How long to humidify a guitar with a room humidifier?

sean79 · March 21st, 2008, 09:41 AM

I had been having fret sprout problems for the first time ever on my acoustic - it was suggested that I get a humidifier (an in-case humidifier was suggested, but I don't have a case for the guitar). I was at Wal-Mart yesterday and noticed they had a close-out price on a room-sized humidifier. I bought it and started running it this morning.

My two questions:

1. If the guitar soaks up enough of that moisture, will the fret ends go back to where they're supposed to be, or will I still need to take it to a guitar repairman to get them knocked back into place?

2. How long should it take for that guitar to reach maximum/ideal moisture levels in a humidified room?

bluesfordan · March 21st, 2008, 10:42 AM

I don't know about acoustics, but I'll render my strat experience. I had a rosewood fingerboard strat, and last winter, my house got down to 11% humidity. One day, I picked up my strat, and ouch, thought I was in GC or Daddy's Junky Music for a moment.

It took 4 weeks in a 45% environment, and still needed ever so slight a filing. I mean, 2 or 3 light passes with a fret file.

That is why I now have a 12 gallon whole house humidifier. I'd like it around 40-45%, but 30-32% is a darn site better than 11%. Next winter, I'm getting a dedicated guitar room unit and hygrometer, just didn't have the scratch to get it this winter.

mildwild · March 21st, 2008, 10:49 AM

I just bought a humidifier after I could feel the frets on my James Burton Standard.

Also I was very concerned about my old grand piano.
Humidity was 27 %

The humidifer I bought you can set the humidity level you desire.

After about 2 days set at 45 % there doesn't seem to be a problem anymore.

chet · March 21st, 2008, 12:12 PM

I soak lemon oil in my rosewood fretboards- no problems.

sean79 · March 21st, 2008, 12:29 PM

Thanks, guys. Guess I'll let the humidifier run and see what happens. I probably should oil the fretboard. I've never done that before, but the guitar is only 15 years old.

chet · March 21st, 2008, 12:38 PM

I need to get a different brand of lemon oil. The one I have stinks but it keeps the fretboards safe. I had some before that smelled good. It's pretty cheap but I just haven't looked at all.
You just get a clean rag and soak a little into a spot on the rag and rub it in then let it soak in the fretboard overnight. You can tell just by looking at the board if it needs it. It'll be a real light colored brown- (dry looking).

bluesfordan · March 21st, 2008, 12:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sean79

Thanks, guys. Guess I'll let the humidifier run and see what happens. I probably should oil the fretboard. I've never done that before, but the guitar is only 15 years old.

15 years old and its never been oiled??? I oil rosewood fingerboards at least once a year. It is WAY overdue, man.

tomi · March 21st, 2008, 12:54 PM

I live in smallish apartment, and I use a warm-mist humidifier and a hygrometer in the winter to keep the humidity around 50%. In the summer I use a dehumidifier to achieve the same result. So far so good.

CharlieO · March 21st, 2008, 01:05 PM

What kind of furnace do you have? When I lived up north I had a gas forced-air furnace. I added a humidifier to the furnace for about $150, and it not only helped my guitars, it allowed me to set the thermostat a few degrees lower and still be comfortable. I thought it was a better solution than a room humidifier, and it didn't cost too much more.

Prior to getting the humidifier, the problems with guitar frets were pretty minor. Once I got it, they went away entirely. I can't tell you how long it took.
http://www.aprilaire.com/index.php?z...ory=5&item=500

GlennLewis · March 21st, 2008, 01:12 PM

since about half of my repair work in the winter consists of acoustics with just this problem. The other half is the body has shrunk due to lack of humidity.

The answer to how long it will take is, "it depends". Since your guitar is made of different of types of wood, and finish types vary as well. So, if it took a month or two or three for the wood to lose the moisture.... you won't really know how long it takes to rehumidify until your guitar is back where you want it.

