Humidifier question

[Belva]

I googled humidifiers & came up with a DIY job that is interesting. It involves a 2" square tupperware container & a piece of sponge. You drill holes in the top, cut the sponge to fit, get the sponge wet & call it good. I was scrounging around & found an old plastic travel soap dish that I could use. Also fits neatly behind the neck in my hardshell case. Anybody done this? Any luck? Main question; will this placement of said humidifier cause too much moisture around the neck joint causing it to separate from the body?

[outdoorgb]

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!

The plastic soap holder and sponge will cause the already crumbling economy to halt at a faster rate....go spend $10-$20 and get the same thing...


I think it's been done this way for a while...If I were to store a guitar I would look to do it differently but for a day-to-day case humidifier...good to go. AND, watch your room enviroment too...Hygrometers are cheep...like me...

[mole2]

I googled humidifiers & came up with a DIY job that is interesting. It involves a 2" square tupperware container & a piece of sponge. You drill holes in the top, cut the sponge to fit, get the sponge wet & call it good. I was scrounging around & found an old plastic travel soap dish that I could use. Also fits neatly behind the neck in my hardshell case. Anybody done this? Any luck? Main question; will this placement of said humidifier cause too much moisture around the neck joint causing it to separate from the body?

I've been doing this for a long while (travel soap dish and sponge) for case humidifiers. I also use a soundhole humidifier in conjunction with the case humidifier. They work great. I put it under the headstock in the case.

[guitarcapo]

I quit using humidifiers when I came down to Florida but If I recall from my days in New York City, it was easier to MAKE a decent humidifier back in the day than it was to buy one. I used a tupperware that sealed really well with holes punched in it and a wet sponge about the size of a bar of soap inside.
My advice is to NEVER put a humidifier INSIDE the guitar. Just use a bigger one and put it in the accessory compartment. Less risk of water dripping out into the guitar and causing damage. or under the headstock. I lived in one of those prewar Manhattan brownstones with the radiators and I swear in the winter that sponge would get as hard as a rock in just 3 days during the winter.

[boxorox]

They work like a champ. Just remember it's a case humidifier, and you have to sqeeze the excess water out so there's no dripping. Also not a bad idea to rinse the sponge in a light Clorox solution every month or so. Keeps it from getting musty. As Outdoorgb say's, it's a good idea to have a hygrometer to measure the humidity level in the case/room the guitar's in. Get 'em at Radio Shack or Wally World for about $8.00. Temp & humidity.

[Belva]

I too am a cheap b@$t@%d which is why I asked. A kitchen sponge is a perfect fit & they're cheap too. Throw them in the laundry every once in awhile. Didn't think of Rat shack for a hydrometer. Thanks all!

[nylon rock]

For the soundhole humidifier, Planet Waves, that now have the removable sponge, a good rule of thumb for how much water they hold goes like this, and it is good advice since you can easily overfill them and they will drip.

Remove the top, remove the sponge, squeeze it out, replace it, and add 10-mL of water from a syringe. The sponge holds 10-mL no problem. Any more and you're taking dripping risks. So, every time you refill it, always squeeze out the old water so that you establish a water minimum before filling.

Where do you get the syringe from?

Order a PW small humidifier, which comes with the syringe. The small humidifier will last for around two years before mold overruns its effectiveness. But the handy syringe should last around ten to twenty years.

[sjepstein]

Not exactly on the topic of home-made humidifiers, but related...

Later this winter, I will be going on a trip of more than one week. I have two solid-top acoustic guitars, and I've been using the PW soundhole humidifiers with both of them (I have another laminate top, and I have a room humidifier--for my own benefit as well as the axes'... )

The room humidifier's tank lasts 24 hours. I am also finding that the soundhole humidifiers seem to last about a week. However, I will be away for about two weeks.

What would be the best strategy for protecting the guitars during this time?

Thanks very much in advance!

Scott

[0rbitz9]

I like to use this product in all of my guitar cases along with a digital
hygrometer and a sponge and soap dish humidifier.
http://www.zorb-it.com/

I find that the Zorb-It will keep the guitar case at a very even humidity
and will eliminate any sudden changes in humidity for most of the year.
During the coldest months of the winter when the heat in my house is
running constantly, the Zorb-It tends to run out of moisture, so I have to
suppliment it with the sponge humidifier for about two months. With the
Zorb-It in the case, my sponge humidifiers usually will stay moist for two
weeks.

