Hygrometers and humidifiers

Likewood · #1 12-24-2010, 04:03 PM

Hi
I am new to the forum (and a new player) and I have a question about hygrometers and humidifiers. I searched the forum for answers and many of the threads are a bit old. So I am wondering what people use and suggest now. What do I need to spend for a hygrometer with accuracy? Any not worthy? Recommendations? Is the Planet wave system problematic now? (a pack for the head stock and the double pack hanging inside the sound hole). Sponge in a baggie? Thanks in advance for comments and suggestions. I live in New England.

ljguitar · #2 12-24-2010, 05:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Likewood

Hi
I am new to the forum (and a new player) and I have a question about hygrometers and humidifiers. I searched the forum for answers and many of the threads are a bit old. So I am wondering what people use and suggest now. What do I need to spend for a hygrometer with accuracy? Any not worthy? Recommendations? Is the Planet wave system problematic now? (a pack for the head stock and the double pack hanging inside the sound hole). Sponge in a baggie? Thanks in advance for comments and suggestions. I live in New England.

Hi Likewood…
First of all Hello and Welcome to the forum! We are glad you joined…

The $6 Walmart hygrometers are accurate as the $35 Scientific Oregon ones, and either will help you ascertain whether your humidity is at proper levels.

I live in very dry country and use two sponges in a ZipLock in the case as well as a Kyser Lifeguard soundhole humidifier when they are out in the room.

The Oasis, Planet Waves, Dampit are all ok, and the ziplocks or soap dish humidifiers work equally well at a fraction of the cost.

One advantage of Ziplock bags is they will not mar the head stock if they break free (like a soapdish did in my Olson case where I found it dislodged and rolling around once)...

Opinions range free on this topic - as we all have our preferences.

muscmp · #3 12-24-2010, 05:32 PM

Welcome to the AGF!!!

i use the $8 walmart, accurite hygrometer. i have several and they all read about the same consistently.

to humidify, i use the planet waves soundhole version as well as small plastic containers(4 for .99) at 99 cents store. then i poke holes in the top and put a sponge in it. total of $2 for the plastic container/sponge version.

Bill Pillmore · #4 12-24-2010, 05:35 PM

I have a couple of guitars that live in cases in the winter with a soap dish/sponge under the head stock. One guitar has a cutaway and I put a second sponge in an open baggie wrapped in a towel at that spot in the case and it dries out about 3 times faster than the one at the headstock. Just a little information

bkharmony · #5 12-24-2010, 05:59 PM

I have three different styles/cost hygrometers in my room. The $6.50 Wal Mart one is as good as the others.

As far as humidification, after trying several methods, I landed on the soap dish/sponge method. It works, it lasts and it's cheap. The plastic baggie/sponge works too, but I like the neatness or the soap dish better. I get the same/better results as with a Planet Waves or Oasis system.

So, $1 for the soap dish, $6.50 for the hygrometer and .50 for the sponge, and for a total of $8, you're set.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Q0SZ69c4Tc

zzcorazon · #6 12-24-2010, 06:22 PM

I had a little digital meter that I got at Home Depot, and it worked great. I lived in CO then, but live in OR now, where humidity is not normally a problem, except in winter when the heat runs all the time. One of the first indicators you'll get if you have low humidity issues is a sinking of the grain in the top. The whatever-it-is between the grain will appear as fine ridges -- you'll feel it with your hand as well as see it. I don't think the glassy smooth grain ever comes back once it sinks, no matter how much you try to re-humidify, but I'm not a luthier. Just a guy from CO who had fine ridges in all his guitar tops. If your guitar came from a relatively humid country of origin, like China, assume that it's already going through adjustments. Many guitar shops humidify their display rooms, so bringing it home is probably the first opportunity the guitar will have to 'suffer' to any degree.

Sponge in soap dish. +1

zzcorazon · #7 12-24-2010, 06:28 PM

Don't hit 'Submit' more than once, even if it's slow to load. This is the proof.

