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  #16  
Old 01-17-2018, 06:35 AM
Twelvefret Twelvefret is offline
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Thank you for this discussion on RH.

For several years I have used ocelo sponges in a plastic case with holes in the top. I try to check them once a month during the winter.
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  #17  
Old 01-17-2018, 06:35 AM
ifret ifret is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jwayne View Post
It never gets dry in SE Michigan (77% humidity today)
From a life-long Michigander and owner of guitars since 1973, the Michigan winters require substantial humidification INSIDE the house due to home heating. We target 45-55% with 3 whole-home humidifiers.
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  #18  
Old 01-17-2018, 07:25 AM
varmonter varmonter is offline
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yes your crack is most likely caused by
the lack of moisture in your home.
do you leave it out on a stand ? It should
be stored in its case with a humidifier.
i use these
https://m.ebay.com/itm/New-Oasis-Gui...MAAOxyONBSZUhg

but anything will be better than nothing.
i have made them out of pill bottles drilled
full of holes and filled with a sponge.
Your hot water baseboard heat is self contained.
it adds no moisture to the air. actually drys things out.
i have a pellet stove and a steam furnace and still have to humidify.
wood heat really drys things out.

Last edited by varmonter; 01-17-2018 at 07:30 AM.
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  #19  
Old 01-17-2018, 07:26 AM
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fazool fazool is offline
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This may also help
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  #20  
Old 01-17-2018, 07:40 AM
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Originally Posted by Quickstep192 View Post
I also understand that even though warmer air can hold more moisture, when your heating system heats the air in your house, it’s robbing humidity from the air in the process.
It may sound like I'm splitting hairs, but if you get an accurate image of what's going on, it all makes more sense....

With most heating systems the amount of moisture in the air does not change, but because warmer air is capable of holding more moisture, the relative humidity is lower at the higher indoor temperature.

Also noteworthy...in most case the type of heating system does not matter. They all result in about the same indoor conditions since most are neither adding nor removing water from the air.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Quickstep192 View Post
So, am I better off to keep the house warm to improve humidity, or make the furnace run less to keep the heat from reducing the humidity?

I have a steam generating whole house humidifier that boils water to humidity, but even at that it’s struggling to keep up in the current weather in the mid-Atlantic.
It's easier to maintain higher relative humidity at lower temperatures, so you'll find it significantly more difficult to maintain 40% at 75 degrees than it is to maintain 45% at 65 degrees for example. So, I like to keep the house as cool as it's comfortable, but I like it cool so that's no great sacrifice for me. Alternatively, you may find a room or area of the house where cooler temperatures are not objectionable and store the instruments there. Something like a finished basement or spare bedroom where you can close off the heating vents and close the door. Even if it's only 5 degrees cooler than the rest of the house, it will be easier to maintain a safe humidity.

I'd also point out that you don't need to panic if the humidity drops below 45%. Guitars will generally not self destruct. Getting the humidity above the very low levels where it naturally lives in the winter is usually enough.
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  #21  
Old 01-17-2018, 08:15 AM
jwayne jwayne is offline
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Thanks all for this discussion on RH. I didn't think that the humidity was an issue here based on my hygrometers and typical outside conditions, but the latter assumption was simply erroneous!

When the first crack appeared, I made a few DIY guitar case humidifiers for my steel strings but pretty much stopped playing them out of laziness. Much easier to grab an electric from the wall or - usually - my trusty electric classical from the stand (it was in a very dry climate for a year without problems and I also figured that the much lower tension would somewhat mitigate humidity issues, probably also erroneous thinking).

Time to get a humidifier for the man cave as I much prefer having the guitars out and ready for playing!
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  #22  
Old 01-17-2018, 08:55 PM
Quickstep192 Quickstep192 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Todd Yates View Post
It may sound like I'm splitting hairs, but if you get an accurate image of what's going on, it all makes more sense....

With most heating systems the amount of moisture in the air does not change, but because warmer air is capable of holding more moisture, the relative humidity is lower at the higher indoor temperature.

Also noteworthy...in most case the type of heating system does not matter. They all result in about the same indoor conditions since most are neither adding nor removing water from the air.

It's easier to maintain higher relative humidity at lower temperatures, so you'll find it significantly more difficult to maintain 40% at 75 degrees than it is to maintain 45% at 65 degrees for example. So, I like to keep the house as cool as it's comfortable, but I like it cool so that's no great sacrifice for me. Alternatively, you may find a room or area of the house where cooler temperatures are not objectionable and store the instruments there. Something like a finished basement or spare bedroom where you can close off the heating vents and close the door. Even if it's only 5 degrees cooler than the rest of the house, it will be easier to maintain a safe humidity.

