Results 1 to 23 of 23

Thread: Where to put an in case humidifier?

  1. #1
    Registered User jmalmsteen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    NY/PA
    Posts
    264

    Default Where to put an in case humidifier?

    Is it okay to have your in-case humidifier in a closed accessory compartment within the case? We turned the heat on for the first time yesterday. If you can't keep it in the accessory compartment where else would you keep it? (I don't feel comfortable using the green snake like thing that you put inside the instrument)
    I am also going to get a humidifier and move my acoustic instruments into one room in the house.

    Thanks!
    -Jen
    Gibson F5G
    Kentucky km-600
    20+ electric guitars, banjos, bass guitars, and a fiddle

  2. #2
    Registered User mandobassman's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    Delran, NJ
    Posts
    2,921

    Default Re: Where to put an in case humidifier?

    I personally never felt very comfortable having a humidifier in the case. I keep all of my instruments in one room in my house and last winter used a large ultrasonic room humidifier along with a wall mounted hydrometer. I was easily able to maintain a fairly constant 40%-45% humidity in that room. I never had any issues with any of the instruments, including my carved-top bass, which seems to be more effected by dryness. I'm sure you'll get lots of other opinions on this, but i never liked having a humidity source that close to the instrument. With the room humidifier I was able to keep all instruments humidified at once. I would recommend a good quality hydrometer because you don't want to over-humidify. That can be as bad as dryness.
    Larry Hunsberger

    2013 J Bovier A5 Special w/ToneGard
    D'Addario FW-74 flatwound strings
    1909 Weymann&Sons bowlback
    1919 Weymann&Sons mandolute
    Ibanez PF5
    1993 Oriente HO-20 hybrid double bass
    3/4 guitar converted to octave mandolin

  3. #3
    coprolite mandroid's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Location
    Outer Spiral Arm, of Galaxy, NW Oregon.
    Posts
    17,103

    Default Re: Where to put an in case humidifier?

    I like the Idea of a humidor box, for the mandolin and wooden instrument stash . to control that space

    Myself I have a good humidor, I live on a peninsula surrounded on 3 sides by the Columbia River Estuary.
    writing about music
    is like dancing,
    about architecture

  4. #4
    Registered User jmalmsteen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    NY/PA
    Posts
    264

    Default Re: Where to put an in case humidifier?

    Quote Originally Posted by mandobassman View Post
    I personally never felt very comfortable having a humidifier in the case. I keep all of my instruments in one room in my house and last winter used a large ultrasonic room humidifier along with a wall mounted hydrometer. I was easily able to maintain a fairly constant 40%-45% humidity in that room. I never had any issues with any of the instruments, including my carved-top bass, which seems to be more effected by dryness. I'm sure you'll get lots of other opinions on this, but i never liked having a humidity source that close to the instrument. With the room humidifier I was able to keep all instruments humidified at once. I would recommend a good quality hydrometer because you don't want to over-humidify. That can be as bad as dryness.
    Do you keep the instruments inside the cases? I have everything in my living room but its open to the kitchen, den, and hallways so I don't think a room humidifier would work there. I am going to get something today.
    Gibson F5G
    Kentucky km-600
    20+ electric guitars, banjos, bass guitars, and a fiddle

  5. #5
    Registered User & Abuser
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    Jersey Coast
    Posts
    251

    Default Re: Where to put an in case humidifier?

    Last season, I used my DIY drilled film cannisters w/ sponges cut to size and kept moist. They seemed to have worked okay as my mandolins survived w/out cracks from being too dry or mold from being to wet. I had to try something new because they don't fit under the neck heel in my new Collings MT case like they did in my Eastman 515 case.
    I just bought 2 of these Humistat 1's http://www.humistat.com/prod01frame.htm
    to put in my case either under the neck heel or in the space near the headstock or on either sides of the neck on the stash box by attaching them to these little velcro / adhesive strips which were included. They are 2&3/8's long by 3/4" round so they are small enough to fit under the heel if that's where they end up. NFI
    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	Humistat 1.jpg 
Views:	2043 
Size:	11.2 KB 
ID:	76931
    p.s. They are under $10 each w/shipping included.

  6. #6
    Registered User mandobassman's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    Delran, NJ
    Posts
    2,921

    Default Re: Where to put an in case humidifier?

