Newbie with humidity problems that are keeping me from playing

[9volt]

Hi, I recently started learning how to play on a cheap used Fender and was doing great until the bridge started to come up. I think the problem was partially a cheap guitar and partially the 20% humidity in my house. This Fender was $50 so there is no point in paying to have it fixed, and I'm ready to make the commitment to buy something nicer ($500+), but I want to solve my humidity problem before bringing something home.

I bought a RS hygrometer that has read 20%ish humidity for the last few weeks. I've been trying the sponge in a ziplock bag with no success in getting the humidity up in my case. I'm not prepared to do whole house or room humidification. Can I get some help solving this problem so I can get a new guitar and start practicing again?

Some specific questions I've got:

I've only got a gig bag, do I need a hard case to make this work?

Does it matter much if the ziplock is open or closed? I've got tons of holes in the bag and have it in the gig bag near the head with the gig bag zipped and the ziplock closed.

Should I just use more sponges?

I'm using one of those kitchen sponges with a scrubbing pad on one side. Is it possible that a different sponge would work alot better?

Thanks!

[plumbgit]

they make a humidifier to go in the soundhole of your git. it needs a case. a good guitar should have a hard case, most are sold with them the humidifiers cost like 15$ well worth it, an absolute necessity i wouldnt fool with sponges in baggies leakage can be a detriment to a nice guitar

[jgwoods]

You can do it in a gigbag, but it will lose some moisture to the outside and that will make for a slower recovery.
Use 3-4 ziplock bags with chunks of sponge in them, and holes- i think you have the idea. The more the merrier really.
I tie them up with a long string so I can throw one in the soundhole and retrieve it with the string. Put one by the headstock, one at the middle of the neck, one inside the soundhole, maybe another down by the bottom somewhere.

My 1917 Gibson A4 mandolin has winter "issues" - the top sags and the action goes so low it can't be played. - 3 days in the case with 3 sponges and it was all back to normal.

If you have a basement it is usually more damp there- store in the basement in the winter.

good luck.

[edman]

Buy a room humidifier. You can buy small ones between $30 - $70.

[AndrewG]

Depending on your room heating source just fill a small bowl (a soup bowl will do) with water, leave it near your radiator/vent and refill it as it evaporates.
I've been doing this for years and my guitars are just fine.

[jandrew]

Originally Posted by 9volt

... I'm ready to make the commitment to buy something nicer ($500+), but I want to solve my humidity problem before bringing something home.

I'm not prepared to do whole house or room humidification.

Seriously, consider a commitment to $450+ guitar and $50 for a room humidifier.

cheers,
andrew

[park_bench]

Here's another vote for a room humidifier. The smaller the room you use it in, the easier a time your humidifier will have maintaining 45-50%. And make sure you get one with a "humistat" (i.e. the little sensor that turns the humidifier on and off based on the room's humidity). Some don't have them.

Keep the sponges/case humidifiers for when you travel. But if you're like most folks, your guitar spends most of it's time at home. If it's in a well humidified room most of the time, it will be fine.

Also, check craigslist or similar classifieds for used ones. A good new one can be had for under $100, but used ones are very cheap.

[Ed422]

And another vote for a room humidifier. The one I got was around $40 or so. Easily a good investment... and I no longer get shocks when I turn the lights on and off. Oh, and I have to fill the "soapbox and sponge" humidifiers in the cases about 1/4 as often as I used to.

Things to keep in mind;

Normally (i.e. in a properly humidified room), it will take several days for a guitar to normalize to the room.

Whether or not it can be done in a gigbag depends on the gigbag. It'll be an uphill battle in lots of them (esp. compared to a hard case).

If nothing else, if you get a new guitar, get a case for it.

Ed

[DenverSteve]

You can do it in a quality gig-bag. Not all are created equal. My Taylor and Avalon gig bags (appear to be made at the same place) keep those guitars humidified fine. If you purchase a guitar make sure you get a hard case for it and you'll have no trouble keeping it humidified. I would use a sound hole humidifier from Kyser (LifeGuard) and a sponge in soap dish in the void behind the neck. Your humidity level can then be monitored and you can remove one of the humidifiers if you need.

[9volt]

Thanks for all the input!

I'm looking at house humidifiers now and they are much cheaper than I expected, around $150 from Home Depot. I think that may be the best way to go if installation isn't too expensive.

I know my gig bag is a POS, so that is probably alot of my problem with the sponge method.