Hydrometer for wood national resonator
 

Does anybody here use a humidity for their national wooden resonator? I have 6k invested in mine and I've only had it since October and it feels like I'm getting fret sprout. I have 2 sets of humidipaks in the case 1 set at the headstock and the other at the body cutaway. Should I get a better system? And what is recommended?

which model? My Radio-tone was Laminate. Never had to do anything.

I have the reso rockett wood body

Specs say laminate. But, and it's a big but, you can't argue with fret sprout. The neck needs a little help, but with what you are currently doing I can't imagine any permanent damage being done with either over or under humidifying.

Personal opinion is you are doing enough and not too much.

HYGROMETER.

NOT a hydrometer unless you're boiling milk for a recipe.

Yes, you need to watch your humidity level on any instrument that has wood involved. Even a metal body National will have a wood fingerboard, which can shrink across its width, thus exposing the fret ends.

Regards,
Howard Emerson

What is the suggestion humidity? 40 to 45%? Amd which meter would you suggest to use to check levels?

Here's what Paul Beard says:

There are a few simple things you can do to keep your Beard (or other) resonator healthy and happy for the long haul.

Dryness and humidity- Due to their construction, resonator guitars are more resistant to environmental factors than many other acoustic instruments, however they still require attention. Excessive dryness causes wood parts to shrink and can be extremely destructive. Baseboard heaters, woodburning stoves, and the like create dry environments that cause problems for stringed instruments. As a rule, if the air feels dry to you, it's probably to dry for your guitar. Excessive humidity, while less common, is still a potential problem. A relative humidity between 45% and 55% is optimal. We generally recommend keeping your guitar in its case when it is not being played, especially for those who live in the cooler climates. Your case can be a micro climate that allows you to more closely control the environment around your instrument.

* Just like a beloved pet, you should never ever leave your instrument in a hot car!!

As far as a Hygrometer recommendation I have a pair of Abbeon units in my guitar room, but they're the big, expensive analog ones made in Germany. I also have a clunky old Psychro-Dyne, twin wet bulb unit with a fan, etc. It's dead accurate and I use that to reset my Abbeons.

It's the same gadget the forestry service use, but it does nothing for you unless you read two thermometers and plot them on the the paper chart graph it comes with.

No LED readout at the push of a button.

I'm sure that anything sold by Stew Mac will do, but you'll get hundreds of suggestions here. Any reading between 40-60% will work fine, and there's plenty of really cheap hygrometers that will be close enough for rock & roll.

Regards,
Howard Emerson