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#1
09-27-2023, 11:29 AM
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Humidity Problem Please Help
I am at my wit's end with humidity control. I've tried so many things and none of them work. Whenever I put my guitar in my case, regardless of whether I air the case out first and despite the presence of either silica packs or Boevda packs, the RH goes up by about 10% inside the case. I am at a loss. All I want to do is bring down the RH inside the case by about 10-15%. My last trial used 2, 50-gram silica packs inside the case, but about 20 hours later, my in-case hygrometer read about 10% increase in RH. HELP! I don't want to ruin my new all-wood guitar. I know some humidity exposure isn't the worst thing in the world, but I don't like the effect on tone that it has and I don't want any long-term exposure that would create bigger issues down the line. Most of all, I want the peace of mind of knowing that, when not in use, I have a safe storage space for my guitar. I had no idea care would be this much of a headache. It really takes away from enjoying the instrument.
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#2
09-27-2023, 11:32 AM
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Is there something wrong with the case? Did it get wet? Is there some hidden moisture source inside the case itself? Test the case without the guitar in it. Put the guitar into another case and see what happens.
__________________
Martin: HD-35, M-36; Gibson: J-200 Rosewood Limited Edition; McIlroy: AD-30; Guild: Orpheum D 12-fret; Yamaha: NXT-1200R; Eastman: AR804CE (with floater), DM-1; HsianMo: Art Gallery SJ-200 (Euro Spruce with Sandalwood b/s (!); Journey Overhead OF660; Eastwood: MRG Studio Resonator; MRG Octave Mandolin; Gretsch: Country Gentleman '59 VSE; Gibson: CS ES-355; more electrics . . .
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#3
09-27-2023, 11:35 AM
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What is the RH percentage in the case without the guitar?
__________________
1950 Martin 00-18 RainSong Concert Hybrid Orchestra Model 12 Fret Emerald X20 Artisan Short Scale Strandberg Boden Original 6 Eastman T185MX G&L ASAT Classic USA Butterscotch Blonde Rickenbacher Lap Steel Voyage-Air VAD-2 Martin SW00-DB Machiche 1968 Guild F-112 Taylor 322e 12 Fret V Class
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#4
09-27-2023, 11:52 AM
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Quote:
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Proud member of OFC
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#5
09-27-2023, 12:01 PM
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__________________
Martin:1956 00-18, 1992 D-16H, 2013 HD-28, 2017 CEO-7, 2020 000-28 Modern Deluxe Santa Cruz OM/PW, Larrivee OM-03R, Taylor GS-Mini Mahogany, Taylor 356CE, Fender American Professional Stratocaster, MIM Telecaster, Gibson Les Paul Studio, Epiphone ES-339 Pro YouTube Channel | Listen to my stuff on Spotify/Apple Music
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#6
09-27-2023, 12:26 PM
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Your guitar absorbs and releases humidity.
You put an over humidified guitar into a properly humidified case, the guitar will release humidity into the case raising the ambient reading. Stabilizing the humidity of a guitar takes time. Stick with it. Also, of course opening a properly humidified case in an over humidified room will bring the.nimbera up too and need a bit of time to level back out.
__________________
"What have I learned but the proper use for several tools" -Gary Snyder Bourgeois DR-A / Bowerman "Working Man's" OM (walnut and 'Cook Shack' Sitka) / Martin Custom D-18 (adi & flame) / Martin OM-21 / Northwood M70 MJ / 1970s Sigma DR-7 / Eastman E6D / Flatiron Signature A5 Mandolin / Silverangel Econo A Mandolin
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#7
09-27-2023, 12:31 PM
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I’ve used silica gel (50g packs) for years, usually several at a time in each case. As long as the silica gel is used in sufficient quantity and is dry enough it will reduce RH.
If the RH is going up when you put the guitar and silica gel into the case then logically either the guitar, the case itself or the silica gel is already at a higher moisture content than the ambient air with which you are comparing.
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#8
09-27-2023, 12:37 PM
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It sounds like the room is too humid. Try a dehumidifier. I run one in my music room and one in the master bathroom. I can get as much as several gallons of water a week off my music room. For reference - its a 18 x 15 room with its own HVAC/heat in my detached 3 car garage. The spot used to be for the boat.
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Gibson and Fender Electrics Boutique Tube Amps Martin, Gibson, and Larrivee Acoustics
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#9
09-27-2023, 12:42 PM
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It's so weird. I left the case open with the hygrometer inside and it read 8-10 points higher in RH than the identical hygrometer outside the case only a few feet away. I've tested these hygrometers at length and when side by side they are always within one percentage point of each other. Something about the case insulation is causing the hygrometer to act up...?
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#11
09-27-2023, 01:49 PM
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You still haven't said what the reading is
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Some Martins
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#13
09-27-2023, 01:54 PM
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Quote:
Inside the case should not be more humid than outside the case. I'm stumped. Now I am going to go check mine. I do have one guitar in a case. I will let you know what I find in a few minutes.
__________________
Some Martins
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#14
09-27-2023, 02:09 PM
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How accurate is your hygrometer? Do you have more than one to compare?
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#15
09-27-2023, 02:19 PM
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I left mine in long enough to see if it changed any, and it did not. If anything it dropped a tad bit. I don't know but if it were me I would check with a different meter. But personally I would take that case out and sit it in the sun to make sure it hasn't gotten damp for some reason. What you are describing can only be explained by a damp case or a bad meter. And I have never found a meter that I thought was 100% accurate.
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Some Martins
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