If you're going away for two weeks, having the Zorb-It in your case along
with your humidifier will keep the humidity very steady even if your humidifier
runs out of water. It takes over a month of constant dry weather before
the Zorb-It will start loosing it's effectiveness.

For about $20, you can buy a cheap Walmart digital hygrometer, a pack
of Zorb-It, and make a soap dish humidifier. This will keep your guitar
in great shape with very little work. I only have to moisten my sponges
every two weeks during prolonged dry weather, and change my hygrometer
batteries once a year.

[0rbitz9]

Here's a pic of my $20 kit.

[sjepstein]

Orbitz:

Thanks very much. I will look into it!

Scott

[Belva]

That's worth considering. I've been using a Kyser, but find it to be a pain in the arse. Easy to put in but hard to pull out (DON'T GO THERE!). I Evilbay'ed a hygrometer for $5.99 w/ free ship. Like I said I'm a cheap b@$t@%d.

[guit30]

I use the planet waves thing that goes between the strings, a sponge in zip lock baggie with holes punched in it if I need it and I have a 3.00 analog hygrometer that I got from cheap humidors.com I found my Radio shack electronic Hygrometer was 15 % off, you can adjust an analog hygro.
J

[Hudman]

I got tired of messing with guitar case humidifiers. Now I use a small humidifier in the room that I store my guitars in. It was one of the best $25 purchases I made last winter.

[sjepstein]

I got tired of messing with guitar case humidifiers. Now I use a small humidifier in the room that I store my guitars in. It was one of the best $25 purchases I made last winter.

Oh, I have a room humidifier. Tank holds about 24 hours worth, and works great if I'm there to refill it. (Also keeps my sinuses and skin from drying out, too... )

Scott

[sjepstein]

I use the planet waves thing that goes between the strings, a sponge in zip lock baggie with holes punched in it if I need it and I have a 3.00 analog hygrometer that I got from cheap humidors.com I found my Radio shack electronic Hygrometer was 15 % off, you can adjust an analog hygro. J

Heh. I have a room thermometer/hygrometer from Holmes, and a case and a PW case hygrometer (both digital). And they are about 15% different from each other, even if I put them right next to each other...

Scott

[Bubbalou]

 

I use the planet waves thing that goes between the strings, a sponge in zip lock baggie with holes punched in it if I need it and I have a 3.00 analog hygrometer that I got from cheap humidors.com I found my Radio shack electronic Hygrometer was 15 % off, you can adjust an analog hygro. J

 

 

 

I use a Planet Waves Hygrometer and a plastic ziplock bag with a wet sponge. I used a paper hole punch to put some holes above the sponge area. I let it hang down into the guitar sound hole. It is working beautifully so far.

[Billyzoom]

I'm glad I stumbled on this thread! I just ordered a Guild jumbo and look forward to it arriving in a few days. I had not even considered this humidifier business and I really need to because I live in New England and my heat is on whenever I'm in my apartment.

I have a humidifier I keep in my bedroom (also where I keep my guitars). It

[0rbitz9]

Billyzoom, if you're only going to run your humidifier, I would run it all day.
You don't want to create a situation where the wood in your guitar
will be constantly constantly shrinking and swelling. This can damage your
finish and glue joints on your guitar over time. Alternatively if you keep
your guitar in it's case, it will be buffered from rapid changes in outside
humidity. It would be best to invest in a hygrometer so see what conditions
your guitar is being subjected too, and make adjustments from there.

[Billyzoom]

Thanks for the info 0rbitz9. Since first viewing this thread, I've been doing a bit of research on the subject and all roads seem to point to keeping the guitar in the case with a humidifying device of sorts. Its a bummer because I prefer not to keep my instruments locked away. However, if it will keep this new beauty healthy, I'll do it.

I'm not so keen on letting my room humidfier run all day. I doubt the device sucks up that much energy but I still don't feel right about it all the same.
I will invest into a hygrometer as you suggest. Maybe an all-in-one meter/humidifier piece.

Thanks again!

[Belva]

If you really want to spend money I saw one that is a display case. Holds like 6 guitars & can be plumbed into your house. Hygrometer & everything. Runs about six grand. Most of us are not that rich. I started this thread to fill my cheap b@$t@%d need for humidification! I spent $383.40 for my accoustic 30 years ago. I aint spending more than is necessary to keep it in shape.