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#1
11-01-2017, 09:57 PM
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Heading into the first fall/winter with acoustic guitars: room vs case humidity quest
I have room humidifier that i will use when the time comes and I’ll use the Oasis sponges that I used in the spring - they seemed to work ok. I have a few questions though. Right now the basement where I play is right at 40% humidity but in both cases it’s been holding steady at 50%.
1) Does it hurt to play for an hour or so if the room humidity is in the 30’s (high) or around 40%? I know ideally everything should be 45-50%. 2) At what point would you start to use the room humidifier? Once I start I know it will be the everyday process for 5-6 months. 3) Where should case humidity drop to before using the case humidifier? Over the past few months I’ve had a Boveda pack under the headstock but that’s been it since the case has consistently been at 50%. 4) I have toyed around with the idea of using Boveda instead of sponge but don’t like the idea of the pack resting on the sound bars so I’ve stuck with the sponge which worked great. Is it a good idea to stick a Boveda pack in as well under each headstock, or would that do something weird to the sponge humidity since the packs are suppose to be two-way? Thanks! Mike
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2017 Gibson Hummingbird Standard 2017 Gibson J-45 Standard 2001 Fender Stratocaster - Iron Maiden Signature 
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#2
11-02-2017, 01:00 PM
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I used the D'Addario Humidipacks last year with my Taylor 322ce and the Taylor Sense end pin sensor and app - it's a no brainer. D'Addario also makes a case unit for any acoustic that will measure the humidity and any G-force shocks to the case and bluetooth all that info to your smartphone app - that is the easiest way to achieve two-way humidity control year round - its really too easy... I dont even worry about that any more, I just check the app once a week, but I've not had a single reading out of the safe zone, it's been keeping my 322ce at 48% relative humidity all year, I live in Michigan, very humid summers and very dry, forced air furnace winters. Hope this helps.
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#3
11-02-2017, 01:01 PM
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I use a redundant combination of a room humidifier and a version of the gel packs (in this case Planet Waves from D'addario) in the guitars and cases. This way if I neglect the room humidifier for a day or so, no worries. The gel packs last a long time as the ambient humidity in the room is maintained at 50% so the gel typically doesn't have to do anything.
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#4
11-02-2017, 02:17 PM
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1) Does it hurt to play for an hour or so if the room humidity is in the 30’s (high) or around 40%? I know ideally everything should be 45-50%.
If it hurt to play at those levels, I could never play in the winter. I have a reasonably high-end Martin that I leave out for most of the late spring through early fall. Once my gas-driven fan-blown air kicks in during winter, the humidity dips down sometimes into the high 20's even with my humidifier going. (it was hitting the teens without one). When I get home from work at night, I take it out of the humidified case (I use those humidipacks), play it, and leave it out for a few hours before packing it up again for the night. (On occasion in the winter I've sort of accidentally gotten the humidity up to the low 40's when it's cold outside, and it feels like a weird humid botanical garden with water vapor drenching my windows. Typical winter temps in my Northern Va./DC area are mid to low 30s to 20's and on occasion colder).
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#5
11-02-2017, 03:25 PM
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I have come to the conclusion that humidification is key but it's a bit blown out of proportion. I live in Canada where in the winter, we crank the heat. I use the oasis humidifiers but often forget to fill them as often as they require. I also find that after a year or two, they stop working as well as they did when I first got them (gel doesn't really absorb water). I have found that just leaving my guitars in their case is often enough, especially if they are in my basement where the humidity is a bit closer to where it should be. I just never leave them out in the winter. I have left them on a couch for a day or two without any serious issues. I think they really need to be in a terrible spot to really start cracking or warping.
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#6
11-02-2017, 04:20 PM
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Quote:
I will do both as well since I travel a lot and can’t really trust anyone else in the house to consistently refill the basement humidifier.
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2017 Gibson Hummingbird Standard 2017 Gibson J-45 Standard 2001 Fender Stratocaster - Iron Maiden Signature
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#8
11-03-2017, 09:13 AM
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CT resident here too. My guitars are scattered around the house. Most are in their cases when not played during the winter. As soon as the heat turns on, I have twin bags of the d'addario humidity pouches stored in every case near the headstock, plus an oasis humidifier between the strings at the sound hole. Case humidity is always around 50%.
We have a 1,600 SQ ft home. I fire up 2 room humidifiers when the household humidity approaches 30%. One is in our living room and the 2nd one is in the master bedroom. These are running mainly for my wife and my comfort from dry air, static, etc. But they really crank when I run the woodstove on really cold spells.
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2003 Froggy Bottom H-12 Deluxe 2019 Cordoba C-12 Cedar 2016 Godin acoustic archtop 2011 Godin Jazz model archtop
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#11
11-03-2017, 10:06 AM
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I used Oasis for a long time but checking the water levels in several cases became a PITA. Now store in a walk in closet with its own humidifier. Only have to keep one thing filled and it runs about 7-10 days on a full tank.
Still have the Oasis should I have the guitar out for an extended period.
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#13
11-03-2017, 12:58 PM
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Quote:
That’s interesting - I never thought of that. During the winters though my basement usually settles at 30%, so that’s where I’d be playing it. I’m not sure how good it is to play at 30% humidity for a few hours if the main room isn’t humidified.
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2017 Gibson Hummingbird Standard 2017 Gibson J-45 Standard 2001 Fender Stratocaster - Iron Maiden Signature
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