Off topic, my bad...

[Sitedrifter]

I' m not quite sure I get what kind of Planet Waves Humidipak you are using. My "PAKS" are in sealed plastic pouches, there's no "wringing out the water" ? Is there a danger that these sealed paks would leak?

 

I would assume you are buying Planet Waves branded Humidipaks? You can purchase them directly from Humidpak for less and they even now have 49% paks.

[mking]

I live in Norfolk VA, on the coast and we just don't have that dry of a climate like one would in Aspen or Arizona. I like the Planet Wave with the sponge because I can regulate the moisture and ensure there is no leaking/dripping. Plus if I am not playing a guitar it is in the case. I don't leave them out. I will look into the humidipak. A friend just bought a 1947 LG-2 from Matt Umanov's in NYC and they gave him one called the dampit. A long hose looking thing you put in the sound hole; it looks very scary. Anyone used this before?