Humidifiers: What are you using?

[Winston Psmith]

I know I'd brought this up some time ago, but I claim the old guys' right to repeat myself, so . . .

 

With Winter coming in for most of us, I'm wondering how everyone deals with humidifying their Guitars?

 

For my solid-body Electrics, I have one of those plastic Planet Waves humidifiers in each Guitar case, in the pick box section; basically, it's a sponge in a plastic case, but it's easy to use and refill. For my Acoustics, I have one of the Planet Waves plus a Herco Guitar Humidifier, the round, black plastic ones with the clay(?) inserts; they used to be sold as "The Guardfather", and if you search on that name, it'll still take you to the Hercos. They don't seem to hold much moisture, which is why I use the Planet Waves with them. FWIW, I've seen almost the same thing marketed as a Humidifier for Woodwinds like Clarinets.

 

D.C. Winters tend to be much like early November in New England; cold, wet, nasty, with more rain than snow most years. Drying out is more of a problem from indoor heating than severe, drying cold, but it's still an issue. Summers are hot and humid, but Air Conditioning is everywhere, which makes for its own drying factor, so I keep humidifiers in my Guitar cases year-round. It also keeps me in the habit of checking and maintaining them.

 

What's working for you?

[Scott Fraser]

I never thought about it. Excess humidity is never an issue in Los Angeles, & excess dryness happens several times a year with the arrival of desert winds known as Santa Anas. I notice more issues from temperature changes here. My studio can get cold, or what passes for cold in Southern California, into the 50s inside on a winter night. All I notice is the tuning goes south, sometimes a semitone flat, but still in tune within each guitar. I'm more concerned about the grand piano actually, since it's a far greater investment than any of the guitars. I should investigate that.

[desertbluesman]

I have never had to use any humidifiers on any of my guitars, I have lived in places where the humidity was very high, and now I live in a place where there is very little humidity, and I have never had any issues regarding the woods on my guitars. I have been playing guitar since 1966 or so and I have had a bunch of different of guitars types, from solid body electrics, to all wooden acoustics. At the end of my acoustic playing days I had several Ovations. I never have had a single issue with any guitar regarding that type of problem. These days all I have are several cheapo guitars, I sold all of the ones that were worth any real money like my Les Paul Customs and SG's, and my Philip Petillo Custom. I like cheapo guitars, because you do not have to worry about them, they are easily replaceable for cheapo prices.

[KuruPrionz]

I've lived in Fresno, where it gets hotter than Hell and is mostly always dry - 9 to 11 inches of rain annually.

Now I live in Bellingham WA where it rains (mostly) and snows ( a bit) about 38 inches a year.

 

Every couple of string changes (not very often), I'll clean the fretboards and do a light coat of lemon oil - let it sit for 15 minutes, wipe it off and re-string. That keeps the fingerboards from drying out.

 

I have one solid wood acoustic guitar, a nice Yamaha nylon string hybrid electric. Most of the time it lives in it's case.

 

I have 2 Rainsong guitars, they don't absorb or lose moisture.

 

I"ve never used a humidifier on anything, just like DBM.

 

If I did, I have heard many times that a half of a potato works fine. I kinda wonder what happens if you forget you put it in there though!!!!!

[Larryz]

No worries on the humidity factor where I live. Never had a body crack or a bridge pull off on any of my acoustics. I do have a humidity/temp gauge in my music room. I store all of my guitars in their cases when they are not being played. I leave the door and the closet door open so the room and closet where most of my guitars are stored are at the same temp and humidity as my living room. I do not take my guitars out of their cases below 30% and above 55% humidity. If I do, it will be a solid body. In the hot summer days the AC will dry things out and my evaporative cooler will put moisture back in the air which gives me a little more control than in winter. Keeping the house temp above 65 degrees helps. The necks will go a cent or two flat on all 6 strings but the guitars will stay in tune as Scott mentioned. When they go sharp, I worry a little and relieve the excess tension. That's about all I do about keeping an eye on my babies...

[Winston Psmith]

Around here, we can go through three seasons in any one week. Yesterday we had a very light snow, this morning there's frost everywhere, tomorrow we're going up into the low 60's, sometime over the weekend, it might rain. Even inside the house, it makes for an awkward balancing act much of the year. My previous Ovation Legend succumbed to a serious crack in the top, even with all my care, so I'm dedicated to my Guitar upkeep.

 

Like Larryz, I keep my Guitars in their cases if I'm not playing them, and like Kuru Prionz, every other re-stringing or so, I give the fretboards a lemon oil treatment, although I try to use it sparingly, as many of the fretboard treatments are really just lemon-scented petroleum products*. I also give them a good wipe-down with some Guitar polish.

 

 

 

*Keep that stuff away from Vintage Gibsons (pre-1970's or so), as it's been known to dissolve the glue that holds the binding. If you have any doubt, don't even mess with it, find some boiled linseed oil, or have someone else do it. Got that warning from a Luthier/Repairman buddy, years back.

[KuruPrionz]

Around here, we can go through three seasons in any one week. Yesterday we had a very light snow, this morning there's frost everywhere, tomorrow we're going up into the low 60's, sometime over the weekend, it might rain. Even inside the house, it makes for an awkward balancing act much of the year. My previous Ovation Legend succumbed to a serious crack in the top, even with all my care, so I'm dedicated to my Guitar upkeep.

 

Like Larryz, I keep my Guitars in their cases if I'm not playing them, and like Kuru Prionz, every other re-stringing or so, I give the fretboards a lemon oil treatment, although I try to use it sparingly, as many of the fretboard treatments are really just lemon-scented petroleum products*. I also give them a good wipe-down with some Guitar polish.

 

 

 

*Keep that stuff away from Vintage Gibsons (pre-1970's or so), as it's been known to dissolve the glue that holds the binding. If you have any doubt, don't even mess with it, find some boiled linseed oil, or have someone else do it. Got that warning from a Luthier/Repairman buddy, years back.

 

Ovations are fairly famous among guitar techs for having problems of the sort you mention. The bodies are very stiff and do not change size with temperature changes to the same extent that wood does.

The tops are fastened to the bodies using aerospace grade adhesives - this is an interesting read - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ovation_Guitar_Company

 

Long story short, the top changes size and the body is either too tight or too loose but firmly adheres to the sides. Something has to give. It does.

 

Agree with the oils, sparingly and be choosey!

 

I tend to want to refret my guitars to suit my personal taste so I mostly avoid vintage guitars and completely avoid bound fretboards. Personal "work quirk"!