I'd also point out that you don't need to panic if the humidity drops below 45%. Guitars will generally not self destruct. Getting the humidity above the very low levels where it naturally lives in the winter is usually enough.
Thanks for this information. I generally keep it cool so this is good news. I find during the cold snaps, the humidifier runs continuously to hit 40% when during mor moderate weather, it his 48% with relative ease.
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  #23  
Old 01-17-2018, 09:33 PM
codecontra codecontra is offline
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I personally think it’s silly to keep your home cool for the sake of your guitars. I have homemade in case humidifiers in my guitar cases. Never had an issue and we have brutally cold and dry winters here in the northeast. I picked up a cheap used laminate guitar to leave out on a stand year round. I use this as a beater guitar. My higher end acoustics stay primarily in their cases during the dry months. I do play them frequently but they go back in the case when I’m done.
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  #24  
Old 01-17-2018, 10:09 PM
jwayne jwayne is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by codecontra View Post
I personally think it’s silly to keep your home cool for the sake of your guitars. I have homemade in case humidifiers in my guitar cases. Never had an issue and we have brutally cold and dry winters here in the northeast. I picked up a cheap used laminate guitar to leave out on a stand year round. I use this as a beater guitar. My higher end acoustics stay primarily in their cases during the dry months. I do play them frequently but they go back in the case when I’m done.
My wife wouldn't mind keeping the house at 50 during the winter. My hands wouldn't even work at that temperature...

Anyhoo, my nicer acoustics are going in cases with sponge humidifiers for now. I'll keep the CPX8 (the cracked guitar in question here) out as a beater guitar (cost me all of $200). I enjoy playing it, especially plugged in.

What kind of in case humidifier are you partial to?
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  #25  
Old 01-18-2018, 02:04 AM
SpiderTrap SpiderTrap is offline
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I would Not have been happy . have LAST of Many 730s hanging on the wall burst and finally got it sounding better than ever . CPX was a nice guitar , almost bought a nice one at a flea . Oh Well At least it wasnt a Super Duper Extra $pecial guitar . good luck . .
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  #26  
Old 01-18-2018, 06:08 AM
codecontra codecontra is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jwayne View Post
My wife wouldn't mind keeping the house at 50 during the winter. My hands wouldn't even work at that temperature...

Anyhoo, my nicer acoustics are going in cases with sponge humidifiers for now. I'll keep the CPX8 (the cracked guitar in question here) out as a beater guitar (cost me all of $200). I enjoy playing it, especially plugged in.

What kind of in case humidifier are you partial to?
Good plan!

I use 2 humidifiers in each case. A homemade soap dish model with holes drilled in it and a Music Nomad MN300 in the sound hole. I use a cigar box hygrometer to measure case humidity. It’s usually around 55%. I only need to wet the sponges every 2 weeks. Of course your results may vary depending on your situation.
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  #27  
Old 01-18-2018, 08:01 AM
Gary1953 Gary1953 is offline
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Winter is hardest on my acoustic instruments. Heating and fireplaces dry out the air a lot. The 'D'Addario Guitar Humidifier Pro' in my Taylor case is dry after only two days in the case!

I also run a humidifier in my music room.
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  #28  
Old 01-18-2018, 08:08 AM
jwayne jwayne is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by codecontra View Post
Good plan!

I use 2 humidifiers in each case. A homemade soap dish model with holes drilled in it and a Music Nomad MN300 in the sound hole. I use a cigar box hygrometer to measure case humidity. It’s usually around 55%. I only need to wet the sponges every 2 weeks. Of course your results may vary depending on your situation.
Thanks. Sounds close to what I am doing currently (DIY sponge-in-case plus a Monoprice soundhole humidifier). I'll setup my Google calendar to remind me every week to resoak them. However no in-case hygrometers - the ones I have obviously aren't giving me meaningful info. Gonna search the forum here and look at Amazon reviews for something better.
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  #29  
Old 01-18-2018, 08:09 AM
rokdog49 rokdog49 is offline
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Those cracks will allow more sound to escape from your guitar.
I'd try to get a patent on that.
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  #30  
Old 01-18-2018, 12:44 PM
codecontra codecontra is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jwayne View Post
Thanks. Sounds close to what I am doing currently (DIY sponge-in-case plus a Monoprice soundhole humidifier). I'll setup my Google calendar to remind me every week to resoak them. However no in-case hygrometers - the ones I have obviously aren't giving me meaningful info. Gonna search the forum here and look at Amazon reviews for something better.
Check out the Caliber IV Digital Hygromter by Western Humidor. You can find them on Amazon. Works great!
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