    Quote Originally Posted by jmalmsteen View Post
    Do you keep the instruments inside the cases? I have everything in my living room but its open to the kitchen, den, and hallways so I don't think a room humidifier would work there. I am going to get something today.
    I have 2 mandolins in cases, my bass is in a vinyl padded bass bag, and a guitar, ukulele, and another mandolin hanging on the wall, plus a 125 year old bowlback on a shelf. The room they are in is open to the kitchen and living room. The humidifier I used is about a 1-1/2 gallon Holmes ultrasonic cool mist humidifier. I bought it a Target. They come out with different models each year, but I would recommend the Ultrasonic kind. They are very quiet, easy to clean, and don't use a filter. Throughout all of last winter I don't think I ever had to turn the setting more than halfway. If you keep the room properly humidified, you won't need a in-case type.
    Larry Hunsberger

    2013 J Bovier A5 Special w/ToneGard
    D'Addario FW-74 flatwound strings
    1909 Weymann&Sons bowlback
    1919 Weymann&Sons mandolute
    Ibanez PF5
    1993 Oriente HO-20 hybrid double bass
    3/4 guitar converted to octave mandolin

  7. #7
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Sep 2002
    Location
    US
    Posts
    1,239

    Default Re: Where to put an in case humidifier?

    Quote Originally Posted by mandobassman View Post
    ...I would recommend a good quality hydrometer because you don't want to over-humidify...
    If you're worried about the specific gravity of a fluid a hydrometer is the way to go. If your worried about relative humidity a hygrometer is the measuring device you want to use.
    GVD

  8. #8
    Mando accumulator allenhopkins's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Rochester NY 14610
    Posts
    17,378

    Default Re: Where to put an in case humidifier?

    I keep all my instruments in the basement, which has the highest humidity in the winter when the furnace is on. The rest of the year I have to dehumidify it, rather than the opposite.

    I do recommend keeping instruments in cases, which protects them from accidental damage as well as slowing down moisture transfer in and out. When I lived in an apartment (very dry in winter), I used to scrounge the big plastic bags that guitar cases were shipped in, and put one of those around each guitar (I only had one mandolin then, can ya believe it?) inside the case, with a Dampit humidifier stuck in the soundhole.

    I don't think having the small amount of actual liquid present in a standard case humidifier, in the case with the mandolin, poses any particular risk. The soundhole humidifiers, such as the afore-mentioned Dampit, do have to be kept from resting on the instrument's finish, since their dampness can cause water staining.

    A good overall room humidifier is probably the best solution -- but remember that your instrument's going to be out of that room some of the time, enroute to jams or gigs or whatever, so some thought might be given to specific case humidification.
    Allen Hopkins
    Gibsn: '54 F5 3pt F2 A-N Custm K1 m'cello
    Natl Triolian Dobro mando
    Victoria b-back Merrill alumnm b-back
    H-O mandolinetto
    Stradolin Vega banjolin
    Sobell'dola Washburn b-back'dola
    Eastmn: 615'dola 805 m'cello
    Flatiron 3K OM

  9. #9
    Registered User mandobassman's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    Delran, NJ
    Posts
    2,921

    Default Re: Where to put an in case humidifier?

    Quote Originally Posted by GVD View Post
    If you're worried about the specific gravity of a fluid a hydrometer is the way to go. If your worried about relative humidity a hygrometer is the measuring device you want to use.
    My mistake. Hygrometer is what is needed. I mixed up the terms.
    Larry Hunsberger

    2013 J Bovier A5 Special w/ToneGard
    D'Addario FW-74 flatwound strings
    1909 Weymann&Sons bowlback
    1919 Weymann&Sons mandolute
    Ibanez PF5
    1993 Oriente HO-20 hybrid double bass
    3/4 guitar converted to octave mandolin

  10. #10
    Registered User jmalmsteen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    NY/PA
    Posts
    264

    Default Re: Where to put an in case humidifier?