In the winter time, just leave the humidifier running all the time to deal with fret sprouting. Don't worry about knocking the frets back in.

For a quick rehumidifying experience for a shrunken body, loosen the strings & lay the guitar out flat on it's back. Take a plastic bag and spread it out inside the guitar under the sound hole. Take a washcloth and get it wet (not sopping wet). Microwave the washcloth for about 25 seconds. Put that in the soundhole of the guitar laying on top the plastic bag. Put another plastic bag over the shoundhole, beneath the strings. Come back in a couple hours and re-microwave the washcloth. Do this a couple times a day. Usually in a couple days the body has resumed the original dimensions and you are back where you wanna be. In extreme cases like this one Takemine I was working on last month, it may take more than a week for it to get back to playable condition.

Don't over do it, take it slow. It didn't get that dry overnight, and it won't rehumidify overnight either.

sean79 · March 22nd, 2008, 12:49 AM

It's been running for 14 or 15 hours... no noticeable change. Maybe I should just throw it out.

Guitar_Ninja · March 22nd, 2008, 01:01 AM

I'd grab a hygrometer and check the actual humidity level. You can pick up a cheap one at Wal-Mart for $2-3.

CharlieO · March 22nd, 2008, 08:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sean79

It's been running for 14 or 15 hours... no noticeable change. Maybe I should just throw it out.

What kind of guitar is it? If it's a decent guitar that is worth some money, maybe you should invest in a case and an in-case humidifier.

Glenn suggested leaving the room humidifier running all the time. I wonder what your electric bill would be if you did that?

sean79 · March 22nd, 2008, 10:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CharlieO

What kind of guitar is it? If it's a decent guitar that is worth some money, maybe you should invest in a case and an in-case humidifier.

It's not an expensive guitar (an Ibanez PF5), but it's the only acoustic I have. Not unplayable at all in its current condition - just not as nice as it was for the first fifteen years that I had it.

I really should get a case for it. In the meantime, I'm hoping that a few days or weeks or months of sitting in a properly humidified room is going to help her out.

Should I wait until it's back to normal to oil the fingerboard? Or should I do that before it's fully re-humidified?

nvosmeier · March 22nd, 2008, 11:32 AM

You probably aren't going to see any change in 14-15 hours. Give it a few weeks and it will probably be back to where it should be, or close. Room humidifiers are kind of a hassle becuase you have to keep filling them up with water and keeping them clean so that you won't spread bacteria through the air.
Furnaces can be harsh to a guitar. It can hurt more than just the fretboard.

bluesfordan · March 22nd, 2008, 12:40 PM

you can oil the board anytime, just don't do it with the strings on. Oy, vey, what a mess.

RickG501 · March 22nd, 2008, 10:07 PM

Sean, I actually use orange oil on my fretboards every time I change the strings. It's pretty easy I just spritz a washcloth with the stuff and wipe it down. Re-humidifying a guitar? I did mine in about 2.5 weeks, with a humidifier in the guitar kept in a case. I have a whole house humidifier in the central air unit, in the winter I keep it at about 45%. However, I keep my acoustics in their cases so they need a little extra attention. The good thing about humidifying in the case is that you can easily tell when they're getting re-humidfiied, as you don't have to put as much water in the humidfier after a couple of weeks. I started out filling the thing every 2 days but after a couple of weeks, I only had to fill it about every three or four days then it didn't need much for a week then two weeks. Once the guitar starts getting rehydrated it doesn't suck it out of the humidifier at as fast a rate. Am I making any sense here? Anyway, it's a more controlable environment in the case.

New guitar case $40.
New soundhole humidifier...$10.
Acoustic guitar with no fret sprout, no cracks in the finish, and no pulled up bridge.....priceless.
Mastercard for the things you need right now......

