elrigato
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Post by elrigato on Aug 25, 2006 21:51:26 GMT -5
I've been playing for just under two years now. In that time I have collected 7 guitars, all lefties.
- Gibson Les Paul Standard....soon to be modified to Jimmy Page wiring (Jimmy Page is my guitar God) Still can't believe that I own one, and can't believe I would have ever spent that much on a guitar.
-"MIM" Fender Telecaster - replaced bridge pick up with SD hotrail stacked......sounds much better now thanks to guys at guitar nuts2
- Epiphone Emporer II Joe Pass.....now with flatwound strings...again thanks to guys at guitarnuts2
- Martin DR acoustic.....added bridge pick up
- Seagull acoustic with bridge pick up.
- Norman 12 String acoustic
- Raven - copy of Gibson Dove acoustic......had since high school...just can't part with it...sounds like crap, but its a link to my youth.
Enough about my stuff. My question is, should I buy a humidifier to help protect my "children" ? And If so, what is the proper setting to keep them happy for years and years ?
They are all in my basement which is finished, heated etc....
Any input would be fantastic
Thanks guys
Rob
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Post by tacobobbo on Aug 28, 2006 12:10:03 GMT -5
Rob:
A lot of it depends on how constant the ambient temp/humidity is where you live. Here in Tacoma the mean temp swing is only about 35-40 degrees thruout the year and because I live close to the water the humidity doesnt really change. I've really had no problems with my guitars checking or cracking. If you live someplace like the great lakes states tho or the plains of Canada it could be more drastic and then I WOULD use one. Stew Mac sells individual humidifiers for guitars if ya do decide ya need to go that route.JMHO.
Bob
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Post by ChrisK on Aug 28, 2006 18:51:21 GMT -5
I have about 25 guitars and basses.
The only humidifer that I have is fer my Cubans.
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mikesr1963
Meter Reader 1st Class
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Post by mikesr1963 on Aug 28, 2006 19:29:09 GMT -5
I have one but don't use it. I live in Virignia and have a humidity gauge in my room and it almost always reads comfortable, between 50 to 60 percent. I've had my two accoustics for 6 years with no issues.
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prshott
Apprentice Shielder
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Post by prshott on Oct 19, 2006 23:58:13 GMT -5
I lIve in the desert area of northern L.A. County (zero humidity) I stopped using my humidifier after reading about an acoustic "seasoning" with age.... mine has much nicer tone "dried-out" than ever before, and no damage.
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jester700
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Post by jester700 on Oct 20, 2006 7:10:47 GMT -5
Electrics are much less susceptible than acoustics to the ravages of low humidity - they have much less surface area to react with air, and most of what there is is finished.
Unless it gets below 40% RH for extended periods of time, it's a non issue, even with acoustics. There is no such thing as "zero humidity"; accuweather shows LA at 42% RH right now, and (just as a lark) - Death Valley, CA is at 48%.
If it DOES get that dry for long (like in our northeastern US winters), be good to your acoustics and humidify them for the few winter months. "seasoning" and "coming apart" are two different things.
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Post by lunaalta on Oct 20, 2006 14:02:39 GMT -5
LOL, my axes are fine (well, just about), after over 30 years, lots of season/humidity changes and travelling around. Well, seasoned too! It's me that's coming apart  |
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jester700
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Post by jester700 on Oct 20, 2006 16:35:19 GMT -5
Maybe all the guitar builders & luthiers saying to avoid humidity extremes are crazy. Maybe you guys are just lucky - every rule has exceptions, after all. But IMO there's no harm in being careful, and I'll side with those who build and/or service tons of different instruments.
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Post by UnklMickey on Oct 20, 2006 16:51:39 GMT -5
... There is no such thing as "zero humidity"; ... maybe not, but if you ever lived in Cheyenne, you'd swear there WAS. |
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Post by JohnH on Oct 20, 2006 17:11:23 GMT -5
Humidity %'s are quoted relative to how much mositure the air can hold without condensing out at the stated temperature. So 50% humidity at low temperature holds much less moisture than 50% at high temperature.
One of the driest situations, ie very low humidity, can be in a cold winter (so the air can't carry much mosture), warmed up by heating in a room without other activities to add moisture. Thats what I'd be most careful of with your vintage finishes.