    I bought a Vicks v4500 based on the Consumer Report rating. I have to get a hygrometer for the wall so I can track the room humidity. I am going to get a case humidifier for when I leave the house. I am actually thinking about leaving the Gibson in the house and taking the Kentucky with me. Is that being overly paranoid or would NY winter conditions pose a real problem? I.e. house to car to heated building outside to car to house
    Gibson F5G
    Kentucky km-600
    20+ electric guitars, banjos, bass guitars, and a fiddle

  11. #11

    Default Re: Where to put an in case humidifier?

    Thats paranoid.
    Gunga......Gunga.....Gu-Lunga

  12. #12
    Registered User jmalmsteen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    NY/PA
    Posts
    264

    Default Re: Where to put an in case humidifier?

    You should have seen me when I got my first "real" car. If that thing got a fingerprint I would wash it, sometimes a few times a week. I feel like that all over again. My solution to the first problem was that the paranoia was too much and I just stopped driving the nice car and replaced it with a Prius that can get a few fingerprints on it. I don't want the same thing to happen with the mandolin so hopefully my craziness will subside.
    Gibson F5G
    Kentucky km-600
    20+ electric guitars, banjos, bass guitars, and a fiddle

  13. #13
    Registered User mandobassman's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    Delran, NJ
    Posts
    2,921

    Default Re: Where to put an in case humidifier?

    I don't think you have much to worry about. I live in nearly the same climate and never have had an issue. I keep the one room humidified and when I take the mandolin out of the house I treat it the same as I would any other time of the year. The only issue I have ever had involved a bass I used to have. I bought it in Houston where it had been for many years and when I moved to NJ and it went through a drastic climate change, the bass literally came apart at the seams. I ended up selling it and bought something that was in better structural shape to begin with. But that bass was 60 years old and most likely already had issues that I wasn't aware of. I have never had any problems with any of my newer instruments. With that Vicks humidifier you got you should be fine.
    Larry Hunsberger

    2013 J Bovier A5 Special w/ToneGard
    D'Addario FW-74 flatwound strings
    1909 Weymann&Sons bowlback
    1919 Weymann&Sons mandolute
    Ibanez PF5
    1993 Oriente HO-20 hybrid double bass
    3/4 guitar converted to octave mandolin

  14. #14
    Mando accumulator allenhopkins's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Rochester NY 14610
    Posts
    17,378

    Default Re: Where to put an in case humidifier?

    Quote Originally Posted by jmalmsteen View Post
    ...Is that being overly paranoid or would NY winter conditions pose a real problem? I.e. house to car to heated building outside to car to house
    Where in NY? I'm in Rochester, and I don't go quite that far with regard to humidification protection. Proper home environment -- I do try to maintain that -- but I doubt that just taking your instrument(s) somewhere would cause a problem. It does take an instrument quite a while to dry out dangerously, if kept within an acceptable temperature range.

    Temperature -- well, that's another thing. I've subjected a couple of my instruments to temperature extremes that have cause finish "checking," small cracks in the finish. Not a structural problem, but a fairly significant cosmetic blemish. Taking an instrument around in a car trunk in the winter, where it can really chilled in a couple hours, and then bringing it into a warm room, and immediately exposing it to the environment, can cause finish damage. Gradual warm-up, leaving the case closed for an hour or more, then "cracking" it and letting the instrument slowly adjust -- that's the ticket.
    Allen Hopkins
    Gibsn: '54 F5 3pt F2 A-N Custm K1 m'cello
    Natl Triolian Dobro mando
    Victoria b-back Merrill alumnm b-back
    H-O mandolinetto
    Stradolin Vega banjolin
    Sobell'dola Washburn b-back'dola
    Eastmn: 615'dola 805 m'cello
    Flatiron 3K OM

  15. #15

    Default Re: Where to put an in case humidifier?

    To answer your original question, I always keep a small humidifier in the accessary compartment of my instrument cases. I have never had any issues in doing this and it does get dry in Boulder Colorado in the winter.

    Jillian

  16. #16
    Registered User jmalmsteen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    NY/PA
    Posts
    264

    Default Re: Where to put an in case humidifier?

    I now have a humidifier and an indoor/outdoor temperature and humidity sensor on the wall near the mandolin. My husband thinks I am crazy but that is okay!
    Gibson F5G
    Kentucky km-600
    20+ electric guitars, banjos, bass guitars, and a fiddle

  17. #17
    Certified! Bernie Daniel's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Location
    Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
    Posts
    8,347
    Blog Entries
    4

    Default Re: Where to put an in case humidifier?

