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

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

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 (http://accessories.musiciansfriend.com/product/Planet-Waves-GuitarCello-Humidifier?sku=421101&src=3WFRWXX&ZYXSEM=0&CAWELAID=26028104)

http://img3.musiciansfriend.com/dbase/pics/products/7/6/3/563763.jpg

John

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 .

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.

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 (http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2049773) and leave it in the room where your guitars are. If you notice the humidity dropping below about 40% you need to act.

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.

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