Thanks for all the comments on a old, already covered subject.
I wasnāt meaning to open an old repetitive question.
Iād just not seen the answer to the bathroom. Guess I should have kept reading.
I appreciate all the answers.
At this point, I think Iām gonna make my way back to the music store.
Talked to a lady last week about this and she said they got some kinda gel type system that last longer than a sponge. Iām guessing this is what Judi is talking about. I didnāt quiz the employee about what she had though. I think I need further info on whatever she has.
From all the answers, it seems Judiās answer fits my needs about as good as anything.
Iāve only took the guitar in the bathroom a couple of times now. But the thought of the glue used becoming soft had crossed my mind. Plus Iām a bit concerned about the straight shot of high humidity on a likely dry guitar.
Rogier, your pic in the shower jammin made me laugh. I really hadnāt thought of going āthatā far. Surely would hydrate your guitar āinā the shower thoughā¦
Thanks for the replies to an old questionā¦
fwiw, I am skeptical of the bathroom idea, hence my question. I think Iām gonna have to find a better solution as Iāve been convinced that a solid wood guitar is more fragile and needs proper humidity for it to survive the ages.
If I still had the stella, I still wouldnāt careā¦
Thereās only so much you can do in some environments. Right now, at 4:00 in the afternoon, the outdoor temperature here is -8Ā°F (-22Ā°C). Keeping the indoors at 45-55% (Goldilocks zone for guitars)would cause condensation on windows at best, with possible structural damage inside walls at worst. My house is right around 30% at the moment. The guitars are in their cases with humidification devices.
TLDR:
I absolutely would avoid extremes be they dry or wet, acoustics donāt respond well to rapid fluctuations in either direction. You want to keep them in an environment that is between 40% to 60% RH, right in the middle at 50% RH would be ideal. If you can use a cool mist humidifier in the room where you keep your guitar(s), or if that is not possible keep it/them in a case(s) and use one of the various commercial or home brewed methods for maintaining humidity.
Using the bathroom as a quick humidity boost for your guitar might seem like a clever hack, but itās not the best idea for maintaining your instrumentās health. The rapid changes in humidity and temperature can actually stress the wood and glue, especially for solid Sitka spruce and mahogany guitar parts. While your rotation and case storage habits help, a more consistent solution, like a sponge humidifier or even a simple in-case humidifier, would provide steady moisture without risk. Itās great that your other guitars survived tougher conditions, but better care now will keep your current ones in top shape for years to come!
Where i live, it can get either really humid (this winter iāve seen up to 92% humidity outside and around 40% indoors) or really dry.
Either way, i always keep my guitars, electric and accoustic, in their cases when iām not using one. And that helps enough to mitigate any problems, it seems.
I had a rack where they would sit (long time ago) in the open, but they reacted to the ever changing humidity in my ācaveā.
So keeping them in the cases, helps. No need to humidify anything.
Very good point.
Donāt know why I didnāt think of that before.
I like to play outside on my back stoop and Iām conscious about
taking my guitar from the 76F, lower humidity house to the 90+F high humidity outside. I mostly think of the temp. change, but in the back of my mind is the humidity change too. So.
This is the best argument to me for not using the bathroom method.
In that vein, again, I think I need to go to my local music store and find a viable solution. Something for in the case I guess as I donāt do humidity control in my house.
Itās taken me 3 years of having a solid top acoustic guitar to finally become concerned about this. Better late than never I guess.
I just donāt want to get a crack in this guitar as I really do love the tones I get out of this guitar.
fwiw, the guitar Iām in love with is a Epiphone DR-500MCE/NA, single pup, fishman electronics. An oddball DR-500 (thinking a 2019-20 end of run before discontinued) with the single pup. Itās near impossible to find info on this single pup version of the www as most versions are 2 pup, esonic electronics, stereo (2 output) guitars. I mostly use it as an acoustic, but do use the elec. part of it when Iām recording sometimes.
Are you actually seeing any problems with the instrument?
My guitar shows definite, measurable changes to the action when I donāt control the humidity. In the winter, I also get āfret sproutā if it gets too dry.
But you donāt mention anything like thatā¦even though youāve had the guitar for three years.
Maybe itās not really an issue for you? (although there is a lot to be said for ābetter safe than sorryā).
I donāt note that either. Seems to play like it always does.
It isnāt, yet. And I donāt want it to become a issue either.
