We live on the Strait of Juan de Fuca in NW Washington state, where the humidity is normally 50% thanks to the marine climate. I've never needed to worry about my guitars and humidity, until for a few years we lived in central Illinois. I left my guitars in Washington and bought an inexpensive Recoding King RP-06 12 fret parlor to use while in Illinois. Not 3 hours home from the guitar store with it there was a loud crack and the strings sounded like they'd been thumped. The neck had dog-legged at the body join and action lifted to nearly 1/2". Ignorant of humidity and guitars I took it back the next morning where the owner explained humidity, offering to keep my guitar in his environmentally controlled store until the cold snap and
Hi, I had not heard such a speedy reaction to low humidity before. I live about six miles from the English channel , so almost all our weather comes from the south west across the Atlantic. I have humidifiers and de humidifiers, but we are rarely short of humidity! (It is England of course). I looked at your location on google maps - so you are somewhere between Neah Bay and Port Townshend If on the US side, or on Vancouver island if in Canada ? I've never been further north than San Francisco or Montreal. I think that we are about ten degrees further north than you. All the best, Andy
@@SillyMoustache We're on the US side, SE of Sequim, WA, also overlooking Sequim Bay. Humidity is rarely less than 50% here, sometimes as high as 98%, presently 90%. With the Olympic mountain range to our SW, the worst weather out of the gulf of Alaska, typically bends around us. For many years, this was known to pilots as the "Blue Hole" when the rest of western Washington was clouded over. That's been changing. The Recording King isn't the best example of a guitar; made with newer woods, sometimes not properly dried, and poor glue ups, separations weren't uncommon, especially the bridge.
@@ilblues Hi, fascinating, to look at your area on Gioogle maps. I see there's a place there called Dungeness - I live about 90miles west of the original Dungeness in Kent, which is about half way between Hastings (Battle of..) and Dover -large port to France. Dungenness is a stark and weird shingle area beloved of those who want to get away from our crowded towns and cities.
@@SillyMoustache The Dungeness Spit could be called stark and weird as well. Before the area was settled in the late 1800s, the area near Dungeness was called "Cactus Flats". Before bringing irrigation to the area, it was desert-like which is a stark contrast to the west coast of Washington, near the town of Forks, where nearby is the Rain Forest - said to get 300" of rainfall per year, and great sheets of moss hang from towering Redwood and Douglas Fir trees. I've never been to the UK, though my great grandparents (John Liddicoat and Susannah Humphrys) came from Mousehole in Cornwall via sailing ship out of Penzance. They disembarked in Astoria Oregon, and settled in Skagway, Alaska about the time of the gold rush. No doubt proximity to the sea played a significant role in settling there. Whatver possessed me to live in Illinois for several years I do not know. Thankfully, I returned to my senses and came home. ;^)
So glad you enjoy them, and hopefully you find them helpful. Sadly my options for playing live have reduced significantly since cancer (2017/8) and then the Covid era (2020/21) which caused many venues to close permanently, and ended my trio. I run my club twice a week, and will attend two or three clubs after the flu'/RS season but only as a floor singer, no more gigs seemingly. I would be most interested in any ideas/songs you might like to see me discuss/perform. I'm always looking for new ideas. Thanks for watching.
Thanks, Andy. I live in a dry climate: eg 41F w 57% humidity but warmed up inside to 72F turns to 4% humidity. Summer humidity outside will go down to 9% or less. Dec 14, high of 12F, 98% relative humidity warms to 2% humidity. Even with whole building humidity, it doesn't keep up.
Andy, very timely discussion on humidity. Being in north Texas we get a lot of southerly wind which keeps humidity up in spring, summer, and fall. It is not uncommon for me to see 50% -60% humidity in doors, and I have considered getting a de-humidifier. But winter time is when it can get bad, with heater running, it just sucks the humidity out of the air. It is not uncommon to see 27% - 35% during the extreme cold. I have a whole house humidifier which I keep set at 50% and it is not uncommon to go thru 3+ gallons of water a day and maintain 42% - 47% humidity. I think I have read that 45%-52% is a very healthy range to protect acoustic guitars. People need to make sure they don't store their guitar on a stand near the fireplace of they will end up with damage. In mild winters good humidity levels are easy to maintain, but during extreme cold snaps it is very hard to get humidity above 36% with a humidifier. I use the D'addario acoustic humidifier with sponge like you show in my guitars as well. You can also make some case humidifier by taking plastic travel soap holder, drill holes in the top and use a damp sponge or sock in it, inexpensive yet effective.
