Fear of dehydration

[Tony Burns]

Dont take chances-
buy a house humidifier , good for your guitars and for you -
will keep you healthier as well

By the way it will keep your furniture hydrated as well -
stuff like chair joints , cracks in tops etc. with low humidity.

Some damage done with low humidity cannot be corrected -
so take preventative measures.

[whvick]

Originally Posted by JKA

I find a pint of water chucked in the soundhole every now and then does the trick. Mind you, only water. Alcohol causes even worse dehydration!

If I mix in some cherry jello will it sound like wild cherry?🤪

[whvick]

Originally Posted by SteveS

Just play it for as long as you want and then put it back in the case. No one could possibly know how long is too long at 33% RH. I'm certain that playing it for 3-4 hours and then putting it back in the case will not be a problem.

I'm not a big fan of the dampit. Just get a travel soap case and keep a damp sponge in it. Put that near the headstock in the case.

I did that in my classical case, but it is too thick for the Taylor case
Thanks
Whvick

[whvick]

Didn’t people put an apple in fiddle cases to keep them humidified back in the day?

[jseth]

When it gets overly dry, I will use something in the guitar itself, whether a damp-it or one of the Planet Waves "between the strings" gizmos with a small sponge inside...

Never had an issue with the Damp-It or the Planet Waves things... I just make sure that the sponge is NOT so wet that it might drip in the guitar...

I use a small dish with water beads (used to be a sponge) up by the headstock in the case, BUT that will mostly affect the humidity of the neck and fretboard - it won't do a whole lot for the body of the guitar. Think about it - how much room is there in your guitar case for the air to move from the headstock area (usually recessed and compartmentalized) to inside the body of the guitar? Not a lot of circulation there...

The headstock "dish" unit is very effective for preventing "fret sprout" and is useful for the entire guitar, but only in mild dry conditions...

I agree wholeheartedly with the prevailing sentiment that it takes far longer for any adverse humidity issues to impact the guitar. Most folks are far too concerned (dare I say obsessed?) with changes in humidity. Don't get me wrong; extremes in humidity CAN damage a guitar, but it takes time and consistent exposure for that damage to happen.

I go by a simple dictum: "If I feel dry, then my guitars probably do, too..."

[Fatfinger McGee]

During the winter I just run a humidistat-equipped humidifier in my bedroom and keep the guitars in the corner or the closet, people and guitars both like it around 40-45% humidity. Not really worried about too much humidity in the summer, A/C is a pretty good dehumidifier. But, +1 for not obsessing about it. Call up a hardwood floor place and ask how long you should let new hardwoods acclimate in your home before installing, I'll bet you a D18 it's at least a week.

I just posted a different thread - I need a soundhole humidifier for the guitar in my office, if anyone has a favorite.