This post is mostly regarding one of two acoustics I have.
is a Alverez 5054 12 string. laminated maple top, mahogany sides and back. Probably neck too, but not sure of this. Iāve had this guitar since 1976. Itās never had any special treatment. No humidity control, no nothing. It sat in itās case for 25 (+ or -) years w/o taking it out of the case. Over the years itās seen much abuse at the campfire and just taking it wherever I wanted to, in whatever weather that was at hand. I get it out very limited now a days. Not a regular player. Whenever I get it out itās generally near still in tune. Close anyways. It still plays fine too and I note no change from 1976 to now.
is the one Iām concerned about. The Epiphone DR-500 MCE/NA. Solid sitka spruce top. mahogany side, back, neck. It sees a days worth of use every 3 days or so. Iāve no issues with this one either. No fret sprout, action stays the same best I can tell. At least I donāt ever seem to see the need to adjust it as it plays like I want it to. No buzz on any fret. Pretty low action for a acoustic and plays pretty easy for a acoustic.
Iām just concerned about that solid sika spruce top. Iāve not had one of them before and I read that solid tops need better care than laminated (like humidity control). Hence my question. But I still donāt have any issues with this guitar either. Itās either in itās case or out for the day, the day that Iām using it. Sometimes it will see the light on a day that I take it on the back stoop to play, but that day Iām playing electric. So, them days itās only out for the duration of playing on the back stoop.
Iāve not concerned myself about the electrics at this point (2 solid bodies, one laminated maple hollow body). They are all cased all the time unless being used too. They also show no signs of change from playing yesterday (yesteryear) to today. Donāt know if I should be concerned about them or not.
But this thread was mostly about the DR-500.
Right now
-One clock in the living room w/humidity gauge reads 31%
-One clock in the bathroom reads about 40%. Leans towards dry. It has no number on it so the 40% is a best guess.
-I also have a digital weather station. It has inside temp and humidity on it. Right now itās reading 10%. This is the gauge that I used for a quote @ 20%. Humidity has changed from the other day to the 10% today.
This winter 30% + or - 15% seems to be the norm. It sure seems dry in here. Both me and the wife have issue with getting them dry skin splits on our fingers. There like a paper cut but seem to be caused by just plain being dry in here.
I doubt any of these gauges are particularly accurate, but will say they seem to read similar within 15% round abouts.
This is the info that is available to me from the 2 clocks and one weather station. I could believe that they are suspect pretty easy.
fwiw, itās a small house, one level, 2 bedrooms, 1 bath, living room and dining room connected, kitchen off to one end. 832 sq ft. w/basement, 1664 sq ft. All alleged gauges are upstairs.
Jim, I think how long they last might depend on the local conditions. Hereās my anecdote: the packs I bought in November were doing just fineā¦until yesterday when I noticed one of them had suddenly dried out! (Itās obvious when this happens - it was firm.) Why would that suddenly happen? All I can think is that itās been very cold (low 20s at night - letās not argue about whether that qualifies as āveryā cold ) for about a week now. As a result, the humidity in my house has been low. So even though I generally keep my guitar in the case, I do take it out during the dayā¦if Iām going to play in a couple of hours I often leave it on the stand rather than putting it back. My hypothesis is that when the guitar goes back into the case, itās sucking up the moisture from the packs to re-hydrate. Fortunately I had a couple packs with some life left. Iāll be trying the rehydrate experimentā¦will let you know how that goes in a day or two!
As always, Iām interested in othersā thoughts and experiences about this.
Thanks Judi, thatās exactly what I wanted to know.
It seems they are likely not to need the maint. of a sponge, which is what I think I want.
I will not be humidifying or dehumidifying my house in summer or winter.
Sounds like your weather is comparable with what I got here in Nebraska (miserable hot humid summers, miserable dry freezing winters).
Plus it sounds like your treat your guitars near exactly the same as I do. Cased until played, left out while playing it for the day, then back into the case it goes.
fwiw, I just called my local music store. They got them D Addario systems on hand.
Now I know what I think I need to do, after I get some bread together.
Jim, I just re-read the thread I posted above discussing rehydrating those packs. It seems it might take up to three weeks to accomplish, so I probably wonāt be reporting back as quickly as I thought I would! My takeaway - Iāll probably keep two āsetsā - one in use, one standing by. As you say itās a bit of an investment, but can be spread out over time.
One other comment: the DāAddario kit comes with three packs and two sleeves to hold then: two packs go in the sound hole, and one under the head stock. Iāve only been using the two in the sound hole. Given the current conditions, I put the headstock one back. My local shop sells replacement packs individually.
Really, itās no big deal. Lots of people online have done something as simple as poke some holes in a Ziploc, and put in a damp sponge with no problems reported.
Hereās another possibilityā¦the Herco Guardfather.
I owned one of these many years ago. It uses plaster of Paris instead of a sponge, and only required re-wetting with ordinary tapwater every week or two, IIRC.
Just google itā¦ they are still widely available from multiple sources.