Hiya Andy, I'm up in Lancashire and generaly have the same prob's as you, but this summer has been really humid. I play mainly mandolin and tenor guitars but also a bit of uke too. My experience has always been that keeping an instrument in a case when not in use is by far the best option as opposed to wall hangers, etc, particularly in the winter when the central heating is on. I use humidifiers in my cases and also make sure to loosen my strings. Thanks very much Andy, take care, David.
Hi David, you are correct of course, but now that I don't really gig any more I confess that I do keep some of my guitars out on stands. to encourage me to play them. However those Hygrometers I mention here are in every room, so if RH gets "dramatic" they do go into cases with those "Kontrol" bags. Here "down south" (south coast) RH isn't much of an issue, but winter can be challenging. Thanks for watching. BTW - I don't advise loosening strings ... unless your guitars in cases are likely to get to extremely cold for a long time!
Thanks Andy, I'll stop loosening my strings, and I'm looking into getting some Hygrometers for my rooms, could you recommend a certain type/brand please? Take care, David.
@@davidmolloy126 Hi David, whildt I haven't done scientific research my preference for rooms are Thermopro TP-55, and for in the cases, Music Nomad MN305.
Hello John, I am so sorry for your loss. I lost my best friend in 2004. I'm still rather angry with him for dying! (drink mainly). We lost two friend from my club last year. I guess that in my '70s I should become accustomed , but one never does. Thank you for you kind comment, which at this difficult time, really touched me. Andy.
Hey, Andy. I live in the desert in Arizona, where, during the summer, the humidity can be as low as 5-6%! Since I own about a dozen wooden instruments that are generally out on their stands, I invested in a whole-house humidifier. The poor thing struggles during the really dry times, but it does manage to keep the relative humidity in the house around 24-27%.
Here in the UK we don't have such things as Air-con and whole house humidifiers - I'm sure they could be supplied and used, but they are very rarely considered necessary in domestic houses. Thank you for this insight.
Very timely discussion. I live about 50 miles west of Boston, MA. We have hot water baseboard heat in winter and whole house air conditioning in summer. My guitars are out on stands and I use a room humidifier in winter and dehumidifier in summer to maintain an RH of between 45 to 50 percent. Temperature is kept at 72 to 73 F year round. At this time I'm using 2 to 3 gallons of water per day.
Hi George, fifty miles west of Boston ? Worcester? I stayed in Nashua for a while in '98, did a gig in Concord. I had not heard of Baseboard heaters before, but as long as your arrangement works for you, that's all that matters. Thanks for watching!
Close Andy. I live in Lancaster, MA which is about 17 miles north northeast of Worcester, MA. off I-190. You are probably familiar with upright standing radiators used with hot water or steam heating systems. Baseboard heaters are simply a horizontal radiator that runs along the base of a wall and performs the same function. The hot water comes from a central boiler and is piped in a loop throughout the house to provide heat. @@SillyMoustache
Hello Andy, Nice to see you. Very timely video. Thank you. I use Planet Waves Humiditrak Bluetooth Instrument Monitor- This goes inside my case - so I can get a reading of what’s going on inside my case without having to open the case. This doesn’t change the humidity just reports on it. To control humidity I use inside the case D'Addario Humidipak. Depending on the season I run a humidifier/de humidifier in my room. I also have a Bluetooth hygrometer in my room. Thank you for your time and information. Much appreciated.
I use Boveda or D'Addario humidipaks. During extremes, I add Oasis humidifier with them. I find hard guitar cases hold moisture well, with Calton cases the best. Gig bags are better than nothing but in one location the humipaks dried up in 2 weeks.
Yes Tex, it is easier and better to control the environment in cases, and this video was just about how I manage in the fairly temperate southern UK. I would not presume that that other products aren't as good. Take care, Andy
Hello Andy. It is always a pleasure to see you have posted something. I am in the middle of the US (Kansas City, Missouri area).we have the moisture from the gulf of Mexico conflicting with the cold arctic air from Canada. The fight between the two causes our tornadoes at times. At present we are relatively "normal" by meteorological standards. I mentioned to you recently that the weather was bitterly cold, well below zero and about 40° today. I leave my guitars in a dedicated room in my basement. The temperature is about 67° today with humidity about 48 to 52% , depending on where in the room I check. My guitars are on the wall or on stands for access. I am running two humidifiers and have a water pot on an electric radiator. It was recently 38%humidity and I added another humidifier. I do have devices for my guitars should I move them or travel with them.. This is valuable information, thank you. God speed.
I am lucky enough to live in a very old house with very thick brick walls, which makes it easy to keep the humidity fairly consistent all year round to begin with. The weather here in Vienna, Austria is temperate most of the time, but can get extreme for a few days both in winter and in summer. I keep track of the conditions with 3 different hygrometers and thermometers in the area of my living room, where my guitars usually sit in the open, but with the D'Addario humidpacks in the sound holes. And there is a pretty high quality electric humidifier in another corner of the room, usually set to 40 %, which means it produces about 55 % in a 3 meter radius. That way, the area around the guitars stays at about 45 % almost all of the time. The dangerous times are those 5 or 8 days in winter, when we get arctic cold combined with beautiful sunshine. Open the windows for 5 minutes, and the RH can drop to 25 % in a heartbeat. So, that has to be avoided and the guitars have to be moved somewhere else.
Hi, I live on the south coast of England and in Wien, you are a little further south, but like you we can have extremes about this tome of year and in August. Actually extremes of humidity are not extreme issues here but i felt it best to make a video about it. Danke fürs zuschauen!
Humidity here in the Washington D.C. area in January usually is around 24-29 percent in my house. Since I have over 20 guitars, ukes, and mandos you can imagine it's a chore to keep everyone hydrated. I use the products you have along with humidpacks, etc. I also use an in case bluetooth hygrometer in most of the guitars. That helps keep everything in check for me and I can see what may need more humidity without even opening the cases.
Hi, Sounds like quite a challenge! Some scary changes in temperatures going on in Canada, Scandinavia, Scotland etc., and ridiculously mild where I am for January. Challenges for later in the year I suspect.
I have a small room where I store my stringed instruments. I start humidifing with a room humidifier as soon as the heater has to be used to keep the house comfortable. Usually rel. Hum. Is 50%, temp is approx. 68 degrees..stays that way till spring.
Hiya, a point on D'addario humidipaks,according to a guy at Guitar Guitar, 10/15% either side of 45% humidity, then the humidipaks aren't going to work. My ceo7 martin went in for a set up, Andertons rang me to say ' guitar had a humidity reading of 78%' that was with humidipaks inside guitar and case
Hi Andy, I have a question on humidity. I don't have any problems with low humidity but have concerns about high. Since I bought a set of hydrometers I found that through summer the humidity is always higher (I live in Spain) I used Oasis which are good to add a bit of humidity but I bought a couple of gibson's and they provided the daddario humidipaks Now they advertise these as three way packs they add humidity when needed, absorb humidity when theses too much and generally seek to keep a constant range between around 45 to 55 Now initially the way they were advertised it appeared as if the pack managed all three, but I found the humidity levels higher and despite the packs they never lowered it, humidity levels might move slightly but no discernible lowering I got on to d'addario who told me nope one pack doesn't do it all, if the humidity is outside the middle ok range you need a different pack absorb to take out the extra and another pack if it's too low (I forget what they call this type) So I tried the absorb pack but it never brought the humidity levels down, so I tried to get the stuff you mentioned but couldn't find it and instead used a different product. Although it was loose I found a container bag I hoped would be ok and popped this into one guitar case and the next day the humidity level was considerably lower. I moved it to a second guitar and same thing it was moving down, but I took the bag out and left it on the floor as I had to pop out only to come back and find a pretty big pool of water I was just grateful it was on floor tiles rather than in the guitar case. But therein lies the problem, what do you need to keep this type of stuff in to both take the excess humidity out and yet not have water leaking? Does the Kontrol you use come in suitable bags, I did look on amazon and the only product of there's I saw wasn't in any bags so wondered if that was the case what containers you use to hold the granules so they don't leak? Sorry about a long winded message, but you seem to have found the right solution to the problem so it would be great if you can spare a few minutes to let me know
Hi, firstly I cannot talk about all the products that are offered on sale. Here in southern England , last Saturday the RH was in the low 40% range. Yesterday, even before the evening rain came it went up to 67% I went into action and microwaved my Kontrol "Moisture Munchers" for five minutes, waited for the bags to dry out and put them in the cases of my dreads and my Jumbo. Today (Tuesday), RH in my house is about 57% but in the cases with the Kontrol bags inside they are about 54%. About the Kontrol bags - It seems that they are NOT available in the 200 or 500 bags, on Amazon, but they ARE on UK ebay (and Ebay Espana - I just looked!). The bags have their own instructions but it basically says tat if the desiccant beads are white or pale orange, stick 'em in the microwave at about 60-70% for five minutes until the beads are dark orange, let then let them dry out for 10-20 minute then you're OK to go. They don't work quickly - maybe over 2-3-days? (You don't want rapid RH changes anyway). Also, the guitars that were out on stands in 67% RH , are perfectly OK. The USA seems to have far more radical RH values - I knew a guy in Montana who said his RH was almost always 25% so he kept his guitars in airtight cabinets with tanks of water underneath !!! Anyway, I hope that helps, Andy
Hi Andy. I keep mine on a wall hanger on an outside, north facing wall, which can be a little cold and damp sometimes. However, this is compensated by the fact that it’s right over a radiator and in the prevailing sunlight from the large window opposite. Balances out nicely. 😎
@@SillyMoustache I am just down the road from you as I write this, a day out in Brighton, sadly for an old friend's funeral, but we are all having a party now!
