Using A Guitar Humidifier And Other Guitar Humidity Tips- 2022
Guitars can be damaged by dry circumstances. A guitar humidifier will protect your Taylor while also allowing it to perform and sound its best.
We’ve all experienced the depleting affects of dry weather on our bodies. Consider a long voyage in an airline cabin, when the humidity can drop below 15%. Or the arid inside of a home that has been heated during the chilly winter months, when humidity levels can fall into the single digits. Our eyes and skin become dry, we become thirsty, and in severe situations, we may experience a headache or nosebleed.
Consider your guitar.
Proper hydration is critical for the functioning of wood products such as guitars, which have stored moisture that can be stripped by dry, thirsty air. In fact, prolonged exposure to dry environments is one of the most serious dangers to the health of a guitar. When a guitar loses moisture, the wood shrinks, compromising not only the instrument’s playability and sound, but also causing cracking and other damage.
If you notice your guitar’s action becoming low and buzzy, or if you feel your frets protruding as you go up and down the neck, you have a dry guitar. Even if you don’t see or feel these signs right now, your instrument could still be dry. Maintaining optimum humidity levels in your guitar will help you keep it in excellent playing shape. Here are some pointers on how to use a guitar humidifier.
Begin by purchasing a Digital Hygrometer.
A digital hygrometer will provide you with an exact reading of the humidity level in the location where you store your instrument, allowing you to monitor it. For an acoustic guitar, the recommended humidity range is 45-55 percent, but 40-60 percent is often fine. Use a digital unit rather than an analogue kind with a needle; digital units are significantly more accurate in our experience.
You can get one for $25-$45 from your local music store, online stores. Keep the hygrometer in your guitar case. The enclosure will give a more enclosed atmosphere, making guitar humidity regulation easier to maintain. (Think of it as a cigar humidor.) To accurately detect the humidity level of the instrument, place the hygrometer in the open section of the case rather than inside the case compartment.
Guitar Humidifier Alternatives
A guitar humidifier will protect your Taylor while also allowing it to perform and sound its best. Stringed instruments can be outfitted with a variety of accessories. Keep in mind that the purpose is to humidify the entire guitar (including the neck), therefore you should avoid enclosing it within the body with a soundhole cover, depending on the type of guitar humidifier you use.
The D’Addario Two-Way Humidification System (previously Planet Waves Humidipak) is one of the guitar humidifiers that we frequently offer because it is pre-formulated to maintain a humidity level of 45–50 percent, making it a low-maintenance solution. The guitar humidifier uses patented technology and disposable, moisture-filled packets with a breathable membrane that allows two-way humidity management, meaning it can either release or absorb moisture to stay within the 45-50 percent range.
Three packets and two pouches are included in the kit. The soundhole pouch contains two packets and is wrapped across the strings, allowing both pouch chambers to descend into the soundhole to keep the guitar body’s RH. The headstock bag, which contains the third packet, is placed beneath the headstock in the case to assist in keeping the neck and fretboard in good condition.
There are no dangerous chemicals employed; just salt and pure water are used, and only pure water vapour is permitted in and out of the packet. The packages are designed to be tear-and puncture-resistant as well as leak-proof. They should last between two and six months, depending on the climate, after which they can be discarded. When the packets become firm and the contents cannot be moved with your fingertips, it’s time for a new set.
The Oasis® Guitar Humidifier which has a watertight container with a specifically designed fabric for water vapour to pass through. The majority of the moisture in the body is trapped by the vinyl soundhole cover types, necessitating the use of a second humidifier at the headstock.
The frequency with which you re-wet a water-based humidifier after its moisture has been absorbed is determined on the season, your location, and how dry the instrument is. The only method to ensure you’re in the 45-55 percent range is to use a digital hygrometer to monitor the guitar humidity level inside the case. If you’re having difficulties reaching that range, re-wet the humidifier more frequently and consider putting a second or larger humidifier inside.
Do you require additional information regarding guitar humidifiers? Visit our contact page. Please contact us and we will gladly assist you.
