To humidify or not to humidify...that is the ?

[FRETCOM]

Would the use of a sound hole humidifier (like a Dampit) not be as necessary (or possibly at all) with a guitar that is made of all laminates? This question is in regards to a Godin 5th Ave Kingpin hollowbody made with laminate cherry wood. Thoughts anybody? Thanks in advance.

Regards,
fretcom

[studio1087]

If it's dry where you live, you must humidify.

Your top braces can dry and warp and they'll screw the top up.

My nephew refused to humidify a Martin DXM (all laminate) and the bridge sunk 1/8 inch. The lower section of the top just caved inwards. He called me and said that his action was getting lower and lower. We took the guitar to a martin dealer who humidified the heck out of it and the top came back.

I live in Wisconsin. It will be bone dry here in 7 weeks (subzero temperature).

I humidify all my acoustics.

Dampits are spooky. I don't like to put water inside the guitar because they can drip in the guitar.

Buy a PlanetWaves Cello/Guitar humidifier. It looks like an egg that holds water in the guitar case.

PW Cello Humidifier Link



John

[otterhound]

If you can keep a room/area set aside for a controlled environment with a room type of humidifier , that would be the best of all worlds . This is what I do . It will soon be time again .

[sax4blues]

Originally Posted by studio1087

If it's dry where you live, you must humidify.

I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, is this a "dry" area? I don't play my acoustic a lot so I'm very inconsistent with the humidifier.

[KevinB]

I don't think San Francisco qualifies as a dry area but as you know, the climate varies quite a bit from the coast to the Eastern side of the bay, like Walnut Creek.

Go to Radio Shack, spend $20 on a thermometer/hygrometer and leave it in the room where your guitars are. If you notice the humidity dropping below about 40% you need to act.

[studio1087]

San Francisco is on the ocean. It can't be dry.

In 7 weeks it will be subzero where I live. All the moisture freezes. Bone dry air....that's when you have trouble. It can be worse than a desert.

The time to worry is when the guitar starts to sing like an angel....top gets bone dry and the top resonates like a dream. You get some water in the case and mellows out right away. It's a bummer.

I have two cheap digital hygromters....one stays in a larrivee case and another in a Martin case. I take the average readinging as law. I shoot for 50%. Below 40% is trouble.

[jumpnblues]

Originally Posted by studio1087

San Francisco is on the ocean. It can't be dry.

In 7 weeks it will be subzero where I live. All the moisture freezes. Bone dry air....that's when you have trouble. It can be worse than a desert.

The time to worry is when the guitar starts to sing like an angel....top gets bone dry and the top resonates like a dream. You get some water in the case and mellows out right away. It's a bummer.

I have two cheap digital hygromters....one stays in a larrivee case and another in a Martin case. I take the average readinging as law. I shoot for 50%. Below 40% is trouble.

What John said above. He's dead on. Below 40%...not good, asking for not just problems but major problems over a period of time. Like joints coming apart.


Tom