retrorod Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 There was a previous thread about humidifying acousic guitars in the dry winter months. It is about 60-65 degrees,damp and rainy around here over the last two days, so I decided to set a couple of my acoustics out on the couch on my covered porch to get some natural humidity. My question is....Is this adequate for replenishing some moisture or does it take much longer than a few hours to bring up the moisture levels in the wood? They will go back in the case after this 'treatment'. Any thoughts on doing this instead of using soundhole humidifiers?...Rod Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigKahune Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 I would be more cautious. Seems a bit drastic as the humidity could be quite high. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retrorod Posted January 2, 2011 Author Share Posted January 2, 2011 Okay! I say as I bring them back in to the house.... ! Thats me.... all or nuthin'... :lol: The humidity ain,t much higher than 'all out rain! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drathbun Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 The question is more about the relative humidity level (RH) around the guitar where it "lives". The amount of water in the air around the guitar is what counts. The RH in the air outside your house will not tell you what the RH is in the case. Solid wood acoustic guitars like to live in RH levels of 40% - 50%. A "treatment" of letting them sit outside in relatively humid air and then putting them back in the case might do more harm than good as it is the changes in temperature and RH levels that cause damage. The best thing to do is measure the humidity levels in your guitar case and if it is lower than 40% RH, use a case/guitar humidifier. If it is more than 65% RH then leave it out of its case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-minor7 Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 Just finished an experiment with my 63 SJ. A couple of days ago I placed it in front of the open bathroom door covered with a handkerchief except for the hole, during a 20 minute shower that typically sends steam the 9 meters to the closest windows and further. The guitar was extraordinary light weight which made the tone porous and the 3 high strings slightly unsupported, so I wanted to add more body. Don't know if anything happened. Then the day after I placed 2 smaller perforated plastic boxes with wet, not dripping, sponges inside the guitar in the closed case for about 20 hours - (okay removed one of them after 12). Think that worked. The guitar feels a little heavier and the tone is now somewhat grounded. The thing is that I didn't quite know what I was doin'. When to stop, if I could have gone further or went to far. How can one tell ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigKahune Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 Hygrometer. Here's one for in the case or out - http://accessories.musiciansfriend.com/product/Oasis-OH2-Digital-Hygrometer-wclip?sku=421666 <no affiliation> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retrorod Posted January 3, 2011 Author Share Posted January 3, 2011 The question is more about the relative humidity level (RH) around the guitar where it "lives". The amount of water in the air around the guitar is what counts. The RH in the air outside your house will not tell you what the RH is in the case. Solid wood acoustic guitars like to live in RH levels of 40% - 50%. A "treatment" of letting them sit outside in relatively humid air and then putting them back in the case might do more harm than good as it is the changes in temperature and RH levels that cause damage. The best thing to do is measure the humidity levels in your guitar case and if it is lower than 40% RH, use a case/guitar humidifier. If it is more than 65% RH then leave it out of its case. Thanks Drath! Any recommendations on a good and inexpensive case 'hygrometor' or whatever its called....(something to measure rel. humidity)? How about an acoustic that stays out on a stand or wall-hung primarily? Could a sound hole humidifier be used to any advantage? Or would it be like 'peeing into the wind'? This whole thing has always been a mystery lost on me. It just seems illogical to stick a damp sponge inside of a guitar.... :unsure: Rod Oh, I see Big Kahune answered the recommendation part of question as I was writing...! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drathbun Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 Yeah, more like peeing in the wind! :) The soundhole humidifiers are for in-case use. I have all my guitars on wall hangers or out on stands. However, I humidify the room to 45% RH in the winter. BK shows a good digital hygrometer in the post above. You can pick them up fairly cheap at Radio Shack. I have two; one on my warm mist humidifier and one that I set out at the other end of my room. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-minor7 Posted January 3, 2011 Share Posted January 3, 2011 The humidifier looks good, but I'd really like to know the following : If the apparatus says that humidity in your case/room is ideal, would it - besides telling that the guitars around are well - be a sign that your relatively 'new' 47 year old, and from f.x. long storage, dry guitar has (or will get) the right degree of moist also. How do the H2O physics work, , , can I expect every wooden item in the whole place - chairs, cabinets, funny small African figurines - adjusting to the right humidity level if the machine gives the right number, or should the dried out SJ receive special treatment ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retrorod Posted January 9, 2011 Author Share Posted January 9, 2011 I purchased and recieved one of the Oasis digital hygrometers. Nice unit. I have had fun placing the unit in various rooms and guitar cases and checking relative humidity. I find that the RH in most of my house is 31-37%. So far, most of my acoustics in case read 39-46%. I am thinking that this is 'tolerable' especially if it is consistant(no wild swings of RH). I have acquired a couple of soundhole humidifiers to check out how this will change the RH of my guitars. While reading the directions on one of the humidifiers, it states that placing the unit with a 'dry' sponge will lower the RH level. I quess it would be important to remove the unit before it dries out, to avoid 'undoing what you just did'... Rod Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triumph1050 Posted January 9, 2011 Share Posted January 9, 2011 I mentioned this in that other thread I believe but after recently moving to North Dakota I learned all about humidity, RH levels, hygrometers, etc, the hard way. The RH regularly gets down to the teens or lower here in winter and my Gibson got a crack along the back about 4 inches long. Luckily, it was along the grain and and the crack itself was angled at a 45 degree angle so when it was repaired it layed down nice and is virtually invisible. I now keep it in its own room humidified with a room humidifier at about 50%. The hygrometer is essential and very cheap compared to the guitar value or the cost of repairs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gilliangirl Posted January 9, 2011 Share Posted January 9, 2011 Doug (and Triumph), there was a drywall guy on the AGF some time back who said humidifying a room at 45% humidity can cause mold so be careful! If I was rich I'd get one of those giant wooden humidors for guitars. Have you seen those? I think a 2-guitar humidor is around $5000.00. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triumph1050 Posted January 9, 2011 Share Posted January 9, 2011 Thanks for the heads up, GG. Ive never really considered that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drathbun Posted January 9, 2011 Share Posted January 9, 2011 GG: as with humidity, the build up enough moisture on dry wall to cause mold is a relative thing. It all depends on how well insulated your room is. If you keep your room at 45% RH @ 21C while it is 10C outside AND you have poor insulation where there are cold drafts coming in, the cold air coming in through those poorly insulated areas will cause condensation buildup on the wall surrounding the cold spot. It is just basic science. When the warm moist air contacts the cold air, it condenses and their is moisture build up. Just come in from the cold wearing glasses and you'll see (or not see in this case) the effect at work. So being vigilant about cold spots in the humidified room is important to keep from having mold build up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retrorod Posted January 10, 2011 Author Share Posted January 10, 2011 Doug (and Triumph), there was a drywall guy on the AGF some time back who said humidifying a room at 45% humidity can cause mold so be careful! If I was rich I'd get one of those giant wooden humidors for guitars. Have you seen those? I think a 2-guitar humidor is around $5000.00. Thanks for that Karen! If I,m not worried about my acoustics getting cracks....Now I can worry about them 'molding' in the case... ! Jes kidding of course. I ain,t afraid of no mold.... Rod Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murph Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 I ain,t afraid of no mold.... Some things just need to be quoted...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jgwoods Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 I find I can "read" how wet or dry my guitars and mandolins etc. are from tuning them. I always keep everything tuned right to concert pitch. If the humidity stays the same they hold for 2-3 days without needing any adjustments. If they go flat they are drying out. if they go sharp they are gaining moisture. I keep a spare bedroom- the kids are gone- with all my instruments and a room humidifier. If I take my mandolin, or guitar, down to play in the living room for a few days in the Winter it invariably goes flat- top sinking, drying out. Put it back in the room with the humidifier and a day or two later it is back up to pitch with just minor tweaks needed. They key is to always stay tuned consistently so you can spot the changes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigKahune Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 I find I can "read" how wet or dry my guitars and mandolins etc. are from tuning them. I always keep everything tuned right to concert pitch. If the humidity stays the same they hold for 2-3 days without needing any adjustments. If they go flat they are drying out. if they go sharp they are gaining moisture. ... +1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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