March 21st, 2008, 09:41 AM	#1 (permalink)
sean79 Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: northcentral/western Pennsylvania Posts: 1,749 9 Photos	How long to humidify a guitar with a room humidifier? I had been having fret sprout problems for the first time ever on my acoustic - it was suggested that I get a humidifier (an in-case humidifier was suggested, but I don't have a case for the guitar). I was at Wal-Mart yesterday and noticed they had a close-out price on a room-sized humidifier. I bought it and started running it this morning. My two questions: 1. If the guitar soaks up enough of that moisture, will the fret ends go back to where they're supposed to be, or will I still need to take it to a guitar repairman to get them knocked back into place? 2. How long should it take for that guitar to reach maximum/ideal moisture levels in a humidified room? __________________ Every now and then I know it's kind of hard to tell, but I'm still alive and well.

March 21st, 2008, 12:12 PM	#4 (permalink)
chet Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: The Jersey Shore Posts: 6,403	I soak lemon oil in my rosewood fretboards- no problems. __________________ In Brett We Trust.

March 21st, 2008, 12:29 PM	#5 (permalink)
sean79 Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: northcentral/western Pennsylvania Posts: 1,749 9 Photos	Thanks, guys. Guess I'll let the humidifier run and see what happens. I probably should oil the fretboard. I've never done that before, but the guitar is only 15 years old. __________________ Every now and then I know it's kind of hard to tell, but I'm still alive and well.

March 21st, 2008, 12:38 PM	#6 (permalink)
chet Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: The Jersey Shore Posts: 6,403	I need to get a different brand of lemon oil. The one I have stinks but it keeps the fretboards safe. I had some before that smelled good. It's pretty cheap but I just haven't looked at all. You just get a clean rag and soak a little into a spot on the rag and rub it in then let it soak in the fretboard overnight. You can tell just by looking at the board if it needs it. It'll be a real light colored brown- (dry looking). __________________ In Brett We Trust.

March 21st, 2008, 01:05 PM	#9 (permalink)
CharlieO Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Sarasota, FL Age: 56 Posts: 1,308 9 Photos	What kind of furnace do you have? When I lived up north I had a gas forced-air furnace. I added a humidifier to the furnace for about $150, and it not only helped my guitars, it allowed me to set the thermostat a few degrees lower and still be comfortable. I thought it was a better solution than a room humidifier, and it didn't cost too much more. Prior to getting the humidifier, the problems with guitar frets were pretty minor. Once I got it, they went away entirely. I can't tell you how long it took. http://www.aprilaire.com/index.php?z...ory=5&item=500 __________________ http://www.CharlesOffer.com Last edited by CharlieO; March 22nd, 2008 at 08:05 AM.

March 21st, 2008, 10:42 AM	#2 (permalink)
bluesfordan Tele-Meister Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 473	I don't know about acoustics, but I'll render my strat experience. I had a rosewood fingerboard strat, and last winter, my house got down to 11% humidity. One day, I picked up my strat, and ouch, thought I was in GC or Daddy's Junky Music for a moment. It took 4 weeks in a 45% environment, and still needed ever so slight a filing. I mean, 2 or 3 light passes with a fret file. That is why I now have a 12 gallon whole house humidifier. I'd like it around 40-45%, but 30-32% is a darn site better than 11%. Next winter, I'm getting a dedicated guitar room unit and hygrometer, just didn't have the scratch to get it this winter.

March 21st, 2008, 10:49 AM	#3 (permalink)
mildwild Tele-Meister Join Date: May 2004 Location: Toronto Ontario Canada Posts: 435 52 Photos	I just bought a humidifier after I could feel the frets on my James Burton Standard. Also I was very concerned about my old grand piano. Humidity was 27 % The humidifer I bought you can set the humidity level you desire. After about 2 days set at 45 % there doesn't seem to be a problem anymore.

March 21st, 2008, 12:54 PM	#8 (permalink)
tomi Tele-Meister Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 361	I live in smallish apartment, and I use a warm-mist humidifier and a hygrometer in the winter to keep the humidity around 50%. In the summer I use a dehumidifier to achieve the same result. So far so good.