I used to use Jim Dunlop but then I found the Oasis gives an easier read on when it needs topping up as it creases up. Funny enough I just got a set of hygrometers and I also recently got a new Gibson Hummingbird which came with the Humidipak but it's a bit too early to know how effective but they have good reviews. But having the hygrometers I noticed that currently the readings in the case of all the guitars is around 59/60 which is a bit above the recommended 45/55 range, so your tip about the Kontrol crystals is a good one I shall get some to reduce the moisture so thanks for that tip
I live in extremely dry climate. I use humidipak and Oasis in combination during dry winter and summer conditions. The Oasis adds water vapor, and the Boveda or D'Addario humidipak keeps humidity between 45~50%.
Glad the Oasis Hygrometer works for you, it was too inaccurate for me. As long as we are all aware of the issues with high and low humidity - all good. Thanks for watching and your input.
Emerald...Emerald Guitars, made in Ireland of pure carbon fiber. Impervious to changes in humidity, pressure, temperature, or sunlight. They don't move and they sound every bit as good as the best wood guitars. I wouldn't have believed it until I bought one.
The 'Beast from the East' back in 2016 (?)totally killed my guitar. The top cracked and split along as well as across in various places, the action went up to about 4 or 5mm minimum and that was it! I'd say that was an extreme weather condition. It taught me to actually use a humidifier! Pity, very nice guitar, a vintage Japanese Washburn Prairie song Custom, the best acoustic I've ever owned.
I keep my guitars in a small bedroom (15 feet by 15 feet). I have a humidifer which I use in the winter and a de-humidifier which I use in the summer. I try to keep the RH between 40 and 50%. Last week it was very cold where I live and the humidifier was useing about 4 liter of water per day to keep the humidity above 40 %. I could barely keep up so I cased my guitars for a while. Today the RH is about 46% in the bedroom so I don't need to do anything. I really think you need extreme conditions for several days to damage your guitar
Great tips Andy. I live in North Queensland Australia, our humidity here is akways between 40 / 100% depending on the season currently we are in summer here and the humidity is at 70% , I run our air-conditioning mostly all day and sometimes at night. This keeps the humidity at around 50% for the entire house. I have solar panels on our roof, so the cost of electricity is kept low for running the air con .
My instruments live in a room that maintains 70 degrees and 40 % humidity. My mandolins like this climate and sound wonderful. I use a room humidifier George in Montana
I use a whole house humidifier in the winter, which has the added benefit 0f keeping our skin from drying out. So my guitars are happy and so is my wife.
As long as your method works. Here in the UK we don't have whole house aircon or humidifying in the UK. I've been to Texas and N.Mexico and understand the necessity in those climes.
Thank you. What are the two thresholds - high humidity/low humidity when you would use your dessicants or sponges, respectively. ? Presumably much of the time not much is needed in UK?
Music Nomad all the way. Don't bother with cheap Dumpit or Planet Waves junk! Assuming we all know any, and all acoustic guitars need humidification. Right?!
We live on the Strait of Juan de Fuca in NW Washington state, where the humidity is normally 50% thanks to the marine climate. I've never needed to worry about my guitars and humidity, until for a few years we lived in central Illinois. I left my guitars in Washington and bought an inexpensive Recoding King RP-06 12 fret parlor to use while in Illinois. Not 3 hours home from the guitar store with it there was a loud crack and the strings sounded like they'd been thumped. The neck had dog-legged at the body join and action lifted to nearly 1/2". Ignorant of humidity and guitars I took it back the next morning where the owner explained humidity, offering to keep my guitar in his environmentally controlled store until the cold snap and
Hi, I had not heard such a speedy reaction to low humidity before. I live about six miles from the English channel , so almost all our weather comes from the south west across the Atlantic. I have humidifiers and de humidifiers, but we are rarely short of humidity! (It is England of course). I looked at your location on google maps - so you are somewhere between Neah Bay and Port Townshend If on the US side, or on Vancouver island if in Canada ? I've never been further north than San Francisco or Montreal. I think that we are about ten degrees further north than you.