Misifus · #8 12-24-2010, 07:56 PM

IMO, you don't need to be concerned with absolute accuracy to a high degree of precision. You need to know whether the air in your room is at 40% RH, or 30%. 40 is ideal and 30 is too low. Whether it's 40 or 39.4 is irrelevant, but the big leap to 30% is critical. 20% would be dangerously low, in my opinion, and 50% would be starting to get a bit high.

Thus, you need to know about ball parks, not minute degrees of accuracy.

-Raf

Likewood · #9 12-24-2010, 09:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Misifus

IMO, you don't need to be concerned with absolute accuracy to a high degree of precision. You need to know whether the air in your room is at 40% RH, or 30%. 40 is ideal and 30 is too low. Whether it's 40 or 39.4 is irrelevant, but the big leap to 30% is critical. 20% would be dangerously low, in my opinion, and 50% would be starting to get a bit high.

Thus, you need to know about ball parks, not minute degrees of accuracy.

-Raf

It makes sense that extreme accuracy is not necessary, therefore an inexpensive hygrometer can determine the same range.

From the several responses, I see that a lot of people use a moist sponge in a baggie or soap container placed just inside the case. But this method seems to ignore hydration within the sound hole? I see Oasis offers a method of securing its product inside the case or hanging from the strings. When is it necessary to have a humidifier within the guitar?

Likewood · #10 12-24-2010, 09:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Misifus

IMO, you don't need to be concerned with absolute accuracy to a high degree of precision. You need to know whether the air in your room is at 40% RH, or 30%. 40 is ideal and 30 is too low. Whether it's 40 or 39.4 is irrelevant, but the big leap to 30% is critical. 20% would be dangerously low, in my opinion, and 50% would be starting to get a bit high.

Thus, you need to know about ball parks, not minute degrees of accuracy.

-Raf

It makes sense that extreme accuracy is not necessary, therefore an inexpensive hygrometer can determine the safe range.

From the several responses, I see that a lot of people use a moist sponge in a baggie or soap container placed just inside the case. But this method seems to ignore hydration within the sound hole. I see both PW and Oasis offers a method of securing its product inside the case or instead hanging from the strings. When is it necessary to have a humidifier within the guitar (sound hole)?

By the way thanks to all for responding to a reoccurring question.

ljguitar · #11 12-24-2010, 09:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Likewood

It makes sense that extreme accuracy is not necessary, therefore an inexpensive hygrometer can determine the safe range.

From the several responses, I see that a lot of people use a moist sponge in a baggie or soap container placed just inside the case. But this method seems to ignore hydration within the sound hole. I see both PW and Oasis offers a method of securing its product inside the case or instead hanging from the strings. When is it necessary to have a humidifier within the guitar (sound hole)?

By the way thanks to all for responding to a reoccurring question.

Hi Likewood…
I don't think it is ever critical to primarily humidify the inside of the body and ignore the bridge, & fingerboard - which are also unfinished and solid wood - and both have been known to dry out and crack or separate from the top of the guitar (bridges).

If a case has space in it (rather than the entire guitar being form fitted or moulded skin tight around the body of the instrument) then it circulates the air, then putting a humidifier by the headstock, or under the neck/body area or in a cutaway region (all outside the body) the humidity will be distributed throughout the case, and include the box.

I also use Kyser Lifeguard soundhole humidifiers - primarily for when my guitars are hanging on the wall or spending time out on the stands (I teach, practice and rehearse out of our living room).

During times of extreme dry-ness I put both in the case.

Feste · #12 12-24-2010, 10:55 PM

Welcome aboard Likewood!
I have always assumed the guitar will absorb what it needs so I gave up
on the hygrometer in the case. A soap dish and a dampit work for me, but I agree with LJ that you don't want to travel with or jostle the case with a soapdish in the case.

wkbryan · #13 12-25-2010, 11:50 AM

I used an empty spice bottle (chili powder I think) with a flip open shaker top as a humidifier in my case. I got 2 sponges damp and rolled them tightly so they'd fit through the top and then turned them loose inside so they'd re-expand. I added some water to saturate the sponges, but not enough to puddle in the bottom. So far seems to be working fine.