My two eldest guitars are 30 this year. The Shergold electric has some minor cracking in the finish, which apparently the brand is well known for. It was probably a humidity effect.
John
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mikesr1963
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Post by mikesr1963 on Oct 21, 2006 17:59:08 GMT -5
... There is no such thing as "zero humidity"; ... maybe not, but if you ever lived in Cheyenne, you'd swear there WAS. I lived there 2 1/2 years. I believe you, there is no humidity there and what ever moisture there is in the air the constant wind dry's it up in no time. |
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jester700
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Post by jester700 on Oct 21, 2006 22:54:44 GMT -5
One of the driest situations, ie very low humidity, can be in a cold winter (so the air can't carry much mosture), warmed up by heating in a room without other activities to add moisture. Thats what I'd be most careful of with your vintage finishes. My two eldest guitars are 30 this year. The Shergold electric has some minor cracking in the finish, which apparently the brand is well known for. It was probably a humidity effect. John Right on the nosey. BTW, I'm not saying the desert can't get very dry - Phoenix is at 20% RH right now. I'm just saying that "no humidity" is inaccurate and "very dry" states the point well without being wrong. Northeastern winters can get this dry indoors, as pointed out above. In my house, I can go from <30%RH upstairs to around 40%RH in the basement simply because the basement is a little wetter (being underground) and is 12-15 degrees cooler (being unheated). Naturally, my guitars live in the basement in winter. |
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Post by bam on Oct 31, 2006 10:24:34 GMT -5
.. And bear in mind that putting your guitar where the wind blows also affect the guitar's humidity.
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eldungo
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Post by eldungo on Dec 18, 2006 0:57:55 GMT -5
Alright then, someone mention Northeast winters? If I turn off my room humidifier, my hygrometer will fall to between 20 and 30%. That's dry. It's 60 degrees one day and 25 the next. (See Lewis Black. When he says there was snow and lightning I can vouch!) I paid 80 bucks for a Honeywell 600 Square foot capacity humidifier. Right now, all things being "relative" as in humidity, I have about 55%. It's also 50 degrees out and the oil FHW heat is not on. So the humidifier is on low and will only come on when we start getting around 40%. When it's cold out, and by cold we can be sure we will see zero and thereabouts, the forced hot water baseboard heating (installed meself) comes on and it dries out the air in literally minutes. I keep my babies on stands in my living room. I love having to make such a tough decision as to which one to play! They look freaking great too! My water bill will be higher, but only for 3 months or so. When it's cold I'm dumping up to 6 gallons per day into the air. When you go into your guitar store and see a couple of 4000 dollar Taylors on the wall with a quarter million dollars or so of inventory, you can be sure you will find a humidification system. I wrestled for a couple years with the case humidifiers, and the "dampit" type units. I don't have that kind of discipline! In the case at night, Soaking the units, screw that! Filling the water jug 3 times a day is a difficult as it gets. Get an extra filter or 2 while you are at Home Depot too!. Just do it! Buy yourself a Christmas present, Go get that humidifier system today! Your babies will thank you. Hmmm, let's see...which axe? Think I'll grab "Strattie McButterneck" now and wail into the wee hours. Rock on!
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Post by dunkelfalke on Dec 18, 2006 1:31:42 GMT -5
i have a big fishtank which loses about 3 liters of water every day. no need for any humidifiers.
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Post by dd842 on Dec 18, 2006 10:00:14 GMT -5
I use a wedge humidifier made by Planet Waves - it is a piece of foam encased in a hard plastic "wedge shaped" container ( ... I'm guessing you saw that "wedge shaped" thing coming ... ) that you simply drop in between the strings.
My brother has a dampit style, which sound like a better idea to me as it covers off the soundhole for maximum moisture retention inside.
Sounds good... but I am a bit lazy, so the reason I use the wedge is that you just drop it in and that's it (well, you do have to wet it occasionally of course). By the way, I leave my guitar in it's closed case when not in use - not on a stand - during winter months.
I suspect that the wedge may not work as well as the dampit, but the dampit doesn't work that well if you don't use it or you forget to use it.
Dan
P.S. I don't humidify with my solid body electric - is that bad?
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d!