All the best, Andy
@@SillyMoustache We're on the US side, SE of Sequim, WA, also overlooking Sequim Bay. Humidity is rarely less than 50% here, sometimes as high as 98%, presently 90%. With the Olympic mountain range to our SW, the worst weather out of the gulf of Alaska, typically bends around us. For many years, this was known to pilots as the "Blue Hole" when the rest of western Washington was clouded over. That's been changing. The Recording King isn't the best example of a guitar; made with newer woods, sometimes not properly dried, and poor glue ups, separations weren't uncommon, especially the bridge.
@@ilblues Hi, fascinating, to look at your area on Gioogle maps. I see there's a place there called Dungeness - I live about 90miles west of the original Dungeness in Kent, which is about half way between Hastings (Battle of..) and Dover -large port to France. Dungenness is a stark and weird shingle area beloved of those who want to get away from our crowded towns and cities.
@@SillyMoustache The Dungeness Spit could be called stark and weird as well. Before the area was settled in the late 1800s, the area near Dungeness was called "Cactus Flats". Before bringing irrigation to the area, it was desert-like which is a stark contrast to the west coast of Washington, near the town of Forks, where nearby is the Rain Forest - said to get 300" of rainfall per year, and great sheets of moss hang from towering Redwood and Douglas Fir trees. I've never been to the UK, though my great grandparents (John Liddicoat and Susannah Humphrys) came from Mousehole in Cornwall via sailing ship out of Penzance. They disembarked in Astoria Oregon, and settled in Skagway, Alaska about the time of the gold rush. No doubt proximity to the sea played a significant role in settling there. Whatver possessed me to live in Illinois for several years I do not know. Thankfully, I returned to my senses and came home. ;^)
Candidly admit, I thoroughly enjoy your videos. Thanks for taking the time to post these and find time to play a bit too!
So glad you enjoy them, and hopefully you find them helpful. Sadly my options for playing live have reduced significantly since cancer (2017/8) and then the Covid era (2020/21) which caused many venues to close permanently, and ended my trio. I run my club twice a week, and will attend two or three clubs after the flu'/RS season but only as a floor singer, no more gigs seemingly.
I would be most interested in any ideas/songs you might like to see me discuss/perform. I'm always looking for new ideas. Thanks for watching.
Thanks, Andy. I live in a dry climate: eg 41F w 57% humidity but warmed up inside to 72F turns to 4% humidity. Summer humidity outside will go down to 9% or less. Dec 14, high of 12F, 98% relative humidity warms to 2% humidity. Even with whole building humidity, it doesn't keep up.
Sounds like a challenge!
Andy, very timely discussion on humidity. Being in north Texas we get a lot of southerly wind which keeps humidity up in spring, summer, and fall. It is not uncommon for me to see 50% -60% humidity in doors, and I have considered getting a de-humidifier. But winter time is when it can get bad, with heater running, it just sucks the humidity out of the air. It is not uncommon to see 27% - 35% during the extreme cold. I have a whole house humidifier which I keep set at 50% and it is not uncommon to go thru 3+ gallons of water a day and maintain 42% - 47% humidity. I think I have read that 45%-52% is a very healthy range to protect acoustic guitars. People need to make sure they don't store their guitar on a stand near the fireplace of they will end up with damage. In mild winters good humidity levels are easy to maintain, but during extreme cold snaps it is very hard to get humidity above 36% with a humidifier. I use the D'addario acoustic humidifier with sponge like you show in my guitars as well. You can also make some case humidifier by taking plastic travel soap holder, drill holes in the top and use a damp sponge or sock in it, inexpensive yet effective.
I tried that - they leaked. Want some Soap dishes ? Be careful with those they can do more harm than good.
Hiya Andy, I'm up in Lancashire and generaly have the same prob's as you, but this summer has been really humid.
I play mainly mandolin and tenor guitars but also a bit of uke too.
My experience has always been that keeping an instrument in a case when not in use is by far the best option as opposed to wall hangers, etc, particularly in the winter when the central heating is on.
I use humidifiers in my cases and also make sure to loosen my strings.
Thanks very much Andy, take care, David.
Hi David, you are correct of course, but now that I don't really gig any more I confess that I do keep some of my guitars out on stands. to encourage me to play them. However those Hygrometers I mention here are in every room, so if RH gets "dramatic" they do go into cases with those "Kontrol" bags. Here "down south" (south coast) RH isn't much of an issue, but winter can be challenging. Thanks for watching. BTW - I don't advise loosening strings ... unless your guitars in cases are likely to get to extremely cold for a long time!
Thanks Andy, I'll stop loosening my strings, and I'm looking into getting some Hygrometers for my rooms, could you recommend a certain type/brand please?
Take care, David.
@@davidmolloy126 Hi David, whildt I haven't done scientific research my preference for rooms are Thermopro TP-55, and for in the cases, Music Nomad MN305.
You are much appreciated and well loved, if you were unaware. An old friend of mine died this morning, about moon your time.
Hello John, I am so sorry for your loss. I lost my best friend in 2004. I'm still rather angry with him for dying! (drink mainly). We lost two friend from my club last year. I guess that in my '70s I should become accustomed , but one never does. Thank you for you kind comment, which at this difficult time, really touched me. Andy.
Yes Andy, father time and mother nature are one heck of a pair. Be safe and smart. Take care of things at home.
Hey, Andy. I live in the desert in Arizona, where, during the summer, the humidity can be as low as 5-6%! Since I own about a dozen wooden instruments that are generally out on their stands, I invested in a whole-house humidifier. The poor thing struggles during the really dry times, but it does manage to keep the relative humidity in the house around 24-27%.
Here in the UK we don't have such things as Air-con and whole house humidifiers - I'm sure they could be supplied and used, but they are very rarely considered necessary in domestic houses. Thank you for this insight.
Very timely discussion. I live about 50 miles west of Boston, MA. We have hot water baseboard heat in winter and whole house air conditioning in summer. My guitars are out on stands and I use a room humidifier in winter and dehumidifier in summer to maintain an RH of between 45 to 50 percent. Temperature is kept at 72 to 73 F year round. At this time I'm using 2 to 3 gallons of water per day.
Hi George, fifty miles west of Boston ? Worcester? I stayed in Nashua for a while in '98, did a gig in Concord. I had not heard of Baseboard heaters before, but as long as your arrangement works for you, that's all that matters. Thanks for watching!
Close Andy. I live in Lancaster, MA which is about 17 miles north northeast of Worcester, MA. off I-190. You are probably familiar with upright standing radiators used with hot water or steam heating systems. Baseboard heaters are simply a horizontal radiator that runs along the base of a wall and performs the same function. The hot water comes from a central boiler and is piped in a loop throughout the house to provide heat. @@SillyMoustache
Hello Andy, Nice to see you. Very timely video. Thank you.
I use Planet Waves Humiditrak Bluetooth Instrument Monitor-
This goes inside my case - so I can get a reading of what’s going on inside my case without having to open the case. This doesn’t change the humidity just reports on it.
To control humidity I use inside the case D'Addario Humidipak.
Depending on the season I run a humidifier/de humidifier in my room.
I also have a Bluetooth hygrometer in my room.
Thank you for your time and information. Much appreciated.
You seem to have the issue well covered!
@@SillyMoustache be well Andy. Thank you.
I use Boveda or D'Addario humidipaks. During extremes, I add Oasis humidifier with them. I find hard guitar cases hold moisture well, with Calton cases the best. Gig bags are better than nothing but in one location the humipaks dried up in 2 weeks.
Yes Tex, it is easier and better to control the environment in cases, and this video was just about how I manage in the fairly temperate southern UK. I would not presume that that other products aren't as good. Take care, Andy
Hello Andy. It is always a pleasure to see you have posted something. I am in the middle of the US (Kansas City, Missouri area).we have the moisture from the gulf of Mexico conflicting with the cold arctic air from Canada. The fight between the two causes our tornadoes at times.
At present we are relatively "normal" by meteorological standards. I mentioned to you recently that the weather was bitterly cold, well below zero and about 40° today.
I leave my guitars in a dedicated room in my basement. The temperature is about 67° today with humidity about 48 to 52% , depending on where in the room I check. My guitars are on the wall or on stands for access. I am running two humidifiers and have a water pot on an electric radiator. It was recently 38%humidity and I added another humidifier. I do have devices for my guitars should I move them or travel with them..
This is valuable information, thank you. God speed.
Thanks for your input John, and thanks for watching.
@@SillyMoustacheI thank you because of your kindness.