    Last winter I left all the instruments in closed cases with a small plastic pill jars (mandolins) and soap cases (guitars and mandocello) with saturated sponges -- seemed to work.

    Since my old gas furnace died and I spent about what it would cost to get a DMM on a new geothermal water furnace and AC this summer I should not need to to that this winter -- we are told it will control the humidity even it the coldest period.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Click image for larger version. 

Name:	humidifiers.jpg 
Views:	1702 
Size:	98.4 KB 
ID:	77008  
    Bernie
    ____
    Due to current budgetary restrictions the light at the end of the tunnel has been turned off -- sorry about the inconvenience.

  18. #18
    Registered User jmalmsteen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    NY/PA
    Posts
    264

    Default Re: Where to put an in case humidifier?

    The pill box sponge solution seems like an easy fix for inside the case.
    Gibson F5G
    Kentucky km-600
    20+ electric guitars, banjos, bass guitars, and a fiddle

  19. #19
    Certified! Bernie Daniel's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Location
    Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
    Posts
    8,347
    Blog Entries
    4

    Default Re: Where to put an in case humidifier?

    It seemed to work well -- on those instruments that don't come out of their cases for most of the winter I usually re-soak the sponge every 2 weeks or so. I have the cases laid out flat on the floor and stacked so I totally saturate the sponge because I am not worried about the container tipping and spilling water. Get a cleaning sponge a lot of those are treated with a mold preventative -- I've never had any mold but who needs it?
    Bernie
    ____
    Due to current budgetary restrictions the light at the end of the tunnel has been turned off -- sorry about the inconvenience.

  20. #20
    Registered User & Abuser
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    Jersey Coast
    Posts
    251

    Default Re: Where to put an in case humidifier?

    jmalmsteen,
    I have the Vicks Humidifier that you have and had it cranked up for a week last winter and the wall paper started to peel. Talk about overkill!! My wife hid it on me after that. God forbid: the wall paper vs my mandolins.

  21. #21
    Registered User jmalmsteen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    NY/PA
    Posts
    264

    Default Re: Where to put an in case humidifier?

    Quote Originally Posted by frshwtrbob View Post
    jmalmsteen,
    I have the Vicks Humidifier that you have and had it cranked up for a week last winter and the wall paper started to peel. Talk about overkill!! My wife hid it on me after that. God forbid: the wall paper vs my mandolins.
    Did you have a humidity meter to read the humidity level in the room? The Vicks unit I have doesn't tell you about the humidity level in the room. I am going to keep the room around 40-45% or whatever the recommended levels are. We have wallpaper on one wall, if it peels I would rather fix that then have my mandolin affected!
    Gibson F5G
    Kentucky km-600
    20+ electric guitars, banjos, bass guitars, and a fiddle

  22. #22
    Registered User mandobassman's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    Delran, NJ
    Posts
    2,921

    Default Re: Where to put an in case humidifier?

    On my unit that I used last year I never had to turn the dial past halfway. Most of the time it was turned to about 1/3 to where you could barely see the mist coming out of the spout. I often had to turn it down because the humidity was going above 50%.
    Larry Hunsberger

    2013 J Bovier A5 Special w/ToneGard
    D'Addario FW-74 flatwound strings
    1909 Weymann&Sons bowlback
    1919 Weymann&Sons mandolute
    Ibanez PF5
    1993 Oriente HO-20 hybrid double bass
    3/4 guitar converted to octave mandolin

  23. #23
    Registered User jmalmsteen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    NY/PA
    Posts
    264

    Default Re: Where to put an in case humidifier?

    Quote Originally Posted by mandobassman View Post
    On my unit that I used last year I never had to turn the dial past halfway. Most of the time it was turned to about 1/3 to where you could barely see the mist coming out of the spout. I often had to turn it down because the humidity was going above 50%.
    I had it on halfway and let's just say that the humidity was a little high!
    I only heard it kick on once during the day so I figured it wasn't doing anything but maybe it was.
    Gibson F5G
    Kentucky km-600
    20+ electric guitars, banjos, bass guitars, and a fiddle

  24. The following members say thank you to jmalmsteen for this post:


Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •