Taking Proper care of your Acoustic Instrument

[drewsifer]

As you may know the proper humidity is nessicary to keep your acoustic instrument in good shape. I believe it is between 40-60% humidity is the recomended level. Finished instruments help protect agunist these effects. I saw a brand new set of unfinished Gretch drums crack into pieces due to dryness from a long cold winter. The owner took no precautions to humidify the room that the drums were in, and after a few months of dryness, the set had been destroyed. Just because an instrument is new, does not make it safe from the elements, espically if it is unfinished. what is your expierence with this? do you take proper precautions during the winter season to treat your acoustic room with humidity?

[johnS]

Good point. I live in one of those decrepit, er, vintage apartments with steam radiators. Things start to mumify if you don't have a humidifier going.

Case in point: I bought an inexpensive cello made in China a few years ago, and the neck warped one winter. Now the stings buzz when you finger a note. Ug.

Anybody know how to fix this kind of thing?

[dagosto]

A talented tech can straighten out the neck by by using clamps and keeping the instrument in a climate controlled room for a while. My roomate has an awesome humidifier in the basement. I kinda lucked out on that.

[plishous]

I'm the of player that all way puts my acoustic back in the case when i'm done

[johnS]

I do too ususally, but that cello warped while in the case. I guess I should have built a humidor into it.

[smopo24]

and if your cello ever broke, you could just stuff a bunch of cigars in it!

[drewsifer]

There are two types of humidifiers that I have found. Cold evaporation and heat evaporation I own both. here are the pro/cons of each. the cold humidifier runs smooth has two settings (high low) and requires a new filter every season. the heat humidifier mists the air, also has two settings (high, Low)and requires no filter. the only down side is that unless your using filtered water you need to clean out the tray ever two weeks or so. it gets filled with mineral deposits. if you dont clean it, it smells gross. I found the heat humidifier works a little better and quicker, but they both work well. I think overall I prefer the heat humidifier just because the mist is refreshing and fun and you dont need to buy filters.

[Nubus]

I have instruments all over my house. The humidifier I use is the cold evaporation type, and it's supposed to cycle throughout the entire house since it is the same room as our furnace intake. Is 35% enough? It's hard to keep refilling it.

[dolivas]

hehe finally found the humidifier we use!:


real rock stars use penguin-shaped anthropomorphic humidifiers. I have no complaints about it, it's cool mist and i haven't had any humidity issues with my gear. Plus its hella cheap and found at Targets everywhere.

[drewsifer]

Originally Posted by Nubus

I have instruments all over my house. The humidifier I use is the cold evaporation type, and it's supposed to cycle throughout the entire house since it is the same room as our furnace intake. Is 35% enough? It's hard to keep refilling it.

I think 35% should be ok, I kept my old room at my last place at 35% just because that was as humid as it would get with the furnace going. I got an ol 32 gibson acoustic (ll-00) that is on its last leg, it survived the 35% so i imagine just about anything can. the thickness of the finish is always somthing to keep in mind, but on acoustics, the inside is usually never finished so even if you got a thick finish, look in the sound hole to check if the inside has been treated. 9 times out of 10 it wont be, there for for acoustics you always need to take the precaution of humidity.