I am lucky enough to live in a very old house with very thick brick walls, which makes it easy to keep the humidity fairly consistent all year round to begin with. The weather here in Vienna, Austria is temperate most of the time, but can get extreme for a few days both in winter and in summer. I keep track of the conditions with 3 different hygrometers and thermometers in the area of my living room, where my guitars usually sit in the open, but with the D'Addario humidpacks in the sound holes. And there is a pretty high quality electric humidifier in another corner of the room, usually set to 40 %, which means it produces about 55 % in a 3 meter radius. That way, the area around the guitars stays at about 45 % almost all of the time. The dangerous times are those 5 or 8 days in winter, when we get arctic cold combined with beautiful sunshine. Open the windows for 5 minutes, and the RH can drop to 25 % in a heartbeat. So, that has to be avoided and the guitars have to be moved somewhere else.
Hi, I live on the south coast of England and in Wien, you are a little further south, but like you we can have extremes about this tome of year and in August. Actually extremes of humidity are not extreme issues here but i felt it best to make a video about it. Danke fürs zuschauen!
Humidity here in the Washington D.C. area in January usually is around 24-29 percent in my house. Since I have over 20 guitars, ukes, and mandos you can imagine it's a chore to keep everyone hydrated. I use the products you have along with humidpacks, etc. I also use an in case bluetooth hygrometer in most of the guitars. That helps keep everything in check for me and I can see what may need more humidity without even opening the cases.
Hi, Sounds like quite a challenge! Some scary changes in temperatures going on in Canada, Scandinavia, Scotland etc., and ridiculously mild where I am for January. Challenges for later in the year I suspect.
I have a small room where I store my stringed instruments. I start humidifing with a room humidifier as soon as the heater has to be used to keep the house comfortable. Usually rel. Hum. Is 50%, temp is approx. 68 degrees..stays that way till spring.
Sounds good.
Freaking love that Collings. If you ever consider selling it :)
Hah I only got it in October! We'll see!
Hiya, a point on D'addario humidipaks,according to a guy at Guitar Guitar, 10/15% either side of 45% humidity, then the humidipaks aren't going to work. My ceo7 martin went in for a set up, Andertons rang me to say ' guitar had a humidity reading of 78%' that was with humidipaks inside guitar and case
Interesting. The Music Nomad Hygrometer might have enabled you to be better informed.
Hi Andy, I have a question on humidity. I don't have any problems with low humidity but have concerns about high. Since I bought a set of hydrometers I found that through summer the humidity is always higher (I live in Spain) I used Oasis which are good to add a bit of humidity but I bought a couple of gibson's and they provided the daddario humidipaks
Now they advertise these as three way packs they add humidity when needed, absorb humidity when theses too much and generally seek to keep a constant range between around 45 to 55
Now initially the way they were advertised it appeared as if the pack managed all three, but I found the humidity levels higher and despite the packs they never lowered it, humidity levels might move slightly but no discernible lowering
I got on to d'addario who told me nope one pack doesn't do it all, if the humidity is outside the middle ok range you need a different pack absorb to take out the extra and another pack if it's too low (I forget what they call this type)
So I tried the absorb pack but it never brought the humidity levels down, so I tried to get the stuff you mentioned but couldn't find it and instead used a different product. Although it was loose I found a container bag I hoped would be ok and popped this into one guitar case and the next day the humidity level was considerably lower. I moved it to a second guitar and same thing it was moving down, but I took the bag out and left it on the floor as I had to pop out only to come back and find a pretty big pool of water
I was just grateful it was on floor tiles rather than in the guitar case. But therein lies the problem, what do you need to keep this type of stuff in to both take the excess humidity out and yet not have water leaking?
Does the Kontrol you use come in suitable bags, I did look on amazon and the only product of there's I saw wasn't in any bags so wondered if that was the case what containers you use to hold the granules so they don't leak?
Sorry about a long winded message, but you seem to have found the right solution to the problem so it would be great if you can spare a few minutes to let me know
Hi, firstly I cannot talk about all the products that are offered on sale. Here in southern England , last Saturday the RH was in the low 40% range. Yesterday, even before the evening rain came it went up to 67% I went into action and microwaved my Kontrol "Moisture Munchers" for five minutes, waited for the bags to dry out and put them in the cases of my dreads and my Jumbo.
Today (Tuesday), RH in my house is about 57% but in the cases with the Kontrol bags inside they are about 54%.
About the Kontrol bags - It seems that they are NOT available in the 200 or 500 bags, on Amazon, but they ARE on UK ebay (and Ebay Espana - I just looked!).
The bags have their own instructions but it basically says tat if the desiccant beads are white or pale orange, stick 'em in the microwave at about 60-70% for five minutes until the beads are dark orange, let then let them dry out for 10-20 minute then you're OK to go.
They don't work quickly - maybe over 2-3-days? (You don't want rapid RH changes anyway).
