Acoustic guitars and humidity.

[tot_Ou_tard]

I recently picked up a Seagull Artist Studio Burst.

The winters are cold and dry where I live so I also got an Oasis humidifier.

http://oasishumidifiers.com/index.html

How dangerous is it to leave an acoustic out in a heated house during winter months?

Does damage occur if it is left out for a day? a week?

 

[sunvalleylaw]

I recently picked up a Seagull Artist Studio Burst.

The winters are cold and dry where I live so I also got an Oasis humidifier.

http://oasishumidifiers.com/index.html

How dangerous is it to leave an acoustic out in a heated house during winter months?

Does damage occur if it is left out for a day? a week?

As I understand it, consistency is a good thing, with the ideal being between 45 and 50ish %. I don't leave mine out during winter because I can't keep my house at reasonable humidities very well. I am looking into house or floor humidifiers to correct that.

In the meantime, I don't leave my acoustics out beyond the time I am playing them. And I case humidify, keeping the cases at 45 to 50 something percent. I use sponges in plastic bags, and a hygrometer. I also have an Oasis, but have not started using it, as I keep forgetting to get mineral water, and the sponges are keeping the case humidified just fine. '

Here is a chart that seems to keep with conventional wisdom.

http://www.ryanguitars.com/NewsandEvents/Guitar_tech_tips/Humidity_Chart.htm

Again, as I understand it, consistency is the key thing.

 

[tot_Ou_tard]

Thanks Sun. I just watched the Taylor videos on the effects of low humidity.

http://www.taylorguitars.com/guitars/features/woods/Humidity.aspx

Scary.

 

[luvmyshiner]

If you can maintain the humidity in the room where it stays between 40-60%, leave it out. The more it's out, the more likely you'll play it. If you can't maintain a consistent humidity, follow Steve's advice and case it with a humidifier.

 

[tot_Ou_tard]

Oasis hydrometer says my basement has 13% humidity.

 

[luvmyshiner]

Oasis hydrometer says my basement has 13% humidity.

Uh, better case that puppy Tot!:what

 

[sunvalleylaw]

Yep, case it. You will have to take the extra couple min to pull it out of the case. I have just a simple Vicks steam humidifier trying to humidify the family room where my guitar area resides. It can keep it up over 30% sometimes, but when it is cold and we have the gas fireplace on it drops into the 20s even with the humidifier running. So I case my Martin. I would leave my old laminate acoustic out just to play on, but I love playing the Martin so much more.

I am going to research and purchase a house humidifier for this room and the main floor in general to help the situation, and if I find a good unit, get another one for the upstairs where the bedrooms are for the carbon based units in the house too.

 

[tot_Ou_tard]

It down to 7% now.

I've got it in the case with the Oasis humidifier when not playing and I just moved a room humidifier down to the basement.

Let us know what you find Sun!

 

[sunvalleylaw]

I just ran across this. You could always get one of these!

http://guitarhumidor.com/

 

[tot_Ou_tard]

I just ran across this. You could always get one of these!

http://guitarhumidor.com/

Very cool Sun.

No price listed on the site...hmmmmm.

I got a cheapie whole house humidifier on casters. Now the humidity is
between 40 and 45%. Although the outside temperature has also come up a bit helping the situation.

 

[sunvalleylaw]

If you have to ask, you cannot afford the guitar humidor, I bet. What humidifier did you get? I have not got around to buying yet.


Edit: Hey cool! A trio of sentences ending in "et"! ancake Without trying!

 

[tot_Ou_tard]

If you have to ask, you cannot afford the guitar humidor, I bet. What humidifier did you get? I have not got around to buying yet.


Edit: Hey cool! A trio of sentences ending in "et"! ancake Without trying!

Et viola!

http://www.amazon.com/826-800-2-Speed-Evaporative-Console-Humidifier/dp/B0000D8EJW

I got the last one they have in stock. It's really flimsy, the rod that is supposed to turn it off when the water is low won't allow it to turn on so I jammed something in the switch to keep it on.

But, it works well. It's loud on high, but it's in basement and we can't hear it upstairs. I turn it off when I'm down there & it works amazingly well. It may die, but I was desperate & it was a good price.

 

[Algonquin]

I recently replaced my furnace with a high efficiency gas unit. I opted for the humidifier, and leave the furnace fan on full time to help keep some consistency of temp and humidity on all levels. So far it is working out very well and I don't mind leaving the acoustic on the main floor on a stand. I also have the Oasis guitar humidifier, and find it does a great job in the case as well.

SVL, you mentioned mineral water... did you mean distilled? I imagine if you have fairly hard water, it could hamper the evaporation through the walls of the unit. So far I've only used tap, and no issues so far (8 months)

 

[sunvalleylaw]

Ya, that is what I meant. Distilled, not mineral.

 

[tot_Ou_tard]

I use tap in my house humidifier and distilled in the little Oasis guitar humidifier.

 

[sunvalleylaw]

Ya, my Oasis I have not loaded up yet is the only reason I brought up special water. Right this minute, I have plenty of case humidity with sponges in plastic bags, but I will get the oasis set up one of these days.

 

[sunvalleylaw]

Our little Vicks room humidifier that I had been using in our family room where the guitars reside looks to be finally giving up. So, though I will be stil case humidifying, I will be looking more urgently for a house humidifier.

 

[wingsdad]

Since we have hard, heavily treated 'city water' that leaves icky white residue deposits (I need to clean clogged shower heads, faucet aerators and the like with CLR every couple of months, change our water filters on the fridge's water/ice system twice a year, and never drink the tap water unless I wanna barf), I use distilled water in my guitars' Kyser LifeGurards & Dampits and in the Vicks cool-mist humidifier that conditions my 'humidor' cabinet/closet.

There's 2 reasons:
(1) with the in-guitar gizmos, it's to minimize rotting of their rubber innards, and with the Vicks, it prevents clogging it with deposits.
(2)with both, it's to keep the released moisture & mist clear instead of throwing that crap into the air and into the fibers of the guitars' wood or on their finish. Using tap water in the Vicks throws a heavy, foggy white mist, and results in leaving a fine white dust film on anything it lands on. The mist is clean and light with distilled.

 

[tot_Ou_tard]

Using tap water in the Vicks throws a heavy, foggy white mist, and results in leaving a fine white dust film on anything it lands on. The mist is clean and light with distilled.

My humidifier is evaporative and leaves absolutely no white dust anywhere & that thing is pumping out 6 gallons a day. I use tap water.

My basement went from 7% humidity to 45%. I couldn't be happier.

 

[otaypanky]

You'll probably notice the house starting to feel warmer with the added humidity.

 

[tot_Ou_tard]

You'll probably notice the house starting to feel warmer with the added humidity.

Yup. We've set the thermostat quite a bit lower & feel even more comfortable which makes it easier to maintain relative humidity.

We should'a properly humidified the place years ago.