March 21st, 2008, 01:12 PM	#10 (permalink)
GlennLewis Tele-Holic Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Chicago Posts: 540 4 Photos	here's my experience.... since about half of my repair work in the winter consists of acoustics with just this problem. The other half is the body has shrunk due to lack of humidity. The answer to how long it will take is, "it depends". Since your guitar is made of different of types of wood, and finish types vary as well. So, if it took a month or two or three for the wood to lose the moisture.... you won't really know how long it takes to rehumidify until your guitar is back where you want it. In the winter time, just leave the humidifier running all the time to deal with fret sprouting. Don't worry about knocking the frets back in. For a quick rehumidifying experience for a shrunken body, loosen the strings & lay the guitar out flat on it's back. Take a plastic bag and spread it out inside the guitar under the sound hole. Take a washcloth and get it wet (not sopping wet). Microwave the washcloth for about 25 seconds. Put that in the soundhole of the guitar laying on top the plastic bag. Put another plastic bag over the shoundhole, beneath the strings. Come back in a couple hours and re-microwave the washcloth. Do this a couple times a day. Usually in a couple days the body has resumed the original dimensions and you are back where you wanna be. In extreme cases like this one Takemine I was working on last month, it may take more than a week for it to get back to playable condition. Don't over do it, take it slow. It didn't get that dry overnight, and it won't rehumidify overnight either. __________________ I got them happy kind of blues

March 22nd, 2008, 12:49 AM	#11 (permalink)
sean79 Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: northcentral/western Pennsylvania Posts: 1,749 9 Photos	It's been running for 14 or 15 hours... no noticeable change. Maybe I should just throw it out. __________________ Every now and then I know it's kind of hard to tell, but I'm still alive and well.

March 22nd, 2008, 01:01 AM	#12 (permalink)
Guitar_Ninja Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Kingston, Ontario Posts: 1,303 5 Photos	I'd grab a hygrometer and check the actual humidity level. You can pick up a cheap one at Wal-Mart for $2-3. __________________ Wicket KNOWS.

March 22nd, 2008, 11:32 AM	#15 (permalink)
nvosmeier Tele-Meister Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 137	You probably aren't going to see any change in 14-15 hours. Give it a few weeks and it will probably be back to where it should be, or close. Room humidifiers are kind of a hassle becuase you have to keep filling them up with water and keeping them clean so that you won't spread bacteria through the air. Furnaces can be harsh to a guitar. It can hurt more than just the fretboard.

March 22nd, 2008, 12:40 PM	#16 (permalink)
bluesfordan Tele-Meister Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 473	you can oil the board anytime, just don't do it with the strings on. Oy, vey, what a mess.

March 22nd, 2008, 10:07 PM	#17 (permalink)
RickG501 Tele-Holic Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Oklahoma City Age: 54 Posts: 870	Sean, I actually use orange oil on my fretboards every time I change the strings. It's pretty easy I just spritz a washcloth with the stuff and wipe it down. Re-humidifying a guitar? I did mine in about 2.5 weeks, with a humidifier in the guitar kept in a case. I have a whole house humidifier in the central air unit, in the winter I keep it at about 45%. However, I keep my acoustics in their cases so they need a little extra attention. The good thing about humidifying in the case is that you can easily tell when they're getting re-humidfiied, as you don't have to put as much water in the humidfier after a couple of weeks. I started out filling the thing every 2 days but after a couple of weeks, I only had to fill it about every three or four days then it didn't need much for a week then two weeks. Once the guitar starts getting rehydrated it doesn't suck it out of the humidifier at as fast a rate. Am I making any sense here? Anyway, it's a more controlable environment in the case. New guitar case $40. New soundhole humidifier...$10. Acoustic guitar with no fret sprout, no cracks in the finish, and no pulled up bridge.....priceless. Mastercard for the things you need right now......