Also, the guitars that were out on stands in 67% RH , are perfectly OK.
The USA seems to have far more radical RH values - I knew a guy in Montana who said his RH was almost always 25% so he kept his guitars in airtight cabinets with tanks of water underneath !!!
Anyway, I hope that helps, Andy
Hi Andy. I keep mine on a wall hanger on an outside, north facing wall, which can be a little cold and damp sometimes. However, this is compensated by the fact that it’s right over a radiator and in the prevailing sunlight from the large window opposite.
Balances out nicely. 😎
Hanging a guitar over a radiator concerns me.
@@SillyMoustache haha! I don't really do that mate.
BUT, I could if I wanted to.
Two words, carbon fibre!
@@SillyMoustache I am just down the road from you as I write this, a day out in Brighton, sadly for an old friend's funeral, but we are all having a party now!
I used to use Jim Dunlop but then I found the Oasis gives an easier read on when it needs topping up as it creases up. Funny enough I just got a set of hygrometers and I also recently got a new Gibson Hummingbird which came with the Humidipak but it's a bit too early to know how effective but they have good reviews.
But having the hygrometers I noticed that currently the readings in the case of all the guitars is around 59/60 which is a bit above the recommended 45/55 range, so your tip about the Kontrol crystals is a good one I shall get some to reduce the moisture so thanks for that tip
I live in extremely dry climate. I use humidipak and Oasis in combination during dry winter and summer conditions. The Oasis adds water vapor, and the Boveda or D'Addario humidipak keeps humidity between 45~50%.
Glad the Oasis Hygrometer works for you, it was too inaccurate for me. As long as we are all aware of the issues with high and low humidity - all good. Thanks for watching and your input.
Emerald...Emerald Guitars, made in Ireland of pure carbon fiber. Impervious to changes in humidity, pressure, temperature, or sunlight. They don't move and they sound every bit as good as the best wood guitars. I wouldn't have believed it until I bought one.
Interesting!
The 'Beast from the East' back in 2016 (?)totally killed my guitar. The top cracked and split along as well as across in various places, the action went up to about 4 or 5mm minimum and that was it! I'd say that was an extreme weather condition. It taught me to actually use a humidifier! Pity, very nice guitar, a vintage Japanese Washburn Prairie song Custom, the best acoustic I've ever owned.
Sorry to hear that. I hope you've found a worthy replacement.
I keep my guitars in a small bedroom (15 feet by 15 feet). I have a humidifer which I use in the winter and a de-humidifier which I use in the summer. I try to keep the RH between 40 and 50%. Last week it was very cold where I live and the humidifier was useing about 4 liter of water per day to keep the humidity above 40 %. I could barely keep up so I cased my guitars for a while. Today the RH is about 46% in the bedroom so I don't need to do anything. I really think you need extreme conditions for several days to damage your guitar
Great tips Andy. I live in North Queensland Australia, our humidity here is akways between 40 / 100% depending on the season currently we are in summer here and the humidity is at 70% , I run our air-conditioning mostly all day and sometimes at night. This keeps the humidity at around 50% for the entire house. I have solar panels on our roof, so the cost of electricity is kept low for running the air con .
yes, I think you are right. a few days is Ok, a few weeks, not so much.
Hi Anthony, Great to hear from you.
Thankyou Sir, i have founs this very helpful 😊
You are most welcome
My instruments live in a room that maintains 70 degrees and 40 % humidity. My mandolins like this climate and sound wonderful. I use a room humidifier George in Montana
Hi George, I understand that it can get very dry in Montana.
Especially whe the temperature gets down to -40 degrees, like last week.@@SillyMoustache
Can the desiccant pouch reduce the humidity within the case too much?
No, they are intended to absorb humidity to a point where the environment is comfortable for humans, which is about the same as guitars are built for.
I use a whole house humidifier in the winter, which has the added benefit 0f keeping our skin from drying out. So my guitars are happy and so is my wife.
As long as your method works. Here in the UK we don't have whole house aircon or humidifying in the UK. I've been to Texas and N.Mexico and understand the necessity in those climes.
Thank you. What are the two thresholds - high humidity/low humidity when you would use your dessicants or sponges, respectively. ? Presumably much of the time not much is needed in UK?
"My concerns start at less than 35% or over 60% If foe more than an a few hours, I take action.
thanks man.
Most welcome! Thanks for watching.
Music Nomad all the way. Don't bother with cheap Dumpit or Planet Waves junk! Assuming we all know any, and all acoustic guitars need humidification. Right?!
Music nomad stuff is expensive but good.